Just got my first boat!

[capt-pete]

And, am I excited.... She's a 1978 Thundercraft 160ss, with the Mariner 80HP outboard. Everything is there, and for the most part, looks like it has been maintained pretty well! I took her to the mechanic and had the fuel/water pumps serviced, and tuned up, and took it out on the water last weekend, it ran like a champ. All cylinders have equal compression, so I am hoping that the engine will last if I take care of it.

A few things I DO need to worry about though, and need some advice if you guys are willing to give it..

the wiring harness is getting brittle... I have been told i need a new stator kit and wiring harness. (Are these hard to find for the early Mariner outboards?)

My floor is sagging between the supports, but the support beams appear to be really solid underfoot. I don't have a lot of cash to put into the boat right now, so I was thinking of going to home depot and buying some pressure treated plywood, putting some carpet on there, and laying it on top of the old floor to get me by this summer until I can take it all apart (which sounds like a major undertaking, and I have no garage) -- So do you have any stop gap suggestions/warnings so we can enjoy the boat this summer, and fix her up next winter?

thanks in advance
-pete

 

[capt-pete]

Re: Just got my first boat!

Oh, here are some photos..

the cover for the front seats is still there, and the Bimini top is also there, just needs a few zippers replaced.

 

[wellsc1]

Re: Just got my first boat!

Respect her and give her a good name. I named my first boat Ugly 1, and she became a handful of problems after that.

Enjoy the projects, but know your limits and research information as you have initiated on this forum. It's helped me on multiple occasions. I defer to the experts about buying time with your deck. You'll probable be advised to get marine grade plywood and do the fiberglass work correctly.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: Just got my first boat!

Thanks for the advice. My wife named her Bliss.

And correction, I saw another boat that looked just like her advertised as a 160ss, so I thought mine was the same, but i just went and measured 15' from transom to tip of the Bow. The emblem on the side says Titan SS. I have been looking for some sort of website or page that has all of the models they made with features for that year and model to no avail.

Looking at the floor, I thought it was wooden, but it appears to be fiberglass. Does anyone have something similar to tell me what I should be looking for? Also, it looks like the floor might have always had some sort of dip in the middle between the support beams - as the dash, or cockpit seems to fit into those depressions like it was meant to.