by "functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
Published 05/10/2017 at 13:45
by "functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
Published 05/10/2017 at 13:45
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STARS: 3
My prior job was at a marina on a small lake. We mostly dealt with power boats under 25 feet: inboard, outboard, and sterndrive. We sold loose outboards, trailers, boats, complete packages and everything in between, and serviced a wide variety of brands. I was “general manager” but all that meant was, I got to do everything from washing boats to managing business relationships, driving the forklift, sales, web development, IT, accounting, front desk, you get the idea. I was also on the board of the local Marine Trade Association, so I got some good industry knowledge in the process.
Wondering why boats break so much? Why it costs so much to fix them? Ask away. I’m here for at least the next hour and half anyway.
(but here are all the answers: no one makes enough boats to have properly good QC, plus the season is too short. And around here, boats sit dormant for 6+ months at at time. And they’re all so different from each other that you tend to spend more time diagnosing. At a minimum, the tech probably hasn’t seen that problem 47 times before, like he might have on an F-150. Also every economic cycle and nearly every new environmental regulation threatens some part or other of the business. So, there you have it. I’ll just go home now.)
"SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie" (sidewaysondirt)
05/10/2017 at 13:48, STARS: 0
How many marinas will let me keep a pet alligator?
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 13:52, STARS: 1
In Florida it’s common practice. You simply hand over your handgun or bottle of tequila to have it released to play.
We weren’t certified for this.
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
05/10/2017 at 13:53, STARS: 0
Those Chris Crafts are gorgeous.
"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
05/10/2017 at 13:54, STARS: 0
I’ve thought about getting a boat, I have friends with boats though and they seem to spend a LOT on repairs and maintenance. I’m not surprised about this and I’m not surprised at your italic blurb above. That being said. If you were to get a boat under 25 ft (maybe even more like 20ft) just to tool around some lakes with, what would you get? I want some degree of comfort, so that rules out fishing boats. I live near lake Michigan, a major river and several inland lakes.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 3
You’re not quite right, but you’d be forgiven. This one is a “Grand-Craft” which was a company build by Chris-Craft family... so yeah, same thing.
They are beautiful. I will never own one, no thanks no way not unless I have so much money that I don’t care about spending nearly its full value every 10 years keeping it perfect.
"SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie" (sidewaysondirt)
05/10/2017 at 13:58, STARS: 1
As long as I can keep one or the other, we’re good.
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
05/10/2017 at 14:01, STARS: 0
Haha I don’t know boats very well, but I thought that was their signature style and the cursive on the side looked very close to their logo.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:03, STARS: 1
Something with a good brand reputation like SeaRay, although they all have either Mercruiser or Volvo drives, it’s not like cars - the brand of boat really only matters for interior fit & finish, and hull design.
For comfort on a big water like Michigan, I’d go as big as you can afford, smaller boats will get tossed. Also try to find one with a 5.7 Mercruiser. The Volvos are just more expensive to fix, and over 21' I wouldn’t want anything less than a 5.7 V8. I had a friend with a 21' cuddy cabin (closed bow) WellCraft and that thing was a dog getting on plane with more than 4 people in it. All the weight was in the stern, and it only had about 200 hp.
"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
05/10/2017 at 14:06, STARS: 0
If you want to go out on Lake Michigan definitely get something closer to 25ft.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:07, STARS: 3
Indeed, it is. Everything about it is Chris Craft, and I think even the design was from them. In the 50's when CC went the direction of more fiberglass, this company spun off to keep making the wooden ones. There are a lot of companies that have done similar things over the years. You can see the appeal of building something like this, especially when you can sell it for $150k. The one in the picture was $175k.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
05/10/2017 at 14:09, STARS: 2
Spent most of my childhood on and off boats. I love them almost as much as cars.
"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
05/10/2017 at 14:09, STARS: 0
We just recently bought a boat, so haven’t had to worry about winterizing yet. But, come fall, in your opinion what’s best for winterizing. Drain the block or run antifreeze through it? The internet seem to be split on the issue.
