would you take a 240SD to the Bahamas?

[chuck1]

As far as I know on our 240SD's the only water that drains out those pretty holes on the sides of the boat is from the sinks and the bilge pumps. All the deck water and locker drains all go to the engine bilge (I know cause I filled mine up washing the boat while it was in the water and the bilge pumps take a while to pump out water. Sure yo ucould take the first one over the bow but the second and third would probably sink ya.

Morpheus,

Actually we have two cockpit drains one on each side. Now if you are cleaning the anchor and ski locker area yes they do drain to the bilge. All other areas should be draining overboard. You need to check and make sure your storage and lower engine cowling are sealing correctly. If you where to say lay a running hose in the bow, no/very little water should end up in your bilge area. You should have an overboard drain on the port side just in front of the engine cowling and a starboard side drain just in front of the step if I remember correctly.

 

[chuck1]

What about putting on the canvas bow cover, closing the windshield, and opening the helm storage door to seal everything off? Would that hold up and displace a lot of the water in an unexpected storm? That's always been my plan if I got caught in rough water.

Great thought. I've even thought about doing some kind of hard plastic/fiberglass cover. Kind of like what you put on a pickup truck to seal the back. Most of the time leave my bow cover on when I'm in rough sea.

 

[charlg]

I agree with Woody, the heavy stuff would drive the pole down. Maybe a fixed pole would be the answer. Again, this is a 'just in case' plan.

Chuck, you should patent the idea. I'd buy one

 

[comsnark]

The bow cover idea is great as an *emergency* plan, and is fine for general slop in my view. However, if you are talking about planting the bow into a wave. . . I would not expect the cover to take very much of that kind of pounding without being destroyed.

As for a hard cover. . .how would you attach it?

Frankly, this is one of the reasons I opted for a Cuddy Cabin. Not that I go out to see much, but the few times I do it, I don't want to worry about waves over the bow. Well. . .that is my perception anyway!

In regards to water in the bilge: Geez. . a standard garden hose will put out what. . 2 to 3 GPM? I would certainly hope the bilge pump could deal with that puny amount of water! Do these boats have one pump or two?

 

[chuck1]

The bow cover idea is great as an *emergency* plan, and is fine for general slop in my view. However, if you are talking about planting the bow into a wave. . . I would not expect the cover to take very much of that kind of pounding without being destroyed.

As for a hard cover. . .how would you attach it?

Frankly, this is one of the reasons I opted for a Cuddy Cabin. Not that I go out to see much, but the few times I do it, I don't want to worry about waves over the bow. Well. . .that is my perception anyway!

In regards to water in the bilge: Geez. . a standard garden hose will put out what. . 2 to 3 GPM? I would certainly hope the bilge pump could deal with that puny amount of water! Do these boats have one pump or two?

One bilge pump standard. As to garden hose I was using it so he could test his seals. If I remember correctly Morpheus had a bad pump and I thing was cleaning out the anchor/ski lockers that drain into the bilge area.

You would have to have mounting clips/latches mounted inside the bow area with a flat/rubber gasket/flange that is squeezed between the bow side and hard top. My though was some thing like a clam shell hard top the would have a hinge down the center of the bow area that would be slightly higher than the sides to allow the water to run off either side.

 

[Woody]

If a person was in really bad stuff I'm wondering if some excess water going in the bilge might be ok. At least you'd make use of the pumps abilities. Two 1/2" cockpit drains is not going to handle much water. Look how long it takes to drain a small volume of water out of bilge useing the drain plug. Taking repetative waves over the bow is going to overwhelm them. I know this from experience having had enough water flowing thru my 270SD that it was going out the transom door.

 

[Asureyez]

Taradise,

I know every man's home is his castle and his boat a mega yacht, so what I'm going to say to you is with that back light of understanding. The question of could you make the crossing safely the answer is maybe. Should you try ... Well I would not crew for you on such a crossing might say it best. Consider the following.

The Vessel: Your boat is a coastal and lake boat. It is not a blue water boat. It was never conceived nor designed to do the work you are considering asking of it. It doesn't belong in blue water situations as conditions can quickly arise in open ocean that can turn an idyllic day into a life changing nightmare; if the boat, skipper and crew are not up to the environment. Now I'm not talking from book knowledge here, but practical hands on "crap my pants" experience.

Weather: First, the weather you leave the dock on is not always the weather you get during a crossing, and it is rarely the weather you'll get on your return. The Gulf Stream is a 40 mile wide river flowing 2.5. to 5 knots north. The GS always has some swell running. When wind increases and opposes the current the GS becomes a maelstrom with seas lumping up to over ten feet in less than 20 minutes. Brisk winds running with the current will create a surface chop running on top of the swell of some 3-5 feet in a 12 knot wind. Often this chop is coming from a one or two different directions than the current. This will prevent your boat from maintaining plane and drive your fuel consumption through the roof. This said, there are days on end where the GS is flat and slick. However, such favorable conditions are the exception and not the rule.

