Fish or cut bait? Poll on what to do next.

[DaveInGA]

I'm at a crossroads with the boat and need to make some choices. Not sure which would be the best thing to do next, so I'm putting out a poll to help make the choice. Thank you for participating. Comments are welcome too.

 

[moberg12]

I voted take the motor off and continue working on the boat!! If you have the money to restore a boat you'll have the money to put a couple bucks away to deal with the motor when you get to that hurdle.

 

[Hanr3]

I too voted to finish the boat then deal with the motor.

Once the motor is operational you'll want to put it on and go boating, then the boat will never get done. :mrgreen:

 

[Howard]

I voted to replace those bearings first. The first thing I did was get my trailer road ready. I had to toat my tin around a bit, car wash, welder, supply store ect. I have read so many times people buying used trailers and then ending up on the side of the road because they did not replace bearings -- a small fix.

 

[bassboy1]

Get the boat done before the engine. We have plenty of electric only water around here, so a completed boat with no motor will catch you more fish than a boat still in pieces all over the shop with a functioning motor will.

But, get the trailer finished first and foremost. If you wait until the end, you aren't going to want to put time or money into it, as you've completed the boat, and just want to test the boat, and then you'll never get around to fixing it (and trailer work isn't all that glamorous either).

 

[Captain Ahab]

My thoughts remain the same as when this site 1st started - GO FISHING!


I suggets you do whatever it needs so you can use it ASAP - then GO FISHING and use that time to think about what else you want done.

Works for me - of course, i have not yet finished the thinking stages but we do have long conversations about how i want the boat to eventually be

I might need another boat so I can work on this one!

 

[DaveInGA]

Well, mosquitoes managed to lay eggs and hatch in the water in the bilge area of the boat, so I decided it was best I got it outside on slope to drain and dry out as much as possible. I had to use the wet/dry vac to get most of the water out, as the bulkheads don't have "pass through" holes in them. Gonna have to drill them. Any ideas on what do use to get in those tight spots, I'd be interested.

I think based on the responses, I will continue to work on the boat, but while I'm waiting for the boat to drain and dry, I'm going to clean the dirt dobber mudd off the motor, check out the damaged wires, do a compression check and drain the lower unit's oil to see if there's water in the lower. After that, I'll know enough to be able to decide to keep or sell the motor, so I can take it off the boat and continue to work on the boat.

Sometimes "events" help make decisions for you. Dang skeeters.