Transom port specifications & DYI info

A 4" round hole in the transom, which can be opened to let water out of a swamped Scot, by towing the boat with a special bridle. On the FSSA home page it will explain the new rules for transom port and bow flotation that go into effect in early 2009 for sanctioned events. The spirit is to make it easier to empty a boat that has been swamped after a capsize. Phil Scheetz FS 4086

I have seen references to the flotation bag and transom ports (plural). Is only one transom port required?

One bag, one port, and the specs are in the FSSA handbook. The kit from FS Inc, is the easy way to go. The fun part is glassing the blocks into the hull that the straps for the bow bag screw into. I love the smell of fiberglass resin in the morning. I have done three boats recently with the transom port, it's easy. Phil Scheetz FS 4086

The factory suggested port center, 6-1/2 off the centerline, does not work on all boats, because the plywood core backing the motor mount intrudes into that area on some boats. Last year I bought a 4-1/2 saw and it worked fine on 2225. However when we went to add a port to 4141 at the same spot, we cut into the plywood core, which is much deeper and required some fiberglassing to repair. After looking inside the boat, it was clear we should have put the center hole about 1 inch further inboard. This past week we added a port to 4744 using a center 5-1/2 from the middle of the rudder post. If we had followed the factory directions we would have gone into the plywood core again. My recommendation is to measure from inside the boat, and make sure you don't cut into the plywood core. Gordon FS2225

Does anyone know the rationale for MANDATING transom ports? Seems to me this should be owner optional....they have nothing to do with safety, look ugly and the mandate has now put most boats out of compliance...I may have missed it but was there member input solicited on this change ?

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[i]Originally posted by Jay Lott[/i] [br]Tom, try this link, which may answer your questions. http://www.fssa.com/documents/Bowbags_transport.pdf J. Lott

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Transom ports make the boat much easier to empty if the boat is swamped. The bow float bag holds the bow up, so that you have a much better chance of rescuing a swamped boat without a long slow tow. At big events in windy places, where it is conceivable to have a group of boats capsize within the same time period, the transom port and bow bag make it easier to tow the water out of a swamped boat. The safety boat uses a towing bridle which pulls the swamped Scot to the surface and the water streams out through the port. This makes rescues much faster, and thus a safety boat can help others more quickly. This makes racing safer. Apparently new boats have come with them since 1992, which is 15 years before the time they passed the rule. The FSSA then gave two years to get it done. I did it on my boat and it is easy. A little fiberglass, a hole saw for the port and you are good to go. If you have boat number 5400, you should already have this stuff. In my opinion, FSSA is catering to safety. I would have put it in, rule or not. It's like a PFD for your boat. Have fun, Phil Scheetz FS 4086

I just replaced my 20 year old 4 inch ports as the sun had deteriorated these. The new ones needed a 1/4 inch larger hole. There was a paper circle template with the packaging of the new ports and it was relatively simple to follow the pencil outline of the new port with a jigsaw. If I were installing just a single set of ports and had a hand held jigsaw I would not buy a hole cutter. IN ADDITION; My transom ports each have a light lanyard attached to the port covers!! If they are ever used in a swamped boat situation I will not have to worry about losing the port covers. They probably sink . Good luck with the project. FS 3512