Another Pursuit

http://charleston.craigslist.org/boa/2234176000.html


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I always had Merc power

A 2.4L/ 200 hp was good for 41 MPH. The 2.5L / 200 was good for 44 MPH and the 3.0L/ 250 EFI was good for 56 MPH. Overall fit and finish wasn't bad at all. Mine came with bottom paint and was previously used to crash docks in the Ft. Pierce area. Gunnels showed a lot of stress cracks in the gelcoat.

Every boat has a story. It is a bit wordy, my apology..

The closest I have ever been to capsizing a boat as the captain on my 22' Pursuit. Four men onboard.(Overloaded? Yep, but not that you could tell at the dock, four guys with fishing gear seemed reasonable) Ran out of the Bayport channel, following sea, some wind chop, nothing too nasty but admittedly close 2 footers, blowing 10 to 15 out of the north, averaged 25 mph. Eight miles to the first number, marked the spot and anchored up.
Just as soon as the anchor line went tight I discovered that the transom was not high enough to keep the waves off the deck. The nose was dipping into the face of the waves and the stern was dipping a couple inches under on every cycle. The scuppers were in and out and could not handle the volume of water that was now lapping over the top of the transom. We had the cooler floating/sloshing on deck in 30 seconds or less. Seconds before I had a rod in my hand preparing to drop the first bait down, I heard some commotion so I glanced back to see what was happening, "Holy Sh/t" , I jammed the rod in the holder, there was already a hundred gallons of water on the deck, it was 6" deep at the stern, we were surrounded by crabtraps, my friend Dave is now climbing back out on the bow to pull the anchor because he can see what is happening. We are in trouble. I decided we couldn't wait. "Hold on Dave", he sat on the cuddy and lifted his feet every time we crested a wave to keep his feet dry from the waves breaking over the bow. I started the motor (heart skipped a beat, exhaust relief was in and out of the drink, it didn't sound good) shoved it into gear and got us moving upwind while keeping a close eye on the anchor rode passing under the boat on the starboard side. I had some experience at this maneuver because I routinely use an anchor ball to retrieve the anchor. I also knew that a fouled line in the prop (anchor line or crabtrap) could be catastrophic. She was sluggish but reacted well to throttle. I was almost instantly relieved, as soon as we started to make headway she started bailing water off the deck. Once I was clear of the crabtraps I turned her downwind and Dave got the anchor back on the pulpit. I am convinced that another 30 seconds at anchor and we would have made the papers as the water came very close to entering the cuddy cabin. Things happen fast on the water. Small things multiply exponentially and the sea never rests.
We were OK as long as we kept moving or kept the beam to the sea, never got a drop of water in the bilge. We decided to troll back to the ramp. We managed to catch some mackerel and grouper, no keepers.
The lessons learned that day are many.
Upon Returning home I installed a bracket with swim platform and closed in the transom with Starboard on a Stainless steel frame. No more problems with water on deck.
We were damn lucky. The other two passengers didn't have a clue until we told them what nearly happened.
I know that some don't like the looks of a bracketed boat (Destroyer). I do not disagree with you in all cases. However, the bracket with full transom on the 22' Pursuit made it a much more seaworthy vessel.
 
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