"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/18/2018 at 11:44 • Filed to: boatlopnik | 3 | 33 |
That’s what they say when “they” hear you have a boat. “
ehhhh, it’s just a hole in the water where you throw money, amirite?!?”
Kind of, yeah.
My son was in the boat with me earlier in the week, and I banged on the dash to try to get the dead volt gauge to come to life. He says, “Why did you hit the dash, daddy?”
“Oh, this gauge doesn’t work. And that pump on the ballast tank, too.”
“Why are so many things broken with your boat, daddy?”
My immediate reaction
: “It’s a BOAT, there’s always
something
wrong with it, of course!”
It was my birthday yesterday, so I took the day off work, filled the back of my wagon with tools and parts, dropped the kids at preschool and headed to my boat with a small punchlist; only some were actual repairs, the boat was running fine before I started. It just had a few... little things.
Before:
During:
This was just the very beginning
Here’s a partial list:
move batteries to starboard (right) side for better weight distribution
add automatic charging relay to batteries and re-wire existing switch
r&r dead pump for one of the ballast tanks
install subwoofer
change oil in transmission and v-drive
remove heater core, flush out, install inline mesh filter
repair torn vent hoses from heater
install power outlet in glove box
install new phone holder on dash (this is the primary music control)
vacuum interior
I figured I’d spend about 3 hours doing all that, then go for a bike ride. I spend
six and a half hours
doing those jobs, and I didn’t even get to the power outlet or phone holder. Both of those, though, I can do easily without taking apart half the boat and very few tools are required. So they got pushed off.
This stuff was all in the boat, and it wasn’t loose on the floor, it was all neatly stored. It’s amazing how much crap you can accumulate in there.
Overall, though, it was tremendously satisfying to get all these things done that I just never seem to find the time to do. The boat is new to us as of June last year, and while it really didn’t NEED any work, there’s always a bunch of little stuff that could be better, or preventative maintenance that needs to be done, or a new thing I want to add for convenience. I also haven’t explored every inch of this boat yet, so it was very good for me to just familiarize myself with some of the things I haven’t had to touch yet.
This is just a small sample of the many hoses and wires going everywhere in this boat. You DO NOT want a poorly maintained example of this boat, it will kill you.
With my old boat, I once went down to tighten two screws and found myself 2 hours later still finding little things that needed attention. It’s stuff like this that really kills people with boats. You probably aren’t paying a shop to find every tiny little thing that might need attention, but if you aren’t noticing this stuff, it can cause an unexpected failure, or just a broken piece of something, a rattle, a leak, who knows? And if a marina DID find every single detail, address it, and bill you, you’d probably be irate.
I did probably $1,000 worth of work to the boat yesterday, and to someone who didn’t know I’d worked on it, they would have noticed absolutely nothing different from before to after. This is AFTER I had spent about 4-5 hours doing some basic maintenance to get the boat ready for the season, along with making a few changes here and there, and addressing things I saw as problems in the making. So there you have your thousand. Where did it go, exactly? Well, now when I go out with my family, I’ll be able to just enjoy the time, rather than thinking about which of the 10 things I need to do is most urgent.
I did enjoy a nice test drive after everything was all done, of course. And a dip into the lake to wash off the sweat, blood, and grease - which was
extremely refreshing
, as the lake temp is probably still in the low 50's. I’d be able to give an exact temp, but the lake temp sensor doesn’t work right. That’s a detail for another day.
For Sweden
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 11:51 | 9 |
Why does this machine I keep putting into water, sometimes salt water, keep breaking?
Ash78, voting early and often
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 11:54 | 1 |
Thank you for this post — I’m saving it for my wife who wants us to buy a boat that will be kept 2 hours away that we use once a month.
And I can barely find time to keep my car maintained, and I work from home with the car in the driveway.
PartyPooper2012
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 11:55 | 1 |
<
Might could need a little engine degreasing but yeah. good job
For Sweden
> Ash78, voting early and often
05/18/2018 at 11:58 | 4 |
Does she know you can rent boats?
adamftw
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 11:58 | 0 |
Eh, boat stuff is stuff that even most car guys can’t get behind. Is that thing a jet drive? I miss my old boat. I hope she’s doing well in Maine.