"PotbellyJoe and 42 others" (potbellyjoe)
05/10/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 2
How many kidneys would you harvest for this boat? Not my boat, but it’s on the lake I frequent and have always loved the work the guy had done to it.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/10/2017 at 14:12, STARS: 0
By buddy has a 42 foot boat/yacht... whatever you want to classify it as. Damn thing keeps breaking random things - belt on sunroof snapped. Power steering light keeps going on and off. AC is sometimey. Issues left and right.
What I am wondering is if there is some centralized place where one could get parts. West Marine is good for general stuff - batteries and buckets, but I am talking about more Marine geared autozone type
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:13, STARS: 2
Drain it, put plugs back in, refill (either by running it off a bucket, or pulling hoses here and there and dumping it in, same goal).
This way if you missed any water, for any reason, it’s at least diluted. Also, easier start-up in the spring because the system is already a little bit primed, rather than being full of air. AND reduced corrosion, I guess.
I’ve “just drained” lots of times on my own boat. Depends how much time I have, and how cold it is on the day I’m doing it.
But definitely don’t JUST run anti-freeze through an inboard/sterndrive, you really need to drain first. There is some confusion about that on the interwebz but yeah, that’s an important distinction.
"I have another burner, try to guess it!" (ihaveanotherburner)
05/10/2017 at 14:14, STARS: 0
What’s the meaning of life?
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 0
Love it! But I have near-zero desire to own one, until I can afford to spend obscene money to keep it up perfectly. My father in law actually owns one, so there’s that. In the past 5 years he’s probably spend close to $40k on it, and it’s probably worth $25k. That’s the way it is!
Here it is:
"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
05/10/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 0
Yeah, that’s fair!
"jasmits" (jasmits)
05/10/2017 at 14:20, STARS: 0
How bad of an idea would it be to get one of those little old fiberglass boats like this:
I want a boat to mess around with but on a minimal budget. The biggie is I’d need to be able to tow it comfortably with my 2nd-gen 4Runner(these things weigh nothing) and I’d want to at least barely be able to tow a skier(the forums say with a 50+ hp outboard they’ll actually do it). Only for rivers and small lakes around Portland, Oregon.
They’re so cheap with a working outboard. Almost free sometimes considering what the outboard would cost on its own in the used market.
"CB" (jrcb)
05/10/2017 at 14:21, STARS: 1
That boat is gorgeous. Shame the family cottage is on Georgian Bay, because I’d absolutely love a boat like that.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 0
Not really... in terms of stores anyway. Some auto parts places carry marine stuff, I know NAPA does with some items. Online I go for Hamilton Marine or Defender.
"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
05/10/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 1
Thanks, I was leaning towards drain it, seems like it would be easier than getting the hose hookup and running the engine with antifreeze anyways. I’ll just add the step of filling with antifreeze after it’s drained.
"CB" (jrcb)
05/10/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 1
What’s your favourite story from working at the marina?
"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
05/10/2017 at 14:25, STARS: 0
Yeah, I’m undecided on whether I just want to motor through the channel and hang out near the pier or if I actually want to “travel” on lake Michigan. In case of the latter, yes. I’d want a big boat.
If it’s the former, I imagine I’d be mostly on inland lakes. Namely the one down the street from me.
Mercruiser is usually what I’ve heard as far as buying a reliable outdrive.
Are boats with outboards better or worse from a reliability and service standpoint?
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:28, STARS: 0
Pretty sure that one is alumium? Which is good. Those are bulletproof and easy to replace the transom if you need to, it’s just wood sandwiched by more aluminum. The motor, though, like the one in the picture? ... yikes. If it runs great, that’s great. Older 2-stroke outboards, though, once you start having issues? You can run into not-worth-fixing territory pretty fast. But then, a new 50 hp + motor will be at least $5k, maybe a lot more.
But that boat design I love, light and simple. Find one with an updated motor.
"PotbellyJoe and 42 others" (potbellyjoe)
05/10/2017 at 14:32, STARS: 1
It’s funny the name came from the previous owner’s wife when she saw the bills for restoring it. She screamed, “You’ve gone ‘Round the Bend!” That owner had it painted on (but not very well) and when the new owner bought it and did the work to finish it, he had it professionally applied to the aft.
