I am looking to buy a 226 or 228 seafarer but need to understand how long it is so I can reserve a slip and plan properly for the cost. What is the actual length with engine tilted up and with/without bow pulpit? Can I fit into a 25’ slip or will it be just over 25’ so I’ll have to get a 30’ slip? I’m thinking if I go with a 226 without bow pulpit I might be able to fit under 25’ but looking for real world info from you guys. Thanks in advance.
Ryhlick
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I have a 228 in a 30' slip and with the motor up and the bow pulpit, it almost takes up the whole thing. I think you will hang over too much in a 25' but it will be close.
mjm1957
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Mustang65fbk
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The addition of a bow pulpit as well as the 226 vs the 228 will make the different models vary considerably in size. I've got a 228 without a bow pulpit and on the trailer with the engine down it's about 31' in length. I'm sure off the trailer in the water with a bow pulpit and the motor tilted up that it'd be pretty close to 30', like Ryhlick said. But.. if you do get a 226 then you'll gain probably 2' or so of slip space since you won't have the transom bracket to deal with, and if you don't have a bow pulpit on top of that then I'd bet you'd be pretty close to fitting in a 25' slip. What's the difference in price between the 25' and 30' slip though? Unless it's a huge difference, I'd buy the boat you want and not the size of slip that's cheaper or more convenient. I personally wanted a boat with an enclosed transom and the transom bracket on the back of it because of safety reasons, being on a mooring buoy for weeks/months on end and I like the extra fishing room as well as the live well for bait and so forth. My niece just turned 6 and my parents are in their 70's, so I didn't want an issue with a partially open transom in the back. That, and during the summer I leave my boats on my mooring buoy in front of our beach cabin on Whidbey Island, and I'd prefer not to take any waves over the stern of the boat and potentially have an issue.
Thanks for the explanation. It’s about another $100 per month for 30’ vs 25’ so not huge but definitely will make a difference for my budget. Enclosed transom is nice because there is a little more usable space but I’m not as worried for my situation about the safety of guests because me and my guests are in our 20s. If I can get away with 25’ slip by getting a 226 instead of a 228 then I think it’s worth the compromise, but if I’m stuck with a 30’ slip either way then I agree 228 is better. Also looking to be able to trailer easily so 232 makes that a little more difficult. Right now I have a 32’ sailboat on a mooring but it’s for sale now so hoping to buy a seafarer soon.
Mustang65fbk
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The 226's definitely seem to be more readily available and there are several of both the 226 and 228's on BoatTrader.com as well as other boat sales websites currently. Some people really like having the motor on the transom and say that it handles better that way... I like the transom bracket for the safety and extra fishing space. If it doesn't matter to you either way, go for the better deal on the boat/slip, but I'd also try driving one of each to see which you like better.
Mustang65fbk
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I just went out and got a rough estimate on the trailer for my boat, and it’s about 26’ from the rear of the outboard in the down position to the bow. The boat does not have a bow pulpit and I’m sure there’s probably an extra foot or so if you had the motor tilted all the way up. I imagine a 226 without a bow pulpit and the motor tilted up would fit in a 25’ slip just fine.
Thanks for checking, I really appreciate the help! I think I’ll just have to give it a shot and hope they let me go with a 25’ slip
Don Davis
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I honestly wouldn’t consider the 226 with the open transom, the 228 is just so much safer and worth the extra length, unless you are on a small lake with the 226. My 2 cents …
Mustang65fbk
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^^^^ My thoughts exactly. I'd rather spend the extra $100 a month and get the better boat, imo, with the enclosed/bracketed transom. As stated above, just my 2 cents as well.
I’m on Lake Michigan out of Chicago, so definitely worth considering the 228 and I hear your advice. I’m pretty young and early in my career so an extra thousand here and there does make a difference in my budget though. Need to try them both out, someone in a harbor nearby has a 228 but I haven’t met him yet.
