Open Cabin Modification

[jagibbs3]

My boat is still under factory warranty. However, I am entertaining the idea of removing the rear door, windows to completely open the back of my cabin.
Whenever we are out with friends for an evening cruise it is difficult to interact with everyone behind the back wall. The captain is cruising alone.
I have seen boats with open backs and canvas for inclement weather.
Anyone attempted this modification, or have any thoughts.
I do intend to contact Parker and inquire about my warranty for sure.

 

[052520]

I think a 2nd station would be much easier & fit your needs !

 

[SOCAL]

I have the canvas back on my boat and it has good points and bad points. The good points it makes it alot easier to monitor whats going on in the cockpit and makes the cockpit seem bigger. The down side is if you just open the center and people don't have there sealegs the canvas is the first thing they grab. It happened on my boat twice now and each time I had to replace the zipper and 1 clip. Also when its cold out you get a little bit of a breeze on the back of your head and this is with the back completely down and zipped up. One good thing you can have the bulkhead removed and have the canvas installed. When I ordered my boat the dealer wanted to sell me one they had in the showroom and it had the bulkhead and they said they could have it done the way I wanted it.

 

[John_Madison CT]

When I was looking for a used Parker, I was down on the open back models. After lots of research, I realized it was perfect for what i wanted.

Now, I'm very happy I have this model Parker. Removing all the curtains comes in July and stays that way until late Sept..

The accessibility to the cockpit is fantastic with the curtains down. Also, even with the center curtain rolled up, the openning to the cockpit is much larger than with the door.

 

[Capt. Ronnie]

If I did it over,
I would have not put the 2nd steering station.
I've thought about removing it, allong with the hindged door and cutting the back wall on the stb side just a bit past the right side of the rear window.
In other words, having a 3/4 open back like a lot of lobster boats do.
I would also remove the seat at the helm and replace it with a seat that hindges off the stbd side wall.

 

[Megabyte]

I have one of the (fairly rare) open back model 2520's.

I'm not the person who originally ordered the boat, but I believe that it was optioned the way it was to run offshore.
About the only option that it did not have was the rear cockpit steering station.

That oversight was resolved this winter when I had my dealer install a rear station that I sourced from a 25' C-Hawk.

This is what the factory rear station looks like.

In my area, a rear station is a 'must have option' and it is something that my dealer orders on every boat. Every region is different, but in this area, it's something that everyone wants.

 

[Capt. Ronnie]

I have one of the (fairly rare) open back model 2520's.

I'm not the person who originally ordered the boat, but I believe that it was optioned the way it was to run offshore.
About the only option that it did not have was the rear cockpit steering station.

That oversight was resolved this winter when I had my dealer install a rear station that I sourced from a 25' C-Hawk.

This is what the factory rear station looks like.

In my area, a rear station is a 'must have option' and it is something that my dealer orders on every boat. Every region is different, but in this area, it's something that everyone wants.

Megabyte,
I'm just wondering, have you been on both your open back and closed back (with the door) Parkers ???
What I'm wondering, does the open back make the boat much more roomie and easy to move around???
As I posted earlier,
I've been thinking about making my 23sc a 2/3 open back, removing (and selling) my bunkhead mounted steering station and making a helm seat that is hindged off the side wall. (i'de try to sell the origional Parker pedastal seat also )
My biggest obstacle in doing this would be fabricating a jamb similar to the one that is there now, and I would then fabricate (out of colored starboard similar to the factory one ) a by/fold door similar to the one that is there now and reuse the windows that are there now also.

 

[Themis]

Pretty sure there will be a line looking for your steering station once you post it... I'd love to ge tone, if I could on the cheap, which may be a task.

 

[Megabyte]

Ron, I've fished on both and I wouldn't say that one is better than the other... it's just different.

One advantage of having the back completely open is free and easy access to the cabin from the cockpit, and access from the helm to the 'pit when you get a knock-down while trolling.

