Have you guy's see that Dave's Custom Boats 31' Cat? Twin Mercruiser 1350s, 1MPG at 100 MPH. Something like 145 gallons per hour at full throttle...Per engine. I bet it's an absolute fucking blast though. Powerboat said it would still pin you to the seat at 150 MPH.

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xQZOu3d0Ms

[Edited on June 14, 2011 at 9:44 PM. Reason : s]

6/14/2011 9:42:59 PM

this would make an excellent jon boat motor if anyone is looking: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/2442686085.html

these are yamahas with mariner stickers. they're very reliable. very simple engines that are easy to work on. they're plentiful so used parts are easy to find too.

6/15/2011 8:15:40 PM

another good one for skack's friend: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/2445636742.html

6/17/2011 12:38:32 PM

^ Thx man. I'm still sending him these, but haven't received a response. He just bought a house and is painting, moving, etc. so that probably has something to do with it.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be up and running later today. We'll see.

6/17/2011 1:12:18 PM

TWW!

Again, I'm going to be a first time PWC owner. My posting on the previous page didn't go through.

These are tempting:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/boa/2440033893.html

Serious cash, but they appear to be a good model, and after talking to the guy, these particular boats have had outstanding maintenance.

What do you think?

6/17/2011 6:45:26 PM

i think a jet ski is fun for about 30 minutes

6/17/2011 7:09:45 PM

i am on the look out for a 18-20' jon boat to build into a dedicated bow fishing rig. tww help please.

6/19/2011 1:56:28 PM

any requirements? i guess you'd want a decent deck on the front. need a side or center console or no console at all? need it with an outboard? trolling motor? steel trailer ok or will you be launching in saltwater?

6/19/2011 3:12:39 PM

anyone know if there is a length of boat that i dont have to register??

looking to get a jon boat or something but dont want the hassle of dealing with the wildlife and DMV and all that...if its less than 12' or something would it work?

6/19/2011 3:39:41 PM

Quote :

"What Vessels Must be Registered? All motorized vessels used on public waters must be registered, including jet skis. All sailboats used on public waters must be registered if longer than 14 feet at the load waterline. If a vessel registered in another state is brought into North Carolina for over 90 consecutive days, the registration must be transferred to North Carolina. If you choose to title your vessel, it must be registered as well. What Vessels Do Not Need Registration? Vessels that are unused and kept on dry land do not need registration in North Carolina. Rowboats, canoes, and rafts moved only by oars, paddles, or the current do not need registration in North Carolina. A vessel used only on a private pond does not need registration in North Carolina. Vessels Documented with the U.S. Coast Guard do not need to be registered in North Carolina. Ship's lifeboats or dinghies do not need to be registered if they are used only for emergency lifeboat purposes. However, if they are motorized and used for non-emergency purposes, they do require registration."

pretty much, if you put a motor on it (doesn't matter what horsepower, even an electric trolling motor), it will need to be registered

use the ncwrc website. you pay for it. http://www.ncwildlife.org/License/Vessel_Basic_Facts.htm#q3

[Edited on June 19, 2011 at 3:46 PM. Reason : df]

also:

Quote :

"On or after May 1, 2010 any person under the age of 26 must complete a NASBLA approved boating education course before operating any vessel propelled by a motor of 10 HP or greater."

http://ncpaws.org/boatingsafety/coursesearch.asp

it's extrememly easy to register a vessel. you don't even have to go to a govt building. just go to a ncwrc agent that does vessels (lots of tackle shops do it) and tell them a little info about your boat. it's one of the better govt agencies to deal with.

you don't have to deal with the dmv at all unless you're putting it on a trailer. dmv has nothing to do with vessels.

[Edited on June 19, 2011 at 3:55 PM. Reason : fads]

6/19/2011 3:46:07 PM

Quote :

"any requirements? i guess you'd want a decent deck on the front. need a side or center console or no console at all? need it with an outboard? trolling motor? steel trailer ok or will you be launching in saltwater?"

the biggest requirements are length no less than 18 feet. width no less than 72" gunnel to gunnel. out side of that i am wide open.

we will build a platform to get us higher and keep the lights lower so front deck makes no difference. no console would be my preference, side console next, center last. I will have to make a remote steering console all the way to the front platform as well. See link below for finished product. If i could find one to buy ready to go i would consider that as well.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/badhabitbowfishing/Boat/100_3999.jpg

6/19/2011 8:31:54 PM

Quote :

"boats like that will be fun for like 2 days then you will get sick of them......burn a lot of fuel just driving around....get involved in skiing/wakeboarding or try out fishing ....just my opinion "

You think it'll really burn much more fuel than something much more tame if they're both driven at, say, 40 mph? Sure, there's a price premium for pushing the throttle(s) up to 80 mph, but I wouldn't drive it like that everywhere, all the time. They have very efficient hulls--I'll bet that the fuel mileage isn't bad if you aren't hammering on it.

