Is my boat safe? "Edited"

jackrabbit66

Seaman
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Sep 26, 2014
Messages
58
I recently bought a 19' Duel console with a 120hp tohatsu outboard. I live in north west Florida which is a coastal town on the gulf of mexico. I've read articles that talk about safety features to look for in a good small boat. are there any special considerations or flaws with this boat that I could alter to make it less likely to capsize if the weather suddenly changes? or should I only take this boat out with the water is glass?

The Good
Modified vee hull with 24 degree bow and 15 degree transom
Foam filled hull for positive flotation (up to the deck)
Two 3/4" scuppers in the stern
transom well with two 3/4" scuppers
bilge pump
built in compass
56 gallon below deck fuel tank
(soon getting depth finder and GPS)
Coast guard required safety equipment: (obviously)

The bad
cut-out transom
battery below deck
single outboard

Missing

VHS radio
Extra battery (but i do have room for one)
EPIRB emergency beacon
Sea anchor

 
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southkogs

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Welcome aboard jackrabbit:

You actually need to consider the question a little differently: how far can that type of boat typically go out into open water, and how far should you (based on your experience) take it out into open water?

A highly skilled sailor can do things with a sub-standard craft that a inexperienced sailor shouldn't do with the biggest and nicest boat available.

How long have you been boating?
 

Ned L

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Sep 17, 2008
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Southkogs is correct. It is not about the boat, it is much more about your experience and capabilities. An experienced knowledgeable person can cross an ocean in a dinghy, and someone with no idea of what they are doing can get themselves into a lot of trouble in a large capable boat by barely leaving the pier. Simply because you are asking the question makes me think you are fairly inexperienced, so I would suggest taking it easy, get to know your boat, what it does, how it handles, and what to expect from it in different situations in sheltered water before going out in exposed water. -- At least you asked the question, which is a big plus!
 

jackrabbit66

Seaman
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Sep 26, 2014
Messages
58
I am a beginner boater and have a lot to learn about boating and I fully intend to stick to the bay for now. I will rephrase the question however, Is this boat sea worthy or is it inadvisable for the average boater to go through a pass and out into the gulf of Mexico on a calm day? If advisable, how close to shore should the "average skilled boater" stay? Is there anything I could do to make this boat safer in open water?

My main concern is the low cut transom. It has a transom well but I'm wondering if i could install a riser to make the front of the well flush with the gunnel.
 
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drrpm

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Oct 24, 2008
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707
I see stories about small boats lost or sunk in the Gulf on a regular basis. Days start out calm and change, motors break down, leaks develope, rouge waves hit, etc.
If you're out at sea by yourself you have to be able to handle any contingency. Get a lot of experience inshore and then find some other boaters who want venture further out to go as a group. By then you'll probably want a bigger boat.
 

Franzel311

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Sep 17, 2014
Messages
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Every one that has replied to you has hit the nail on the head their are thousands of things that can go wrong in open water in the blink of an eye and once one thing goes wrong it's usualy followed by a second and third problem quickly after...and in open water you have tides and currents that will suck you out to sea right quick if UR broke down inexperanced boaters have no place going out alone no matter the size of the vessel...become knowledgeable of your waters charts and most important the vessel...find a friend that fishes or dives those type of ppl usualy will know your local waters very well
 

smokeonthewater

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Dec 3, 2009
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ALSO understand that you may venture through the inlet and a breeze kicks up and suddenly the inlet is impassable for you........ 200' out may be too far..... Even the bay could get nasty fast.... I would strongly suggest you completely forget the open ocean for a few years..... as far as boats go for big water... a bow rider is just about the worst possible choice behind maybe a pontoon
 

cmatheny1

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Sep 30, 2014
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I wouldn't venture far in a boat I wasn't yet familiar with regardless of it's seaworthiness, and a 19' open bow isn't really built to be toying around on open seas with regularity (is it a center console? does it drain off deck or into a bilge?). That said, I would have no problem taking jaunts out of the bay in favorable conditions (I've done it in reliable 17' open bows), but there is no way I would go more than a few miles away from my launch point in a boat I "recently bought". Too many things can go wrong, most of which you'll just be finding out about in the first few months of operation. And, with a boat your size, the weather and mechanical aren't the only things that can get you, so can a larger boat's wake (especially at the inlet where people tend to not follow the rules).
 

southkogs

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I am a beginner boater and have a lot to learn about boating and I fully intend to stick to the bay for now.

Cool. Based on that, and the fact that we're talking about a dual console and not a typical bow rider (your photos didn't show up on this end, so I'm not 100% sure which it is) - I've been out on a 19' about 12 miles into the Gulf with an experienced captain and even got into some crumby weather without too much trouble.

The dual console should be a self bailing hull and there should be a garboard drain on the transom well. Those two things make a big difference for running in the open ocean.

A suggestion: head on down to the local marina / beach launch (I've been out of Destin and Greyton Beach) and see the boats some of those guys are using. That should help you get a vibe for how the 19' fits in the mix.
 

jackrabbit66

Seaman
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Sep 26, 2014
Messages
58
Thanks Southkogs, Yeah as i mentioned in the origional post my boat had a bilge pump, live well, fishing rod holders, deck drainage, transom drainage but I didn't realize that made it a Duel console until cmatheny1 mentioned it. are the photos showing up for anyone? I added photos of the transom and hull for consideration.
 

cmatheny1

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Sep 30, 2014
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Nope, no pictures came through....if the deck drains (into the sea, not your bilge/boat), then as southkog said, you're much much much better off. Those boats are indeed built for rougher waters. Although you are going to get wet yourself, your boat will plow through just fine (within reason of course). Not necessarily enjoyable for you and your passengers though...that said, all other considerations are still in play, and you need to address the things on your "missing" list.
 

GA_Boater

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49,038
Unless I missed it, a boating safety course hasn't been mentioned. A classroom course is worth it's weight in gold and can answer many of the questions you have. Also possibly save your life. For a beginner boater venturing out to the big water, an absolute necessity.

The best way to post photos right now is to use a photo hosting site like Photobucket. to post pics from PB, simple copy the IMG Code of the pic in PB and paste into your message.

And we sometimes skip to the techy side side and leave our manners at the dock. :welcome: aboard, jackrabbit. Boat safe!
 

southkogs

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Not necessarily enjoyable for you and your passengers though...
Ain't that the truth! The bumpier things get, the more you want to be toward the back of the boat! We got into some chop one time on the gulf and I was up front in the bow. Almost ate the deck more than once.

A classroom course is worth it's weight in gold and can answer many of the questions you have. Also possibly save your life. For a beginner boater venturing out to the big water, an absolute necessity.
+1 to that.
 

mippel

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Mar 2, 2010
Messages
103
If the pictures don't show up, at least put the make and model of the boat. That will give more information on what the boat has. Unless i missed it, then carry on.
 
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