So yes, one cost is that of entry the other is to maintain.
"EngineerWithTools" (engineerwithtools)
05/10/2017 at 14:32, STARS: 1
As a boat owner (24ft Regal w/ MAG 350 Mercruiser) who does most of his own maintenance and upgrades, I’d like to add a few items to your list of answers...
... The engine runs at max torque load most of it’s life.
... Almost everything has to be serviced while standing on your head (literally). If you think your Audi has terrible access to important systems, let me show you a boat where the electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, including ones that will 100% need servicing, were installed before their compartments were sealed off blind. Imagine your O2 sensors being installed in a frame rail before the cover plate is welded on.
... Because fuel vapor (including cooking propane) will settle at the bottom of the space, which is enclosed but still contains numerous things that can be ignition sources.
... The build quality and level of care in maintenance of the vehicle parked next to yours can very significantly effect the rate of corrosion on your vehicle.
"PotbellyJoe and 42 others" (potbellyjoe)
05/10/2017 at 14:34, STARS: 2
I’m much happier with the cheaper to maintain and more versatile Four Winns and sailboat I have access to. But this thing is class. My pictures don’t do the woodwork justice.
"deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
05/10/2017 at 14:35, STARS: 1
I have a side gig calibrating compasses on pleasurecraft and smaller fishing boats (I can’t do steel hull boats). Pretty much a non-starter for most lake boats. Do you think lake boaters know or care about their compass? (I think I know your answer already)
It keeps me busy most of the summer in the northeast, I did one in December and one in early March (fishing boat), otherwise my work is pretty much memorial day to labor day.
Not a lot of questions, just saying hi to a fellow marine service opponaut!
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:35, STARS: 2
Oooh, good question.
How about this: one of the employees bought a motorcycle and wanted help putting it in their truck. We don’t lift things by hand when we have a 14,000lb forklift handy. So, sheet of plywood on the forks, bike on the plywood and up we go. I hopped on the bike and started it up, ready to ride into the truck. Someone got on the forklift and went up with the forks.... ALL THE WAY UP 32 FEET. I’m terrified up there, balanced over the bike yelling PUT ME DOWN but not daring to move much, and slowly, slowly, they bring it down to the 3' bed height of the pickup. Yeah, fun with toys.
Or how about, I went out on a pickup (to bring a customer boat back from way out on the lake) in mid-September, and I had my dog with me. I didn’t drive the shop boat much and didn’t know the gas gauge didn’t work, although it read 3/4 full all the time apparently. I ran out of fuel in the middle of the lake. Waited about 30 minutes to call it in. Then waited another 30-40 for someone to come out with fuel. I spent the hour basking in the sun on a beautiful fall day with the lake to myself, and the dog in my lap. That was a good day.
"jasmits" (jasmits)
05/10/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 0
You might be right about the material, the fiberglass ones with a very similar design seem to be what’re selling for like nothing. Not sure how much more the aluminum ones go for.
The motors are all over the place but sometimes they don’t look too bad. How hard is an 80s or 90s outboard motor to work on anyway?
Basically the mission is to get onto the water and be able to pull a skiier for as cheap as possible and less than 3,000 pounds with a trailer(limits a bit more but that’s all I’d feel comfortable towing regularly).
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 0
Agreed, these things are amazing in person. Even the mediocre ones look amazing from 10 feet.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 0
great story! most boat names are stupid, that’s a good one!
"CB" (jrcb)
05/10/2017 at 14:38, STARS: 1
Jeez, I hope your coworkers paid for your drinks that night.
Range anxiety has always been a big fear for me with boats. It’s over twenty kilometres from our cottage to the marina, and growing up, it was always a worrying thought being caught out on Georgian Bay in a storm.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:40, STARS: 1
Cool gig, that sounds fun. My father was a land surveyor for 30 years, so I’m all about it, but you are correct if you suspect most lake boaters don’t have a clue about their compass.
