My first boat and it works!!!

[James343]

Like the title says this is my first boat I have actually been able to put in the water and start!!! My first boat was given to me but needed extensive work that I don?t know how to do so she sits in my backyard catching dust (more on that later in a separate post), my second boat I boat off a guy for $500 I found on another board this boat was supposed to just need a tune up and some TLC turned out not to be the case and I ended up taking what I could and junking the rest.

Now to the good news after that 2nd boat I learned a few things and think I got a pretty good deal. This time around I insisted on a compression check and a test run both turned out great and now I am a proud of an 86 Bayliner Capri w/85hp Force outboard. Final price was $500 the dude that sold it to me was so cool he included a couple tubes, ski rope, 2 anchors, 2 extra propellers, extra gas cans and a bunch of other goodies.

Being the noob that I am I have a couple questions I am hoping you guys can help me with. Please forgive my stupidity.

1. Is this boat big enough for the ocean? I live in So.Cal and would like to hit the bays and maybe even make a run to Catalina. I know I need a lot more time on the water and the coast guard safety test and a few more things before I even think of it but I am just wondering if it?s possible and safe?

2. It has a deep cell battery for the engine and the stereo. Do I need to recharge this are does the engine re-charge it self like a car?

3. How long can I keep mixed gas? I have seen up to 3 months is ok but after that you need put in some additives. I don?t see myself ever hanging onto gas for more than a week or two but I would like to make sure I am doing things right.

4. I want to do many upgrades to the boat, rod holders, electronics, and so on. This weekend however I wanted to install trhe flush mount rod holders is the place I indicated below a good spot? I wanted to get the cheap rod holders that don?t have a cap is this advisable or should I spend a bit more and get the ones with the caps?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and thanks in advance for any help you guys can give.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Being the noob that I am I have a couple questions I am hoping you guys can help me with. Please forgive my stupidity.

1. Is this boat big enough for the ocean? I live in So.Cal and would like to hit the bays and maybe even make a run to Catalina. I know I need a lot more time on the water and the coast guard safety test and a few more things before I even think of it but I am just wondering if it’s possible and safe?

4. I want to do many upgrades to the boat, rod holders, electronics, and so on. This weekend however I wanted to install trhe flush mount rod holders is the place I indicated below a good spot? I wanted to get the cheap rod holders that don’t have a cap is this advisable or should I spend a bit more and get the ones with the caps?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and thanks in advance for any help you guys can give.

Welcome to Iboats

For question number one. I say that if the boat was used for fresh water only then you might be backing up when putting it in the ocean/bay. Salt water can be a little harsh on them motors. After using the motor in salt water it is usually advised to flush the motor using muffs and a water hose. These guys can give more detail on this subject.

For question number Four, on the rod holders if it was me I would get the ones with the caps, this way you don't half to worry about trash falling down in the holder or somebody using it as a trash can lol, I'm sure they have a hole in the bottom of either holder so you don't half to worry about the holder collecting water.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

I'm an inland lakes boater so i can't say whether or not it would be wise to hit open water in a bow rider. However, a wave over the bow is not a good thing with a bow rider. Next, a deep cycle battery is not the best choice for a starting battery. For your use you should have a marine starting battery for the engine and deep cycle for accessories, especially if you are out in big water. The engine will charge the starting battery and also the deep cycle if a dual battery switch or similar setup is installed. I take it the boat has a voltmeter in the dash. That gauge tells you whether or not the battery is charging. The boat looks to be really nice shape and just judging by the pictures would appear to be a good buy. The down side is parts for the engine may be tough to come by as Force engines are no longer made.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

catalina is out alone, maybe with several other bigger boats, the weather cans change in no time, leaving you in big trouble.

the battery you have is designed for electronics, and trolling motor. you need a starting battery for the motor.

additives to new gas, to old gas is a total waste.

i would put rod holder ( if they will fit) on the top of the gunnels (side), that way you can grab the rod, and not be leaning over the stern trying to get it out. splash.

