First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

[halcrimm]

Hello All, Just wanted to say hello and that I am glad that I found this site before starting to post my many to come questions regarding me trying to figure out what the heck I have got myself into.

Anyway, I had a wonderful career in the Navy but never owned a boat. I was given one about a month ago from my neighbor. 1992 Bayliner Classic. Has not been run in 4-5 years but was told it ran great and was winterized before putting away the last time. Will load photo when I figure out how. Right now just asking for words of wisdom. I have it all cleaned up now. All moss, grass and leaves have been removed. Put the battery in last night and looks as though all electrical works. Now on to the engine.

Look forward to all of your comments.
Have a safe day.
Hal

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

Congrats on Joining the club who like to throw money in an empty hole!!!
Welcome!!

All Joking aside, Welcome. Boating is fun if done safely and properly. Can and will be great fun for the family on those lazy summer days.
Couple of things to get handy right away, Don't try to fire up the engine unless it's in water! (or Muffs).

Get your Engine type/HP, model number, serial number so other can help easily.
Helpful for some members if you fill out your profile, about your location and boat/engine..


Pics are a must!! We want to see that boat!!

 

[Texasmark]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

Welcome aboard "mate". Usually sitting means fuel and cooling. Fuel stabilizers give you a couple of years, you are over that quite a bit. Fuel evaporates from the carb bowl and in the process forms gunk and goo that plugs up your jets. It needs to be removed so get on here and find out about doing a carb kit installation. Fuel in the tank needs to be fresh and personally would add Sea Foam to the gas for the first few tanks at least....I run it all the time. On the first application I would run about 3x the amount specified on the can. It won't hurt anything and engines can run on it alone.

Fuel filter has to be changed and all. I'd get in a well ventilated area and get a suitable container and with the fuel line off at the carburetor, I'd turn it over until I got good clean fuel out of the line. Don't over heat your starter in the process. Running for 30 seconds and resting 4-5 minutes will work.

The lower unit needs to be dropped and a new impeller or water pump needs to be installed as usually the impeller (the rotating wheel that shows up at the top of the site when certain forums are selected), usually takes a "set" and isn't pliable like it needs to be to function. The pump is a centrifugal pump at lower rpm's and the blades operate in a narrowing chamber which compresses the water and gives it the power to be forced into the engine. If you blades have a set, when they are supposed to be extended to pick up the next round of water they can't and engine overheating could result. Plenty of info on the site about changing water pumps and impellers.

Last I am assuming a Bayliner Classic is an I/O and probably a Mercruiser. Mercruisers (I know, had one) have 2 flexible tubes between the transom and the outdrive. One surrounds the drive shaft keeping water out of the gears and bearings, and the other is for the exhaust. If left sitting for a long time and if older, the plasticizers in the material evaporate, the material gets brittle and cracks at the seams where it folds. The results of this are water in the boat from them leaking and you can't have that.

Sooooo tilt your outdrive out all the way and inspect them for drying out and cracks. A good idea would be to just replace them and then you can worry about something else.

Enough to get you started.
Mark

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

Welcome Hal and good luck with your new-to-you water toy. There are quite a few very enlightened folks here that will help with virtually anything.

Your first checks should center on the condition of the hull. From your comment of "moss, grass and leaves" I'm getting the impression that this rig was stored outside and possibly uncovered. A thorough inspection is in order to determine the integrity of the floor, stringers, transom, etc. ANY soft spots indicate potential rot and should be remedied before trying to splash her.

You didn't mention any particulars on the motor. Is it an I/O or outboard? When you determine the make, model and serial number, post the info in the appropriate engine forum to get help with waking it up. DO NOT attempt to crank the motor until you go through some diagnostics to determine its mechanical condition.

Have you taken a boater safety course? That's a great way to get a jumpstart on the "ins and outs" of safe boat operation and hopefully keep your boating experiences out of the Stupid Human Tricks forum.

Again, welcome to iboats and good luck.

 

[tincanman]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

wow, I'm overwelmed by the info you guys just gave the op and I've been there before. Way to scare him off.

Joking aside, very good info guys. Only thing I would add is that if it has an built in fuel tank, to check it for leaks aswell as crud. Ethonol will clean that tank right out and send all the gunk right into the engine. Ethonol aproved fuel lines and an inline fuel filter/water seperator would be a good idea also.

Halcrimm, welcome to boat ownership and some of the best and worse experiences you will have in your life. Also, welcome to the forum and thank you for your service to our country.

 

[halcrimm]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

Wow, thanks for all the welcoming comments. I believe this is going to be a fun endeavor. Wife a kids have already spent hours with me cleaning the hull, taking the green back to a nice white and blue. I have looked and touched the entire underside, except where the trailer touches, and do not see any visual signs of damage. Several scuffs along the side where I am sure the pier helped out with.

Texasmark, I was looking at the hose coming from the transom to the outdrive last night and sure enough it is broken right in half. Over the weekend I plan on starting a list of all repairs that I know need to be made. Hose, clamps, lights, etc. (Visual inspection). I have been warned by many so far to ensure all the old gas is gone, fuel lines replaced and carburetor cleaned and emptied.

I will update the profile but the engine is a Mercruiser 3.0L Alpha I/O.
S/N OD714746 Engine
S/N OD671270 Transom
S/N OD665768 Drive

I realize that this thread is not about engines so I will go to that forum to really ask those questions.
I have learned that I can do alot of things myself, some of them pretty well, because I like to learn, but I have never done engine work. Looking forward to the many interesting conversations as I learn my way around this boat engine.

Hal

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

among the many "first things":

don't try to start it with the gas that's in the tank now. if it were an outboard I'd use a remote tank; don't know anything about i/o but I have run trucks on remote (actually, boat) tanks when the original rusted out.

Although leaves, etc can be a bad sign, not necessarily. What is important is that it was stored dry, meaning the plug was out and bow up so it can drain. If so, you are probably OK. If not, you may likely have the hull rot problems that the others pointed out right away (it's a big deal in some parts of the country on some boats). But unless it's falling apart you may get some use out of it; the issue will be putting any money in it if there are hull issues--that's when your free boat isn't anymore.

Get a local boat guy to walk it over with you and check for structural strength.

 

[halcrimm]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

Here are the pics of the boat the day I brought it home. I will take a few more and show along the journey. Looking forward to all of your help and comments.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

I've seen a lot worse--couod be a diamond in the rough. Well, maybe a saphire.

The big question: was the plug out and the bilge and cabin dry?

 

[halcrimm]

Re: First Time Boat Owner First Time Poster

The drain plug was out and the bilge cabin was damp. The two seat storage boxes had water in them. I clean them all out and found no way for them to drain. So vacuum, simple green and rag and they are dry as could be. unfortunately the boat was not stored bow up. It had a slight decline stern to bow. Once I moved it bow up a little water drained out the stern drain hole, and I mean just a little, and looking in the bilge there is nothing standing. Again, I did inspect for damage and holes in the boat and found none.