1stfntn

Need some help here from you stepped hull owners.

Just bought a 2000 38' Fountain Lightning w/ a twin step hull. My Hydrohoist dealer is saying they will support the boat with a small (maybe 6 inches wide) "V" shaped pad under the keel towards the front of the boat (maybe 20' from the transom) and two bunks that run from the transom forward to the second step (the step that is farthest aft). This will leave the majority of the boat forward from the second step unsupported except for the small "V" support. This is how they "always" do it, and to their credit, the two 47's in my marina are set up this way.

Is this going to be OK, or do I need bunk type support (1) on the section of the hull between the two steps and (2) in front of the first step? I have always seen 3 sets of bunks/support(transom to second step, between first and second step, and in front of first step).

Please let me know the correct way to support the hull as I don't want it to deform.

Thanks in advance,
Brad

US1 Fountain

Have a friend with a 42 supported the same way on a hydrohoist. I personnely don't like just the vee cradle in front, just doesn't seem like enough. On my lift which I did the setup myself, I made a second set of 18' bunks to fully support the hull from the transom - forward, until the hull starts the angle up. 4 full bunks. Overkill???? never, but better than how the lift makers set them up.

1stfntn

Thanks US1, once again you've come through for me. I really appreciate it.

What did you make your bunks out of? Wood w/ carpet covering or something else?

Nice looking boat by the way!! Where do you boat at?

US1 Fountain

Same as the original 2 boards. Carpet covered treated wood. Thinking about fastening teflon strips to the boards to use instead of the carpet. Just thinking about getting away from the soaked carpet under the hull. I have seen one other brand of lift builder at LOTO that uses the 2x4 recycled plastic boards.

We keep the boat at Lake Monroe in Bloomington IN. IU country. But I live in Lafayette and work at Purdue.
We bought this boat 2 yrs ago from Ugly Johns on Lake Texcoma.

1stfntn

Think I've actually seen your boat on Texoma. Nice ride.

My deck at the marina is all the recycled fake wood, so had actually thought about using that too. Agree with you on the carpet. It just rots the wood that much quicker, then the wood breaks and you have a nice hole where the bolt head came through your hull. Buddy of mine had this happen last summer.

Have had my various boats first on Grand Lake here in OK for 5 years, then Texoma for 3, then Lake Travis in Austin for 3, now back to Grand. Want to get up to LOTO at least once this summer. It's been at least 10 years since I've been there. How far is it from Lafayette, IN to LOTO? Seems like that would be a haul, but I was never good at geography.

Thanks again for the pics and the advice!!

offthefront

If you have a trailer ..try to mimic it and/or call Fountain and ask them ...I would think mo is better .... here is my self imposed setup for my 311 ....

1stfntn

Nice setup offthefront. Thanks for the advice. Will measure the trailer.