So I'm sick of beating the crap out of the hull to stay dry....I can soften up the ride by digging the nose down but things can get pretty wet. Therefore, it's time to invest in some spray rails. I know a guy that will put them on for me but I want to get some experienced thoughts on mounting location and even brand. I've heard about the Smart Rails but I don't know anyone who has tried them... Here's a pic for reference
Just wanted to bump this thread and also add where the spray is coming from. When hitting and cutting through the waves, the spray comes all the way up to the rub rail, gets deflected out, and then the wind typically blows it back into the face of myself and my passengers. I'm wanting to mount something that's aesthetically pleasing and also knocks the spray down before it gets to that point. I would initially think to mount along the chine but I don't think that would do much good on this hull. Let me know if you all have any insight.
Spray rails are only effective on minimal height waves. If wave height equals gunnel height, y'er gonna get wet unless y'er headed directly into the wind, or running downwind. Which was why I learned to run the edges of the deeper waters where wave heights don't get a chance to build up. If I did have to cross an area with a a serious chop and a headwind, I'd hand out the foul weather gear and slow down. And that was on a 19' Whaler. I can remember some trips after a cold front blew through, having to wear my dive mask to see, crossing Biscayne Bay from Ragged Keys back to Matheson Here's a CudaCraft with rails mounted
Thanks Brett. In my experience with the boat, I think they'd do more good mounted up closer to the nav lights. Then, in the stern, run a strip just above the chine. Would that theoretically work? I don't know the science behind it...this is why we have Brett
Placement instructions per a manufacturer http://www.thesmartrail.com/product/rail_placement-guide.htm
I took it out this weekend and took a minute to see where the spray was coming from...it actually looks like this placement pictured may work. I am also thinking about adding a bit of a reverse chine past this point where these rails stop but that would be after the fact. No sense in adding them if they won't be necessary. This will probably be a project once things start to cool down. I'm not too worried about getting a little spray when it's 90+ over the summer...
Going to try and get a quote on Wednesday. I'm considering having the rails run as picture but just run them all the way along the chine to the stern. Any thoughts?
Not necessary Murph. There is a point where they become a problem waiting to happen - and you won't see any benefit.
the rails pictured above in that location really work on certain boats ,we used them all the time on older seacraft boats .However on a pooling skiffs they should not be down on the chime or they will really give you hull slap poling.Id go out in a minimal quartering chop and see where spay is deflecting and start from there.Saw a guy with the smart rails up higher he said he loved them but that was on different hull.be sure you have a prop with a lot of rake, in it to get bow up,and work the tabs it may surprise you it did me.
the rails pictured above in that location really work on certain boats ,we used them all the time on older seacraft boats .However on a pooling skiffs they should not be down on the chime or they will really give you hull slap poling.Id go out in a minimal quartering chop and see where spay is deflecting and start from there.Saw a guy with the smart rails up higher he said he loved them but that was on different hull.be sure you have a prop with a lot of rake, in it to get bow up,and work the tabs it may surprise you it did me.
Look at the way the boat pushes water the next time you are out. From midway back it just pushes water to the side. In the front the water follows the curve of the hull upward and then the wind/rate of travel causes you to drive into the spray.
I won't say for sure but I think #1 is the way to go. In my boating experience, if you are getting spray from #2 you are taking waves at the wrong angle. The stern of my boat is a lot lower than yours and I never get spray from there. Just my opinion without being on your boat.
I think this is a more accurate location based on my experience with this particular boat. If I plow into a big enough wave, the spray comes up and hits the edge of the gunnel. Most gets deflected away but sometime it will spray and roll over the rubrail, right into my face The bow rails will be the most help...but the mid mounted rails I feel might be beneficial, as well. I need someone experienced to ride with me and give me their thoughts...I'm just going off of observation and I don't really know what I'm talking about haha
Are they going to be 3 feet wide???? Plow into any wave hard enough and you'll get wet. Personally I still would skip them altogether but if you feel you need them then go with pic 1 and then investigate if you need pic 3. But make sure you only do one set at a time so you can determine the best placement.
Now that's a thought! The Vantage spray rails would be obsolete! I spoke with the builder today. What a guy. His name is Raul Mas. Learned some more about the hull...this thing was built to be a tank and built to float shallow. Was the shallowest floating skiff of the day, apparently. Flip Pallot himself even owned one (same color as mine). Raul also built the Man-o-War boats that are now being built by Gause. Anyhow, he said that the era of boat from which this boat came, spray rails were more of a secondary and that modern technology has allowed the building in of spray rails into the hull's design. Many of the Cuda Craft 17'6" owners put them on after purchasing. According to Raul, rails mounted just a hair above the chine were the way to go. See below: I'll have to update the page in the classics section with the info I got from him
