Spongy Swim Platform

[E-Sea Going]

Shown is my 2007 Mainship Pilot 430, I have noticed the swim platform has some soft spots that feel like I could put my foot right thru. Does anyone know what the core is or any experience with repair options? See attached photo, FYI, I'm having the transom re-painted, if you look close you can see some blistering.

 

[E-Sea Going]

New Swim Platform

I found a company in Port Salerno Fl that took my old swim platform and used it as a mold and build me a brand new one. Pics of the new one are attached. beachfiber.com is the company, Mike is the owner and he was a pleasure to work with and the platform came out great.

 

[porman]

That's nice. I know mine has some water intrusion, but no soft spots.

 

[Comodave]

Nice job. He may be a source if anyone else needs a new platform.

 

[rslifkin]

Definitely good to know of another source. I know the plywood core in my platform is wet and I'll need to replace the thing at some point, but for now it's still solid. Butler Marine had indicated they could do it when I talked to them a couple years ago, but more options are always better when the time comes (unless I get stupid and decide to build my own).

 

[garbler]

Other than cost and ignorance why do builders put out this crap. It’s hard to fathom how many types of injuries could be sustained from such ill-conceived construction traps

 

[Bacchus]

Repair of bolt on swim platforms are fairly EZ to repair even for those with little fiberglas experience as repair is done completely from the bottom side so no cosmetic finishing req'd.

 

[porman]

Other than cost and ignorance why do builders put out this crap. It’s hard to fathom how many types of injuries could be sustained from such ill-conceived construction traps

Who says it's the builders' fault? My swimstep got water in it because someone mounted a dinghy davit incorrectly.

 

[Simi 60]

Stainless frame and plastic timber planks
Hinge the frame so it folds up against the transom when underway.

 

[rslifkin]

Stainless frame and plastic timber planks
Hinge the frame so it folds up against the transom when underway.

Why bother with the complexity of folding? If the platform isn't super long or really low to the water it shouldn't drag in the water or anything anyway.

 

[Bacchus]

Stainless frame and plastic timber planks
Hinge the frame so it folds up against the transom when underway.

Why bother with the complexity of folding? If the platform isn't super long or really low to the water it shouldn't drag in the water or anything anyway.

The other factor to consider is safety...
Most boarding ladders are mounted below / on the swim platform and newer regs require ability to deploy from the water. Reboarding in the event of an unexpected MOB (I guess they all are unexpected?) problematic unless a separate ladder is available.

 

[Simi 60]

Why bother with the complexity of folding? If the platform isn't super long or really low to the water it shouldn't drag in the water or anything anyway.

No real reason I guess

Over here we pay for berths by the ft , if I can shorten the boat by folding up the duckboard....

And if you ever wanted to carry a tender hung on davits a folding duckboard is pretty much needed.

 

[rslifkin]

No real reason I guess

Over here we pay for berths by the ft , if I can shorten the boat by folding up the duckboard....

And if you ever wanted to carry a tender hung on davits a folding duckboard is pretty much needed.

My dinghy launches just fine from the davits. Wasn't hard to figure out a way to guide it out slightly to clear the swim platform. And with the dinghy in the davits, folding the swim platform (which is only 20 inches long on my boat) wouldn't make the boat shorter anyway.

 

[Simi 60]

You must have extraordinarily long davits or a skinny tender. (-;

 

[rslifkin]

You must have extraordinarily long davits or a skinny tender. (-;

Neither. But the support arms we ran from the stern rail to the outer edge of the swim platform act as a slide and guide the tender aft as it drops so it clears the swim platform.

 

[koliver]

You must have extraordinarily long davits or a skinny tender. (-;

I carry a tender on stern mounted davits, above a swim grid that is 35" deep, while the dinghy is 6'wide and hugs the vertical part of the davit when raised.
Launching and retrieving are easy, as the davits each have a sailboat self tailing winch and can be operated separately (when I am alone) or together (when I have help). I had the dinghy first and extended the swimgrid from its original depth of 22", knowing it was beneath a 750 lb dinghy.
To avoid the weight of the dinghy landing on the swimgrid I have a pair of slider boards that I position beneath it, each attaching to the upper horn of the stern cleat on the lower extension of each davit. The boards also rest on the outer edge of the swimgrid and the dinghy slides down those boards and into the water. Retrieving the dinghy is best done bow first, so that the side of the dinghy rises up along the edge of the swimgrid as it is hoisted.

Others with the Nick Jackson style davits where the davit tips from its hinged mounting low on the transom, can have their dinghy land well out from the transom, thus clearing even a wide swimgrid.

 

[Monomoy]

Repair of bolt on swim platforms are fairly EZ to repair even for those with little fiberglas experience as repair is done completely from the bottom side so no cosmetic finishing req'd.

I have a 2004 mainship 34 pilot and the screws connecting my swim platform to the supports underneath have fallen out. What is the best way to address this issue?

 

[Comodave]

I have a 2004 mainship 34 pilot and the screws connecting my swim platform to the supports underneath have fallen out. What is the best way to address this issue?

Welcome aboard. I would take the platform off the boat. Turn it upside down. Then you need to determine how bad the core is. You can take a small phoenolic hammer and tap around. You will get a sharp tone from good core and a more dull thud where it is bad. If it is just around the screw holes then you can reef out the core around the screw holes and fill with thickened epoxy. When the epoxy has gone completely off then drill new holes for the screw and reinstall the platform. If the core is bad in a large area then you will have to cut the bottom fiberglass in the areas, clean out the old core, epoxy in new core and replace the bottoms fiberglass and refinish the bottom. It is more work but it is on the bottom so it doesn’t have to look perfect. Check out marinehowto.com for more info on doing the screw holes with thickened epoxy. Also BoatWorks Today website has videos of fiberglass work.

 

[Comodave]

Other than cost and ignorance why do builders put out this crap. It’s hard to fathom how many types of injuries could be sustained from such ill-conceived construction traps

Usually it isn’t the build quality but rather the poor installation. They drill a hole squirt a bit of caulk and drive a screw in. What’s to fail with that install???

 

[Monomoy]

Welcome aboard. I would take the platform off the boat. Turn it upside down. Then you need to determine how bad the core is. You can take a small phoenolic hammer and tap around. You will get a sharp tone from good core and a more dull thud where it is bad. If it is just around the screw holes then you can reef out the core around the screw holes and fill with thickened epoxy. When the epoxy has gone completely off then drill new holes for the screw and reinstall the platform. If the core is bad in a large area then you will have to cut the bottom fiberglass in the areas, clean out the old core, epoxy in new core and replace the bottoms fiberglass and refinish the bottom. It is more work but it is on the bottom so it doesn’t have to look perfect. Check out marinehowto.com for more info on doing the screw holes with thickened epoxy. Also BoatWorks Today website has videos of fiberglass work.

Thank you for the great advice!!! It was a nightmare getting the platform off as the platform edge was glued to the transom with something very difficult to cut through (5200 perhaps). Repair efforts underway! thanks again!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr./Ms. M. Welcome aboard.

 

[Comodave]

Thank you for the great advice!!! It was a nightmare getting the platform off as the platform edge was glued to the transom with something very difficult to cut through (5200 perhaps). Repair efforts underway! thanks again!

You are certainly welcome. Glad you got it off. I don’t use 5200 for much except for things like through hulls. Good luck with the repairs.