Basseye said:
Brine,
It looks very similar to my boat. Do you have any stability issues with those pedestals? Nice looking boat by the way.
Thanks for the compliment.
You know, I assume there are a few ways of "responsibly" answering this question, so all I can tell you is how I "feel" about it. First of all, I grew up in this boat. In fact, this boat is as old as me (1973). I've duck hunted out of this boat with 3 people and a 80# lab, decoys, guns, etc..... I've been on big lakes, small lakes, rivers, and about 1975, my father and uncle even took it out in the gulf with a 7.5 chrysler outboard on it. :shock: . (Great story to hear from them BTW) and the boat doesn't leak a drop.
I tell you all of that, because stability for me is probably somewhat different than other people's definition. I'm used to this boat, and have spent many years of my life in it. When I put the pedestals in it 3 years ago, it took some getting used to. I rarely fish alone, and the movements of the other person became much more of an issue when the seats were raised. If I were in the boat alone, I would feel 100% comfortable with the stability, but then again, I compare stability with "safety" while seated, not much can I walk around and jump on the sides. That said, I have tournament fished with the same partner for two years now, and we both understand the "stability" of the boat and how our movements affect the other person. I have stood up on the front of this boat and flipped for hours and have yet to go swimming. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the boat does make hooksets (I bass fish) pretty darn exciting for the other guy when you don't announce you are about to set the hook. :lol:
So, not sure if that answered your question or not, but I wasn't really sure how else to do it. The boat is stable to me for the reasons I mentioned above. I'm guessing the fact that the boat being 35 years old, and not being sunk, flipped, swamped, or having someone fall out of it with the accumulated time spent on the water is how I guage its stability.
Here are a few [-X with the boat
1. Both anglers standing ever
2. Setting the hook without the other guy knowing it beforehand.
3. Stepping into the boat with your foot first touching anything other than the BOTTOM of the boat.
4. Standing while boat in traveling in excess of 3.8 MPH
5. Sharp turns at WOT with either the trolling motors or outboard.
6. If standing on the front deck, angler in the rear using his motor at all.
FYI, If you have small kids in the boat, the pedestals won't allow their feet to touch the floor which will be a stability/safety issue.
Hope that helps.