Easy Up Swim Handles

Lake_Bum

Get yourself a Canyon Cooler!  Proven to be better than Yeti, and way cheaper!  I am not affiliated with them, but they ARE based in my hometown.  FREE shipping as well. I use three of them on my boat, and I have the strap-down kit for the swim platform. 

www.canyoncoolers.com 

Willhound

Nice looking cooler. Last year I bought one of the heavy duty Coleman's . On sale I paid about $75 CDN  at about half price. Not a Yeti or Canyon but just came back from being on the boat since Friday afternoon and there was still ice in it despite being opened about 50 times to grab a drink. I do pre-chill everything though. Our boat trips are usually max 4 days and even at $3 A bag I can buy an awful lot of ice before I  could ever justify a $300 plus cooler.

PickleRick

I have old (6 to 8 yr old) igloo 5 day coolers.  They are 5 day if all you're carrying is ice.

I paid 25 each for them years ago. They each hold 20 lbs of ice with enough drinks and food for a family of three for 2 to 3 days.

Id like to upgrade to a cooler that has seat cushions but this does the trick. I pre freeze my steaks or whatever im going to cook, pre chill water drinks and beer. I also freeze about a dozen water bottles throwing 6 to 8 in the bottom of each cooler.

Here in the south night temps are upper 60s to 70s and upper 80s to mid 90s usually all summer long so i need all the help i can get to keep ice

Lake_Bum

You're in luck, Picklerick...

PickleRick

I really like that cooler set up. Not for me, for the kiddo and his cousins.  

randy56

I've been on @Willhound swim platform, you can have a square dance on there. For long stays out, I freeze half gallon milk gug's and toss in the cooler and ice. along with pre chilled everything. Not sure how long a case of beer last in there.  It seem's to disappear. 

Willhound

Thanks @randy56. One of the highlights of my boating season this year was meeting you and your lovely wife Treva in person and getting you out on Lake Simcoe. The lake was a little bumpy that day and I could sense that Treva was a tad nervous but you had good faith in my abilities and judgement. And lunch was wonderful. And it did burn a day of your vacation so I hope it was worth it. Also got to meet and hang out with @Gregg and Patty in the Port of Orillia last month and had a great afternoon having some cold ones on the docks there. Wonderful people on tbe Rinker forum.
Sorry, sidetracking here but to your original comment about the platform, you were the first visitors to be on it and I get nothing but positive comments on it. I was worried it might be too big when I installed it but it has absolutely been the best thing we ever did to the boat. 

PickleRick

Your platform has me speculating how i can cut a trojan 32 teak platform i have laying around down to fit the back of my 235 fv

Willhound

PickleRick said:

Your platform has me speculating how i can cut a trojan 32 teak platform i have laying around down to fit the back of my 235 fv

With your apparent abilities I'm sure it could be done. Wood a lot easier to shape than fibreglass and gel coat.  Teak is wonderful, but a lifetime commitment to keep looking good.

Gregg

@Willhound you should have called me would have run down your way when Randy56 was there.

Willhound

Sorry @Gregg. It was back earlier in the season before we met. Still thinking about trying to organize a Simcoe/Couchiching Rinkervous of some sort though.

PickleRick

Im a sailor (sailboats) so teak is a twice a year sand and spar job to keep her nice.  I keep my rinker under a metal carport so it might keep for a year where the sailboat is always in the sun.  

If i did wood id shape cdx plywood(25 a sheet for 3/4 inch which has waterproof glue and one finished side for up)  id then seal in with expoxy resin and coat with 2 layers of 1708 biaxle fiberglass, using 3 layers of something thinner for sides as the 1708 wont fold for crap for me on 90 degree angles. Obviously i round my corners and edges but it srill sticks out.  I lay edges and sides first then lay down the top sheets once its tacky so it looks uniformed once its cured and sanded. 

As for paint i wouldn't gelcoat. Color matching gelcoat is a pain even when the boat is new, much less 20 plus years faded. 

I like to use acrylic cool seal 7 yr roofing paint.  I lay it with a roller so its textured.  Its designed to stay soft like a linex spray coating and textured them same when applied via roller.  Any scrapes or scratches are easily filled with epoxy resin thickened if necessary and then repainted.  The paint comes white and ill take a gallon at a time or as needed (150 shipped for 5 gallons)  to tint to my liking.  The swim platform is like a sore toe hanging out to catch everything so any damage exposing wood under the fiberglass must be repaired immediately.  

I discovered this paint by accident when i was wanting to seal a leaky old aluminum jon boat. The paint is made to go over wood and even rusty metal to fill pin holes. My jon boat gets drug over rocks and sand every weekend so it takes a beating.  I found that on the bottom i had to brush it as the roller gave a great texture for a walking surface that stays cool in the hot sun.


Epoxy and gelcoat dont mesh to begin with and epoxy is much better than polyester or vinylester with its bonding ability to wood.  Any holes you want to drill for hardware just over drill the diameter/depth of hole, fill with thickened epoxy, let it cure then put your hardware into the epoxy instead of the wood.  

 This is a must on anything that hangs from a transom from your outdrive to trim tabs to depth/fish finder.  

What you'll be left with is a dry sealed wood core that will last longer than the boat.  

I do the same for my engine mount bolts.  

My engine hatch was rotten when i got my rinker. I built the new one out of 3/4 plywood.  I could have a square dance party on it. The acrylic roofing paint applied via roller is non skid so coolers and puppies dont slide around.  Coolers will still slide with enough rocking.  After finishing i should have used 1/2 but it was my first hatch.  She weighs a ton and is over built.  


For the swim platform i think two 3/4 and one 1/2 sheets epoxied together would be adequate.  A good solid 2 inches thick core of rear extended swim platform fun.  Im thinking i could get away with 1.5 inches with proper bracing.

I have my eye on a rinker 260 that needs a motor(I have a motor) so we'll see if the 235 gets any upgrades over the winter. 

Lake_Bum

@Willhound how deep is  your platform?  I had mine custom made at Swim Platforms for my 232 since they are less than 2 hours from me.  Mine is 45 inches deep, and we LOVE it!  

Willhound

The overall blank was 48". With cutting and shaping for final fit about 46". 8 feet wide.