Explorer Industries 162 Modifications

[Raven205]

Last spring I picked up a used 2008 Explorer Industries 162 with a Yamaha 60/40 4 stroke. Engine had approximately 80 hours on it.


First I added grab bars for the consoles to save the windshields and give you something to hold on to.



I also added a splash plate to the top of the tunnel. The splash plate substantially reduced cavitation in chop.

 

[Raven205]

I moved my transducer to inside the hull using a plywood box and melted toilet bowl wax. Have not tried it out yet the water is still stiff...

 

[Raven205]

I installed a set of Nauticus Smart Tabs. I have used them on a lake boat and they really helped with getting on plane fast and maintaining plane at a slower speed. I got them with the mounting bracket that allows you to lift them out of the water. The boat gets on plane nicely but I am hoping that they will help me plane a heavier load faster, reduce my planning speed, and cross my fingers, get a bit more top end.

I pop rivetted 2X2 square tubing to the trim tab that extends from the bottom of the boat to mount the tabs and had to cut a chunk of the tubing in half at an angle to mount the flip brackets in order for them to function. The angle of the transom with the non angled mount of the smart tabs would not let me lift them up without the mount.

I have not tried them out yet on this boat but another fellow that had them on his Explorer tells me that they are the best money he spent..

 

[Raven205]

Added this ladder to make it easier for the kids to get back into the boat at the lake.

 

[Raven205]

The welds that support the consoles were cracked on both sides and caused some leaking. I took it to a fellow that welds aluminum in his garage and got them fixed up, Thanks Neil!

The front seats bolt onto the consoles and I suspect that they add additional stress to these spots so I fabricated up a support for the the seat base to take some of the weight off the consoles.

 

[Raven205]

Added some led navigation lights.
Riveted a strip of aluminum to the support posts for the hand rails so that the lights would be recessed and protected from contacting anything, stuck white LED right on the engine!

 

[Jim]

Nice work! Love the LEDs on the motor too.

 

[Raven205]

Thanks Jim! I had the white strips and thought is would work. Just ran the wires through the rubber plug and out the front of the engine.

 

[Raven205]

Well had her out for a test run on a lake today.

I am sad to report that the transducer mounted in toilet bowl wax did not work at speed. It would only worked when I was stopped so I moved it back to the transom. I was hoping that I could keep it inside the hull but no luck.

Smart Tabs worked to increase hole shot, reduce bow rise, and reduced planning speed but did not increase the WOT speed.
I tested it with them lifted and on each adjustment hole using a GPS and the GPS on the Garmin fish finder. The lowest adjustment hole still has some drag at WOT, changes the wake but the speed was a consistent 40 KPH (25 mph) with the differences only in the 0 to .4 range. I have the 40 pound actuators, it may need 30 pound actuators. Will see how they do when I get them on the river....
I will fire an email off to Nauticus to see what they advise.

I did not test the ladder, the ice went off the lake yesterday..

 

[Raven205]

Took the boat on a river run on the weekend.

Had my daughter and 4 grandkids on board with fishing stuff and lots of snacks and drinks and 18 gallons of fuel (12 gallon tank and a 6 gallon tank).

Lifted the trim tabs out when we stopped for a shore lunch and did not put them down right away. Noticed that the upstream speed was slower and the bow was riding higher. Flipped them back down, flattened the bow and gained 3-4 kph (2.5 mph). Handles nicer with the load with the tabs down as well. Not a big increase in speed but increases the load carrying of the boat for sure. Great hole shot and lower plaining speed.

Maximum speed on GPS was 45.5 kph (28mph) downstream.
Went 63.9 kilometers (40 miles) on the first 6 gallon tank, mostly downstream and not pushing it.

Put a total of 87.5 Km (54 miles) on the river 8)