superheat6k
Well-Known Member
A spare leg - won't be that long until you need it anyway !!!
Basic / essential kit advice sought....
- Thread starter BobWad
- Start date
BobWad
Member
What makes you say that ?
baylabayla3288
Well-Known Member
I have your boat's smaller sister, a 2052. I bought it new year 2000 and it has not missed a beat. Only normal maintenance and once replaced the risers and exhaust manifolds. Mine has a Mercruiser v6 4.3 EFI 210 hp. Really great boat! I use mine for commuting, fishing (salmon trolling, whitefish angling, pike etc...). It is also perfect for day cruising due to its practical decks. Gratulations!
here is a youtube link on a sister ship of mine with the smaller V6 of 190.
https://youtu.be/jN0xG0z0eIQ
...and yes I only carry a couple of screw drivers, some wrenches and top up oils witch I have never used during the season
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baylabayla3288
Well-Known Member
No you don't unless you hit something hard. Mine still have the original Alpha One from year 2000. Only oil changes, zink replacements and bellows needed so far.
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Bluebird
Active Member
The RNLI offer a free face to face advice service called Advice Onboard. You can apply online here https://rnli.org/safety/respect-the...Pages/advice-onboard-tabs/Book-a-session.aspx
AndieMac
Well-Known Member
Good luck with the new boat BW, exciting times ahead.
Just on the tool kit thing, you really only need to carry enough tools to suit the bolts, screw-heads etc that are going to be necessary for likely part failures, not the whole set of sockets, spanners and screwdrivers.
For example, replacing a serpentine belt on the Mercruiser, filter removal strap for fuel filter, socket/spanner for checking connectivity of the battery earth lead on engine block, emery cloth/steel wool etc.
Keep things minimal and light, including small amounts of top-up fluids, leg oil, outboard oil (auxiliary or dinghy), besides not having much storage space on a seven metre boat, you just won't use it.
Spray your Mercruiser with a good quality lanolin based product to protect from corrosion a couple of times per season, besides protecting the engine it provides a nice full gloss appearance, making it look loved.
Just on the tool kit thing, you really only need to carry enough tools to suit the bolts, screw-heads etc that are going to be necessary for likely part failures, not the whole set of sockets, spanners and screwdrivers.
For example, replacing a serpentine belt on the Mercruiser, filter removal strap for fuel filter, socket/spanner for checking connectivity of the battery earth lead on engine block, emery cloth/steel wool etc.
Keep things minimal and light, including small amounts of top-up fluids, leg oil, outboard oil (auxiliary or dinghy), besides not having much storage space on a seven metre boat, you just won't use it.
Spray your Mercruiser with a good quality lanolin based product to protect from corrosion a couple of times per season, besides protecting the engine it provides a nice full gloss appearance, making it look loved.
superheat6k
Well-Known Member
An outdrive, with all its delicate control mechanisms, on most boats sits immersed in seawater, and even those that will lift clear are still only inches from it and these are rarely flushed. Then there is the rubber diaphragm separating the boat from the sea. The shaft seals are prone to fishing line damage and any water ingress into the gearbox can be hugely damaging.
You won't have to wait too long on here to see yet another tale of woe about problems with out drives, indeed there is a thread running presently.
With proper annual maintenance, and as I understand it, a leg has a service life between major overhauls of ~10-12 years, but the rubber diaphragm and other bushes linkages etc require its removal every ~2 years. Thus the improved fuel efficiency, which is marginal at cruising speeds anyway, means many hundreds of hours per annum are needed to achieve greater economy for an outdrive over a shaft.
With a shaft all the delicate bits are inside away from the seawater and are never immersed in it. Seals and cutlass bearings will last ~15-30 years indeed those on my own boat are original at 25 years old and are not yet shot.
So the key issue you have is not knowing how diligently the previous owners have been with the maintenance. I accept others like them, but I will never own a boat with one.
As someone new to boating have a clearer understanding about the potential drawbacks of outdrives is IMHO essential, although I also recognise that much below 28' an outdrive or outboard is likely the only choice. I guess if you are trailering you can at least flush after each use.
Good luck with your search.
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