 

[azlakes]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Congrats, thats a super deal, your boat was basically free cause trailers are insured or valued for about $500 bucks on that model. 16'& 17' I'm guessing? I've done an open bow in Mission Bay about that size but did not want to try the Ocean in it, learn about bow swamping. Motor should charge that battery but a second regular battery soley for your outboard might be an idea, look into threads on dual batts and Perko switches. Fuel that old needs Stabil addative and gets your fuel to last longer. Your intention on fresh fuel is well meant but life happens and fuel gets old, use Stabil. This is just my quick thoughts ,many other posts on your topics.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Congrats on what looks like a real good deal. I too just got my first boat late last summer. I'll never forget the good feeling the first time I got it in the water.

 

[rndn]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

In my opinion, the boat is a little small to safely venture out into the open ocean. Even if you place a bow cover to help avoid bow swamping, the boat is just not big enough to safely go out there. It's a nice boat and for the price a real good deal. Stick to inland lakes so you don't need to worry about salt water damage and you should get some years of enjoyment from the boat as long as you take care of it.

 

[blouderback]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

In my opinion, size of the boat does not matter in determining if it's safe to go out in the ocean. What matters is your safety equipment, your knowledge, your experiece, and the weather/water conditions.

Please make sure you take a safe boating class before you go out in your boat again.

 

[steelespike]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Like the title says this is my first boat I have actually been able to put in the water and start!!! My first boat was given to me but needed extensive work that I don?t know how to do so she sits in my backyard catching dust (more on that later in a separate post), my second boat I boat off a guy for $500 I found on another board this boat was supposed to just need a tune up and some TLC turned out not to be the case and I ended up taking what I could and junking the rest.

Now to the good news after that 2nd boat I learned a few things and think I got a pretty good deal. This time around I insisted on a compression check and a test run both turned out great and now I am a proud of an 86 Bayliner Capri w/85hp Force outboard. Final price was $500 the dude that sold it to me was so cool he included a couple tubes, ski rope, 2 anchors, 2 extra propellers, extra gas cans and a bunch of other goodies.

Being the noob that I am I have a couple questions I am hoping you guys can help me with. Please forgive my stupidity.

1. Is this boat big enough for the ocean? I live in So.Cal and would like to hit the bays and maybe even make a run to Catalina. I know I need a lot more time on the water and the coast guard safety test and a few more things before I even think of it but I am just wondering if it?s possible and safe?

2. It has a deep cell battery for the engine and the stereo. Do I need to recharge this are does the engine re-charge it self like a car?

3. How long can I keep mixed gas? I have seen up to 3 months is ok but after that you need put in some additives. I don?t see myself ever hanging onto gas for more than a week or two but I would like to make sure I am doing things right.

4. I want to do many upgrades to the boat, rod holders, electronics, and so on. This weekend however I wanted to install trhe flush mount rod holders is the place I indicated below a good spot? I wanted to get the cheap rod holders that don?t have a cap is this advisable or should I spend a bit more and get the ones with the caps?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and thanks in advance for any help you guys can give.

Actually to be accurate your first "successful" boat.Congratulations.
That is a "deep cycle" battery and while some are not well suited for cranking
some have excellent cranking capacity.The key is you need to be sure your battery will start the boat when you need it.The safest way is to use the deep cycle to run the radio etc. and have a dedicated cranking battery.They
can be wired so both charge when running.Keep in mind that a 30 or 60 minute run isn't likely to recharge a days use of the deep cycle and might require an additional charge.Generally speaking rule of thumb is 2 hrs charge for each 1 hour of use.
As far as salt water use be sure to research proper salt water maintenance
it is not only flushing but wipeing down, use spray lube oiling greasing etc.
Be sure to figure out your bilge pump before your next trip out.
Be sure to check or replace the outboard impeller if you don't know the age.
Replace the lower unit lube An excellent way to tell the condition of the gearcase.
Treat your gas like you will be storing it for a year.All ways add stabil.
I have had gas properly treated last for several years.
In the past I have also had untreated gas last through Dec to May with no problems
but I now allways use trearment.

