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Most shops charge in excess if 125.00 per hour for labor...can you afford that seeing how this is your first boat?? Can you do your own service and maintainence ?? As others have mentioned, I would recommend an 18-19' aluminum boat with deeper sides. Less expensive to maintain, less fuel to burn and a better resale down the road. Every year a number of folks loose their lives because they thought they could drive an 80 mph boat !!

Guess seasons end has folks in a bitchy mood....definitely won't respond anymore !!

My fish go into a cooler with ice, then get filleted, and cooked, no matter what the temperature is ! Lol...

Two things are against buying an older fiberglass boat....age and a tight budget ! While old glass boats might be cheap or even free, they are costly and expensive to overhaul. Aluminum boats have very little wood which makes them much easier and less expensive to overhaul. Glass boats being heavier, give a smoother ride in choppy water but take more to to get them on plane. Have owned both in my 60 years of boat ownership, I have learned.....today I so I'd not even look at a glass boat anymore. Having rebuilt a couple wood Lyman boats, the all wood boat was easier and less costly than overhauling a glass boat. But in the overall scheme of things, the aluminum hull is easier to maintain, and overhaul and carries a much better resale value....consider an aluminum boat, more bang for your buck and easier to work on !!

First thing I would do is cancel the 1K payment made to BPS for the labor and batteries, hopefully you used a credit card !! You could use one if the interstate batteries for a start only battery, charged by your outboard. You do need a good deep cycle battery for electronics only, charged by a charger. If your running a trolling motir, you will need deep cycle batteries for that trolling motor, depending on the draw and voltage requirements. I would have a serious talk with the BPS service manager as they definitely screwed you over !

Double that amount and get a good battery with a good reputation and the BMS system. It is for a boat....no place to skimp and ruin your day. If an extra 88 bucks is a problem, consider another hobby.

My V bottom is off center 4-5" and has no issues tracking straight. Go fishing and show us what you catch !!

You are demanding to much from your starting battery ! Deep cycle batteries normally do not work well as a cranking battery and are not recommended for that by most mfgrs. A cranking only battery is a safety so you don't get stranded on the water. Your alternator will keep that battery topped off. You need a good deep cycle battery to run your electronics ! Trolling motor should have its own batteries and chargers. Deep cycle batteries don't care for high charge rates from alternators. I run a single group 31 deep cycle for all my accessories, charts, bilge pump, aerators, lights, radios etc and can run all day with power left over. Cranking an engine really sucks power from a deep cycle battery as they are designed for lower continuous power draw.

While dual purpose batteries don't last as long as a true deep cycle, he should not run out of battery after three hours !!

Time to run some tests to find out. Could be either fuel pump or new hose or fittings

Can't see enough in your pic to tell if batteries are wired correctly or not. The cables disappear from the pic to know where they go. On my boat..there are two deep cycle batteries for trolling motor only ! One group 31 deep cycle for accessories, fish finder, lights, radio etc and have yet to run it down over an 8 hour day ! One group 24 start engine only battery. Start battery is charged off of outboard, others have built-in chargers that I plug in while boat sets in my barn. Never have I run the batteries down where power is to low to run my stuff.

I think you just realized it might be time to replace your carpet...also consider the type of carpet you replace it with. On aluminum boats I use shorter nap because a couple of minor scratches don't mean much, but on nicely finished glass hulls I use longer nap for better cushioning. Crud, dirt and other stuff can get trapped in the carpet, so cleaning that carpeted bunk on occasion can help.

Check all the batteries with a good von to be sure the readings are accurate. My boat runs two group 31 deep cycle batteries for the trolling motor which draws far more than your electronics and I can run for 8 hours ! On the few occasions I have used Interstate batteries, I have had results similar to yours, which is why I stopped using them years ago. Many folks have had great success with them, but not me or my two neighbors. My current batteries are "walmart" from 2019 and still going strong. Go thru your wiring and check co for good clean solid connections...poor connections can cause weird things to happen..

Like anything there are some tricks to get it right. Have done it a few times and they came out OK. Getting the cover on right and keeping it tight are the keys as you add the snaps. Some extra hands and non marring clamps will help a bunch. Don't be afraid to put the cover on and off a few times before starting the snaps, you need to get a feel for how the cover fits before you start making holes !! Good luck, hope you have lots of friends....lol...

Just remember, better to be to long than to short !!

I would plug it to be safe, I had to learn the hard way. Mine stays plugged unless I need to use the livewell, but I don't really use them.

Makes a canoe much faster with oars locks. Many years back some guys at work decided to have a canoe race. Me by myself against two other guys with paddles. I rigged my canoe with oars and was much faster than two guys with conventional paddles....

Why do women pay a thousand dollars for a purse or pair of shoes ? Why do some men pay thousands of dollars for a fancy shotgun ?

Many car guys that do upholstery can also do boat covers, especially during the off season. I have had many covers made by car guys that worked very well and about 30% less than a boat shop !

You might consider building a leanto or other simple structure to keep your boat in. At a prior residence, we had a 6' talk wood privacy fence, I used steel roofing panels and 2x4 to build a roof and three sides to park my boat under. Behind the fence where no one could see it. Snow, rain and sun stayed off the boat ! Only a few dollars more than the cost of a custom cover. When we moved out into the country, I built a pole barn so no cover us needed and if I change boat size, I don't need to get another cover made...lol..

I carry everywhere I legally can, at my age hand to hand combat is not a good idea. My wife is rises billed so I need to help her and yes we have been stalked on a number of ocassions. We don't go to places where crime is high, but when an old couple is spotted, they become easy targets. So far, just reaching for my licensed firearm, has had the bad guys turn and run without firing a shot. My choice to carry is my Makarov 9-18, great gun, never had a FF in the decades I have owned it. I might be getting up in age but still shoot and practice frequently.

My mother used to say that you needed a nice cedar board to cook the carp on, after seasoning well and baking it in the oven until done, you threw away the fish and ate the board ! Her famous Carp recipe !!

The biggest issue is...are you going to tow with it ? For just weather protection, most any will work, but towing puts the most strain on them. How much effort to you want to out into taking the cover off an on. Over the counter covers usually take more time to get them to fit right and stay taught. Custom covers typically last much longer and are much quicker to install and remove. My last custom cover was over 10 yrs old and other than being a little stained and faded was still in excellent shape when the boat was sold. As far as Dowco brand goes, I have saw decent fits and not so decent fits, how lucky are you ?

How well do you want it into fit and how long do you want it to last ? Most over the counter covers won't last long when towing because the cover will flap in the breeze. Most over the counter covers don't shed water or support snow as well as a custom made cover. A custom cover will go on and come off easier and quicker. You get what you pay for !!

I live along lake erie, the walleye capital of the world...so they say ! Tracker aluminum boats are very popular around here, and hold up well with lake Erie chop as long as they are used properly ! Neighbor has one about 30 years old, no issues. 17' with a 50 four stroke, does fine but could use more power, about 25 mph with two big guys and gear. I don't care for the layout in his boat, but that is a personal preference, nothing to do with quality. Like most other mfgrs, they have had their issues so a good research as to what to look for will help your inspection. Some folks aren't happy unless there boat goes 50 mph, so it depends on what your gonna do with it. My 16' aluminum tops out at 30 mph, rare is the day when the lake is calm enough to run that fast ! Avg speed is 18-24 due to water conditions, often slower. To old for water toys so a pleasure ride or fishing is the primary use of mine. Condition is everything in a used boat, examine carefully and test everything ! Good luck !