FUEL: You boat might be just fine for a coastal cruise of 50 miles with no fuel available, but in open ocean your fuel consumption can increase by 50% just from wave height and chop. You can wind up not being able to get on plane and have to plow through 50 miles of steep 3-6 foot chop. With a 60 gallon tank all of which is not accessible, and leaving a 15 gal reserve you'll at best have 45 gals of useable fuel. If your burn rate is 8 gallons an hour to make good 8 miles, you'll just be able to lay Bimini, However, if things go against you. You'll need to consider how to carry some extra deck fuel perhaps another 20-30 gallons (120-150 pounds).

Communications: In your boat photo I do not see a long VHF antenna, which causes me to suspect you use a hand held VHF. Forget what the manual says, the range on that thing is at best 2-3 miles and there is a lot of ocean out there with no one else in it. I was with Ray306 last year and we were in 6+ seas and his hand held couldn't reach me a 1/2 mile away when we slipped into the troughs. I was in a 460 and he's a 380- and we couldn't see each other just a 1/2 mile away. If you have a hand held VHF for your lake cruising it is not going to be good enough for open ocean work, let alone have your safety depend on it.

Preparedness: This environment requires your boat be properly equipped for the safety of the crew. You're going to need a serious First Aid kit, a real set of 25MM flares, and signal devices, real life preservers, not those cheap'o things but real type 1, and then a Life Raft if you love your family (these can be rented). Next your crew must know how to use these aids and devices. If you are incapacitated or worse thrown overboard, they must be able to recover you and get the vessel home, can they save your life while in the same conditions that put yours in jeopardy? Can you carry a reasonable selection of spares to undertake repairs at sea? Seatow may not be there for you.

Skipper & Crew Experience: Given you haven't a lot of blue water experience you would be well advised to only make such a transit in your boat along with experienced skippers at the helm of larger vessels. Now I did say WITH and not just leave the dock together. Groups all leave about the same time, but that’s where things get dicey. Larger boats will run at hull speed and they can have a fun and relaxing ride in 3-5 ft seas and stay on a plane, you on the other hand will not be able to make 10 knots in that slop and will fall behind quickly, in an hour you will be alone and out of radio range. You can not ask the other skipper sto not look after their boat and crew because you can't or didn't. Any trouble you get in you'll have to get your self out of.

Crew Fatique is a critical issue in open water. Yes, I'm sure you've driven you boat for hours on end and had a ball. But not for hours and hours of unrelenting never ending 3-5 foot chop. In 30 minutes your arms will want to drop off in an hour you will barely be able to keep your body erect and your crew will have been ping ponging off the gunnels for the same time. In a sun deck, you will be shipping water on every wave and pumps won't be enough, your crew will have to bail with bucks at times. (IN my 460 I have shipped hundreds of gallons from a single breaking wav eove rmy quarter and I stood near knee deep in water until it bailed out. Your boat is a bath tub incabable of self bailing the water it is capable of shipping.

Then the other good news is you could find yourself doing this for 6-10 hours to lay port. You're having a very crappy day and your flotilla mates had a wonderful ride and made it in three hours, you and yours will be a palpitating mess of bruises and aching sun burnt salt lashed flesh waiting for a doctor at the local island clinic to patch up a wound or two. I'm not kidding or trying to scare you, I am giving you a dose of reality about the answers you seek to the larger question, should you make such a crossing in your boat.

Navigation: You will be out of the sight of land at the 9 to 12 mile mark. From there on you will have two to three hours of open water navigation to pick up your sight of land. Are your skills up to the challenges that lay ahead. If your hand held GPS gets knocked to the deck and craps out, can you find land or your destination by: ded. reconing? Do you have the right paper charts for the area? The other boats in the flotilla may have left you far behind. Will I be able to see and be seen by commercial traffic in the area, of which there is a lot of.

Stores: You will be leaving the dock with full tanks crew, their gear, an extra 130# of deck fuel, a 5 gal jug of water, docking gear, beer and toys. Can your vessel carry that added weight and safely allow room for crew? Can these things be tied into place? If they aren't tied down in rising seas they will become missiles to injure you and crew or will make it overboard. How will this weight effect boat performance?

Now, I'm not trying to keep you off the water, I am trying to get your senses about you if you go. The good news is that once across the GS, you will have reached a boaters haven. The Little Bahama Bank north of Grand Bahama is a paradise for boaters. The Abacos were the birthplace of Neptune, the Exumas is the paradise made for gods and boaters alike.


