Boat saga in Northern VA

[steveb1]

A have a little story I thought I would share with my fellow anglers in Virginia.

A little background, I'm really into woodworking, so one winter about 4 years ago, I decided to build a cedar strip canoe. The canoe turned out really nice, but I didn't get much opportunity to use it.

Two years ago I moved from Rochester NY to Virginia. I brought the canoe with me, and I finally had some weekend time to use it. Just paddling around seemed a little boring, so I decided to try some fishing. Well!!!!!!! This fishing thing is a lot of fun!!!!!!! Who'd a thunk!!!!! Only took me 50 years to figure it out.

I am thoroughly hooked (pun intended), and now I spend way too much time watching fishing shows.

Well, the canoe is nice, but after watching all the shows and seeing the other anglers out on the water, bass boat *** has set in, ( a very debilitating desease), and I decided I had to have one.

Not wealthy enough to buy anything new (sticker shock just about stopped my heart), and being the bargain hunter that I am, I decided to check out the used boat market.

Being the geeky engineering type that I am, I went into full research mode, absorbing everything I could on bass boats. I studied advantages/disadvantages of the differnt sizes, length, beam, weight, type, prices, manufacturer, stability, resale value, horse power, age, you name it .... complete with excel spreadsheet.

In addition, I also asked for advise here, and got some really good pointers from several of you.

I scoured ebay, craigslist and every other online used boat site I could find. And, eureka, I found the perfect boat just after Christmas. A gentleman had a 1990 18ft Ranger 150HP asking $4500. I got on the phone and I was the first person to contact him and we agreed to take it out for a test drive the next weekend on Saturday (the day after New Years).

Just my luck, the cold weather settled in and froze the ramps near his location. Then things stayed frozen. Being that this is my very first boat, I didn't feel comfortable in buying a boat just hearing the engine run. But, someone else contacted him and agreed to buy the boat without a test drive. He was a gentleman and contacted me, and since I was first, gave me first opportunity to buy it without a test drive. I really wanted to take the boat out for a test drive, so I declined and walked away from the sale.

Try number two was a bust. A 1987 Ranger 18ft, 150HP. Got there and took it out for a test drive. The engine was ok, but pretty much everything else was shot. Batteries wouldn't charge, I don't think a single gauge worked. The carpet had been removed and it was spray coated with some kind of rough gritty floor paint. The boat was a wreck.

Back to the drawing board..... searching, searching, searching....... Finally, in late Jan, another boat pops up on the radar screen. This time its a 1989 Ranger 396V, 19ft with 200HP asking $4000. I rushed over and we tried to take it out on a small lake near his location. The boat had one issue. steering cable needed to be replaced. I was ok wth the steering cable, but I still wanted to hear the engine under load. We were able to get it in the water but there was too much ice to get out to the main portion of the lake. I was able to gun the engine for a few seconds. Everything else about the boat seemed perfect. So I swallowed my uncertaintly and made an offer of $3600. Sold!!!!

So the next phase of my saga, I am now the owner of Ranger that needs the steering fixed. Back to research mode to study everything I can about replacing steering cables. It turns out that this boat has Teleflex dual cable rack steering. But around 1994 Teleflex makes a fudamental change to their dual rack system. On my boat it takes two seperate cables and the helm has two sets of gears for the individual cables. On the post 1994 boats there is a dual cable that terminates in a single rack gear. So on the newer systems when one cable goes, you have to replace both cables.

It turns out the the steering works ok to one side but can only go so far in the other direction. So step one, determine which cabel is bound up, or better yet my little inner genius voice says to me, see if a little WD40 and effort, can free up the sticky cable. Here is where I want to kick myself for a fool!!!! In my effort to work the cable free, I broke the helm! Ok, so I need to replace the helm, how hard can that be, and they are significantly cheaper than the cables. Well, not so fast..... teleflex sells the old style cables (pre1994), but the old style dual helms are obsolete and they do not have any.

After a lot of hunting on the internet, I found a boat salvage that had an old style Teleflex dual cable helm for $50! WooHoo! Back in business!

I got the helm, and went back to the boat to remove the broken helm and install the new helm. This time I wasn't gong to force anything. I was going to just identify and replace the bad cable. As I took the old helm out, something bad became obvious. The old broken dual helm wasn't made by Teleflex!!!! I had not done my research thuroughly enough, it turns out the system that was in my boat was by Morse(no longer in business)! And even though Morse and Teleflex cables of this era are interchangable, the helms have different mounting hardware. The helm I got from the salvage did not come with the necessary additional mounting hardware.

