open transom sailboats

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DQOTD: Open Transom Disadvantages?

• Thread starter MidPack
• Start date Sep 24, 2013

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Super Anarchist

• Sep 24, 2013

Tried Google, but everything was from the POV of power/fishing offshore boats. We're considering several boats, one has an open transom and we've never owned one before. I am sure there are many here with lots of experience with open transom sailing. Obviously an open transom will drain very quickly compared to closed w scuppers. I assume if you drop anything in the cockpit, the chances of it getting washed off increases to some extent. And I have to assume the height of the cockpit floor, even on an open transom boat, is a factor. So I guess I'm mostly asking, in biggish following seas (6-8'?), is water washing in and out a significant issue? What else am I missing?  

Depends on how big the boat is, hull design and boat speed. Are you really intending to spend a lot of time running in 6 to 8 ft following seas? Swell or breaking waves?  

Rumor & Gossip

I have had open transom boats for 20 years. Never had any problems,and never had anything wash out of the cockpit. Only time water ever comes in is when backing down under power in a chop to clear weeds from the keel.  

walterbshaffer

If you sail with children, you will lose several Barbies and Hot Wheels, and occasionally a bucket or two. Just sayin'. From a sailing perspective, great for racing and you can chuck lines over easy to untangle, but if the boat isn't a surfer I would prefer to have a transom to block the water. When motoring you have to beware those same ropes that like you get washed out. Many of them drain lots of water quickly, but when heeled they can have a decent sized puddle on the low side since the boat pitches forward and there are usually no floor drains. Unfortunately ducks and other waterfowl like them.  

Bump-n-Grind

Get off my lawn..

Open transom on my J/92. I've only taken water in from astern when stopped mid-Pacific to fix the autopilot, and it only splashed up to the traveler. However, water from forward would have taken far longer to clear through cockpit drains. It's one of those perception vs. reality things.  

Never had waves sweep up the back of an open transom boat under way that I've been on. I have been on a Melges 32 that got into irons tacking in 30+ knots of breeze, accelerated backwards down a wave, and scooped water up to the traveller. Scary, but that boat has an exceptionally low cockpit floor/transom lip. The only measurable disadvantage that I can see to the open transom is the loss of storage space on a cruising boat, but this can be made up with a removable transom box a la J/109. My experience is that new mothers prefer a closed transom if their kid is on the boat, but that is just silly and a net would solve the issue imho.  

If you're worried about things washing out the stern, have a canvas shop make a mesh barrier for the stern about 6 inches high that you can hang from a couple of eyestraps with bungee cord.  

couchsurfer

...sheets dragging,,lost beers,,,barbie-dolls,,,buckets....if these are the only downsides to an open stern,,some netting across would solve them....and a huge ++ for a man-overboard situation!  

Our tubby family cruiser is closed transom spent lots of years sailing the open transom U20 and several other boats. I'd take open transom every time! Simple net set up across the back will keep stuff from rolling out the back. BTW even the new B-boat we chartered cruiser version basically had an open transom given water bottles would roll out the back gate the corners were simply closed for locker space. Open transom or partially open with a decent step across the back so you have some place to stand and deal with docking, boarding, or at anchor stuff. Closed transom is just a massive pain in the ass number one thing I hate about our family mini cruiser.  

Remodel said: If you're worried about things washing out the stern, have a canvas shop make a mesh barrier for the stern about 6 inches high that you can hang from a couple of eyestraps with bungee cord. Click to expand...

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