Upgrade from small swim platform to large?

[islandboy47]

I have a 2004 Bayliner 195 that has a small swim platform/ladder extending off the starboard side of the stern. The platform is broken and not repairable so I was going to replace it with a similar one, but I'm wondering if I should consider upgrading it to the larger style platform that you can actually use to put a wakeboard on and/or just give you more surface area real estate to utilize. I know they're really pricey to buy new in the aftermarket, but I just found a boat similar to mine that is being sold in parts and it has a larger swim platform I could probably buy for a reasonable price. Is this possible or recommended to do? I'm fairly handy and would have help I could recruit. I'm sure I would not only have to drill new holes, but would also have to seal up the old holes for the current platform.

The attached photos are a diagram of how my boat came stock, and the used platform I could buy. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[briangcc]

Could it work? Sure...as long as you get the supports that go with it. Having access to the points where it mounts on the transom so it can be sealed properly will be key to success. Depending on the donor boat you may have some customization to do to make it fit your hull properly.

May be opening a can of worms as Bayliner, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't switched to wood free construction so you may find wet wood when you drill into the transom to mount the new swim platform.

 

[nola mike]

Looks like a nice upgrade. If the transoms rotted you'll figure it out soon enough when you start trying to attach things. As mentioned the real key is to make sure you have access to the transom inside--you'll need to bolt all the way through. My transom doesn't extend the full width of the boat, don't know if that might be an issue for you. Would also be much preferable if you can attach above the water line.

 

[JASinIL2006]

If the donor boat is similar to yours, I would absolutely go for it. The extra real estate on the stern is super handy.

The only hiccup could be due to how/where the platform is attached and what sort of access you have to those spots inside the boat. You should be able to figure that out pretty quickly from the donor boat. You might have to remove a panel to gain access to the transom (e.g., some boats have carpeted panel covering the actual transom), but if you can gain easy access, installing that thing might not be too much of a job.

 

[tpenfield]

Looks do-able. Your skill will be a primary factor in the success. Focus on the 'flatness' or 'contour' of the transom of your boat vs. the donor boat.

You'll need the struts that are underneath and will likely find out if your boat has a wet/rotting transom.

The aftermarket transoms are in the $2-3K range for a simple platform.

 

[islandboy47]

Thanks guys. I'm going to take a closer look at the swim platform from the donor boat and make a decision based on that. I don't think it's worth it if that isn't the right shape from the start.

 

[Scott Danforth]

take a large section of 1/4' plywood and trace the transom shape from your boat and cut it out to make a template.

then take the template to the new boat.