I know it isn't a true ski boat, but a true ski boat would be fairly useless for any of the other stuff I'd want to do with it. A go-fast boat would do a passable job at pulling a skier, I would think (I've skied behind a Boston Whaler, a Chaparral sportboat, a party deck-boat, as well as a Dixie and a Ski Nautique...I can't imagine why something like a smallish offshore speedboat wouldn't do the job for my purposes).

I don't care at all for fishing (although I do enjoy SCUBA).

6/19/2011 11:07:25 PM

^center console would get you more boat for the money and a lot more versatility. Outboard power vs I/O is thousands of time better for salt use, plus the better ride and easier clean up/maintenance

6/20/2011 3:07:36 PM

it doesn't seem that he wants versatility

6/20/2011 3:12:10 PM

Quote :

"I'm a little scared of the ownership/operating costs, because I also want to buy an airplane and think that the two of them together could be excessively painful to own from a financial perspective. "

My situation. 1/4 ownership in airplane, and a friend of mine split the boat. The 1/4 share of a 74 Piper Arrow is very very expensive. The boat, even if owned completely outright, is about 1/4 the yearly cost of the plane. thankfully, my plane share is practically gone, as I am waiting for the buyer to finish all his required insurance hours before he takes ownership.

6/20/2011 3:41:58 PM

I know this is the boat thread but for the plane uninitiated, what type of costs go into a 1/4 ownership?

6/20/2011 5:30:37 PM

It can vary widely based in what kind of airplane, your experience level, and where it's hangared.

6/20/2011 7:25:37 PM

Thoughts on temporarily mounting some electronics on the center console? This older GPS unit I have feels it necessary to have 5 screw hole locations for mounting it when two are probably sufficient. Regardless, I filled in 12 existing holes with marine tex and will be coming back later and putting on some gel coat and sanding/polishing the hole top surface so I don't want to drill out the holes for this new one, screw it down just to have to take it up again if there is an easy enough temporary mount.

I'm thinking either a bead of 4200 or something even different like attaching a board to some suction cups and attaching the GPS mount to the board. Where to get some suction cups? Any other ideas for temp mounting?

6/22/2011 8:23:43 PM

what i do is bolt down a piece of starboard and mount to that. when you switch out electronics, you can just replace the starboard with a new piece. drill the holes in the same place in the new starboard and mount it right back where the old one was on the dash.

for flush mount stuff that has a different hole size and/or shape than the old electronics (like stereo head units and VHFs), i'll paint one side of a piece of plexiglass black and then bolt it to the dash with the shiny unpainted side out and mount the electronics in that. use some sealant and you're set.

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 9:26 PM. Reason : adsf]

6/22/2011 9:20:54 PM

NRR has the right idea for mounting stuff. I am too cheap to buy some startboard, so i just buy plastic cutting boards from the thrift store and cut them to fit. Attach electronics to cutting board, then attach cutting board to boat with a couple of stainless bolts. I have had 3 different depth finders mounted with only the two holes for the mounting board drilled in the boat.

I have also used some of the pvc trim board attached under the gunwales and then i could move around rod holders/cup holders, etc without having to drill new holes in the boat.

6/23/2011 8:46:11 AM

Quote :

"I know this is the boat thread but for the plane uninitiated, what type of costs go into a 1/4 ownership?"

20k to buy 1/4 share of a plane like mine, then probably 3k a year in your share of maintenance and insurance expenses, and then costs to fly (about $65 an hour). Then you have unexpected things that happen every now and then and you get dinged a couple grand out of pocket or worse. Our engine overhaul cost 33k 2 years ago. Just message me if you want more info.

6/23/2011 1:14:58 PM

I bet something without retracts and constant speed prop would cut costs considerably.

6/23/2011 3:01:56 PM

Is mine the cheapest? No. Is it in the lower 25%? Yes

6/23/2011 6:34:51 PM

^not everybody got money like you, though!

6/25/2011 10:16:16 AM

just ordered a Minn Kota Riptide ST 80 w/ i-Pilot

6/26/2011 2:08:04 PM

On a pretty windy day (like yesterday, if you were on the coast), will a motor like that generally hold you in a spot if you want it to?

6/26/2011 2:17:16 PM

idk i've never tried i-pilot. only read reviews, which are mixed when it comes to the spot lock feature.

i've used the compass autopilot models a lot and they are indispensable for the type of fishing i do. i got i-pilot for the gps controlled autopilot (sometimes the compass autopilot has a tough time when trolling crosswind) and the "cruise control" so i can dial it in to 1/10th of a mph.

my dad has an 8' minn kota talon on his boat and it is excellent for holding position in 8' or less of water. it has helped us thoroughly work a spot we want to key in on without having to screw with an anchor, which will often spook fish. one of my buddies has a power pole and it works just as well.