HammerheadFistpunch
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 11:58 | 0 |
Closed circuit cooling?
Ash78, voting early and often
> For Sweden
05/18/2018 at 12:00 | 0 |
Exactly what I said.
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 12:01 | 1 |
I installed a new stereo system in our boat 2 weeks ago and from start to finish it probably took me 10 hours total. Longer than I expected, but worth it. This included installing a new head unit, amplifier, subwoofer, and speakers. Running new wires to everything and building a box for the sub. And I still haven’t decided where I will be installing the front 2 speakers.
I also replaced the broken pitot tube for the spedometer. Installed a hydrofoil on the out drive (not really impressed so far, but we’ll see if it helps more when the boat is loaded). Greased the trailer wheel hubs. Recovered 2 of the seats. And am in the process of recovering the cuddy seats as well. I’d imagine the work I’ve put into this boat since we bought it would probably cost close to $5k at a marina.
LongbowMkII
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 12:02 | 0 |
Toyota should make boats.
But honestly most boats I’ve been on have the build quality of a Lotus.
adamftw
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/18/2018 at 12:12 | 0 |
Yeaup, fresh water systems are common on salt water boats. Coolant in the motor, cooled by the cold salt (raw) water.
HammerheadFistpunch
> adamftw
05/18/2018 at 12:16 | 0 |
Well I know they exist certainly, I just know they are rare in this class of boat. most are raw water since they are rarely used in salt water environments.
functionoverfashion
> Ash78, voting early and often
05/18/2018 at 12:55 | 0 |
ha! And, when you rent a boat, anything that breaks on it is NOT your problem unless you broke it.
Lots of people would be better off renting.
functionoverfashion
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/18/2018 at 12:57 | 0 |
Actually, no. The water from the lake comes into the engine for cooling and gets dumped out the exhaust. There’s a heater for passenger comfort when it’s chilly, which runs off the same water.
Closed cooling systems do exist for these like the diagram posted by adamftw, but this isn’t one of them.
functionoverfashion
> adamftw
05/18/2018 at 12:57 | 0 |
Actually mine isn’t like that, but it does have a heat exchanger to blow warm air on passengers.
HammerheadFistpunch
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 12:57 | 0 |
I know PCM did dome closed loop and the LT1 engines in the early mastercrafts were. I hear you on the cabin heat though, I was just confused.
adamftw
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 12:59 | 1 |
Thats pretty cool actually
functionoverfashion
> adamftw
05/18/2018 at 12:59 | 0 |
haha this is true. I grew up around boats and have a family place on the lake, so I’m in deep, no pun intended.
This is a v-drive, so basically the same as a direct drive inboard, but with the engine in the stern and facing backwards. Prop is still well underneath with a rudder behind the prop.
functionoverfashion
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/18/2018 at 13:02 | 1 |
It’s always longer than you expect, right? But also always worth it.
With my old boat, I just wanted it to work perfectly so I didn’t spend my precious little off-time fixing the boat, or more importantly, having it break down at 12:30am in the middle of the dark lake with no one around. And now with little kids, I just want to enjoy the time I have in the boat with them, and not worry about what needs attention or what I just
want
to do to it next. So far, so good.
functionoverfashion
> For Sweden
05/18/2018 at 13:09 | 1 |
Not to mention, you leave the machine unattended near or floating in water for much longer periods than you probably leave your car, which is most likely NOT in a wet environment. AND your car probably wasn’t made in such small numbers as your boat - even the most popular boats have production numbers in the thousands,
maybe
cracking 10,000 in any given year. Ford sells more trucks in a WEEK.
functionoverfashion
> LongbowMkII
05/18/2018 at 13:10 | 0 |
http://www.epicmarine.com/history.html
functionoverfashion
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/18/2018 at 13:15 | 1 |
I actually wanted a closed cooling engine when I would keep the boat in very late into the fall. It’s easier to winterize because it only has one drain point, so you could drain out the heat exchanger every night, for example. AND you can run a hotter thermostat so the heat works better. My t-stat is 160F with fresh water cooling.
functionoverfashion
> PartyPooper2012
05/18/2018 at 13:16 | 1 |
Indeed, in fact the hoses from the gas tank (the yellowish tank in the close-ish pic of the transmissions) are mildew covered, not just grease. They sit in a hot, wet environment all summer and it’s inevitable.
