Look What the Easter Bunny Brought Me

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion) 04/13/2020 at 08:34 • Filed to: boatlopnik

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Ok so I already HAD this boat, but a friend brought it up to my house for me so I could get some work done on it. I always have a long list of things to do before launching it in the spring, none of which typically happen on that one nice hot day that the family really just wants to get out. So I do the minimum, then try to find a day mid-summer to do a whole bunch of catch-up.

But now I’ve got time here and there, so I figured, if it’s at my house I’ll actually get a lot done while it’s still cold out.

So this morning I fired the parts cannon and ordered up a bunch of stuff - I’d rather get this stuff locally, but it’s easier to just order it, especially now.

Here’s my list right now, more or less in order of priority.

tap and replace one v-drive drain plug (this is the ONLY one that is strictly mandatory as the plug kind of broke off in the fall and I cannot run the boat without doing this)

fuel filter

cap & rotor

spark plugs (no idea how old they are

change engine oil

change transmission oil

change v-drive transmission oil (oh the joy of 3 oil changes)

replace impeller

replace belts (they have to come off for the impeller job, so why not, no idea how old they are)

All that stuff is more or less standard PM that I will 100% do. The rest is the stuff I want to do, but will depend on time.

build a better platform for the batteries, which are currently sitting on a piece of plywood on one of the ballast tanks but otherwise not fastened to anything

find a way to mount the heater to the floor other than gravity

relocate the battery switch for better access and fasten it down

replace some of the common drain plugs with quick-drains

replace hoses coming from t-stat

relocate water strainer for better access

clean, clean, and clean some more

replace head unit with newer one for better bluetooth tech (ability to adjust system volume by using physical volume buttons on the phone)

buff & wax exterior *

* this one is an enormous undertaking and will probably not happen (function over fashion, after all

Then, soon:

don’t mind that mismatched center seat there... nothing to see... move along

TheRealBicycleBuck > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 08:44

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That’s a long list. Good luck!

pip bip - choose Corrour > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 08:48

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let me guess, chev 350 motor?

Just Jeepin' > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 08:51

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I’d never have the patience or money to deal with owning a boat...but man that lake does look gorgeous.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 09:08

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Good luck with the projects, I’m sure you’ll get a good chunk of it knocked out! Put in the hard work now so you can enjoy the lake (relatively) carefree.  

functionoverfashion > Snuze: Needs another Swede 04/13/2020 at 09:14

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That’s always the goal. With my 89 Supra (boat) I had it for 11 years, put countless hours on/in it and it only had to be towed once when a random crappy weld broke in the part that mates the transmission to the driveshaft. No amount of preventative maintenance could have stopped that from happening.  At least it was at 5pm on a weekday and we got a tow in about 3 minutes. That boat was the most reliable of all my friends’ rides and thus it got used constantly. I intend to maintain this one the same way.

functionoverfashion > pip bip - choose Corrour 04/13/2020 at 09:14

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Yes indeed! It’s... adequate. But fully loaded it works pretty hard. 

functionoverfashion > Just Jeepin' 04/13/2020 at 09:19

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I don’t think we could do it if we had to always take it to a shop. Not just the costs, but the convenience. I do everything myself on this boat for several reasons.

For example: the first summer I had it, it had been running fine all year, then one day it started to run a little rough, wouldn’t get up to speed fully loaded, etc. And this was on a Friday before the 4th of July weekend. If I had brought it to a marina, I probably would have had to wait a week or two before someone would even look at it. But I pulled off the distributor cap and what do you know, it was crusty. Some sandpaper got me through the day and then I replaced it the next day with a part from NAPA and it’s run perfectly ever since. $50 and 30 minutes of my time, versus probably $200 and two weeks of prime summer time without the boat. 

functionoverfashion > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/13/2020 at 09:20

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Thanks! We’ll see. I have it properly prioritized, so I’ll attack accordingly. 

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 09:58

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Oh man...the Easter Bunny only ever seems to leave droppings in my yard. lol

That’s a large but achievable list.

buff & wax exterior *

* this one is an enormous undertaking and will probably not happen (function over fashion, after all

It’s sooooo much work, but man does it make the boat look fantastic when you’re done.

Also, what’s your take on v-drive vs direct drive? The direct drive boats see to be much better for maintenance ...everything seems much more accessible. But most people seem to recommend a v-drive.

I came across this one recently...it’s old but looks like it’s been cared for properly. At this point I’m just looking for something cheap, relatively easy to work on (this was my biggest complaint on our last boat...the engine was buried in the deck), and fun. This seems to be a decent price too.

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/d/thiensville-mastercraft-stars-and/7105219683.html

Future next gen S2000 owner > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 10:09

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It was 70 on Saturday, couldn’t help myself and got the boat out of winter hibernation for a quick afternoon out on the lake.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Now this...

I knew it was going to snow. Still worth it.

HammerheadFistpunch > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 10:18

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Ug. Don’t remind me. Mine is stored 150 miles away and it needs many things this year. Belts, impeller, idler, all oil changed, etc

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 10:27

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Nice!

Ours is coming out this coming weekend! I’d maybe m ove the battery tie down to the manda tory list. Electricity and water scare me.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Just Jeepin' 04/13/2020 at 10:30

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The problem is, once you own a boat, you realize why people (me) put up with the headach es and cost. There is no better place to be during the summer, than on a boat. And if it’s yours, and you can be proud of it? even better.

