Thinking on extending the boat

hillsideshortleg

hillsideshortleg

Active Member
Feb 5, 2012
254
Lake Pend Orielle, Idaho
Boat Info
92 Express Cruiser /89 Sea Ray 280 Sundancer
Engines
489s / 350's Mercruiser drives
I have had this recurring thought of cutting our boat in two and extending it out a few feet. I saw this done on a large steel boat and am thinking, I can do that. You know just lengthen the steering and fuel and the line to the waste tank. What am I missing. My wife put her foot down on this one and says NO!!! Oh ya maybe a few wires, then boom it's done
 
hillsideshortleg said:
I have had this recurring thought of cutting our boat in two and extending it out a few feet. I saw this done on a large steel boat and am thinking, I can do that. You know just lengthen the steering and fuel and the line to the waste tank. What am I missing. My wife put her foot down on this one and says NO!!! Oh ya maybe a few wires, then boom it's done
Click to expand...

This sounds like a great project, although you will have to rush it a little to get a spring splash. Thinking on how much the 550's cost you could get real value adding 25-30 some feet. Heck, you could even add an extra head since you are screwing with the waste line anyway...

A feature this project seems to be begging for is the bad weather fishing hole, it is kinda like an ice fishing hole, right inside the boat, right through the hull bottom. Be right near the fridge for beer, if you have a portable gennie you can even run the air conditioning, and the music will be so much clearer. Man, there are so many exciting options that could be added with a quick project like this...

MM
 
I think he found a cure for 2 footitis!
 
60 years ago when I was 10 my grandparents had a wood boat with a rotted transom. One weekend my grandfather and local handyman cut 4 feet off the back of the boat. Slapped on a sheet of plywood put a 2.5 HP Johnson on it and gave it to me. I did not sink. Think a boat with a bit more power might need a bit of engineering other than a few beers. Back when I was 10 boats did not have insurance.
 
I like where your head is at....

Have you thought about making it accordion or telescoping?

That way, when you pull into the slip you will only get charged for the short version and your wife will never know...

Then, when you pass the tiki bar, you extend it out and more room for everyone to jump aboard with the kegger....
 
No biggie. Go to Home Depot and pick up a board spreader. It will make the job easy.
 
I don't know if any of you long term CSR/SRO guys remember this but about 15 years ago some guy in South Florida decided he needed a bigger cockpit in is 345DB. He set about cutting the boat in 2 right behind the cabin entry doors and added 4 ft to the LOA. Structurally, not very difficult since the cut was right behind the engines. However he ended up with an unbalanced hull that handled poorly and even more underpowered than the original boat was....which was not a good performer in the first place. We first saw the boat when it was listed for sale and showed up on yachtworld.com. It stayed on the market about a year then disappeared. Then it showed up on yachtworld again listed by a South American broker for about 1/2 of what it was originally listed for which was about 1/3 of what unmolested 345DB's were bringing.

You may get more room, but doing this will destroy what value there remains in a 1989 280DA.
 
fwebster said:
I don't know if any of you long term CSR/SRO guys remember this but about 15 years ago some guy in South Florida decided he needed a bigger cockpit in is 345DB. He set about cutting the boat in 2 right behind the cabin entry doors and added 4 ft to the LOA. Structurally, not very difficult since the cut was right behind the engines. However he ended up with an unbalanced hull that handled poorly and even more underpowered than the original boat was....which was not a good performer in the first place. We first saw the boat when it was listed for sale and showed up on yachtworld.com. It stayed on the market about a year then disappeared. Then it showed up on yachtworld again listed by a South American broker for about 1/2 of what it was originally listed for which was about 1/3 of what unmolested 345DB's were bringing.

You may get more room, but doing this will destroy what value there remains in a 1989 280DA.
Click to expand...

But the outcome would have been completely different if the indoor fishing hole had been installed...

MM
 
2808670-R1-015-6.jpg
Boat Guy said:
I like where your head is at....

Have you thought about making it accordion or telescoping?

That way, when you pull into the slip you will only get charged for the short version and your wife will never know...

Then, when you pass the tiki bar, you extend it out and more room for everyone to jump aboard with the kegger....
Click to expand...
Accordion designs have been used on public buses. Why not boats?
 
Seems going up to a 320 or 340 would be much more practical and save an enormous amount of $$ on meds for all the headaches. We all know simple ideas are never simple projects. Not to mention the harassment from the admiral for missing the upcoming season. Best of luck.
 
Lots of duct tape, some super glue and as they say, the rest will buff out.

Or, buy a bigger boat. We went from a Jet-Ski to a 310. Holds more people.
 
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