[Edited on June 26, 2011 at 2:25 PM. Reason : i can say with 100% confidence that the talon has helped us catch more fish]

6/26/2011 2:24:04 PM

Quote :

"one of my buddies has a power pole and it works just as well"

I had no idea what this was and then I saw one on a Southern Skimmer out at Shackleford yesterday. I was reasonably impressed it was able to hold his boat up against the shore while he waited for his wife to get her ass in gear and get down to the water.


I've got about 30 hours on my boat now and finally took it through the inlet yesterday for the first time. I learned on the ride back through the no wake around the Port that I get sprayed way more trolling through there into the wind than at any time under power. Under power in the same chop we were taking a little bit of spray but I was also taking it a little bit easy trying to stay behind a buddies boat. I think with some more speed the spray would be out to the sides more. The boat seems to ride better with a little more weight. Rather than smacking the next wave it kind of flattens it out. My buddy with a '01 22ft Jones Brothers Bateau says my boat rides as good or better than theirs though he could just be blowing smoke up my ass.

7/4/2011 11:59:05 AM

my trolling motor came in and it's awaiting installation in pop's shop in goldsboro. plan is to install it next weekend.

got an offer of $250 for the motorguide great white 24v 67 lb hand control that's on it. anyone wanna go $300?

7/5/2011 12:01:04 AM

I'll get some experience sailing a 40 foot sailing catamaran in December

7/6/2011 2:20:44 PM

ok... DCB makes awesome boats but the quad cam 9 liter twin turbo EFI mercruiser outboards are freaking SIIICK!

but i just looked up the price and they're over 200k each.

7/6/2011 3:48:56 PM

either in the market for a pontoon boat or jet ski...havent decided which yet.

7/6/2011 3:58:23 PM

^^ I'm digging the Seven Marine 557 outboards. LSX engine in an outboard design. Above water exhaust available.

I think they're only about $70k each

[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 4:05 PM. Reason : s]

7/6/2011 4:03:47 PM

long thread on the 557: http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/330822-560-hp-outboard.html

that site is filled with douches with LMS and debt to their eyeballs. consider yourself warned.

the 557 just seems like a novelty to me

7/6/2011 6:49:31 PM

Speaking of high horsepower boats. Was staring in amazement from Shack as a cigarette style boat zoomed by (closer to Bird Shoals than Shack) and just kept watching him. It was windy as hell Sunday and I noticed as he got closer to the inlet he was starting to get full air under him. About the third or fourth wave rocketed him what looked like 25-30 ft in the air. Craziest thing I've seen in person (albeit in a very short career on the water) related to a boat. His boat was sitting still for several minutes, then started puttering towards Bird Shoal and I kinda stopped paying attention. Finally about 20-25 minutes later I saw him trolling back by at what looked like 5 knts. Kinda wondering if he broke boat or person.

7/6/2011 7:16:12 PM

he probably had to go in the stabbin cabin and change his drawers

7/6/2011 7:24:24 PM

My dad sold his boat and is in the market for a 17'-19' center console. Freshwater run and 4 Stroke engine preferred. Must be in nice shape; no projects. I'm sure he is keeping a close eye on Craigslist, but posting here just in case anyone sees something on the local forums. I think he's mostly looking for something 3-8 years old and well maintained.

[Edited on July 7, 2011 at 3:48 PM. Reason : L]

7/7/2011 3:48:01 PM

nice used CCs like that are plentiful these days. he shouldn't have any trouble finding exactly what he wants. however, i wouldn't shy away from a boat i liked just because it had been run in saltwater. it's not as big a deal as a lot of folks make it out to be.

7/7/2011 5:21:25 PM

Speaking of that...my friend with a 10 yr old Jones Brothers powered by a 100 4 stroke Yami says he has NEVER flushed his engine and has had minimal problems with it. I suppose that doesn't mean it isn't a ticking time bomb...but 10 years?

7/7/2011 5:27:14 PM

i would expect more frequent thermostat and water pump failures, but that's about it.

7/7/2011 5:53:14 PM

Ain't no party like a Lake Gaston party.

7/9/2011 1:06:46 AM

got my new trolling motor installed




Chance, here is an example of the plexiglass thing i was talking about some time back. the boat came from the factory with a trolling motor outlet up front, but i prefer the Marinco twist lock kind with the o-rings and all. anyway, the hole for the existing outlet was too big for this plug. also, i have no way of getting to the back side of the panel where it goes and the marinco requires you to tighten a large nut on the back side. i cut out a 4"x2" piece of plexiglass, cut the big hole in the middle and two small holes to mount it. i spray painted in black on one side (the back). after it dried, i mounted my new marinco plug to it like normal and then i just screwed the plexiglass to the boat and sealed it with a little 5200.