The good news is I'm only out $50, but the idea of only replacing the one cable is now out.

The hopefully happy ending is just around the corner though. Even though replacing the entire package is more expensive, there are several advantages:

• The new replacement steering package adds a new "no feedback" feature.
  

• Since one cable was bad, the other was probably close behind.
  

I found the complete Teleflex NFB dual rack steering package, in the length I need, for $320 online. I should get it sometime next week.

So here I am all excited that my saga is finally about to come to a conclussion and I will be on the water next week, when I am told I have to go to China for the next two weeks, and I won't be able to work on it until the middle of March.

Sigh, I can see light at the end of the tunnel, or is that the train lights coming at me?

[VABasser]

Congrats on the boat buy.  I'm sure it will serve you well.  I recommend spending your fishing time on the Potomac if you hadn't already planned on it.  It's an awesome fishery.  Sometime this spring/summer I'm sure we will organize some type of tourney for fun, you should join us

[Dan:]

wow, sounds pretty frustrating but I'm sure it'll be worth it when you're out on the river this summer.

[NOVA Angler]

Steve,

Congrats on the boat.  I've bet you learned a lot and have saved yourself a lot of money in the process.  Let us know when you take her out for the maiden voyage!

-Rob 

[steveb1]

In regards to the cost, after I broke the helm I was ready to cut my losses and have a professional finish the job, so I took my boat into a respectible boat service center that had been recommended to me to get a quote. They wanted $700 for the parts and 3-5 hours for labor at $125/hr, for a total of ~$1100 to $1300.

After picking my jaw up off the floor, I decided to work on it myself a little bit longer. It remains to be seen if this is the right decission.

[stratos 375]

I think the light you see is definately the train comin.If you got "service" shock from a steering system fix, wait 'till your engine lower unit or upper end craps out on you. Or your Tr. motor dies, pumps and gauges stop working, electronics quit, trailer needs major attention, wiring gremlins and dry rot hoses appear from nowhere, carpet starts coming up, deck lids get sloppy, and soft spots in the floor develop.

That's just the mechanical aspect of it, those things can and will happen without human intervention. Then there's the learning curve from a canoe to a 19 footer. That learning curve has the potential to also cost you a lot.

There's a good reason you got a 20K boat for 4 grand. It's on it's way out. It has approached the age where it will start nickel & diming you to death. There's a chance the above gloom & doom scenario won't befall you, but you'd be one out of 20. Boats that age need constant attention if you're gonna use them for anything but fishing in a millpond. Trust me, I've got a '84 I bought new, and I've replaced everything on it, at least twice or 3 times. Unless the boat was kept in a time capsule, these things have a finite life span, especially if the've got wood in them.

If you want to be pro active, start replacing the simple things before they break as money is available. If you're good with your hands and mechanically inclined, you'll save a lot of dough. In my case, I've worked from the "neck up" most of my life, hand tools, wires and grease just ain't my thing. Thankfully for many years of my boat ownership, I had a good boat mechanic close by.

Welcome to the world of bass boat ownership

[steveb1]

Congrats on the boat buy. I'm sure it will serve you well. I recommend spending your fishing time on the Potomac if you hadn't already planned on it. It's an awesome fishery. Sometime this spring/summer I'm sure we will organize some type of tourney for fun, you should join us

I definitely plan on fishing the Potomac, and hope to hook up with the regulars on this board. Probably won't happen till late March or early April.

Along with the Potomac, I plan on spending some time at Lake Anna.

I live near Algonkian Park on the upper Potomac, and I have been out on my canoe here, and I have seen a lot of aluminum jon boats here, but I think taking a large fiberglass boat out on this section of the river would be asking for trouble. (Too shallow).

[Dan:]

Congrats on the boat buy. I'm sure it will serve you well. I recommend spending your fishing time on the Potomac if you hadn't already planned on it. It's an awesome fishery. Sometime this spring/summer I'm sure we will organize some type of tourney for fun, you should join us

I definitely plan on fishing the Potomac, and hope to hook up with the regulars on this board. Probably won't happen till late March or early April.

Along with the Potomac, I plan on spending some time at Lake Anna.

I live near Algonkian Park on the upper Potomac, and I have been out on my canoe here, and I have seen a lot of aluminum jon boats here, but I think taking a large fiberglass boat out on this section of the river would be asking for trouble. (Too shallow).

