Just joining the boating/fishing club and am super excited to have as much fun as y'all!
Picked up my first boat - a classic '78 15ft Ray Craft tri-hull with '78 Evinrude 85hp - a couple years ago for a few hundred bucks and have been slowly working to restore it. Finally got to a point a few weeks ago where I feel it's ready for normal use. Overhauled just about everything in/on the boat and motor, save for the gel coat. Runs absolutely great and from what I read the hull is built like a tank. She's a rough ride but, hey, she's all mine! Don't mind the bimini top (it's for the wife & kids).
There is one thing I've experienced with the motor both time I've had it on the water that I'm curious about. Twice, when approaching full throttle (I always slowly increase, never slam it down), the engine RPMs have suddenly shot up as it the prop were out of the water (which isn't the case). Thankfully my hand was on the control and immediately backed off. Up to about 75% throttle I haven't noticed any issues. First time it happened I thought I'd trimmed up to far but 2nd time I hadn't trimmed up much. I'm thinking a spun prop but not sure (I marked the prop and hub the other day and will check it after the next outing). Any ideas as to what this could be?
Always loved fishing ponds as a kid but never had the opportunity to do serious angling. No longer! I primarily want to fish for eaters, not trophies. Love me some whole fried crappie and striper!
First outing a couple weeks ago was on Ray Hubbard (never liked that lake). Drove by Lake Lavon this past weekend in think I'll go there on a regular basis. May go to Grapevine lake next weekend to check out the fishing scene with a coworker.
I'll likely be a common presence here as I love to learn and connect with like-minded people.
Thanks all for the warm welcome and also for the compliments on the boat.
Though I'm an accomplish garage mechanic I knew nothing about boats when I bought it (my only previous watercraft was a canoe - heavily modified, of course). When I got the boat it wouldn't run, tilt/trim was inop., wiring was a mess, interior was ratty, and the trailer was in shambles. But, I wanted a boat, had a young child (meaning little disposable income), and love tinkering. Since I've owned the boat I've done the following:
Motor:
Rebuilt carbs
Replaced fuel pump and hoses
Replaced starter solenoid
Replaced spark plugs
Replaced head gaskets
Replaced head cover gaskets
Replaced thermostats and gaskets
Replaced fuel tanks and feed hose/primer bulb
Replaced water pump assembly
Replaced shift shaft seal
Boat mechanical:
Rebuilt remote control
Installed new shift & throttle cables
Made new live well aerator with new hose
Made new bilge pump hose
Installed new speedometer pickup
New tachometer on order (will replace original speedometer if it doesn't work)
Boat electrical:
Made new battery-starter wires
Replaced tilt/trim motor
Replaced ignition switch
Installed operator safety kill switch/lanyard
Installed new navigation lights & bases with new wiring/fuses
Replaced bilge & live well pumps with new wiring/fuses
Installed deep-cycle battery to run all electronics
Redid all wiring using distribution blocks
Replaced trolling motor wiring and installed foot switch at the bow
Boat interior:
Removed all carpet & (most) adhesive
Removed hatch doors, sanded and applied KiwiGrip
Made new hinges for all hatches & seats
Replaced all seats
Installed new (temporary) carpet on main floor
Made new bow access panel
Trailer:
Replaced wheels & tires
installed new leaf spring hanger
Replaced bow winch
Replaced trailer-vehicle safety chains
Replaced winch stand-bow eye safety chain
Made new bow eye-trailer safety (vertical) chain with turnbuckle & safety backup (in case turnbuckle fails)
Replaced all lights & wiring from tongue back
Replaced transom straps
Accessories
Installed fish finder & transducer with new wiring
Installed cup holders
Installed rod holders
Installed bimini top
Even after all that I still have quite a long list of things I'd like to do to the boat (I enjoy working on it as much as I enjoy being on the water):
Apply KiwiGrip to main floor and bow casting deck
Install battery disconnect switch
Redo/hide trolling motor wiring (it's currently on the bow casting deck with a Hubbell 30A receptacle to plug into for power)
the rpm jump on a deep v hull can be due to prop cavitation.
It’s definitely not a deep-V hull - it’s a tri-hull (3 shallower points rather than one large point). The bottom is flatter than most modern bass boats.
Couple reasons - I'm the type of person that always needs a project to work on and I'm close to a finishing point with this boat (much more work I feel wouldn't be worth the time given the value of the boat), and I'd like something larger for the family.
