|
I took the boat for a water test today with a couple of friends.
The pros: I really liked the way it handled with the 50hp motor. We even had 4 guys on the boat at first. I wanted to see how it would perform with a bunch of people on board. It took a little while to plane but it made it. When we had two people it planed quickly. I really like how open the deck plan is.
The cons (concerns): The idle may be a little low. (this is what the owner thinks) It was stalling when we put the boat into reverse when we were docking. Upon restarting it took a little bit to stay running. Also on the first few accelerations the engine seemed to bog down before kicking in. Their explanation is that it has been sitting. When I spoke to the mechanic that did the 100hr service, he said everything looked great and the compression was good. I'm going to talk with him to validate some of the engine quircks. The engine did seem to run better when it was running for a little bit.
When just the owner and I went out, he was driving, he said that when you let go of the steering wheel while moving along, it will veer to the right. I was sitting beside him and I figured that the weight should have been somewhat evenly distributed. There was no feedback from the steering wheel that suggested it was pulling, it just did when you let go. Is this a common occurance with a side console? The skeg on the lower unit has been damaged. It is slightly out of true, I'm not sure how much this is actually would effect the veering. Also, the owner, made note of a zinc anode that has a bit of a 'keel'. This was slightly not in alignment. He said this can be turned to straighten the boat. Is this something that is true?
I didn't get to test the trolling motor, it was at the mom's house. Went to see it later. It is a 46lb Motorguide with a foot control.
All in all, I like the boat, it looks a little rough from sitting out all the time, but it can handle it. My main concern is the motor and the steering. They are asking $4900. I want to talk with the mechanic and hope to hear from some of you all again. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Any ideas on the worth would also be welcome.
Thanks again, Jerry
|