Yeah, I would save the canoe for the Upper Potomac. Fiberglass+rocks= :'(

[steveb1]

There's a good reason you got a 20K boat for 4 grand. It's on it's way out. It has approached the age where it will start nickel & diming you to death. ... Boats that age need constant attention if you're gonna use them for anything but fishing in a millpond. Trust me, I've got a '84 I bought new, and I've replaced everything on it, at least twice or 3 times. Unless the boat was kept in a time capsule, these things have a finite life span, especially if the've got wood in them.

Welcome to the world of bass boat ownership

20K for a new 19ft Ranger with 200HP engine? Show me where, and I'll buy it today!!!!! The sticker shock I saw was a lot more than 20K.

As far as the boat falling apart, that may have been the case if I had settled for a Stratos, but that's why I waited for the more reliable Ranger. ;D

Just kidding, I know what you're saying.

[stratos 375]

the 20K was in reference to the cost of the Ranger in 1989, I'm not really sure what they went for new, but I would guess it would have been close to 20k. I should have been more clear.

No offense meant, but by virtue of you asking if it's the train you see coming, you invited opinion. I gave it. I most certainly hope it gives you a few years of cost free pleasure, but that's generally not the case with bass boats over 20 years old, unless the've been very well cared for. Many of them "get run hard, and put away wet."

If I could have afforded it back in the early 80's, I would have bought a Ranger, but the fact that I bought a Stratos

had no effect whatsoever on the amount of fish I've caught over the years. A platform's a platform.

To say that a Ranger is more reliable than a Stratos is a bold statement  from a guy who's just coming out of a canoe, a craft who's basic design has changed very little in the last 10,000 years. I too, am just kidding.

[GLADES]

Ranger boats are very well made and you can still get some parts from the dealer. That really helps a lot when owning a older boat. You are going to have to learn how to do some of the regular maintenance and repairs yourself. Bilge pumps/ live well pumps wear out, through the hull fittings need to be replaced if they crack(you should check your fittings in the bilge), replacing gauges and minor electrical issues. Learning how to replace your outboard water pump housing and impeller is a good idea too. On a mercury OB, it is really pretty easy. I bought a older boat(87) and I have done all the things listed above. Don't forget about the trailer. Make sure the hubs/bearing/tires are in good condition and well greased.Knowing that I have personally inspected and replaced/serviced gives me piece of mind out on the water and on the road. Good luck with your boat and tight lines.

[NOVA Angler]

I think the light you see is definately the train comin.If you got "service" shock from a steering system fix, wait 'till your engine lower unit or upper end craps out on you. Or your Tr. motor dies, pumps and gauges stop working, electronics quit, trailer needs major attention, wiring gremlins and dry rot hoses appear from nowhere, carpet starts coming up, deck lids get sloppy, and soft spots in the floor develop.

That's just the mechanical aspect of it, those things can and will happen without human intervention. Then there's the learning curve from a canoe to a 19 footer. That learning curve has the potential to also cost you a lot.

There's a good reason you got a 20K boat for 4 grand. It's on it's way out. It has approached the age where it will start nickel & diming you to death. There's a chance the above gloom & doom scenario won't befall you, but you'd be one out of 20. Boats that age need constant attention if you're gonna use them for anything but fishing in a millpond. Trust me, I've got a '84 I bought new, and I've replaced everything on it, at least twice or 3 times. Unless the boat was kept in a time capsule, these things have a finite life span, especially if the've got wood in them.

If you want to be pro active, start replacing the simple things before they break as money is available. If you're good with your hands and mechanically inclined, you'll save a lot of dough. In my case, I've worked from the "neck up" most of my life, hand tools, wires and grease just ain't my thing. Thankfully for many years of my boat ownership, I had a good boat mechanic close by.

Welcome to the world of bass boat ownership

I guess that's putting it bluntly.  Sheesh.

[steveb1]

the 20K was in reference to the cost of the Ranger in 1989, I'm not really sure what they went for new, but I would guess it would have been close to 20k. I should have been more clear.

I hear you. But for an apples to apples comparison, if you want to use 1989 dollars for a new boat,  then the proper comparrison would be to buying a used boat in 1989, which would be closer to 2K. You still have a 10X differential in price. Or, add in inflation, which would make 20K in 1989 closer to 40K today.

