25 Contender Transom wedges

[erictuley]

Yes I used the search button, and yes I read all the posts on this topic. I especially read all of Grin's reports.

On to my question. I picked up a 2000 25 Contender with 2001 200 HPDI's this weekend. The boat has the optional 30 gallon saddle tanks. So the boat has a total of 245 gallons of fuel. Not a single thread that dealt with wedges talke about the fuel capacity and the extra weight that adds just in front of the console. I called Fred Herman in Miami this morning. He states that the transom angle stock is 11 degrees negative. His wedges are 5 degrees as are the bob's machine shop and land and sea. He of course said its all in how you load and drive.

My question is have any of you with 25's and the extra fuel noticed tha you needed the wedges?

2nd qestion. The anchor locker sucks in the 2000. It is a simple shelf. The new ones are sexy with 6 inch fiberglass exhaust pipe that hold reef anchors or danforth style. Again Fred stated that he cuts out that shelf and reglasses the exhaust tube and support beams to be just like the new design. Have any of you done this with your anchor lockers?

3rd questions. I do a lot of diving in tampa. The bracket on the 25 is not an armstrong and does not have a dive ladder. How have you with the 25's added a dive ladder like the armstrong dive ladder to your transoms?

Thanks.

[erictuley]

Bump................

[Getn Busy Livn]

Hey Eric ... St Pete Contender owner here. I don't have the extra fuel capacity but I have a buddy who runs a similar set-up as yours over in Galveston and he added the L&S Wedges with good results.

As for the anchor locker ... my '99 has the same anchor shelf as yours. I like Fred's idea about adding the Anchor holder like the new ones but to be honest with you I have no problems getting my anchor, 20' of chain and 500' of 5/8 rode in the compartment.

Mine came with a folding/retraqcting latter which has worked very well. Not sure what brand ladder it is but it was definetly factory installed.

Hope this helps.

[rayos]

I bought a 2001 25 about a month ago. Like you I have read all the posts on wedges but I can't answer regarding the extra fuel. I am seeing how the boat runs in different seas and trim/tab angles before adding wedges. That extra weight can't hurt. I heard of a guy adding 150 lbs of lead to the lower front anchor locker and getting good results.

The dive ladders I have seen facing back and to the side. They install the mounting bracket on the side or rear and then clip on the ladder when needed. To me, it seems that the side mount gives more room as the engines aren't close but I don't know if the wave action will makes boarding from the side any easier.

Good luck.

[Hot Rod]

Don't the saddle tanks empty out first?

[hooknline1]

first off, the saddles SHOULD be emptied first. They dont automatically empty, you have to switch the valve. As far as the anchor locker, my 27 had just the plain ol shelf too, and I took some 6 inch pvc, cut a hole with the jig saw, and glassed it in. Then I notched the top of the new tube to accept the flukes of the anchor. Youll have to play with the lenght of the notch. cut it, put your anchor in close the locker...etc. It works very well.

[alanw]

'05 25 with 200 hpdi's, std fuel tank, stock trim tabs from Contender.

Not positive, but I think the saddle tanks are about even with the console, so they wouldn't add a lot of forward ballast which is what this boat needs with the heavier engines on back. Even when I'm running with a cooler full of ice and two passengers sitting on it in front of the console, there are still times when I have to keep the engines tucked in with the the negative trim from the tabs. It's a fairly inexpensive addition that really improves the boats performance.

I cut out the locker and had an anchor tube installed, works much better. Drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the tube otherwise it will hold water and cause a lot of mildew in the locker. This is much easier to do before it is installed, trust me.

If you get a folding ladder, mount it sideways on the bracket. This keeps it from accidently deploying in a choppy sea like we have here in the gulf.

[offshore3144]

I have a 2001 25open no saddle tanks just the single tank. I have had no problems without the wedges and use very little trim. I do load the front fairly heavy because we fish offshore and this requires alot of Ice. I normaly carry around 240 lbs of Ice in the front fish locker and cooler. Do to the way I load the front of the boat I havent felt the need for the wedges.I have thought about changing My anchor locker like hooknline1 and it will probraly be a project this winter....Mark

[hooknline1]

the anchor locker modification was so easy it wastn funny. And that is with 2 layers of glas cloth and resin. Just make sure you clean the pipe and deck are good with acetone or such. WELL worth the hour it took