Just Jeepin' > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 10:36

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Dunno, I (hopefully still) spend my summers in a naked Jeep with the windshield down when it’s 85+. I’m pretty ok with that.

functionoverfashion > Future next gen S2000 owner 04/13/2020 at 10:49

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ha! If it was 70 we would have probably gone for it. But now our dock isn’t in, and the lake is going up because of 1-2" of rain... and it was already at the level which is at the top of my waders. So, that should be interesting. 

functionoverfashion > HammerheadFistpunch 04/13/2020 at 11:03

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Ugh, sorry haha. Even though mine’s only a few miles away, I can’t usually get to it. 

This was one of the best things about working at a marina, I could sometimes get little things done at work like, during lunch or slow times, and/or I could bring the boat in the shop after hours and have the whole shop at my disposal, with every imaginable tool and supply right there at my fingertips. *sigh*

functionoverfashion > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 11:05

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And I’m sure you know well, if you can turn a wrench and follow instructions, there’s a ton of support online, especially for major brands like MC and Nautique. People will talk you through anything, and/or you can just read all the longest threads and you’ll know enough to be dangerous. 

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Just Jeepin' 04/13/2020 at 11:06

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Now that I think of it, offroading and boating have a lot of good things in common.

Just Jeepin' > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 11:11

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Not the least of which is the extra hassle and money required to keep the Jeep running. Very boatish.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 11:36

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Tons. What’s also convenient, is that a lot of the systems are pretty darn simple and easy to work on. The electronics on the newest stuff would be a nightmare if it broke, but an oil change, is an oil change.

functionoverfashion > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 12:25

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Oh man, the newer stuff really scares me. I say I’ll never sell this boat, but I might really mean it. I wouldn’t want a 17-year old boat whose only method of controlling anything was a 17-year old computer and touchscreen interface, whose entire life was spent in a boat.

I can only hope that some very clever people will start to create aftermarket modules that can learn to control these systems, especially if the manufacturers play nice and share their software, coding, etc after a period of time. Even if it’s 10 years! Otherwise these things will become very inefficient sailboats.

I suspect the value of my 2003 Nautique will not be going down much over the years.

...

Then again, people were afraid of EFI at one point, too. 

functionoverfashion > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 13:13

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Well, the batteries can’t really go anywhere the way they are, but yeah. Probably a good idea anyway. There were a few things like that in my old boat that I never did do, beyond a solution that was “good enough.” Not safety items, but little details.

Are you getting yours out yourself? Or is it at a marina or something? Around here it’s hit or miss if marinas are open... 

functionoverfashion > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 04/13/2020 at 13:28

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v-drive vs. direct drive... depends on what you want out of the boat.

Direct drive: simpler, easier access, fewer parts, lighter, better balance, better for skiing (slalom, e.g.), less interior space and storage.

Vdrive: harder to work on, more parts, worse weight distribution (stern heavy) , much better interior layout and more storage, better for wakeboarding, better for people and just general hanging out in the boat, worse for skiing.

That MasterCraft looks decent! Lots of original 1982 there, in a good way (original trailer, too!). But What’s up with the external temp gauge - you could just replace the one in the dash, very easily, for not a lot of money, that one looks like a good way to cut your leg. Very weird detail, but indicative of a half-assed approach to fixing something, in my eyes. Could be over thinking it. It’s good that (they claim) the floor and stringers were done, as MC went to all fiberglass structure in ‘83 I think - so, ‘82 raises eyebrows, but IF it was done properly, then great. I’d ask for pics, or documentation on that though. Not all floor/stringer jobs are the same. $4k is a pretty good price for a decent running boat, though. And the Stars and Stripes are classic, they have a little following of sorts. Have you been on the TeamTalk forum at all? TONS of MC knowledge in there. No mention of hours... a compression test would be nice... but it’s almost in the price range where that doesn’t matter if the structure is good. 

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 13:34

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Yea the additional temp gauge instead of replacing the dash one was the one thing I found odd too. And documentation on the floor/stringer replacement would be necessary for me to go forward on this one. I’m still window shopping at this point, but this on piqued my interest.

It also has the same engine as my last boat (just carbure ted) so I’d have some familiarity with that already.

I have not been on the TeamTalk forum, but I’ll check it out. Thanks.

functionoverfashion > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 04/13/2020 at 14:08

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+10 internet points for correct use of “piqued” 

Stef Schrader > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 15:38

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The Easter Bunny approves. GET SOME!!

functionoverfashion > Stef Schrader 04/13/2020 at 16:48

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Already I moved it in my driveway with our Volvo wagon so it wasn’t downwind of a giant pine tree with 40mph gusts in the forecast. Volvo moved it fine in the driveway, I wouldn’t go anywhere though. 

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > functionoverfashion 04/13/2020 at 17:18

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Ours are in these

Link: Here  

Pretty cheap for what you get.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 17:19

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Wow, Kinja did a number on that post.

functionoverfashion > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/13/2020 at 19:40

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Mine too, they’re just not really fastened down. Hard to describe. Maybe I’ll do a series of Oppo posts on my improvements to this thing. Most of the time I don’t want to bother taking pictures while working, but it could be fun, and could make for good Oppo... maybe?