Having said that, I basically agree with all the points you make, other than the conclussion,  that I would be better off buying a new boat for 40K.  I still think that amortized over the next 10 years the used boat with repairs will cost significantly less than a new boat. Now to your side of the debate, while the used boat will have cost less, the new boat will have been less of a hassle and have more features.

Feel free to reply, but I don't want to take this thread too much further down this angle or the moderator will move the discussion to the boating section.

[tboydva]

As an older boat owner, I would suggest taking a look over at the iBoats forums (forums.iboats.com). If you work on your own boat, there's a wealth of information available and folks can be very helpful if you run into an "unsolvable" problem.

Just be careful looking at the refurbish projects - you can get sucked into doing more than you might want! I am certainly one of those, "well, as long as I'm going to ... I might as well...." people!

[steveb1]

One more small side note to would be do it yourselfers.  I highly suggest that you take your cell phone out of your pocket before you start crawling around under the dash.   

Wish someone had given me this advice..........

[steveb1]

And that light at the end of the tunnel........its.........its........Success!!!!!!

I got back from China and the mail order steering cables were waiting for me to install. I took today off to do the installation (hoping to go fishing tomorrow). Almost everything went smoothly. Tied the rope to the dual cable and started pulling through the gunwale praying that they didn't get hung up. No problem they went right through.

Then I lined up one cable to transom tube, right in, no problem. But the second cable wouldn't line up. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. The cable came out straight when I removed the old cable, why wouldn't the new cable line up to go back in. I was to point where I was thinking that I would have to enlarge the opening where the cable came out from the fiberglass, when it suddenly dawned on me what the problem was. I had brought the motor down with the tilt control, which lifted the tube out of alignment with the fiberglass hole. Great! All I had to do was tilt the motor back up to align the tube, when...... nothing...... one of the pump switches in the console had been knocked to the on position and the batteries were dead. Rushed over to Sears Automotive Center and got a 12VDC to 120VAC inverter. I then used the 12V car battery to charge the 24V marine batteries. The boat has a built in 120VAC charger.

After charging the batteries, tilted the engine, and the steering cable slides right in transom tube smooth as silk.

Buttoned everything up, and took the boat down to Pohick Bay. I was very nervous since this would be the first time I would be out on open water with the boat (any boat!). Bear in ,that I have never owned a boat before. So I keep going every detail 20 times in my head before actually doing anything.

Boat started right up. Put the bilge plug in, check......Water spitting out, check.......oil level good, check.......

Put the boat in gear, and started accelerating, on plane, adjust trim..... took it up half way to about 3000rpm, boat was doing ~35-40. Fast enough for me at this point. We'll see what she can do flat out another day, when I have a little more experience under my belt.

We're in business! Bass you better look out now!!!!!!!

So here's a question: Any general advice on what section of river near Pohick Bay launch would be a good spot to try tomorrow? I plan on staying close to Pohick Bay launch until I get some hours on the boat to determine its reliability.

[Sam]

Great story. Congrats on getting the boat running.

I have no idea about the body of water you are fishing but I do suggest you make sure that you have everything required on the boat by the Commonwealth of Virgina, including your fishing license, as DG&IF conservation officers are on the prowl.

Fished Lake Gaston this past weekend and they were checking the boats and watching for boats going too fast through the no wake zones.

Also, suggest you take the Virginia Safe Boating classes via the DG&IF.

And don't forget that plug!!!!!        

[Bigs]

Glad to hear everything is kosher now. As for the river, its very muddy right now. The only good placeS to fish I know of is somewhere like blue plains which is too dangerous for you to navigate at your experience level, with all due respect. Maybe mattawoman creek. Some guys I know caught a few dozen today on crankbaits at mattawoman. Good luck and plz be safe. Lemme know if you need someone to help you with launching and puttin the boat back on the trailer, etc.. It's kinda nerve racking the first few times you put a boat on the water. So many things to think about and to remember to do. I have an annual launch pass for leesylvania which is the easiest ramp for a new boater to launch at and mattawoman is only maybe 1.5 nautical miles away from the ramp.

[NOVA Angler]

And that light at the end of the tunnel........its.........its........Success!!!!!!

I got back from China and the mail order steering cables were waiting for me to install. I took today off to do the installation (hoping to go fishing tomorrow). Almost everything went smoothly. Tied the rope to the dual cable and started pulling through the gunwale praying that they didn't get hung up. No problem they went right through.

