There are few things more satisfying than.....

[goldnrod24]

..... spraying a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar on any part of the boat that's water-spotted? Spray it on and watch the spots melt away. I use it on the side panels, anodized trim, rub rails, ladder, tow pylon and of course, the black shiny motor.

If you are not doing this, start right now. It truly is satisfying. Mmm.

 

[scubadad]

Do you spray it on and then rinse off...or just let it dry naturally?

 

[goldnrod24]

Do you spray it on and then rinse off...or just let it dry naturally?

Spray with water, spray with 50/50, rinse with water, dry with towel.

 

[Link]

I constantly clean my seats and afterwards I like to just there and admire how good they look

 

[TomS]

I've always used the 50/50 vinegar for spots each time out (black boat and motor!), 303 protectant on the seats weekly, 303 fabric on the top and cover annually, touched up the Sharkhide on the tubes annually, and kept it covered when not in use. When the new buyer picked up my 4+ year old boat at the dealership yesterday, the owner of the dealership asked me "did you ever USE your boat?", "how did you do it?". I outlined the above as my golden rules. And yes, it is also very satisfying to see the result of proper care.

 

[goldnrod24]

When the new buyer picked up my 4+ year old boat at the dealership yesterday, the owner of the dealership asked me "did you ever USE your boat?"

Wat? Did I miss something? What's next? Inquiring minds wish to know!!!!!!

 

[TomS]

Wat? Did I miss something? What's next? Inquiring minds wish to know!!!!!!

Moving to Sanibel Florida full time, so will be looking at a bit bigger boat for the ICW

 

[goldnrod24]

Moving to Sanibel Florida full time, so will be looking at a bit bigger boat for the ICW

Cool. Keep us posted. Sorry to see you leave the Bennington fold or are you looking at one of those 10' wide monsters?

Or better yet:

 

[BigKahuna]

Cool. Keep us posted. Sorry to see you leave the Bennington fold or are you looking at one of those 10' wide monsters?

Or better yet:

What no Bimini top?!?

 

[ImTinkerbella]

Cool. Keep us posted. Sorry to see you leave the Bennington fold or are you looking at one of those 10' wide monsters?

Or better yet:

Holy [insert appropriate noun or expletive of choice]!

I cannot even wrap my brain around the concept of having those types of discretionary funds... It probably has some sort of mystical bimini which materializes out of nowhere using AI and sensors for "automagically" determining UV index versus passenger genetic proclivity for serious sun damage (or discomfort).

 

[lakeliving]

It looks like it the most over priced deck boat around. Not what I would spend that much cash on!

 

[1Blderbob]

I wonder if the dude also went for as much horse power as he could afford. Or just opted for more pillows.

 

[TomS]

Cool. Keep us posted. Sorry to see you leave the Bennington fold or are you looking at one of those 10' wide monsters?

We're looking at a few different paths. We're intrigued by the idea of doing the Great Loop or at least parts of it because we love travel and love being on the water. This demands a certain type of boat, usually diesel(s) with live-aboard features such as a 29-31' Ranger Tug or something even bigger. That's all very much out of our comfort zone though. Another option is just to get a big day boat for local cruising to learn the ropes of the ICW and cruising local destinations. We're looking at Pursuit DC295, Axopar 37, Grady 307, and a few other dual consoles, but they're crazy expensive if buying new. Twin 350 Verados are very much on my wish list, but many boats are packaged with Yamaha only which doesn't work for me. Boat show season is coming up in Florida, so there is plenty of time to look and dream.

 

[lakeliving]

Is there a reason the Yamaha is so popular down there? Does the salty air go well with the superchargers? Looks like you have a fun journey ahead of you with the new home, boat buying etc.

 

[TomS]

Is there a reason the Yamaha is so popular down there? Does the salty air go well with the superchargers?

I assume reliability and corrosion resistance. The F150 and F300 have also become staples with boat builders as turn-key packages. Verados are often used in higher performance applications where those boats are typically kept on lifts, dry rack stored, or trailered. They're also packaged with many of the Brunswick boat brands such as Boston Whaler. Suzuki seems to be very common for re-powers, as they're priced very aggressively.

 

[lakeliving]

When in Rome...



I guess it depends on how you'll use the boat and how often. What is it that steers you away from Yamaha for your intended application?

 

[TomS]

When in Rome...



I guess it depends on how you'll use the boat and how often. What is it that steers you away from Yamaha for your intended application?

Um, I owned a Verado that's been flawless for 4 years . I love that it's virtually silent and vibration free at idle and low speed. The sound, when you nail the throttle, is akin to a jet engine, very smooth, whereas I find the Yamaha to be rather coarse in comparison. Also, I know how to service most of the simpler things on the Merc already, or at least what and where to inspect, etc.

Honestly, We've been on a bunch of boats in the past few months with single and twin F300's and so far, it's just not for me. The problem is that in some cases, like the Pursuits, the boat itself is just so darn good.