Now that she's wears a complete new transom (new wood & tin skins inside & out), this year's upgrades are focused on the cockpit and steering.
Seats
They weren't in my initial 2018 plan but I won a $200 gift card to Cabelas from work, so I researched seats up & down and all over - read all reviews - and settles on some Tempress folding seats, with the heavy plastic base. lo' and behold they are the same model plastic-frame seats that have been in my boat since 1997.
I doubt the former owner put any seat covers over them when not in use, but since I put it out on a mooring 24/7 from late April through October in the salt air and sun, I do use seat and console covers to protect against UV damage. Good to know that the Tempress seats hold up, as there's nothing wrong with the old ones less the vinyl covers.
I guess I could have checked with Starcraft to see if I could have bought replacement vinyl covers for them, but I'm putting them on my youngest daughter's 12' Starcraft skiff ... so that works!
Steering
The former steering didn't have that 'no feedback' or anti-OB torque steering control that essentially locks the wheel from turning from torque induced by the motor. Read a lot online where people are moving to Uflx items from Teleflex, for both cable and hydraulic steering systems, so I went with the Uflex anti-torque cable steering for the 60hp.
OMG ... what a simple upgrade, getting the tools ready is one thing, but start to finish ... including tearing apart the starboard gunnel area for access to the cable, I got the old system out and new one in, in less than 2-hours. That deserves a nice cold beverage!
I will say that the fit, finish, and quality of materials appears much better on the Uflex cable steering kit I bought, than from previous Teleflex units I've purchased - more SS hardware vs regular or even worse, cast/pot metal.
Seats
They weren't in my initial 2018 plan but I won a $200 gift card to Cabelas from work, so I researched seats up & down and all over - read all reviews - and settles on some Tempress folding seats, with the heavy plastic base. lo' and behold they are the same model plastic-frame seats that have been in my boat since 1997.
I doubt the former owner put any seat covers over them when not in use, but since I put it out on a mooring 24/7 from late April through October in the salt air and sun, I do use seat and console covers to protect against UV damage. Good to know that the Tempress seats hold up, as there's nothing wrong with the old ones less the vinyl covers.
I guess I could have checked with Starcraft to see if I could have bought replacement vinyl covers for them, but I'm putting them on my youngest daughter's 12' Starcraft skiff ... so that works!
Steering
The former steering didn't have that 'no feedback' or anti-OB torque steering control that essentially locks the wheel from turning from torque induced by the motor. Read a lot online where people are moving to Uflx items from Teleflex, for both cable and hydraulic steering systems, so I went with the Uflex anti-torque cable steering for the 60hp.
OMG ... what a simple upgrade, getting the tools ready is one thing, but start to finish ... including tearing apart the starboard gunnel area for access to the cable, I got the old system out and new one in, in less than 2-hours. That deserves a nice cold beverage!
I will say that the fit, finish, and quality of materials appears much better on the Uflex cable steering kit I bought, than from previous Teleflex units I've purchased - more SS hardware vs regular or even worse, cast/pot metal.
