Our Piddling Platform Problem

Published: Tuesday, March 19, 2019
By: Nicole Hartshorn

We have it all – a spacious v-bunk, a roomy aft cabin, a galley that can accommodate our family of four, and a full head! Being out on the water for days on end is no problem if we never left the cabin, but what die hard boater goes boating to just stay in the cabin? Not many. If you’re anything like our captain and crew, you’re always on deck or in the water trying to enjoy what little summer the Great Lakes get, especially in upstate New York.

As the summers go by and the kids get bigger, we had started to realize that the only thing our 1992 330 Sundancer was lacking was a decently-sized platform. Don’t get me wrong; Sea Ray (in my opinion) is a superior boat manufacturer. Their features and layouts are second to none, with one small exception: the factory platform. Although very sleek and pleasing to the eye, we found it to not be very functional for my family’s lifestyle. With our boat being a previous generation style, the build seemed to be more centered around cabin space rather than platform space. I have noticed a shift in this thinking in the past 10 years and feel that boat manufacturers have caught on to the idea that modern day customers want better access to the water, resulting in larger platforms being a standard with newer boats.

As much as I like to pretend I’m a ride attendant at an amusement park, constantly telling the children as they enter onto the platform to “line up, single file” or “one at a time, now”, and as much as I get a kick out of my husband accidentally falling in the drink while pulling up the back anchor, I continuously find myself thirsting for more when it comes to our stern.

So you can imagine my delight when I was flipping through an issue of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt last summer and found a solution to what I’ve dubbed our “Piddling Platform Problem”! I saw an ad for Swim Platforms, Inc. For those of you who are not familiar with them, Swim Platforms, Inc. is a company that manufactures custom-made fiberglass extended platforms with DIY installation.

Without hesitation, we simply emailed the address advertised for a quote, entering in our Sea Ray’s specifications and desired platform style. We received a prompt response and happily confirmed our order with the friendly customer service rep, Art. The Swim Platform crew went to work and, five weeks later, a 6’ x 12’ wooden crate arrived at our door! I was like a kid at Christmas, visions of white wine and cheese platters danced in my head. Our newly-found entertaining space was just hours away from being enjoyed!

The DIY instillation was underway. The whole project took three men and 4.5 hours, but this time included a couple beer breaks and time spent admiring each other’s toolboxes, as all men are wont to do. Nevertheless, they were a great team!

SPI ships their custom-fit platforms with very simple instructions and all the hardware needed. In our case, this was about two dozen stainless steel bolts with washers and three support brackets. One clever suggestion I will highlight to you prospective DIYers is to countersink the bolt holes in the surface of the platform to avoid “toe stubbers” and to have a flat, finished, professional look. Another suggestion, that SPI provided, is to make use of a marine grade caulk application at each bolt hole, prior to faceting, which will avoid future leaks and allow for a waterproof seal.

Our DIY installation went off without a hitch and our family could not be happier with it! The kids love the less structured access to the water, and my husband and I love the added entertaining space. As an unexpected bonus, we found that the new platform is the perfect home for our dinghy while under power.

If your crew is looking for an affordable upgrade this spring, this is the DIY project for you! Thank you, Swim Platforms, Inc., for manufacturing an extremely functional product that has brought our decades-old boat into the 21st century.

We also want to thank the publishers and staff of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt for being such a wonderful resource to boaters; we look forward to every issue. Keep up the great work, everyone!

Cheers,
The River Gal
Nicole Hartshorn
[email protected]