[Edited on July 10, 2011 at 6:30 PM. Reason : afds]

7/10/2011 6:26:19 PM

Looks good. I guess plexi verus starboard because it is easier to get?

Just wanted to say, with the exception of my dogs drinking gallons of sound water then pissing out their asses said sound water, it was a fan fucking tastic day to be on the water.

7/10/2011 7:55:37 PM

i just like the glossy black look that comes from the painted plexi. starboard would do fine, but what i had of that was like 3/4" thick.

7/10/2011 7:58:23 PM

I share a pier with my neighbor at Lake Gaston. I talked to him Thursday and he was at the lake prepping for the storm. He told me he was going to beach his pontoon boat and tie it off to a tree before the hurricane hit. When I got to the lake Saturday night to check on things I found this:





I have nice bumpers and cleats on my side of the pier and he does not. He moved his boat to my side of the pier without asking me or telling me that he was going to do it. It appears that the back end of the boat came loose, swung over, and beat the shit out of my jet ski which was sitting on a free standing lift about 10' away. One of our neighbors must have seen what was happening and re-tied it during the storm, but his boat has matching scars along with chunks of plastic from my jet ski's rub rail so it's pretty obvious what happened.

Anyone know a good place to get gel coat work done? I'm really hoping it's as simple as wet sanding the gel coat back to perfection and replacing the rub rail, but I'm not going to mess with it myself. I'm expecting him to pick up the bill.

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 2:02 AM. Reason : s]

8/30/2011 1:57:41 AM

Time to find out who knows a lot about batteries.

Recently picked up a new boat. It's a 2002 Malibu Sunsetter. The boat has two very new looking Deep Cycle batteries hooked to a Perko Switch.
- I was under the impression that you don't really want to charge deep cycle batteries off the alternator. Is this true?
- I really think the boat needs a cranking battery. I happen to have two cranking batteries in my old boat. Should I swap one of them into the new boat and vice versa with the deep cycle batteries? I believe this would put one cranking battery and one charging battery on the alternator through that Perko switch. Does that pose a problem?
- The new boat has a 2 bank "Guest" Battery Charger mounted under a seat for easy charging. My other battery chargers all have a switch for regular or deep cycle batteries. Anybody know if these chargers are auto-sensing and can charge the deep cycle batteries? I can probably dig up a user's guide to answer this question, but I thought someone here might know.

11/16/2011 3:17:40 PM

- I was under the impression that you don't really want to charge deep cycle batteries off the alternator. Is this true?

depends on cold-cranking amps. usually, you wouldn't want to crank with a deep cycle. there are "dual-purpose" marine batteries that handle regular full charging/full discharging and still provide enough CCA.

- I really think the boat needs a cranking battery. I happen to have two cranking batteries in my old boat. Should I swap one of them into the new boat and vice versa with the deep cycle batteries? I believe this would put one cranking battery and one charging battery on the alternator through that Perko switch. Does that pose a problem?

no, it is very common to have an engine battery and a house battery that are both charged off the alternator.

- The new boat has a 2 bank "Guest" Battery Charger mounted under a seat for easy charging. My other battery chargers all have a switch for regular or deep cycle batteries. Anybody know if these chargers are auto-sensing and can charge the deep cycle batteries? I can probably dig up a user's guide to answer this question, but I thought someone here might know.

i would check the owner's manual if i could find one, but my guess is it's fine. my on-board charger doesn't care. most newer on-board chargers are "smart" chargers and can figure it out on their own, so to speak.

btw, this is a common question on http://www.thehulltruth.com and a search there will turn up lots of info and some good wiring diagrams

[Edited on November 16, 2011 at 4:10 PM. Reason : adsf]

11/16/2011 4:06:39 PM

Quote :

"btw, this is a common question on http://www.thehulltruth.com and a search there will turn up lots of info and some good wiring diagrams"

I was admittedly being lazy on these questions and trying not to do any actual research when I posted here.

Also, lol at that picture of the Camry ramming the pontoon boat. I almost forgot about that.

[Edited on November 16, 2011 at 6:26 PM. Reason : s]

11/16/2011 6:25:54 PM

oic

11/16/2011 6:26:50 PM

Had to get towed back to my ramp today. Bizarre water pump issues. After about 5 minutes of running I scrolled through the readouts and noted the engine was at 93 degrees which I kind of marveled at. Not 5 minutes later and a hi temp alarm goes off even though I have flow out the pee hole. Let it cool, crank it up and get flow out the pee hole and get a couple miles back towards the house and it alarmed again. I wasn't paying attention to note if the pee hole stopped flowing or not (flipping through the phone trying to find the typical pressure reading for my water pump). Let it cool for awhile and this time it wouldn't pee. Back at the house the garden hose will flow water through the hole just fine....until I crank it.

11/20/2011 5:13:29 PM