The little things...

[ultra_1968]

I purchased my first "real" boat this week, and I have LOTS of questions, mostly about little things. I used this forum to research a lot of things prior to my purchase, and now I'm going to ask for input to help with these "little" questions.

Here are a few of my beginning questions, I'm sure I'll be back for more help as the season approaches. FYI, the boat is a 97' Monterey 185 bowrider.

1. The bow light was broken, but the wires are still there. The question, is this a specific light I need to hunt for, or can I get a generic one at a sporting good store?

2. The gas gauge show's 1/2 tank of gas. Should I put any treatment in the tank when I fill it up to take out the first time? (I assume the gas is left over from last season)

3. Speaking of gas, after a day on the lake, should I re-fill the tank before I store the boat in the garage or wait until I head out the next time?

4. Boat box, what should I have in it? I assume a copy of the title and any other paperwork, but after that, anything I put in is just a crap shoot.

Thanks in advance for your wisdom, there is no price I can put on it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: The little things...

Your bow light should be able to be easily replaced with a generic. You can't "renew" old gas. If you're concerned that it is really old, drain it. Otherwise just dilute it by filling up the rest of the tank with fresh gas. If you don't have a water separating fuel filter, consider installing one. People constantly argue about whether it's better to store with a full tank or an empty tank. Personally I don't worry about it. I use my boat frequently enough to not have fuel sitting for months.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: The little things...

I think in the summer it's better to keep it full--less air for condensation. With temp changes it breathes like a lung. PLus it's all ready to go next time--if you trailer, just swing through the gas station on the way home.
Note: filling a boat on a trailer doesn't always get it to full. And a gas guage is a very rough approximation. So if the old gas is still good (was it treated? Have you checked it for general funkiness?) consider running out of gas so you know true empty, then watch the guage as you fill it--it may say 1/2 at 3/4 full; it may say 1/4 at almost empty.
the "boat box' question has been discussed a whole lot. It's quite personal and driven by the type of boater you are and boating you do.

 

[ultra_1968]

Re: The little things...

Thank you both for your input. I'm not worried about the quality of the gas, as it ran good on the test run, just was thinking treatment might help the engine after the winter period. I will trailer it to and from the lake(s), so I'll plan to keep the tank full. As for the boat box, I'll do a search and see what others have to say on the subject.
Thanks again.

 

[smclear]

Re: The little things...

Re: questions 1-3. I agree with the previous posts. As far as the "boat box" is concerned, I would be very reluctant to keep a title (even if only a copy) in it. Having a title on board might be very beneficial to thieves. The only 'legal' document I carry on board is the registration. Here's a question for you. Do you carry the title of your car in the vehicle? I am guessing you don't. Know one I know does, which in itself, doesn't really mean much. I also boat on a small lake (3500 acres) so I'm never far from help. I do carry a small assortment of basic tools such as a couple of screwdrivers, and a adjustable wrench. Like I said, I am never far from help. Now if I were out in open water, where help may be hours away, I would probably stock my "box" with more tools.

 

[ultra_1968]

Re: The little things...

Thanks SM, I WAS meaning registration, not the title. I will probably NEVER put this boat on a body of water that you can't see land....those are just the lakes we have here (and it's a ski boat and it's only 18+ feet). I have one friend that I used to go to the lake with and he would bring his "box" and it looked like the court docs at the OJ Simpson trial...based on that, I guess I was assuming I need a huge laundry list of things to be kept in the boat.
Registration, small assortment of tools maybe an extra plug....this is sounding better all the time!

 

[Brewman61]

Re: The little things...

Not sure about your state, but we're (MN) issued a card when we renew our tabs every 3 years. That goes along in my wallet with my other ID. I don't keep any other boat specific paperwork in my boat, especially the title. I'm assuming your state doesn't issue such a card? Ours is even plasticky so water won't destroy it. If you can always see land from the boat, have a couple paddles or oars, your cell phone, some signaling device like a horn or whistle, good to go. And some extra rope in case you need someone to drag you back.

 

[ultra_1968]

Re: The little things...

Okay, so here is another situation. I will be trailering my boat to and from the water, and I there is no spare on the trailer. The tires appear practically new (lots of tread), but I still want a spare, because I'm not a fan of having to unhook my boat on the side of the road, so I can go find a tire. WHERE do I mount the spare? Do I have my dad and his "*****'n" welder attach a plate for the spare, or just always throw it in the back of the SUV?
I'm ignorant to the whole tire/rim thing, will the tire numbers/letters tell me what size rim I need to find? It's a Dorsey trailer.

