New R31 Questions

[gtimin]

Hello,

Our family has just purchased a 2019 R31 CB that we've had for a couple of weeks and we have some questions.

1. How do you lower the salon TV. It is in an upright position and we can't figure out how to lower it.
2. The stern thruster does not seem very powerful. Has anyone upgraded theirs?
3. The outdoor tables do not seem very stable. Any suggestions?
4. We'd like to lock the port cockpit locker so that we could safely store our outboard. Any ideas?
5. Our boat came with the factory RIB but it's connection to the stern has the bow facing to port. All photos I've viewed of other R31's show the RIB with the bow to the starboard. Can anyone think of any issues with this?
6. Our surveyor noted that the stern mounted propane tanks are rusted due to perhaps a stern wave splashing them. He suggested replacing them with stainless tanks. Has anyone done this?
7. Our boat did not come with galvanic isolators but our yacht broker is recommending we install them. Any comments?

Thanks for your help.

Dave
gtimin

Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2020 10:47 pm
City: San Francisco
State/Province: CA
Non-Ranger Model: J/105
Vessel Name: Good Timin'

 

[jlhowland]

I can answer #2. The aft part of the boat has the most weight (engine, batteries, accessories, etc.) so the stern thruster is going to be less effective compared to the bow thruster. When positioning the boat, use the engine, rudder and bow thruster for the large corrections and the stern thruster for smaller tweaks.

 

[Irish Mist]

The TV bracket used to be the same as the one on our 29... there is a silver button on the right side of the tv bracket.. I push up a bit on the TV and then you push in to lower the TV.. When you fold it up there is a cable On the left side that sometimes gets in the way not letting the catch connect.. if you have an issue.
Enjoy your boat.. You will find little things to learn and get used to but overall they are a great boat and an awesome community ..

 

[allenrbeck]

Regarding the RIB, question #5.... Having just taken delivery of a 2021 R29, it was explained that now the bow of the RIB to the port is to minimize exhaust soot on the pontoon. If you look on the factory web site and utilize the configurator/build a boat tool, when you get to options, you will see the RIB mounted exactly as you describe.

 

[Robvic]

Congratulations on your new R-31!
#2- learn to use the throttle and rudder as well as you can and don't rely on either thruster. The stern will 'walk' to port in reverse. Practice practice practice in low wind conditions to get confident docking without the thrusters. You'll gain confidence and the thrusters will become aids, rather than your main source of maneuvering in tight quarters.
#3- the black rings on the bottom of the table supports screw down onto the supports. Still a little wobbly, but not too bad.
#4- our dealer (Port Boat House) has a kicker mount they added to the stern by the flag mount. We lock the outboard on this mount. You can search the forum for locking replacements if you want to store in the locker, but you may want the space for other things. Sorry, I don't have pictures.

Enjoy!
Rob

 

[Bruce Moore]

#1 for learning (and building muscle memory) for using the rudder and feathering the throttle to kick the stern over.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[Dale777]

On #2 referencing the stern thruster, notice the thruster is mounted off center to port by 2-3 feet to avoid the rudder. Hence the rudder deflects much of the force of the thruster.

 

[Red Raven]

6. I have never been able to find stainless or aluminum tanks in the size that fits the swimstep locker. Even if I did, they would cost 3x to 4x the cost of the steel tanks so it’s easy and low cost to replace them with new steel ones. I usually just give them a quick wire brush each year and a bit of new paint. If they are really bad I just replace them.

Curt