 

[James343]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Thanks for all the great replies!

As far as the salt goes I think im just going to keep it a freshwater boat aside from all the safety concerns it seems the maintnence after putting it in the ocean would be alot. I think my best bet is to use this boat to gain the experience I need on the water and then when Im ready to upgrade boats and find something that's more suited for the ocean.

Im going to try the rod holders where Tashasdaddy suggested I know its not as cold as the rest of the county but its still pretty cold here and a swim in the winter is something im not looking forward to.

I think the battery I have is a dual purpose deep cycle battery. Does this make any difference? I will check it out this weekend and try to find the brand and model number.

Is there a certain fuel additive I should be looking for? Are they all the same?

One more question. I want to give her a really good cleaning this weekend and a wax job. Can I use normal car wax or should I get something just for marine applications?

Thanks again for all the help. This board is a great service to the boating community. Its nice to have a place to go to ask questions and get great answeres from experienced people.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Not being comfortable with the size of the boat in saltwater is one thing but dont worry about hurting your boat in saltwater. Its a boat (and a 21 year old $500 boat at that) and last I looked there were about a zillion of them running around in the ocean. Get home hook up the muffs (which you will need anyway if you ever want to run your boat in the driveway) run it for 5-10 minutes...hose everything down. Done. I dont know why you anyone would want to limit themselves to a huge area of boating because they dont want to get their boat salty.

 

[steelespike]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

There is a product called "stabil" specifically designed to stabilize fuel.Also as I understand it "sea foam"is a decarb treatment/stabilizer.There are a number
of other treatments as well.It seems I read a outboard 2 stroke oil container that said contains a stabilizer.
As far as the battery goes Your main concern is its ability to start the boat after a day of idling around.The motor only charges above 1500 rpm.and
not a huge amount at that.
A dual puopose battery is a comprimise at both tasks.But it may serve your purpose fine.Batteries are rated in amphours. and cold cranking amps.The higher the number the higher capacity. A 12V.Trojan 30XHS a true deepcycle is rated at 130 amphours. and I think something like 800 cca.
It is capable of delivering high amperages.6 used in an electric car last about 1 hour depleted to 40%.Motive power is the most agressive use for a Deep cycle.These batteries last about 3 years in a typical motive application.Batteries should generally not be taken below 40%.It can happen occasionally but not as a usual occurance.The less a battery is discharged through a typical cycle the more cycles it can perform.Thus the higher the capacity the longer the life.The Trojan 30XHS wholesales for about $150.
here in the north east.May be more than a typical user needs but again the higher the capacity the longer the life.
There is a Deka group 30 Deep cycle rated at 105 amp hours that sells for about $80 and might be a good comprimise $ to cycles.

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

I have pretty much the same boat, only in a cuddy with a Volvo I/O.
I mostly boat in inland waters, but occasionally in offshore waters.
The boat handles fine offshore, although I always stay within a mile
of the shore, and boat there only when conditions are mild. I always
use a VHF radio with a weather channel, as the weather can change
awful fast at the most surprising times. You don't want to be far from
shore if conditions change. Your boat is fine for any water, as long as
the conditions are mild or better than that. Stay out of water with
waves that could cause a problem. Stay away from big boats that can
throw you a big wave from out of nowhere.

It's best to learn some boating basics, and become familiar with your
boat in mild water. It takes some breaking in for you to know your boat.
You got a good boat at an unbelievable price! Take care of it!
There is a Bayliner cd manual available on ebay. It has wiring diagrams,
and mostly good basic info, so I'd recommend it.
Outboard motor manuals are available from iboats.com

I second the use of Sea Foam as a fuel additive. Works great!

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Wish I could find a boat like that in my area for 500 bucks. I hate to be a jerk or something but, could there be hidden problems your not aware of? Maybe boats, like everything else, are just cheaper when you get away from my area. I'm no expert but, I think that thing would bring at very least 3 grand around here. Maybe closer to 5. Did you make a mistake in your original post? Did yo mean you paid 5000 for it, instead of 500? That still would be OK.

