[bwise]

I've owned my Tiara Sovran 4300 with pod drives for 3 years now and would appreciate some help with questions I have:

1. Is there a natural storage place on the boat for the sink and stove Corian fillers when preparing meals. We are always short of space when cruising and I can never figure out where to put these things when it is meal time.

2. Is there a storage place for the rear cockpit table? I can stash the legs easily but where does the plastic table go if you want an open cockpit?

3. What do people do for Fender storage since the transom locker is so small?

4. The generator itself is quiet but the exhaust under the swim platform isn't. Is there a solution for stopping the loud gurgling exhaust on the generator?

5. Has anyone come up with a solution for a backrest on the bow's lounging pad? You really can't read up on the bow unless your back is against the windshield wiper arms. Anyone do a custom backrest for this lounge area?

6. My refrigerator is marginal at best. Has anyone replaced theirs with another model?

7. Does your cooktop boil a large pot of water? Do I need a special pan? It took over an hour to boil a large pot of water for pasta last week.

Thanks for the help. Bob

[Uhehner]

I can answer item 7. In order to get the maximum heat transfer from a flat top cooktop you need a very flat pot. Total contact will transfer the heat efficiently . Any non contact points are relying on radiant heat to put energy into the pot and then the water. Not the best way to go. When we cruise my wife likes to be on vacation too so we eat out. Capt. George

[jhhall]

For item 5 we use folding bleacher chairs like these [Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register] They are also available on amazon

[Chris Burkard]

Bob,

I'll try to give you somewhere to start.

1. Is there a natural storage place on the boat for the sink and stove Corian fillers when preparing meals. We are always short of space when cruising and I can never figure out where to put these things when it is meal time. Yes - Tiara designed in a storage place for the sink and stove covers. I believe one of them is below the sink area. You will see a slot with a plastic air-plane style latch to keep it from sliding out in heavy seas. The other storage area may be under one of the other cabinets. Look for the air-plane latches and the slots.

2. Is there a storage place for the rear cockpit table? I can stash the legs easily but where does the plastic table go if you want an open cockpit? The table legs go under the rear facing side of the cockpit lounge. There are black plastic holders. The cockpit table top is designed to store in the Master hanging locker. There are straps for it mounted in there. Unfortunately if you have a lot of clothes in there, it is not the most convenient storage space for the table.

3. What do people do for Fender storage since the transom locker is so small? This is a tough one. You have a few choices here. Use small enough fenders to store a couple in the transom locker, a couple below the rear section of the cockpit lounge and a couple up in the anchor locker (make sure to hang them so they don't tangle in the anchor rode and chain). If you want larger fenders, I suggest using inflatable fenders. They are expensive, but a large fender will deflate to the size of a small lunchbox. They are made of a coated nylon and are quite durable. We use them to tie off the tender from the main boat. You will need a source of air. You can use a hand pump, but this will take a lot of time and effort. If you go this route, I would invest in a small air compressor.

4. The generator itself is quiet but the exhaust under the swim platform isn't. Is there a solution for stopping the loud gurgling exhaust on the generator? The only solution to this I can think of would be to re-route the exhaust outlet to the side of the vessel towards the forward portion of the engine room and fill the outlet below the platform. The noise would still exist, but should be less noticeable when in the cockpit area. This would have to be done by a professional to ensure safety, water-tightness and compliance with Coast Guard regulations regarding exhaust.

5. Has anyone come up with a solution for a backrest on the bow's lounging pad? You really can't read up on the bow unless your back is against the windshield wiper arms. Anyone do a custom backrest for this lounge area? We had one client that had a custom sun pad made. The cushion was hinged and a starboard head rest was designed so that it could be propped up, or folded flat. Sorry, I did not take photos and I have lost track of the boat. Use a search engine such as Google to look up Vessel sun-pads and scan the images. I'm sure you will come across something similar that you can have made.

6. My refrigerator is marginal at best. Has anyone replaced theirs with another model? If you mean it is marginal size wise, then the answer is no. That space was designed for that refrigerator. It is unlikely a larger model is going to fit without extensive interior remodeling. If you have the ice-maker in the cockpit, you could remove it and install a refrigerator there to give you more refrigeration. If you mean marginal as in design and layout, then the answer is also likely no. I do not know of any other manufacturer that builds a refrigerator that will fit without extensive modifications to the cabinetry.

7. Does your cooktop boil a large pot of water? Do I need a special pan? It took over an hour to boil a large pot of water for pasta last week. These cooktops have relatively small heating elements compared to home units. There are pots and pans that are better designed to transfer heat from glass top heating elements. Using these may reduce the amount of time needed to boil a large pot of water. The other option would be to use two smaller pots.

I hope some of this information helps.

[bluebikemike]

1. We put the fillers under the dinette seat cushions during our meals. It works on our 35' Open

2. Install fender brackets on the bow rails.

5. West Marine sells a 5 back position seat (without legs). It works perfectly on either the foredeck and/or swim platform for
your reading pleasure. When on sale, it's only $49.00.

[bhbrownell]

6. I saw a Sovran 3900 for sale on yachtworld that replaced the stock fridge/freezer with a stainless subzero over/under fridge and freezer. Looked very cool.