They don’t have a clue about most things, really. Our lake is shallow and rocky but pretty well marked. I’ve never hit a rock, which is extremely rare for anyone who’s been on the lake more than 1 day. I pay attention to where I am at all times, though, which is asking a lot, I know.
Cheers! It’s almost that time of year....
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:45, STARS: 1
Those older outboards aren’t necessarily hard to work on. They can be reliable workhorses... but there are fewer and fewer all the time that are any good. Most people just get sick of having starting issues, or problems with old, outdated electronic modules that are NLA or crazy expensive... the cheapest way to pull a skier is probably a 17' fiberglass boat with a 3.0 Mercruiser. Those are bulletproof engines, but then you’re looking at the whole sterndrive complexity, too. And the added weight.
Want to pull a skier? Get an 80's Nautique. Simple, Ford 351 powered, can be had for under $5k running, and probably just under 3,000lbs. Plus, they are fun as hell to drive, simple as hell to work on, and will hold their value very well.
"Sovande" (sovande)
05/10/2017 at 14:46, STARS: 1
Counterpoint: I keep my inboard diesel in the water year round. When it gets cold enough we close the seacock, start the engine and pour pink antifreeze in it until it runs out the exhaust. Usually take 4-5 gallons and then it’s done. We then stick a bilge heater in it and call it good.
Also, change the oil before you lay it up for the winter.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:47, STARS: 1
Yeah, if I were out on big open water, I’d also want backup power, like a kicker motor. Just in case, you know? But that’s not always practical...
"Sovande" (sovande)
05/10/2017 at 14:48, STARS: 0
I would lean toward an outboard. Inboard/Outboards have a big hole in the transom with nothing but a rubber bellows keeping the lake out. New 4 strokes are also super quiet.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:50, STARS: 0
All valid points - there are some sterndrives that are an absolute bitch to access things. My inboard ski boat, by comparison, is cake. But I have looked out my office window sooo many times to see a tech with his legs in the air. Doing something mundane like a belt change, oil change, winterizing.
And yeah, imagine running your Chevy pickup pulling a heavy trailer uphill, ALL THE TIME.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:54, STARS: 2
Oh I actually forgot about the time I kicked the wheel chock out from under a trailer and it rolled downhill toward a boathouse... I tried to stop it but couldn’t, and the tongue of the trailer broke the wall behind me. I found myself inside the boathouse with the trailer, it stopped about 6" short of hopping off the dock with the tongue jack, and somehow I didn’t get crushed in the process. Another part of the trailer hit the door jamb in just a way that stopped it, but not before shattering the door it went through. That was a good one.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:55, STARS: 1
Yes, this is all good too - especially where it’s still in the water, AND you have a heater for backup. Around here, you’d be in 2' of ice by mid-winter, not so good.
"CB" (jrcb)
05/10/2017 at 14:57, STARS: 0
Wait, hold on, were you hanging onto the trailer the entire time? That’s nuts.
"Sovande" (sovande)
05/10/2017 at 14:57, STARS: 0
Yeah, we don’t get that cold here!
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:57, STARS: 1
42
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 14:58, STARS: 1
Trying to push it backwards to stop it, the whole way. Yup, one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done. This was a week before my wedding, too. If the boat didn’t kill me, my wife probably would have.
"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
05/10/2017 at 15:04, STARS: 0
Is there a particular brand of boat that you know of that offers an outboard model, yet also offers some comfortable seating and places lounge/lay down?
"You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much" (youcantellafinn)
05/10/2017 at 15:05, STARS: 2
A compass has saved my ass on a boat before. We were fishing at Isle Royale the morning before heading back. As we fired up to head back I got the GPS going but it was a little flaky. I managed to get a heading to the lighthouse, but after about a mile the GPS totally went away. Crossing 55 miles of Lake Superior on a compass gives you a lot of time to second guess yourself and argue with yourself about whether you want to run the heading you started on or try to guess your cross drift and adjust accordingly.
