FAE (Fresh Air Exhaust) Transom Spray

[Soder]

I installed my FAE last summer and have enjoyed being able to talk with my surfers.

The only issue I have discovered is that when the boat is going faster than surfing speed, I get a "peacock tail" spray coming up my transom between the transom and swim platform. The shape of the transom below the swim platform almost seems to funnel the water right up between the two.

I'm thinking of putting some sort of rubber hose or weather stripping between my transom and swim platform to block the spray. Before I got creative I wanted to check to see if any of you have had the same problem and what creative solutions you have.

[moosehead]

Recognizing this doesn’t help you, but feels like if that downpipe were less vertical and angled aft a bit, might solve a bit of the spray?

[wallnut21]

Put a seal/weather-stripping between platform and transom. New boats have this from factory as it was a common complaint will surfing.

[Soder]

The downpipe angle on this version can't be changed. That's how it came directly from FAE. I'm assuming that's the way their expert engineers intend it for best performance.

Good to know newer boats fix it with a blockade of some sort. That makes me forward thinking, right?

3 ideas:
4' plastic pipe (1/2" or 3/4") and screwing it onto the platform
Garage door type rubber weather flap
D-profile weather stripping

[cwarndahl]

I have the same problem on my x45 I’d like to see what you do. I wear
Going to reset my swim platform closer to the boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Soder]

I decided to go the "garage door weatherstrip" direction. As you can see from the pictures, I grabbed some Garage Door Seal from Lowes that had about a one inch flap.

With some 1/16th inch x 1 inch aluminum and some SS fender washers, I through bolted the seal onto the front of my swim platform. If the fender washers rip through the door seal, I have enough leftover that I can flatten the fender washers on one side and redo the door seal.

The flap didn't extend as far as I wanted it to so I used some clamps/boards and with some gentle persuasion from a heat gun, I made sure the flap was reaching as close to the boat as possible. The heat also took out some ripple in the door seal due to the curvature of the swim platform.

The door seal touches the boat on the sides but in the middle where the transom has a different curve, the door seal is still about 1/2 inch from the transom. It's still two months before early boat season here, but if it's still a problem, I can still add another 1/4 inch of spacers to push the door seal even closer to the transom.

I welcome any suggestions to make this even more effective. The whole project took about 90 minutes.

[Cshaw]

I decided to go the "garage door weatherstrip" direction. As you can see from the pictures, I grabbed some Garage Door Seal from Lowes that had about a one inch flap.

With some 1/16th inch x 1 inch aluminum and some SS fender washers, I through bolted the seal onto the front of my swim platform. If the fender washers rip through the door seal, I have enough leftover that I can flatten the fender washers on one side and redo the door seal.

The flap didn't extend as far as I wanted it to so I used some clamps/boards and with some gentle persuasion from a heat gun, I made sure the flap was reaching as close to the boat as possible. The heat also took out some ripple in the door seal due to the curvature of the swim platform.

The door seal touches the boat on the sides but in the middle where the transom has a different curve, the door seal is still about 1/2 inch from the transom. It's still two months before early boat season here, but if it's still a problem, I can still add another 1/4 inch of spacers to push the door seal even closer to the transom.

I welcome any suggestions to make this even more effective. The whole project took about 90 minutes.

Have you had any issues with performance? I ended up taking mine off of my x45. Between the spray and the performance issues it wasn't worth it. I do miss how much noise it reduced. I had problems with it affecting the wake when trying to wakeboard around 21mph. It would kick up a rooster tail. I have the peacock spray problem and surfing speed as well. I tried multiple garage door strips, pool noodles, etc. but nothing would ever stay in place despite 3M adhesive or gorilla glue. I like your idea of bolting it to the platform.

[PS205Tex]

Have you had any issues with performance? I ended up taking mine off of my x45. Between the spray and the performance issues it wasn't worth it. I do miss how much noise it reduced. I had problems with it affecting the wake when trying to wakeboard around 21mph. It would kick up a rooster tail. I have the peacock spray problem and surfing speed as well. I tried multiple garage door strips, pool noodles, etc. but nothing would ever stay in place despite 3M adhesive or gorilla glue. I like your idea of bolting it to the platform.

This inverse Y design and the new spray guard really help. It’s a vast improvement over my previous FAE.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Soder]

Have you had any issues with performance? I ended up taking mine off of my x45. Between the spray and the performance issues it wasn't worth it. I do miss how much noise it reduced. I had problems with it affecting the wake when trying to wakeboard around 21mph. It would kick up a rooster tail. I have the peacock spray problem and surfing speed as well. I tried multiple garage door strips, pool noodles, etc. but nothing would ever stay in place despite 3M adhesive or gorilla glue. I like your idea of bolting it to the platform.

I finally got to take the boat out last Friday. The weather stripping worked perfectly. No peacock or rooster at any speed.

I've never noticed any performance issues from my FAE. I was hoping it would make my boat silent...but that may be asking too much.

Happy summer, happy boating!!!

[PS205Tex]

I finally got to take the boat out last Friday. The weather stripping worked perfectly. No peacock or rooster at any speed.

I've never noticed any performance issues from my FAE. I was hoping it would make my boat silent...but that may be asking too much.

Happy summer, happy boating!!!

Great news! Have a great summer!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DavidF]

I had that as well on my 08 X30. Never "fixed" it. My 2015 X30 isn't nearly as loud so I don't think I'm going with the FAE this go-round but I love that they changed the design and added a flap, genius.

[Soder]

Not the best photo, but you can see no spray bothering my daughter or her friends.

[MasterCraft Ranger]

This inverse Y design and the new spray guard really help. It’s a vast improvement over my previous FAE.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Can you elaborate on the spray guard? Is it welded to the pipe? I need that on my prostar as the FAE spray comes up through the teak platform openings.

[PS205Tex]

Can you elaborate on the spray guard? Is it welded to the pipe? I need that on my prostar as the FAE spray comes up through the teak platform openings.

Sure. I'll let the pix do most of the talking. Larry from FAE did the work. I opted for "detachable" spray guard which means the mount is welded and the guard bolts on as shown. It works. There is no spray up between transom and swim platform, nor is there a spray out into the wake at speed.

[MasterCraft Ranger]

Awesome, thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk