Hi Everyone,
I haven't been on the site over the winter as we were away but summer is just around the corner and I am excited to get the boat in the water. We have now unwrapped her and she has gone for sandblasting and anti-fowl and should be in the water within a couple of weeks. Want your guys opinion on the radar arch. Should it stay or should it go? (It's not original to the boat).
Harry
Thanks - Harry
That'd have to be more of a functional decission for you to make. With how you use the boat and how often radar is in your advantage. If you go out on early foggy mornings then it's probably to your advantage to keep it. But it does nothing to complement the boat's lines.
One thing you'd be wise to consider is upgrading those postage stamp rudders to a size that will allow for steerage way on one engine...
Hi Capt Patrick,
That is why I am having such a hard decision, don't know if I want to give up the radar for better lines but I really don't like the look with the arch. With respect to the rudders, I have been looking at yours on the site and they are definitely on my list.
Harry
Harry-glad you said it. It's ugly. and so is your canvas set-up. I would not give up my radar for anything, but whether you keep it or put in a "pipe welders" one, you need your canvas to come off it on a straight line parallel with the hull. That may mean an eisenglass extension above your front windshield that can be taken off or put on depending on weather conditions. My humble opinion.
Keep the radar, lose the arch and modify or replace the canvas.
I'd run a Mast syle boom in front of window at the same angle. Height adjusted to make sure your signal is going overhead....don't want to be microwaving those Brain cells...if your like me you need to hang onto the ones you have left.
Canvas, come up off the window at a height you can walk in and see when standiing. Radar could also be incorporated into the canvas structure and tie together...but more $$. The Grady shown is what I have in mind...although this one is a hardtop, I had a very similar setup on my last boat and I had made as a softtop. For me it was great as you could be in the back of the boat trolling and see 360 degrees...need to tweak the wheel...just walk forward with pole in hand. Also great at anchor or drifting as you had zero blind spots. My canvas maker had mentioned about a dual back bar and tieing them together for a Radar...but I didn't have or want at the time.
My .02
Now your boat has some truly serious Cockpit Space!!
Harry,
Get rid of the arch, it looks like it came off of a Bayliner. The windsheild (the front windows of an original sedan cruiser) is too low for any practical purpose . I would suggest having a taller windsheild made with a center section pad provision for the radar to sit on high enough so it don't fry your brain. Take a look at the windsheilds on some of the, Fortier, Wasque or the Elridge-McGuness Bass boats, or any Down East style boats. Right now it hurts your eyes just looking at that arch.
OK guys the arch is definitely going but I am not going to change the windshield, I want to keep the boat as original as possible. The canvas set up is not high on my to do list as there are a lot of things that need done first.
Thanks - Harry
Damn Harry, if they beat ya' up much more I might have to call in the EMTs...
Now not to rub salt into the wounds, your windshield is stock only to the Express Cruiser, Sportfish, and Flybridge Cruiser models...
The Convertible, better known as the "Moppie" had a windshield more like that of the Bahia Mar, with sharply down swept side windows.
My guess is that a previous owner stripped the boat's superstructure off, leaving just the windshield, thereby retrofitting it into, as near as he could, a convertible.
Thanks Captain Patrick, I will let you know when to call 911.
The boat has only had one owner, Senator Bill Kelly and he tells me he ordered her custom for his needs. I have the original paperwork and the brochure shows a 31 Convertible Sport Cruiser with the same windsheild as this one, not that I am arguing with you because I am quite aware you are the expert.
Harry,
Love to see the pictures in the brochure. Never seen one of these before.
Mikey
3/18/1963 - -31-327 factory hardtop express, the only one left.
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
-Albert Einstein
Harry: Can you post a picture without the canvas. It might not look bad if you tied the canvas in lower on the arch. It just depends on how far you want to go in the looks department. I am more pragmatic than many on here and tend to go for the more reasonable and lower cost approach.
The unspoken fact is that all of us own the B31s because they are drop dead gorgeous. The added bonus that they are great sea boats, raise fish like crazy, are simple to maintain, etc. is lagniappe. 50 years later they turn heads at any marina or waterway for one simple reason - they are perhaps the most beautiful boat ever built.
Down here in the bayous I've seen several commercial fishermen mount their radars on a telescoping mast that they can lower to get under fixed bridges. You could make one easily to serve your radar needs and get rid of that dreadful arch. I happen to like the windshield - very art deco.
You obviously have a good humor and thick skin. This can be a fairly rough crowd. Clean her up and you will have something for the ages.
I think we all have strong feelings for the "Classic Look with a Twist" for our 31's. Stray too far or go over to the Bubble Side and we get rubbed the wrong way. Sometimes we speak (type) before think or let the "new look" sink in.
But all in all you will get straight, honest opinions here and I'd rather that then someone just saying what I want to hear.
I like the windshield and the flow of the boat...just the canvas and arch would have to go for me. A simple bimini or I'd wear a hat...I'll shut up now...
Cool boat Harry... always liked the B31 sedans and moppie, but they're so rare, hardley ever see any. I'd really like to see her in the wet, cause the way she's sittin bow down on that lowboy is adding to the ungainliness of the whole set-up.
I agree that the arch and canvas are butt ugly, more so the canvas.I think if you removed the arch, and simply redid the forward section of the canvas so that you had an additional bimini frame/bow above the windsheild at the same height as the rear frame (instead of snapping it to the windshield) it would look 200 times better. Then you could either close in the space between the windsheild/canvas with isenglass material w/ u-zippers, or leave it open for those fresh georgian bay breezes... and you'd have some headroom up there as well.
It'd be pretty inexpensive, and make a world of difference both cosmetically, and in functionality.
454's in her belly?
I don't know what the world may want,
But a good stiff drink it surely dont,
Think I'll go and fix myself...a tall one.
hanks - Harry