We have about 8 CSR baots going to Lucaya over Memoria Day Week End and there is another group going to Bimini the week end of June 20th. You might want to try to hook up with us.

 

[chuck1]

If a person was in really bad stuff I'm wondering if some excess water going in the bilge might be ok. At least you'd make use of the pumps abilities. Two 1/2" cockpit drains is not going to handle much water. Look how long it takes to drain a small volume of water out of bilge useing the drain plug. Taking repetative waves over the bow is going to overwhelm them. I know this from experience having had enough water flowing thru my 270SD that it was going out the transom door.

Who said anything about 1/2" drains? If I remember correctly I think that are 1 1/8" to 1 1/2" What is the drain plug 1/2" to 3/4" I can't remember off the top of my head.

By the way this is all kind of mute since the only way I've ever said I would do it, is with good weather and calm seas. (Grin)

 

[Pseudomind]

Well stated Asureyez :smt024

It is not a question of can one make it to the Bahamas in a 240SD, many things can often be accomplished, but the question should be is it a prudent and smart thing to do, or even attempt in a 240SD?

:thumbsup:

 

[chuck1]

Some great points Chad. Yes people should know what they are getting into.

 

[Nehalennia]

Bad Todd, just bad:grin:

Sorry, just too timely to pass up.

I've crossed the straight of Georgia, which is only 27 miles accross in my 230OV. It quickly turned from 3' waves to 12'. I was 45 minutes into that sh*t before I realized it would be a struggle regardless if I turned around or just kept going. I was full of fuel but the GPS was reminding me it would take 4+ hours to cross, taking green water over the bow and full canvas deployed. I lucked out and the troughs got so big that I was able to surf them in the direction I was heading. I quickly went from 7-9 knots to 32, popping to the top of each crest to look for other vessels.

That was one of the most nerve-racking trips I've taken.

I'm not sure I want to repeat it, plus I was the only boat around. A Very bad combination.

 

[Woody]

Who said anything about 1/2" drains? If I remember correctly I think that are 1 1/8" to 1 1/2" What is the drain plug 1/2" to 3/4" I can't remember off the top of my head.

By the way this is all kind of mute since the only way I've ever said I would do it, is with good weather and calm seas. (Grin)

Look at your hull fittings, inside you can see the end of the hose leading to them. I'd be very suprised if any drain line ID is over 3/4" on your boat.

 

[northern]

We have a 38 Aft Cabin wit twin 454s we go to Alaska from Vancouver area in the summer. We pick our weather to travel in 3 to 5 foot seas max. The boat will do more but I will not. 60 miles is a long way in a lake boat. If you make it across and the weather turns you could be there for days. We used to have a 28 footer with twin stern drive and full cabin we were reluctant to go out in 3 foot waves with it. Waves strait on are OK, but on the beam or stern can kill you. My advice is fly over or stay home.

 

[chuck1]

Woody,

Just did a quick check.
Per the parts manual

Overboard thru-hulls are 1 1/8" (I'm pretty sure this is ID since they talk about 1 29/32" OD gasket.)

Drain plug is 5/8"

 

[Asureyez]

After that one near pooped experience, now when I'm off shore and the weather has turned to a stink on me, I leave the aft companionway door open and pinned back so boarding water can exit the decks full throttle as my cockpit drains are woefully inadequate otherwise.

I've taken on alarming amount of water at times just from bow spray blown back into the boat by strong winds while I'm running at speed. The one thing about even the larger SRs which that tell you they are not blue water vessels is the lack of proper scuppers.

 

[berth control]

Chad - great summary on the last page. I appreciated it, and I got my reading in for the week!

 

[KeithD]

I would definitely take a 240 to the Bahamas. I'd put it on the back of Greg Norman's yacht.

 

[Morpheus]

Morpheus,

Actually we have two cockpit drains one on each side. Now if you are cleaning the anchor and ski locker area yes they do drain to the bilge. All other areas should be draining overboard. You need to check and make sure your storage and lower engine cowling are sealing correctly. If you where to say lay a running hose in the bow, no/very little water should end up in your bilge area. You should have an overboard drain on the port side just in front of the engine cowling and a starboard side drain just in front of the step if I remember correctly.

I think my boat is broken then and I'm out of warranty now

:smt021

I'll need to check the bow and mid locker storage but I know for a fact that the deck drain hole goes right into the bilge no hoses attached to it.

 

[Woody]

On my 270SD I had a pump in the large ski locker. It was inside a box to protect it from being beat up. Does the 240SD have that?

 

[Morpheus]

Nope nothing like that in the 240SD