Stern modifications

[Mattie69]

Hi
I would like to make this boat easier to board and modernize the stern any suggestions?, I have thought about putting port and starboard transom doors , raising the swimstep and skirting it to make it look like it’s 12” thick , I picked up hydraulic telescoping gangway I would like to incorporate , it’s odd the top of the hull rolls in on top in last 5’ , so it creates the “ pirate ship look, and I am afraid if I cut in transom doors it will look oddd, the aft decks sure work better when the door isn’t in the center

[DHeckrotte]

<I have thought about putting port and starboard transom doors>
Surely two doors would make the aft deck work even less well than one. Agree that well off center works better for the aft deck. Cutting the transom surely reduces the stiffness of the hull for a door; worse for two; much worse when the door(s) is(are) close to the corner(s). Our FuHwa is noticeably less stiff aft on the side closer to the transom door.

<raising the swimstep>
Purely for boarding ease from a dock, I presume. Obviously less useful for swimming or boarding from a dinghy. And, what's the story about all those too-low handrails?

<skirting it to make it look like it’s 12” thick>
Why bother except to keep a dinghy from going under or to conceal the hydraulic gangway? You'd better extend the hull underneath to keep the wake from batting at the skirt.

<I picked up hydraulic telescoping gangway I would like to incorporate>
What's it weigh? Worse than a dink and davits? Mounting issues/loads on the transom?

<it’s odd the top of the hull rolls in on top in last 5’ , so it creates the pirate ship look>
The 'tumblehome' makes a boxy aft portion of a TT hull look less boxy, more like a boat and less like a barge.

<I am afraid if I cut in transom doors it will look odd>
Your plan to raise the 'swim' platform will shorten the steps, making them less obvious, and with the doors shut you'd notice them less. And, you'd probably use only one door at a time. I doubt the appearance will matter.

I took another look at your pics; that's a 'sundeck' boat? So the aft deck is quite high and the transom is large? Suggests to me that stiffness of the transom needs to be examined carefully. Might be good news; might mean accessing the inside of the transom for adding backup/stiffeners behind the interior finish would be a pain.