Your boy, BJR
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 14:26 | 1 |
I wish I had a stereo on my boat. :(
Boats are just one of those things people either get or they don’t. Am I crazy for keeping 30 year old vehicle that requires a shit load of expensive work 3 states away and using it MAYBE a handful of times a year? Probably, but I do whatever I can to keep it. It’s a few states away because I have free storage/a free slip down there, which admittedly takes out a lot of the cost, but still.
Love my little shit box Wahoo!, and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Except maybe a bigger, far more problematic boat.
functionoverfashion
> Your boy, BJR
05/18/2018 at 17:00 | 0 |
haha, well with how good bluetooth speakers are these days, I wouldn’t ever spend money on a stereo for an open boat like that.
I love those things, and would love to have one sometime. My ideal fleet of boats includes a 17' center console outboard for sure.
And as to your last comment - I now have THE boat that I wouldn’t trade for anything... in fact the newer ones have too many electronics - not that mine is free of them, but it’s still largely simple electrical components and mechanical things. No touchscreen in the dash, or any of that BS. No thank you.
ranwhenparked
> LongbowMkII
05/18/2018 at 18:35 | 1 |
RVs too, built like a ‘70s Jaguar that rolled off the line 30 seconds before the shop steward called a walkout.
Your boy, BJR
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 19:00 | 1 |
THE boat for me is a 2010 82’ Viking I found on yachworld, so that’s a dream I’ll likely be chasing forever. I grew up on my Wahoo!, so the sentimental value to me is immeasurable.
^the viking, since I’m sure you’re wondering.
LongbowMkII
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 20:23 | 0 |
Neat. Sounds like a boat worth buying.
Also, that engine :drool:
functionoverfashion
> LongbowMkII
05/18/2018 at 22:02 | 0 |
Yes indeed, they are very good. However, the Ford and GM engines from PCM are also very good. It’s the rest of the boat that really matters, and Correct Craft / Nautique really does a nice job. I’ve been in and around a LOT of different boats of this type, and they really are the best; I will say some years of MasterCrafts are also just as good, while other years, not so much.
Big disclaimer: I have heard good things but have never actually been in an Epic, so I can’t say first hand what they’re like. But I’d love to see how they’re put together, and I bet I’d be impressed.
functionoverfashion
> ranwhenparked
05/18/2018 at 22:08 | 1 |
Indeed, most boats are built like that; there’s just too small a volume to have the QC of even the worst cars.
For example, most of the upholstery - like the side panels - is held in by a T-bolt from the upholstered panel through an inner fiberglass wall of the boat. And instead of being precise, there’s just a big ol’ jagged hole about 1.5" in diameter although not circular, and a giant fender washer with a non-locking nut on the backside, so you can move it around and tighten it roughly in place. This is true even of some of the best brands; not all models across all years, but still. It’s quite eye-opening to take one of these boats apart.
If you look closely in the pic of the interior all apart above, you’ll see a stainless plate with a slot (three of them actually) where those bolts go through to hold the back of the backseat on. This is a huge step up from the jagged fiberglass hole... AND the nut on the backside is a big plastic knob with an embedded brass nut - so you can remove the seat back without tools. This is why I bought this specific boat, among many other reasons.
functionoverfashion
> Your boy, BJR
05/18/2018 at 22:13 | 0 |
That is amazing. I just... can’t even. What even is this:
Your boy, BJR
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 22:20 | 1 |
That’s a Seakeeper. Gyroscopic stabilizer.
I would honestly take that boat over a house.
functionoverfashion
> Your boy, BJR
05/18/2018 at 22:28 | 0 |
I mean, WTF do you need a house for if you have that.
Wow, yeah we don’t have one of those on my boat. I just drink coors light until I get my “sea legs” - that’s how that works, right?
Your boy, BJR
> functionoverfashion
05/18/2018 at 23:03 | 0 |
It DOES have 5.5 bedrooms.