Swim Platform -mercerator pump

[Susan Ayres]

I have recently bought a 1988 28" Cape Dory Cruiser (no fly bridge).
I want to add a swim platform over the winter - does anyone have any suggestions as to the type of platform we should buy? (i.e. size, where to place on transom, or where to actually buy the platform).

We also want to add a mercerator pump for the head - anyone have any suggestions as to location for pump, etc.



saltab101@sprynet.com

[Walt Bilofsky]

I have recently bought a 1988 28" Cape Dory Cruiser (no fly bridge).
I want to add a swim platform over the winter - does anyone have any suggestions as to the type of platform we should buy? (i.e. size, where to place on transom, or where to actually buy the platform).

A local (S.F. Bay) yard added a swim platform to my Cape Dory 30 back in 1993. It cost a bit under $2000, and they just made it out of teak. Labor might be cheaper in some places back east, but teak's expensive. You can obtain prefabricated teak platforms, but it looks a lot better if it's made to fit the curve of your transom.

For size and placement, I'd suggest you look at local boats and see which platforms "look" right, then measure them.



bilofsky@toolworks.com

[Bob Davee]

I have recently bought a 1988 28" Cape Dory Cruiser (no fly bridge).
I want to add a swim platform over the winter - does anyone have any suggestions as to the type of platform we should buy? (i.e. size, where to place on transom, or where to actually buy the platform).

We also want to add a mercerator pump for the head - anyone have any suggestions as to location for pump, etc.

My Cape Dory 28 (1988 flybridge) had a swim platform on it when I bought it, but it was not installed properly. It is a teak slat platform mounted with stainless brackets. When I bought the boat the platform
was merely bracketed on the transom with no reinforcment. This had caused major stress cracks. It was fixed by making stainless angle clips so that the swim platform bolts could be fastened directly to the cockpit
deck. Bolts through the deck (balsa core) must be installed with fiberglass resin replacing the balsa at the bold to prevent the balsa from crushing and to seal off water from the core. Since this change it has
worked great.
Also I installed a Sealand Macerator pump ( West No. 410878 ) next to the holding tank (port) in the forward compartment under the seat. To do this the Vee seat must be removed partially, but this is easy to do, Just
for or five screws and out it comes. It is then very easy to work in this forward area - well fairly easy anyway. Good luck.



builder@midcoast.com

[Walt Bilofsky]

Also I installed a Sealand Macerator pump ( West No. 410878 ) next to the holding tank (port) in the forward compartment under the seat.

If you're teeing the macerator intake off the holding tank pumpout line, you may want to install a shutoff valve on the macerator pump intake, or use a two-way valve for the tee. My CD 30 came with a macerator but didn't have a valve. When pumping out, air would get sucked back through the macerator, which made pumping out a long and iffy process and probably didn't do the macerator much good. Adding a valve fixed all that.



bilofsky@toolworks.com

[Joe Merenda]

I have recently bought a 1988 28" Cape Dory Cruiser (no fly bridge).
I want to add a swim platform over the winter - does anyone have any suggestions as to the type of platform we should buy? (i.e. size, where to place on transom, or where to actually buy the platform).

We also want to add a mercerator pump for the head - anyone have any suggestions as to location for pump, etc.

Susan,

Our Cape Dory 30 came with the OEM teak swim platform. It is mounted on the transom using 5 stainless steel brackets. The brackets consist of an L-shaped member, attaching the platform to the transom, and a round diagonal brace, spanning the two extremes of the L-shaped member. In other words, its a triangular bracket! Each bracket extends the entire width of the swim platform and extends down the transom approximately 1 foot. They are throughbolted, using 3 bolts per bracket, and backed up with fairly significant aluminum backing plates. The backing plates are then fiberglass tabbed to the transom using biaxial material. All the bolts are bedded with a generous amount of bedding compound, even though at rest, none of the bolts are below the waterline.
My comments about the macerator would be identical to Walt's. One word of caution, many of these pumps do not like to be run dry. My "Jabisco" is such a model and only worked about 2 seasons before it had to be rebuilt.

Good Luck
Joe



jmerenda@nassau.cv.net

[Susan Ayres/Les Pendleton]

I have recently bought a 1988 28" Cape Dory Cruiser (no fly bridge).
I want to add a swim platform over the winter - does anyone have any suggestions as to the type of platform we should buy? (i.e. size, where to place on transom, or where to actually buy the platform).

We also want to add a mercerator pump for the head - anyone have any suggestions as to location for pump, etc.

Susan,

Joe,

Thank you for your comments regarding the swim platform. Your comments will be very helpfull.

Could you explain how and were is your macerator installed.

Thanks

Les & Susan

Our Cape Dory 30 came with the OEM teak swim platform. It is mounted on the transom using 5 stainless steel brackets. The brackets consist of an L-shaped member, attaching the platform to the transom, and a round diagonal brace, spanning the two extremes of the L-shaped member. In other words, its a triangular bracket! Each bracket extends the entire width of the swim platform and extends down the transom approximately 1 foot. They are throughbolted, using 3 bolts per bracket, and backed up with fairly significant aluminum backing plates. The backing plates are then fiberglass tabbed to the transom using biaxial material. All the bolts are bedded with a generous amount of bedding compound, even though at rest, none of the bolts are below the waterline.
My comments about the macerator would be identical to Walt's. One word of caution, many of these pumps do not like to be run dry. My "Jabisco" is such a model and only worked about 2 seasons before it had to be rebuilt.

Good Luck
Joe

saltab101@sprynet.com

[Peggie Hall/Peal Products]

Also I installed a Sealand Macerator pump ( West No. 410878 ) next to the holding tank (port) in the forward compartment under the seat.

If you're teeing the macerator intake off the holding tank pumpout line, you may want to install a shutoff valve on the macerator pump intake, or use a two-way valve for the tee. My CD 30 came with a macerator but didn't have a valve. When pumping out, air would get sucked back through the macerator, which made pumping out a long and iffy process and probably didn't do the macerator much good. Adding a valve fixed all that.

To add your comments, Walt (and BTW...for those who don't know me--we've specialized exclusively in marine sanitation for over 10 years): if the macerator is below the waterline, it's necessary to install a vented loop well ABOVE the waterline between it and the seacock/through-hull. In fact, I'd recommend putting one in ahead of the seacock in any case.




peghall@worldnet.att.net