 

[444]

Re: The little things...

The numbers on the side of the tire will tell you what diameter rim you need, but they don't tell you what the rim bolt pattern is. To measure this you measure from the center of a lug to the far outside of the furthest away lug. This is how you measure bolt pattern, and you would not believe how many guys out there measure center to center and can't figure out why their measurements don't compute. It's outside to center as seen in this pic.

To lug along a spare you can either make a mounting point on the trailer if you can find the room somewhere, or you can throw the tire in the back of the truck. I prefer having a fixed mounting point for it on the trailer, that way you don't forget your spare at home when you need it.

I don't even keep a boat box, I keep a sealed bag with my boat operator card and boat license papers. I keep the tool kit in the truck unless I have reason to for concern when I take it out.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: The little things...

WHERE do I mount the spare?

Most mount them on the tongue somewhere if you've got the room. You can use either one of these type mounts:

of one of these more simple U-bolt deals:

Mine is up on top:

 

[dozerII]

Re: The little things...

Welcome to the forum Ultra. I picked up one of these nice compact, water tight tool kits. It fits almost anywhere and will get you of most any pickle if your handy.
http://www.basspro.com/Allied?-31Piece-Tool-Kit/product/58370/-1093972
Glen

 

[ultra_1968]

Re: The little things...

Wow, you guys are amazing, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

New question - How much water should be in the boat after a trip to the lake? I put her on the water today for about 30 minutes, and I pulled the plug when I returned home. Probably less than 1/2 gallon of water, but having read all of these stories of having to re-do boats and holes/cracks in hulls, I'm nervous. Water conditions were pretty choppy with some white caps, and I tried to take off without the trim al the way down, so it did rear up a bit. I say all of that to try and give you experienced guys as much info as possible. I never turned on the bilge pump, so the amount of water was a total of the day. Is taking on a certain amount of water normal? Is there some water that comes in via the lower unit?
Just nervous...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: The little things...

Well TECHNICALLY there should be no water although chop and spray could account for some. You probably have a small leak somewhere.

 

[ultra_1968]

Re: The little things...

Thanks EZ,
The plug that came is an "iron or metal" plug. Could that be a source of water? And as long as I trailer it and drain it after use, should it be reasonably okay?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: The little things...

Probably. You really don't want water leaking somewhere through your transom rotting the wood. That's the biggest concern. Double check all your through hull fittings and attachments.

 

[Stachi]

Re: The little things...

Welcome to the forum Ultra. I picked up one of these nice compact, water tight tool kits. It fits almost anywhere and will get you of most any pickle if your handy.
http://www.basspro.com/Allied?-31Piece-Tool-Kit/product/58370/-1093972
Glen

read the reviews on that tool kit.....it's not waterproof...

 

[444]

Re: The little things...

Ideally you want zero water getting in there. If you have 1/2 a gallon, you probably have a small leak somewhere. Mine has a small leak and a little gets in when I'm not on plane. Take a look in there and see if you can figure out where it's getting in.

 

[ultra_1968]

Re: The little things...

New question and this weekends project. The inside of the trailer tire "wells" have/had plywood covered with carpet. The wood has completely rotted out...I actually lost one of them on the road the other day? The other is about to depart as well. So, this weekend, I'll make a cardboard template with holes for the carriage bolts. Is it worth my time to "treat" the plywood before covering with carpet or just let them go and expect to replace them in the future?
I'm a newbie, so if you say I should treat them, I need to know with what.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: The little things...

when you mount your trailer tire, consider: do you need to walk down the trailer tongue and is it in the way?
If you lay it flat you need a cover to protect it from sun (remove while driving).
Don't forget the right size tire iron. I had one i kept wired to the trailer. On another boat I kept one in the boat in the bottom of a locker. On a 13' boat I just put the spare and iron in the boat. Your car's jack ought to work but be sure.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: The little things...

2. The gas gauge show's 1/2 tank of gas. Should I put any treatment in the tank when I fill it up to take out the first time? (I assume the gas is left over from last season)

One note about boat gas gauges. Don't trust them, ever! Don't assume you have any more gas than what you just put in 5 minutes ago.

With some time you will learn how accurate your gauge is and where the bottom of the tank actually is. With any luck, they agree, but in a boat, they are often off.