Board storage on your boat

(weskel) · (weskel) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 01-24-2008, 7:28 AM

I don't have a tower yet and don't know when I will be able to get one.

I was wondering if anyone has any inventive ways of securing the boards out of the way in a smaller I/O Chaparral 196 to be exact.

I have stainless hand rails on the bow and was wondering what it would look like or even work to buy a set of board racks and attach them to the rail up front.

The rail is one inch in diameter and I would have to make some bushings to allow the racks to mount up.

I guess my main question is would I look like a retard running around with my boards hanging off the front/side of the boat.

Honest answers are welcome, pictures would be better.

I can store my board in the ski locker in the floor but my buddies board is just slidding around on the floor.

Thanks for your input

Weskel

(nauty) · (nauty) **Join Date: Feb 2004** 01-24-2008, 7:58 AM

Years ago I used to have an I/O with no tower. My boat had a cup holder just in front of the windshield, in the bow area. I removed the cup holder and slid a 3" pipe through the cup holder hole all the way to the floor underneath the passenger side dash (metal or PVC pipe will work). I secured the pipe to the floor of the boat with a fence post footing bracket. I then added a wakeboard rack to the top of the pipe.

This held the boards up and out of the way. It worked pretty well.

(thor) · (thor) **Join Date: Oct 2001** 01-24-2008, 8:37 AM

A buddy of mine had an older 2001 Nautique with a pole. He purchased some board racks that attached to the hand rail on his boat, and they worked very well. I'm not sure where he got them from or who the manufacturer was, but I will send him an email and ask him those questions.

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 01-24-2008, 9:09 AM

I would question how you would see thru the boards mounted on your bow rails. Seems like it would be tough.
There are racks available that can be mounted over the sides of the boat & might not block your line of sight so much.
http://www.liquidcouragewatersports.com/Home/tabid/2082/Default.aspx

Seems like I've seen similar racks on the Overtons, Barts or Ski Limited sites too.

(andy13) · (andy13) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 01-24-2008, 5:25 PM

"I guess my main question is would I look like a retard running around with my boards hanging off the front/side of the boat?"

ANSWER: YES