PDQ OWNERS FORUM

Hi, all.

When we get back from the second half of our grand adventure of the Great Loop, we will need to replace the 12 year old wood pilings at our home dock. I am pretty sure I want to remove the outboard pilings and use a slidemoor system.

My questions are for anyone who has a slidemoor on our MV 34. Anything to know regarding the location of the (so far, I assume only two) tracks along the gunwale? Any other things you wish you knew beforehand?

Thanks,

We are moving to Punta Gorda and bringing our PDQ 34. Where are you located?
mike.p.anderson@hotmail.com.

Sent you an email.

I'm also interested in this system. If you get any useful information please post it! I will be doing this for my winter tie up this year.

So...we are here in Punta Gorda Isles. My neighbor has installed a Slidemoor system. I elected to install TideSlides (https://www.tideslide.com/), similar, but half the cost when I installed mine a few years back. Check them both out, we have both had great success with them. And if in Punta Gorda, stop by and compare them side by side.

Sam

Thanks, Sam. I am very familiar with the slidemoor and have seen a few tideslide installations, too. I was mainly wondering if there were any special considerations when using the slidemoor on an MV34.

Duane, We have Slidemoors on our current boat. There is one consideration for any boat: The piling and Slidemoor should be directly opposite the cleat on the boat for the best performance. Nothing other than that.

Thanks, Terry. Good to know there are no other considerations.

Pretty, but I gotta ask:

It looks like there is very little shock absorption capacity for wakes or waves. Additionally, the load is not spread at all, but is concentrated in a very small area. The same area, every time you dock.

Also, I'm reading that the slide moor is only good for 8 feet of tide. Assuming you have to leave it a little low for low tides, that leaves only about 3-5 feet for storm surge, which is nothing. I assume you have to move?

Of course, fender boards are hardly a perfect solution, and most side-ties have trouble with waves and surges over 5-8 feet.

You don't need area for shock absorption. The boat is drawn tight against a rubber fender, with two set of cleats, one on either side of the fender. The load is distributed over the beam by a large sliding member, and which has been engineered to take the high loads imposed. You have to remeber that there are virtually no shock loads or chafing because the boat is drawn tight against the fender. As far as tidal range, the beams come in different lengths, allowing for greater tidal range if needed. We only have a 3 foot average in SW Fla. and since our houses are only 8 feet above the water a greater range isn't really needed. (My pilings and Slidemoors are 2 feet higher than the foundation of my house.) We've used them now for several years, with extremely high water and hurricane force winds and the boat has not even shown the slightest motion during these events-no rocking, no seesawing, nothing!