Another time I was coming back with my brother in law who mainly fishes in sight of shore on Lake Michigan. He started out driving, and with no reference point to aim at we were meandering all over the lake. I think we were about 20 miles out of Isle Royale and he asked if I wanted to take over. He laughed about how the GPS trace went from all over the place to a straight line after I starting driving. He did admit that he could see me getting irritated at how much we were wandering, so that is why he asked me if I wanted to drive.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/10/2017 at 15:07, STARS: 0
Thanks.
Do you find the boat manufacturers re-use off the shelf parts a lot, or do they custom make it?
For instance, a belt on a sunroof - you would think it would be something easy to replace/find in a car parts store / amazon. Nope. Requires swapping of entire assembly.
"You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much" (youcantellafinn)
05/10/2017 at 15:16, STARS: 1
I may be too late, but what’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen someone do with a boat / the dumbest way you’ve seen someone damage a boat?
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 15:33, STARS: 1
Hmm, it’s a mix. Lots of components are made by third party e.g. perko, seadog, Atwood... but sunroofs. I hate sunroofs, all of them lol
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 15:34, STARS: 0
Ooh I have several. Let me think about this and write more later. Promise I will!
"jasmits" (jasmits)
05/10/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 0
Those 80s Nautiques have actually really caught my attention, I’m just not sure about the weight. Anything inboard or inboard/outoard seems to come too close to my tow limit and I’d want to keep a comfortable distance for something I’d be towing frequently. Fact is it’s a 25-year-old SUV with 25-year-old SUV brakes. Adequate, but probably not quite so adequate if I go and nearly double the weight they need to stop.
I could see an older Nautique or an inboard/outboard of some sort in a few years, the idea behind this is a just-out-of-college first foray into boat ownership, probably only to keep for a year or two so I can better learn what I want/need and have minimal dollars invested if I realize I really don’t use it much and boat ownership isn’t for me.
Also hopefully in the next few years I’ll upgrade my practical/off-road capable vehicle to a newer 4Runner or Tacoma or 100-Series Land Cruiser or something which would give me a lot more breathing room to tow.
"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
05/10/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 1
There are 2 types of 80s Nautiques ones that have had a stringer job and ones that need a stringer job. Buy one that has had one.
"deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
05/10/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 1
The great lakes is a different kind of lake. I would consider it to be the same as navigating on an ocean as far as having a compass and having it calibrated are concerned. At least having a deviation card so you know which way you are supposed to point the bow!
We always get a lot of calls after the first good fog. That’s when people think about what would happen if... and realize just how far their compass is off to begin with.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 16:29, STARS: 0
yeah, that’s accurate. There are some with original stringers that have a few years of life in them. I own an ‘89 ski boat with original stringers. But yeah.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 16:41, STARS: 1
OK, here’s a few:
The owner of the wooden boat pictured up top hit a rock and sheared off his rudder, bent his propeller, prop shaft, and strut badly. What was so stupid about hitting a rock? He did it 60 feet from shore on a very rocky lake. AND there was, in fact, a navigation buoy nearby telling him not to be there, as if he shouldn’t have known that 60 feet is too close to shore if you don’t know the area. That one’s not that bad.
One day coming down the river that connects our two lakes, I see a guy slowing down in a ~21' sterndrive, bunch of people on board. Going under a 30' wide concrete bridge, he gets a little sideways as he drifts, and he panics. He somehow put it in forward and slammed the bow into the concrete. Panicking more, he puts it in reverse, and one of the kids on board runs toward the stern to push off the wall (bad idea for many reasons). Driver sees the wall approaching from the rear and puts it back into forward!! Somehow he comes to his senses eventually and stops trying. No one was injured, miraculously. The boat on the other hand...
Another guy unhooked the winch on his trailer before backing down the ramp, with a roller trailer. Boat rolls off onto concrete ramp.
Another one launched his boat without putting in the bilge plug. That was a panicked phone call.
Just spend an afternoon at any public boat launch ramp and you’ll have more stories than you can remember.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 16:46, STARS: 0
OOOH I almost forgot about the time I damaged my own boat! More than once, but this was a good one.
