Tower install - older boat

[tazameir]

Hello everyone, <br /> I've been searching around and it looks like not too many people want to do what I want to. I have a 1986 bayliner cabin cuddy. I'm looking ideally for a tower for it. I'd like to be able to pull a person on a ski/wakeboard/tube with it, and be able to mount other things like speakers on it. However I'm guessing that my boat can not handle a tower. I'm mostly curious if other people have done this, or do most just get a pilon or mast off of the rear of the boat? http://rawfire.torche.com/~taz/images/boat Pictures of my boat. The sides seem a little flimsy to have a tower mounted to them. Has anyone tried it with this model or similar? Thanks!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tower install - older boat

most people with boats of that vintage, used a tow eye on each side of the stearn, with a tow harness. very simple to set up. walmart sells the harness, and i sure iboats sell the tow eyes.

 

[tazameir]

Re: Tower install - older boat

Thanks for the reply. The only problem with using the eyes and a harness is that when you gun the motor with a skier that point goes low in the water, and it is harder for them to pop out of the water, versus a higher point, which makes it easier. But overall, I may end up doing what you suggest.

 

[paulie0735]

Re: Tower install - older boat

The easy answer to you question is no, the deck on your boat was not designed and cannot be satisfactorily modified to accept a ski cage. Also I see a real lack of horsepower there so even if you did install one against this advice you will have horrendous handling problems with a decent skier up on a comp ski out the back. The ‘bridle’ suggestion will need a bit of thought to fit up on the back of your already very cluttered transom but for the type of skiing your boat is likely to see it will work fine. Your transom is much higher than the average ski boat and with that in mind I don’t see the lack of height being an issue for you. A cage will actually make it harder to pull a skier up with your boat as the extra leverage will pull the front up higher making it harder for the engine to push it back down and get on the plan, ‘designed for the purpose’ boats don’t have this problem as they are mostly mid-mount inboard V8’s and have a ton of reserve power. The other option is a ski pole, shouldn’t be hard to fabricate something to suit your boat, A removable pole just in front of the well with braces back to the transom should work well, only needs to be slightly higher than the engine when in its normal trim position and is much easier than messing around with the bridle option but its more expensive. I suggest you have a walk around a few boat dealers in your area and have a look at what others have done. Take some pics of the ones you think may work on your boat and than it’s off to an engineering shop to price up a custom ski pole. Will be a whole lot better than a cage and a lot less expensive. Good luck.

 

[tazameir]

Re: Tower install - older boat

Yea, the transom is rated for 140, which someday I'll pop that size motor on it. All that info is great! Thanks! I had not really though about the height, and I actually have not put this boat in the water yet, but thinking about it, I do think its a good foot higher then most other boats. I have seen some hard mounted 4 point mounts that sort of surround the engine just above it, that may be a possibilty along with the pole idea. I think if I was to install a pole, even a temp one, I would need to put in some thicker ply below it to spread out the load on the floor. The center of the boat in the rear is where the gas tank is just under the floor. I dont think there is too much structure there. I will definetely check some other places as well. Its just alot easier for me to see what others have done, as the nearest boat dealer is a 2 hour drive one way from where I live. Its rare I go to town, and when I do I usually have way too many stops!

 

[salty87]

Re: Tower install - older boat

take a look at www.diytower.com<br /><br />you can reinforce the hull from behind at the attachment points. my tower is on a 1987 hull, no problems at all with it and it was not made for a tower. your boat looks a little small for a full tower, might want to look at the monkey bars. they are a mix of a pole and tower...you still have the cable going to the front like a pole. but, you have 1 bar of a tower going from side to side instead of just the pole going straight up. its a little more sturdy and speakers are easier to connect while not taking up all the room that a full tower does.<br /><br />good luck