 

[James343]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Wish I could find a boat like that in my area for 500 bucks. I hate to be a jerk or something but, could there be hidden problems your not aware of? Maybe boats, like everything else, are just cheaper when you get away from my area. I'm no expert but, I think that thing would bring at very least 3 grand around here. Maybe closer to 5. Did you make a mistake in your original post? Did yo mean you paid 5000 for it, instead of 500? That still would be OK.

Nope it was $500. I thought it was to low to be true too and to be honest am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The guy who was selling it just upgraded to a newer boat and his HOA was on him about having this boat parked in the driveway. He had it listed for 2 months at $2500 then dropped it to $2000. I was going to look at the boat and make an offer of $1500 but my finances fell through so I couldnt. He e-mailed me a few days later and asked if I was still intrested and I explained my situation and asked how low could he go and he said $500 if I could take it off his hands that weekend. Not wanting to throw $500 down the tube I still asked for a compression check and a water test. The compression was good and even across all cyclinders. We took it out on Castaic and she ran great he wanted to stay out longer but I had things to do. Normally I am very suspicious but this guy seemded to be a really good guy he gave me his home number and cell if I had any problems. So here's to hoping there are still some honest people left in the world.

 

[Nandy]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

In my opinion, size of the boat does not matter in determining if it's safe to go out in the ocean. What matters is your safety equipment, your knowledge, your experiece, and the weather/water conditions.

Please make sure you take a safe boating class before you go out in your boat again.

I have a 10 feet jon boat with a 10 hp. I would like to see how long the best skipper will last with that boat offshore and storm swells... In an ideal situation, no problem, but if the water gets rough....

1. I having a meltdown here and the words escapes me, but basically your hull will not be the best for offshore. I would not dear go anywhere outside a bay. You can boat offshore with almost anything, the problem is when you have that nice weather turn sour and you are a bit too far to make it to the safety of the bay on time. What I am trying to say, yes you could, but you rather not, especially being a new boater. If you decide to take it offshore make sure you have at lease 2 completely independent bilge pumps.

2. Even if your battery is dual purpose, you are better off having a dual battery setup with a cranking marine battery for your motor and a deep cycle battery for everything else. There are some harness that you can put between the batteries so once your motor is done charging your cranking battery it starts charging your deep cycle battery.

3. Use stabil or another gas stabilizer in your gas tank all the time. There is an ongoing debate about gas storage. You either want a full tank or a completely empty tank. That will help you keeping the tank from getting humidity and eventually water in the tank. I have always keep my tanks full. A couple of weeks with a partially filled tank wont cause problems though.

4 I don't have much to say about the rod holders. You have good advice there.

I think you got a heck of a deal. Even if you have rot in the boat you have a deal. The only issue will be your motor. As some point out it is hard to get parts for it. Boat safely, enjoy your boat and come back to visit often.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Nope it was $500. I thought it was to low to be true too and to be honest am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The guy who was selling it just upgraded to a newer boat and his HOA was on him about having this boat parked in the driveway. He had it listed for 2 months at $2500 then dropped it to $2000. I was going to look at the boat and make an offer of $1500 but my finances fell through so I couldnt. He e-mailed me a few days later and asked if I was still intrested and I explained my situation and asked how low could he go and he said $500 if I could take it off his hands that weekend. Not wanting to throw $500 down the tube I still asked for a compression check and a water test. The compression was good and even across all cyclinders. We took it out on Castaic and she ran great he wanted to stay out longer but I had things to do. Normally I am very suspicious but this guy seemded to be a really good guy he gave me his home number and cell if I had any problems. So here's to hoping there are still some honest people left in the world.

Cool!

 

[Hashi]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

I found that all the honest people are here on iBoats!

 

[tomh59]

Re: My first boat and it works!!!

Great deal on the boat. A safe boating course is number one followed by a healthy dose of common sense. If you are not familier with the waters you are navigating,headway speed. NO faster. Enjoy your boat.