SeaKeeper Stabilizer worth it on an older boat?

[nautibake]

What % does your generator run during the night to keep the gyros running?

The gyros draw 3k each while spooling up, and 1.5kw each to maintain 8k RPM. Our GenSet is 21Kw so it’s not even breathing hard with gyros and all AC plus water maker plus washer dryer, etc.

 

[nautibake]

But do the gyros attract fish or scare them off?

Good question, the underwater lights attract the fish, but then the DD thrum brings them in from miles away it seems...

 

[nautibake]

Once you have drifted, especially overnight, with a gyro running you're not going to want to go on a boat without one. Boat sort of just bobs up and down in the swell with out the violent rocking. Makes a huge difference kite fishing and trolling when it's shitty.

We don’t do a ton of fishing but when do this is certainly true.

 

[nautibake]

I’ve often wondered about how much stress these put on the stringers. Fin type stabs are mounted where the arm from the cg is significantly more. If you understand weight arm and moment it’s a lot of stress on a very short arm. The mainstay of my charter business when I kept the boat up north was overnight swordfish trips so we did a lot of drift fishing in some nasty conditions in the North Atlantic. You could tell when things were picking up when the chine came out of the water and you’d hear a kaboom when the boat rolled to the down sea side. I just have to wonder how effective the gyro is fighting the natural roll of the boat. It would seem you could be taking waves in the cockpit rather than rolling with them.

We had a naval architect come on board to do a prelim structural assessment ahead of some significant upgrades (repower, refit) and he was particularly focused on the effect of the Seakeepers. He could not detect any issues related to the mounting or operation of the Seakeepers.

 

[scottinsydney]

Where did you mount the Seakeeper in your 58'?

 

[nautibake]

Where did you mount the Seakeeper in your 58'?

The PO had them mounted on the main stringers directly underneath the master berth, just forward of the rudder table. They installed a piano hinge across the top of the bed frame so it tilts up to access the 2 Seakeepers. I installed some gas lift struts under the bed so it’s much easier to access the space. I rarely need to open it for any other reason than most people that come on board want to see it.