Boat needed some love this off season. (alt title: How to throw a checkbook in 1 easy step)

She's alive! I picked up the boat from my mechanic's shop this afternoon. He had it on a trailer, so we stopped and filled the tank on the way to the ramp. He cut me loose 7.5 miles from my marina. The ride back was uneventful with the exception that my GPS decided that it didn't want to power on. I played with the connections at the fuse block under the helm and it started working, then it died a couple of miles later. Fortunately, I was in familiar waters by then. The same thing happened a couple of years ago, and new crimp connectors fixed it. I'll take care of that tomorrow.

My fuel burn seems to be better. That might be due to me getting one of my props that had some dings cleaned up. It was at 3450 RPM, 28.6 MPH (GPS), and 13.6 - 13.8 GPH (last season, it was closer to 14.6 GPH @ 3450). She's running as good as she ever has. Walked right up on plane as easy as pie and cruised just like she'd never been touched. Season started!

I had a chance to take a close look at my old aluminum exhaust manifolds. They still looked perfect after 16 years. I could have easily gotten another 5 years out of them. I find that hard to believe. I've been stressing over their age for the last 5 years for no reason. As to the actual reason that I had to go through all of this... My transom assembly had a fairly large hole in it. Apparently, all of the mud and corrosion packed in around the rubber water inlet tube (on the outside) was keeping me afloat. With it bolted on the transom, none of this was apparent. I had no idea. My mechanic said that despite what the transom assembly looks like, my transom is in perfect condition. I find that a bit hard to believe after seeing all of that mud on the inside of it.

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20240418_143622.jpg
 
My transom assembly looked about the same in 2019 when I replaced it. When I had the engine and transom assembly out again last April because I had a water leak where the foam seal had failed, I was worried I had lost the transom.

two surveyors agreed it was perfect.
My neighbor helped me encapsulate the edge of the plywood around the cutout with some fiberglass to build up the bearing surface for the new seal and I bedeed the assembly in 4200 and sent it.

I did spring for the Sea Core transom assembly in December 2019 though, so as of three weeks ago everything under my waterline is SeaCore

I’m jealous of your numbers with the 496 versus my 383
 
skibum said:
She's alive! I picked up the boat from my mechanic's shop this afternoon. He had it on a trailer, so we stopped and filled the tank on the way to the ramp. He cut me loose 7.5 miles from my marina. The ride back was uneventful with the exception that my GPS decided that it didn't want to power on. I played with the connections at the fuse block under the helm and it started working, then it died a couple of miles later. Fortunately, I was in familiar waters by then. The same thing happened a couple of years ago, and new crimp connectors fixed it. I'll take care of that tomorrow.

My fuel burn seems to be better. That might be due to me getting one of my props that had some dings cleaned up. It was at 3450 RPM, 28.6 MPH (GPS), and 13.6 - 13.8 GPH (last season, it was closer to 14.6 GPH @ 3450). She's running as good as she ever has. Walked right up on plane as easy as pie and cruised just like she'd never been touched. Season started!

I had a chance to take a close look at my old aluminum exhaust manifolds. They still looked perfect after 16 years. I could have easily gotten another 5 years out of them. I find that hard to believe. I've been stressing over their age for the last 5 years for no reason. As to the actual reason that I had to go through all of this... My transom assembly had a fairly large hole in it. Apparently, all of the mud and corrosion packed in around the rubber water inlet tube (on the outside) was keeping me afloat. With it bolted on the transom, none of this was apparent. I had no idea. My mechanic said that despite what the transom assembly looks like, my transom is in perfect condition. That a bit hard to believe after seeing all of that mud on the inside of it.

View attachment 162369View attachment 162370
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When the transom assembly was off, did you notice if the cutout was glassed/gel coated, or otherwise sealed? Also, could you see if there was an treatment of the holes for the studs?
 
keokie said:
When the transom assembly was off, did you notice if the cutout was glassed/gel coated, or otherwise sealed? Also, could you see if there was an treatment of the holes for the studs?
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Not to thread Jack, but when mine was apart, the raw edge of the plywood in the cutout was simply painted over with gelcoat. The bolt holes were not treated with anything either.

My neighbor and i glassed over everything, even filled the holes and drilled them
 
keokie said:
When the transom assembly was off, did you notice if the cutout was glassed/gel coated, or otherwise sealed? Also, could you see if there was an treatment of the holes for the studs?
Click to expand...
No. Unfortunately, I was not around to see it while Mike had it apart. He did say that he inspected it, and that it was "perfect". I'm just going to have to take his word for it.
 
Stray Current said:
Not to thread Jack, but when mine was apart, the raw edge of the plywood in the cutout was simply painted over with gelcoat. The bolt holes were not treated with anything either.

My neighbor and i glassed over everything, even filled the holes and drilled them
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Jack away. No worries.

If you do sell that boat, I might buy it (I'm gonna swap motors, though). You've left no stone unturned.
 
skibum said:
Those are really good numbers. At 32 MPH, I'd be burning around 15 GPH.

The dancers aren't as sporty as the SLXs, though.

But yeah... I'll give up my 496 when they pry my cold hands from it.
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Yeah, my guess is my boat is at least 1,000 pounds lighter than yours and Stray's.
 
highslice said:
Yeah, my guess is my boat is at least 1,000 pounds lighter than yours and Stray's.
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My real world weight on the trailer is 11,700. I think the tare is about 1850.

That’s full fuel and water. And all the usual crap that lives in the boat
 
blaster said:
I remember. You got a new bravo three out of that unfortunate mess. Some people put out the worst set ups for pots. I hit one that was set with a steel cable! Bastages!
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I missed the part about the steel cable. I'm amazed that they allow that up there. Very dangerous.

I'd start hitting up the environmentalist groups for some help. They'll go bezerk if you tell them that someone is actually putting carbon steel in the water. It'll be banned in no time.
 
The crab guys are terrible here on the Caloosahatchee. They seat hundreds of pots in the channel last season.
 
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