Jockey position advice please!

TomKat · 28 February 2012, 18:05

Thinking about moving my jockey forward to try to keep more boat in the water (by putting my massive bulk further forward!) and to add a longer 2/3 jockey behind it for the family. Will likely just get a stainless steel frame made for this.

I think this is a sensible thing to do as I am replacing the control cables anyway so just need a steering rod. Am I mad?

Pic of where I am thinking of putting it, you can see the dirty mark where it was on the deck, its only 400mm forward. As always your advice is much appreciated!

I am hoping this and maybe some chain in a to be made anchor locker may calm this beasty down a bit and reduce its tendancy to chine walk! I should say I have recently fitted the 75HP engine and it is on the big side for the boat (max rated) so the console was screwed where it was by the makers for a different engine.

Nos4r2 · 29 February 2012, 01:14

You'll get bounced about more, but if you're chinewalking it might help. It used to help having more weight in the bow on my SR4.

9D280 · 29 February 2012, 08:30

..but will also stay drier as the bow spray will go behind you!

Bottom line - if you need more seats you don't have much option.

BogMonster · 29 February 2012, 09:15

I disagree with the thought it will help chine walking. My boat is very prone to this at over 40 knots with just me in it, but sitting somebody in the two seats behind calms it down a lot and several people have said they think the stability issues are due to weight distribution. Given that it is also better with low fuel (minus 100kgs or so from up forward) I think that's sound logic.

I had the helm seat put well forwards on Seawolf because I know how much difference it makes to how wet you get (or rather don't get) from past experience with the old boat when I often had a passenger who was much wetter than I was! The ride is a bit rougher but I'd rather be bumped a bit and not be in the car wash in windy conditions. It is perfectly stable up to 35 knots plus so the top end doesn't bother me much as I don't often go there - burns too much fuel!

So it's a trade off - further forwards = rougher but drier, keeps the nose down in the rough but may be less stable at speed when you're flat out.

Just my 2p!

TomKat · 29 February 2012, 17:48

Thanks chaps, looks like its not the worst idea in the world so will start to sort out cables tonight. Anyone got any 3.5m ish control cables and steering cable?

TomKat · 22 April 2012, 16:00

Well took a while but nearly finished, pretty happy so far, not sure how comfy it will be but can now seat 4 easily and have moved the weight forward a bit so hopefully will tame the chine walking a bit!

Just need to fit the jockey back rest and an additional leg and should be ready to test some night this week!