Message 22 of 22
Posted by member Aad Mulder on Tuesday 17 August 2010

Hello Dominique, Most interesting how you created a third birth in the cockpit. Could you possibly mail to me some photo's, so that I can copy it? Thanks and kind regards Aad Mulder@ hetnet.nl

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Message 20 of 22
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola Gribbin on Saturday 20 December 2008

Hi Roger. I would say don't panic. I had the same problem you describe when I first got our aux o/b. However, we got around it. We have the Yamaha longshaft 4hp version of your auxillary. If you undo the shaft brake, the whole engine should rotate 180 degrees to allow the tiller to hang out in thin air, rather than up against the transom/stern where it will indeed restrict the tilt. On ours we can now have the auxillary prop well clear of the water, and the tiller never fouling the stern or aft gunnel. Have a try anyhow. Dom.

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Message 18 of 22
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola on Wednesday 26 November 2008

Couple less bottles of chablis on board will balance that equation out just fine! Assuming you have not got loads of other kit hanging off the transom its insignificant in my opinion. Go Honda I reckon. There must be some deals or negotiating leverage at present? Dominic.

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Message 16 of 22
Posted by member Roger Beese on Monday 24 November 2008

Hi Dominic Mariner 4 25kg Honda 5 27.5 kg not significant ? Roger

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Message 14 of 22
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola Gribbin on Monday 17 November 2008

Hi Roger. Many thanks. Ref: Pilot auxilliary outboard transom bracket....I have replaced our original unit but not fitted from scratch i.e where no holes existed. I do know you will need a long-leg version of your auxillary. We use a Yamaha 4hp four stroke, directly linked via a T-piece off the main petrol supply hose. Instantly available when you need it. Make sure you buy a sprung drop down version capable of taking the not inconsiderable strains of an auxillary hanging off the transom. Also, make sure the bracket has all stainless bolts/washers etc. Some of the parts of our's are now corroding badly (I had assumed it was fit for sea use). Shackle the outboard to the transom. Plastimo to a handy stainless 1 metre version with stainless carabiners. Our Jura Pilot is currently on the drive so I'll pop out this eveining and take some measurements for you. The arrangement on ours is standard and portside. The outboard bracket was factory fitted by Hardy. To fit from new, the job looks easy enough. Dominic. P.S Lucky you. Cardiff Bay is gateway to some great crusing. Even North Devon is a straightforward jaunt on a good day in a Pilot, with majical Lundy beyond!

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Message 12 of 22
Posted by member Andy Mcmullan on Thursday 13 November 2008

Hi Kevin, If you take one of the seats off, you may find that it has the same mounting holes as a new seat. I got new seats for my last Hardy and was of the opinion that the mounting holes were a standard configuration, ie 4 holes in a square type pattern that juat accepted large screws. Cheers Andy

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Message 10 of 22
Posted by member Andy Mcmullan on Saturday 27 October 2007

Dominic & Damian Yes I agree on the River Pilot. Thanks for the suggestion Damian. I can see the appeal of the River Pilot but need the strength of the extra bulkhead for sea use. I appreciate all the feedback on this. Cheers Andy

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Message 8 of 22
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola Gribbin on Thursday 25 October 2007

In both the Pilot and SE I think you can get two berths in the wheelhouse, just. There is not enough room for a double. One berth across the rear bulkheads (adult) and one down the centre cabin sole of the wheelhouse between the helmsman's seat base and the cooker/sink mouldings. This is very much a 'junior' berth and I would want to sleep away from the fuel tank well also. A low volume 'Thermarest' inflatable camping/hiking mattress would be ideal to use in this space. Ref. Bosun co-pilot seat weighting I agree. The weight distribution when planing in a Pilot is critical. Get it wrong and you can fall awkwardly off the plane. Stabilty is aided tremendously by trim tabs but it is still an important consideration. Presumably Hardy recognised this and developed the Bosun's set up. We have a made our own co-pilot seat set up for our Family Pilot and use a side-saddle style floating safety cushion seated on the sink top (back to wheelhouse sides)with chromed brass fold down foot pegs attached to the side of the sink moulding for resting feet on. Works well for us and there is a well placed grab handle fitted as standard for the occupant to hold on to. So in total we are talking 2 in the stern and two (comfortably) up front in the SE and Bosun. The 1/4 berth is the added adavantage of the Family Pilot. Hope this helps Domiic.

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Message 6 of 22
Posted by member Damian on Thursday 25 October 2007

Andy, Forget about buying a Pilot SE and get yourself a River Pilot. You will comfortably get another double berth on the floor between the patio doors and helm/galley bulkheads when you fold the helm/co pilot seats away. That way you'll have 5 good berths.

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Message 4 of 22
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola Gribbin on Tuesday 16 October 2007

Hi Andy 1.Yes you are correct. Hunt around and you can find some late model (94-ish) Family Pilots with white hulls. I agree they are rather nice and somewhat easier maintenance than the earlier blue type. 2. No, I have never needed to use transom wedges. As you say, with trim tabs, a large enough engine (70, 75 or 90) and power tilt on the o/board they are probably rendered unneccessary, certainly on a 1993 model such as ours. As far as I am aware, Hardy slightly lessened the angle of the Bosun's transom and changed the internal well shape quite considerably to better accomodate a larger outboard. This lesser angle has even further improved the attack angle for the outboard with improved planing performance on the Bosun. In fact, am I mistaken or have they adopted a full planing hull for the Bosun rather than a semi-displacement? Personally I prefer the sea keeping benefits of a semiu-displacement hull....the Hardy Pilot wasn't and never will be a speed boat in my opinion. 3. Osmosis-wise, I have not heard of Hardy generally having any particular history of osmosis problems. In fact, given their relatively over engineered GRP lay-ups maybe they are even less likely than some other equivalent/cheaper makes. They are famously bomb proof boats! Personally I would not be looking at untreated GRP boats earlier than 1990 and I'll probably be shot down for saying that. We had our 1993 hull in 2002 totally sandblasted then sealed to prevent future osmosis issues (she had had none I should add). If you know an older boat you are considering has had that treatment, then it may merit more attention. Remember hulls that have been in freshwater for long periods of time are more prone to osmosis that those in salt water. Ask about its mooring history. There are some lovely late model Pilots out there for sale, albeit intermittently but expect to part with £15K for really good one. Best wishes Dominic and Nicola

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Message 2 of 22
Posted by member Andy Mcmullan on Monday 15 October 2007

Dominic Thanks for the advice. I really need space for 3 adults and a child to sleep so I may be looking at a blue hull boat like yours. My Fishing 17 is blue and looks faded very quickly after buffing. That is why I primarly wanted a white hull. I have noticed a couple of white or (grey?) hull Pilots on Boats and Outboards that seem to be Family Pilots and not SE. One advertiser mentions that his is a special edition. Another query I have concerns the transom wedges. I think I have read in another post of yours that you use them. Are they strictly necessary if you have trim tabs and power trim? If you don't use them is the fit of the outboard against the transom compromised, or is it strictly a trim issue? Did Hardy design this out before the Bosun? I see on the forum that you can buy aluminium ones which would be a more acceptable solution than wood. Have you ever heard of any osmosis problems in Pilots? There are quite a few older boats for sale, but I am reluctant to go as far back as the mid eighties for this reason. My Fishing 17 is 1990 and is in fantastic condition, so I would like to get a similarly well looked after Pilot with a 75 Honda or 70 Suzuki ideally. Cheers Andy

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