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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
It's that time of year to get things prepped for the upcoming season...
Mine has started with rearranging where I plug in the charger. Not thinking a couple of years ago when I installed a flush-mount plug for the onboard charger, I put the outlet plug on the starboard side of the rig which had worked just fine, but after a few times wanting to check the charger, I didn't like the fact I could not open the lid with the charger plugged in. So...the plug is now routed out the side next to the fuel lines, cables, etc. for the outboard, which allows me to have the boat covered completely, plug in quickly and be done.
The outlet was then replaced by a blue courtesy light. I purchased a second one so the back deck is lit up nicely and it should work fairly well to have them on while fishing in the dark. Will add one more for the front deck and possibly change out the single courtesy light under the starboard dash that really did nothing anyway. Maybe add a dimmer if possible to dampen the light a little more if it seems to be a touch too bright...gotta go out and see what it's like on the water first...
Not sure what else I plan on doing other than continuing to shine the finish up with buffing and polishing... I've got a couple of scratches that I have a feeling I could clear coat and smooth down, but I'm not that brave yet...
What's on your "to-do" list before season starts?
Steve
Edited by VMS 4/13/2020 7:00 PM
(LIghts with Flash on.jpg)
(Lights without flash deck.jpg)
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 Lights off.jpg (136KB - 494 downloads)
LIghts with Flash on.jpg (191KB - 521 downloads)
Lights without flash deck.jpg (184KB - 474 downloads)
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Setting up my front sonar position with another Helix to display the 360 only. Ram mount directly above the existing Helix Mega DI/GPS. Will display the 360 when I want to have that in use, and GPS when I don't. Should make my little ride complete.
Hitting it with the ceramic finish again, last year it held up great all season and actually still looks great. |
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Posts: 320
| Gonna install the new Helix 10 and the autochart zero lines card to start mapping my lake. Also gonna get the Lakemaster Plus for WI and Ontario and also get a SS prop for the Johnson 90. |
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Posts: 353
Location: Western U.P. | sworrall - 4/13/2020 7:25 PM
Hitting it with the ceramic finish again, last year it held up great all season and actually still looks great.
I've recently been researching ceramic finishes for my vehicle. What product did you use on your boat? |
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Posts: 525
| I have a Helix to mount to utilize the iPilot link and MN lakemaster chip with the new terrova I got last fall... |
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Location: 31 | Good idea Steve, how did you know I was bored? I have to get this broken trailer step repaired, it gave way on my fishing partner Kenny last fall... we felt very fortunate that nothing serious happened, but his shins were still deeply skinned up from slamming into the other lower step in the dark. It's pretty obvious now that step should have never been added on top of the Ranger step like that, what a recipe for disaster.
I was flabbergasted when after calling EZ Step the guy tried to hang it on Ranger, and when I said something like; “that's such a ridiculous stretch ”. He instantly tried to walk it back and said that once they discovered the problem (with the way Ranger attached their step), he tried to contact the people who bought his early models to warn them.
I'm not sure how hard they really tried, and still miffed at EZ Step for not standing behind their product better. When I think how many times I put all of my weight on that step and could have went face down at a boat ramp from that height it kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Anyway, that's one of the boat projects… the new design will have a HD plate and gusset.
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ez step (1).jpg (63KB - 511 downloads)
ez step (2).jpg (42KB - 499 downloads)
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Location: 31 | Cedar - 4/14/2020 12:02 AM
sworrall - 4/13/2020 7:25 PM
Hitting it with the ceramic finish again, last year it held up great all season and actually still looks great.
I've recently been researching ceramic finishes for my vehicle. What product did you use on your boat?
Hydro, just need some warmer weather.
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Hydro.jpg (48KB - 512 downloads)
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Posts: 1711
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | replacing my weak ram mounts with cisco mounts for my hds live units. i'm contemplating adding another hds to the mix. a 3rd unit, especially a 12", would be really nice when using SI/DI and maps. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I ended up ordering new switches for the front of the boat (boat is a 2003 and all of the switches could not be read).
I ran the wiring a touch differently for the nav-anchor light. the main light at the console needs to be on first, and will light up Nav or Anchor, but then the bow light can be turned on for navigation up front if I choose to make a move with the bow-mount.
Removed some stickers that are no longer relevant on the boat as well (advertisements the previous owner had on there) Now all that is left is a little polish, buff and wax, final clean up and she will be ready to go. Might tackle some minor gelcoat scratches that are not into the glitter....just the clear coat. They always seem to show after a while even though they have been buffed and waxed.
Motor might get a new impeller this year...we will see how good the water pressure is...
Steve |
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Posts: 1516
| Jerry, how did the step fail? Did a weld break. |
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Posts: 181
| Install new Helix 7 all season up front.
Wash and wax plus carpet vaccuum.
Pick up boatbuckles to throw on the trailer and quit fooling around with separate ratchet straps. |
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Location: 31 | The weld broke - was a dangerous situation. I'll post an update with more detail on a new thread soon. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Jerry,
Duct tape...It fixes everything!! 
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Here’s my project
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5B39771D-623B-4AEC-AB4D-B9C013660E1D.jpeg (113KB - 557 downloads)
65CB4591-1B20-4817-AABC-D89377F17545.jpeg (144KB - 564 downloads)
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | cool lighting!! Nice you can tuck it away where it is unseen and have a nice deck glow... Very cool!!
Steve |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Have a couple video projects assigned to us for the Summer, so decided to replace my Helix 7 Mega on the front deck with a Helix 10. Should be here soon... |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | VMS - 4/29/2020 8:49 PM
cool lighting!! Nice you can tuck it away where it is unseen and have a nice deck glow... Very cool!!
Steve
Thanks! LEDs actually went on last year. I did and exhaustive rebuild on the whole interior. Stripped everything down to the crossmembers, sanded the inside down to bare aluminum, painted, added an additional bulkhead 33” aft to give myself a 7’ casting deck, new flooring upper and lower decks, new controls because everything was moved closer to the motor (plus the controls were 25 years old!) made a new windshield because the old one was cracked and crazing. I installed a new/used 2015 Merc Pro XS last year. She’s been a fine boat and should see me out.
Edited by stephendawg 4/30/2020 8:21 PM
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| That looks like a brand new boat, only better. Great job. |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | North of 8 - 5/1/2020 10:59 AM
That looks like a brand new boat, only better. Great job.
Thank you!
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | It’s a nice day so I thought I’d shoot a quick video to summarize my winter project
https://youtu.be/EaPFNrDshMg
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | One thing led to another, and I'm selling one more Helix All Season to install a Helix Mega Down and a Helix G3 10, then One Boat networking the whole shooting match. Hope to have that done next week. |
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Posts: 15
| stephendawg, your boat turned out super! Nice work! |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Thank you! |
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Posts: 399
Location: WI | New hubs for the trailer. New truck for the driver. |
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