Then I lined up one cable to transom tube, right in, no problem. But the second cable wouldn't line up. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. The cable came out straight when I removed the old cable, why wouldn't the new cable line up to go back in. I was to point where I was thinking that I would have to enlarge the opening where the cable came out from the fiberglass, when it suddenly dawned on me what the problem was. I had brought the motor down with the tilt control, which lifted the tube out of alignment with the fiberglass hole. Great! All I had to do was tilt the motor back up to align the tube, when...... nothing...... one of the pump switches in the console had been knocked to the on position and the batteries were dead. Rushed over to Sears Automotive Center and got a 12VDC to 120VAC inverter. I then used the 12V car battery to charge the 24V marine batteries. The boat has a built in 120VAC charger.

After charging the batteries, tilted the engine, and the steering cable slides right in transom tube smooth as silk.

Buttoned everything up, and took the boat down to Pohick Bay. I was very nervous since this would be the first time I would be out on open water with the boat (any boat!). Bear in ,that I have never owned a boat before. So I keep going every detail 20 times in my head before actually doing anything.

Boat started right up. Put the bilge plug in, check......Water spitting out, check.......oil level good, check.......

Put the boat in gear, and started accelerating, on plane, adjust trim..... took it up half way to about 3000rpm, boat was doing ~35-40. Fast enough for me at this point. We'll see what she can do flat out another day, when I have a little more experience under my belt.

We're in business! Bass you better look out now!!!!!!!

So here's a question: Any general advice on what section of river near Pohick Bay launch would be a good spot to try tomorrow? I plan on staying close to Pohick Bay launch until I get some hours on the boat to determine its reliability.

Sent you a PM Steve.

[Dan:]

Try to PM soccerplayer. He knows Pohick and adjoining areas very well.

The river seems to be doing just fine as of now. Soccerplayer absolutely crushed them today near Pohick but I don't expect him to give away too many secrets on his new spots just yet. Just know that fish are being caught in the river (and specifically near Pohick) right now.

[RockvilleMDAngler]

Congrats on the new boat and succesful steering upgrade!  Since you are new to bass boating and bass fishing in general I advise you to join a bass club as a co-angler before going out on the River regularly.  There are thousands of navigational hazards on the river that can mess your boat up big time!  Fishing as a co-angler with some experienced anglers is a great way to learn the little things (trailering, tilt/trim operation, chine walk prevention etc.) as well as learn how to navigate a very hazardous river.  Since your boat is a late 80's model that you got for a very good price I assume it does not have GPS, learning the best routes from an experienced angler will save you hours and hours of heartache not to mention serious $.  Plus fishing with experienced guys will help your techniques and show you lots of new spots to fish. 

Regarding the boat age/maintenance situation:  I tend to agree with Stratos 375.  I am still using my first boat which I bought in July of 2008.  It is a 1998 Skeeter 16'2" with a 90hp Yamaha 2 stroke.  It was the biggest boat I felt comfortable towing with my Chevy Equinox.  Since I bought it I have had to do the following maintenance as a result of unforseen issues (this does not count the other upgrades I did like GPS/new prop/1st 24v trolling motor/new seats/new trailer lights/new steering wheel/battery switch and trolling motor breaker switch):

-Re-wire the whole boat as the old wires were corroded (this is a constant problem since you cannot keep all water out of the boat, I have had to have at least three seperate wire repairs since re-wiring the boat the first time)

-Rebuild the whole motor after I sucked in some wood chips in Neabsco Creek, the overheat alarm did not work so I nearly killed the whole thing by idling it back to Leesylvania.

-Replace all bilge pumps and livewell pumps which required the removal of my gas tank.

-Replace a trailer wheel hub after the hub went bad 3/4 of the way to Chickahominy Lake at 11:45PM, I had to limp the boat in to the resort as I didn't have the replacement part and all the boat stores were closed.  The boat had to stay at the resort till Wed. since my hub had a custom nut that was damaged and needed to be sent from Skeeter.

-Replace 2 different depth finder transducers which were smacked by random logs/rocks and broke from the bracket.

-Replace 2 different battery chargers, luckily the second one was still under warranty.  One failed after the first day of a 2-day tournament so the second day I had barely any trolling motor power and fell from 4th to 18th.

-Had to replace my 6 month-old trolling motor after the motor fell off the shaft while on plane.  I hated the motor anyway so after it was replaced I sold it for a new one.  Never buy the MOtorguide Wireless series!!!

You get the point.  S**t happens on an older boat and you need to be ready for those costs or your boat will end up on craigslist at 1/2 what you paid for it.