I've had several open transom boats and have never taken a wave over the transom. Anchored, drifting, running, never a wave over the transom.
Has anyone ever seen this happen?
Has anyone ever seen this happen?
Gradywhiteonthehorizon
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I have a 2016 228 Seafarer in a slip. Your looking at a vess around 25-26 ft. I’d recommend a slip larger than your your boat. if your new to this boat, give her a little room to come in. If you have conditions such as wind and current, you be glad you’ve got the little extra room. You don’t want to hit your pulpit on the sea wall.
Paul, Maybe not one wave, but have been pulling prawn traps (stern to the wind) when the wind came up and was taking water over the open transom. Much went out the scuppers, but if it gets too much it can get into the bilge through the wiring harness, although never over the front of the splash well. I am very aware of the wind situation when pulling traps, but have been caught a couple of times. At 300 t0 400 ft once you start the pull it takes awhile. Had to leave them overnight once as just too lumpy to pull.
Mustang65fbk
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I've never had a boat with a fully open transom but my last boat was a 21' Arima of which it had a motor-well that the motor would basically rest inside of when in the up position. There were multiple times where I'd take waves over the back of the transom into the motor-well because of having to go in reverse or the combination of wind and waves were just right when pulling crab pots, being on my mooring buoy and so on. There were even a couple of times where the motor-well would fill up and the water would splash in or you'd take a wave over the motor-well and into the back of the boat as well. For me it was an obvious choice and one where I didn't want to potentially have a problem, so I bought the 228 with the enclosed transom and transom bracket so I hopefully won't ever have that issue again.
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Just curious: At that marina, is a 30 foot slip actually 30 feet long . I am not sure what that means. I have seen marinas where all the slips were the same length and many boats just extended past the end. I have seen slips where the pulpit extended over the main dock. It's frowned on but if the main is fairly wide, that doesn't create a walking traffic obstacle and allows vessels with pulpits to fit in shorter slips
If the marina says that a 30 foot slip is what you get for a 30 foot boat than most likely the slip is longer. Some marinas charge by the registration length and some charge for the overall footage including the motors when raised.
If you dock bow in and your motors when tilted up sit past the end of the slip, is that an issue at the marina?
All that said, if the slip has fingers(docks) on both sides ( what is sometimes called a private slip) most marinas charge more for that space. Tying off can be more effective and docking will be less stressful of course. Also if a private or semi private slip, ask what the beam clearance is and if it is different for the 15 foot slip versus the 30 foot.
If the marina says that a 30 foot slip is what you get for a 30 foot boat than most likely the slip is longer. Some marinas charge by the registration length and some charge for the overall footage including the motors when raised.
If you dock bow in and your motors when tilted up sit past the end of the slip, is that an issue at the marina?
All that said, if the slip has fingers(docks) on both sides ( what is sometimes called a private slip) most marinas charge more for that space. Tying off can be more effective and docking will be less stressful of course. Also if a private or semi private slip, ask what the beam clearance is and if it is different for the 15 foot slip versus the 30 foot.
Yes the slips are different lengths based on different sizes, but unsure if 30’ slip = exactly 30’ of usable slip space. Last time I looked I didn’t see any boats with motors hanging outside their slips. They charge based on overall length not registered length so that’s where my problem comes up. You do mention a good point though maybe I can save by getting a different type of slip because I think there may be an arrangement that’s cheaper.
blynch
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1 season down with my 226 including fishing in varied weather conditions and runs up to 90 miles and I've scarcely even filled up the splash well, let alone taken water onto the deck. Personally I would not suggest being scared away from this design unless your intended use of the boat includes alot of backing down into rough water (in which case by all means go with a bracket, or better yet an inboard). I went with a pulpit-free 226 for the easier maneuverability and cheaper storage and wouldn't change anything so far.
Also- as mentioned in the FB group I think my combo would fit in a 25' slip, but suspect anything longer would not.