Since I did not have the rear station for the past two years, I got pretty good at coming out of the helm area when the drag would start screaming. The wide open access made it easy to do.

The disadvantage (of not having the rear station) was having to be tied to the helm while my buddies got to fish, especially when the weather was nice.
Of course, if the weather was crummy, it was a good excuse for me to stay warm and dry inside. :wink: Sorry you have to stand in the rain guys, but I've got to drive...

I can almost guarntee that if you decide to remove your rear station, you'll find a willing person here on the east coast to take it off your hands. In fact, Dale was the one that saw the rear station I ended up buying listed for sale on THT, and got ahold of me before someone else bought it. (Thanks Dale!)

The one I got was originally mounted on a 25' C-Hawk that lived here on the Chesapeake. The boat was sold and moved to Florida where it became a dive boat. The new owner didn't need the rear station and removed it to gain more cockpit room.
He was happy to get rid of it and I was happy to get it.

One mans junk is another mans treasure!

 

[John_Madison CT]

Mid summer fishing, the curtains come down completely. Here is my fishing crew after a day sharking offshore:

 

[jagibbs3]

WOW!
The responce to this query has been tremendous. I knew I would love this group.
The pictures and feedback have been very helpful.
If structural integrity can be mainatined, I am defintely going to go for this modification.
However, the jury is still out at Parker at this time.
Has anyone actually done this mod. and or do they have any thoughts on the best approach to accomplish it.
Hope to be posting door and windows for sale in the very near future...

 

[susqking]

Hey Kevin, when are you going to get some ladder back chairs for that thing. Just kidding, but I'm sure you have looked....

I love the open back!

Anthony

 

[Megabyte]

Anthony... I have looked at the ladder-backs, but I've a couple of other ideas....

Someday, I'd like to put a pair of square fiberglass pedistal bases under each chair with doors on the rear and slides for Plano 3600 and 3700 boxes.

On the stbd side... instead of the seat, I'd have a 'leaning post' that I could sit on top of (during those rare moments when I sit), and on the port side I'd have a nice comfy seat for the Admiral.

Both pedistals would be outfitted as hard core tackle storage, and any spare space would be for miscellaneous items.
Look at the area under those seats... is that wasted space or what? :shock:

I have my eye on some Birdsall bases that would have to be modified to sit level, but I think the project is do-able.
Of course... there are a lot of local Chessie boatbuilders around here who could fab a custom set of seats in no time.

It's on my list of "things that I want", but it's gonna be awhile. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

John from Madison,
What size Icey-Tek is that and do you use a no skid mat under it or another method to keep in in place?

 

[John_Madison CT]

Stonebuster: The Icey Tek is model 170L. I mounted some cheap furniture rubber feet on it for two reasons.
1. The ~ 3/4" high rubber feet keep it from sliding around.

2. I normally have the Icey Tek sitting in the rear of the boat, in the stern and the bilge hatch is slightly raised so unless I use the feet, it tetter-totters over the hatch. THe feet raise it up enough to keep it stable.


John

 

[Megabyte]

Speaking of Icey-Teks... that is a 40 qt under the port seat in the photo below.

I have a 90 qt for fishing.
John... Great idea with the 'feet'. Going to do that with my big one. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

John, Did you use an adhesive or screw the rubber feet on?

 

[endorfins]

I hate to rain on this parade but I talked to a dealer about this exact project. He told me that he had a customer do this and it was a nightmare. Apparently the open back models are reinforced much differently than the closed back and if you do remove the back wall you could jeopardize the integrity of the pilothouse. Maybe best to speak to someone at Parker. You could do it anonymously over the phone.

 

[jagibbs3]

For all interested.
My dealer spoke with Parker last week about my modification plans. They said,"modification would not affect hull warrant". They also said, "to call engineering department and they would give specs for cutout dimensions"

 

[endorfins]

Wow, cool!! I guess my dealer didn't know what he was talking about. No surprise there. Good luck and I hope it turns out better than your wildest dreams. You are a braver man than I!!