We had been out on the lake, having a party that involved a floating dock about 10' wide by 20' long, with a small outboard on the end of the dock so it was self-propelled. My boat was tied to the side of the dock, so while the dock was powered, the whole rig went a little crab-like, kinda sideways. Well, we were all drinking most of the day and tried to go under the same concrete bridge I mentioned earlier. Only the crab-walk wasn’t accounted for by the person driving the dock (not me) and we smashed the side of my boat pretty hard into the corner. Amazingly, it wrecked the rub rail but didn’t do substantial damage to the boat - it cracked a little but it was right where there was a vent, so the impact could be absorbed a little. Oopsies. That was a good one.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 16:47, STARS: 0
I guess all I can say is, for dollars invested to simplicity and fun ratio, you can’t beat an old ski boat. But spending much less than 3-4 grand on any boat might be kind of setting yourself up for a bad time no matter what it is.
"nermal" (nermal)
05/10/2017 at 17:13, STARS: 0
What were some of the better boat names that you still remember?
"jasmits" (jasmits)
05/10/2017 at 17:20, STARS: 1
Yeah, that’s probably sound advice. The problem I keep running into is spending a little more quickly turns into spending a lot more because I either need a better tow vehicle or a slip rental so I only need to be pulling it around on an occasional basis. Oh well, we’ll see. I’ll probably end up waiting a few years till my life is more established lol.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 17:32, STARS: 0
the Puffin is about the only good one I can think of. A 1928, 28' wooden runabout with a Huge bronze puffin on the bow...
"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
05/10/2017 at 17:44, STARS: 0
My oh shit moment when I did my own stringer job on an 85 Nautique
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/10/2017 at 18:14, STARS: 0
Is that after? Yeah that sounds familiar now that you mention it
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
05/10/2017 at 19:23, STARS: 1
How do you feel about high powered electric outboards? Ive had my eye on these outboards ranging from 6-50 *Claimed* horsepower equivalent. They are made by a very well reputed brushless motor company that does electric scooters, bicycles, etc. I wish I had the money to be the guinea pig on some of this shit from china but theres just no way I could afford to have spend $1.6k for DOA unit.
Heres a video of the 10hp one and...it actually looks like 10hp:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
But anyways i AM actually going to be the guinea pig on a much smaller electric outboard:
I know its a bad idea but I dont care. I cant get a small gas motor because no lakes near me are gas, and I dont want to have a weak trolling motor that cant even take my upstream on the tiny rivers I fish.
"Sovande" (sovande)
05/11/2017 at 09:11, STARS: 0
Every brand, practically. Look at Searays and then expand your search from there. There is a boat for every occasion, every waterway, and every intended use. Upper tier, mid tier, lower tier, etc.
"You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much" (youcantellafinn)
05/11/2017 at 11:44, STARS: 1
Oh man, busy boat launches are so much fun if you’re not in a hurry. As a kid we would go to a little lake just north of Detroit and the stupidity that you would see there was amazing.
I’ve got a Ski Nautique that I’ve managed to launch without the drain plug. We got going and after a minute or so the oil pressure / temp warning light came on. I killed the engine and popped the doghouse only to have water slosh out onto the floorboards. Luckily the drain plug is easily accessible just in front of the engine, but it took forever to get the water out. The worst part was that I didn’t have wrenches with me so I couldn’t get the water pump belt back on and we were done for the day. After about 1 minute of running time and 15 minutes to paddle the boat back to the launch using a water ski.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/11/2017 at 19:36, STARS: 1
Sounds like the future of small outboards. Gas ones aren’t that great they’re all loud and vibrate... I’ve never used an electric but it seems like it will be the future for sure
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
05/11/2017 at 21:34, STARS: 1
I believe so too. Boat guys see 50hp electric outboard and scoff but if a tesla can do the things it does with electric motors, the capability is certainly there. Liquid cooled well built electric motors are very reliable too and an outboard like this has so few complex parts for replacement. Sine wave controller, motor, batteries.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/11/2017 at 21:37, STARS: 1
Nautique made an electric ski boat a few years ago, so “boat guys” who scoff at 50hp should look that up and think again. It’s not going to happen tomorrow but still...
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
05/11/2017 at 22:49, STARS: 0
http://www.classicboat.com/boats.htm
40-80k