Took her out for the first time this weekend

[hilljec]

Maiden voyage this weekend with the new boat.  Love the boat, so did the kids and their cousins.  I have a few questions since we have now been acquainted.


1.  Seastar hydraulic steering seemed tight.  I didn't have to crank hard on the wheel, but was tighter feeling than I expected.  Held a line very well while cruising.  How should the steering feel so I know there isn't a problem?.


2.  Parked the boat on the side my parents dock for the weekend.  They have a fully covered dock and it poured this morning, which the boat received a lot or run off from the roof.  Took the boat out this morning and noticed the rear lounge with changing room had about 6" of water in it.  Had to siphon out the water once we got home.  Is this normal?


Other than the above it was a great experience!  My father was even considering a Benny!

 

[lakeliving]

As for the hydraulic steering it is still a chore to steer. It is a slight improvement over the cable setup. As for it feeling tight, not sure on that one as there is nothing to bind like a cable. I keep my boat under a covered lift so I can't help you on the water issue. Congrats on the new boat and getting some quality time in with the family! 

 

[goldnrod24]

Your steering is doing what it is designed to do. That is, it is steadying the motor from forces that want to turn it from straight ahead. That's why it works so well when you are going straight.


It does not and will not reduce your steering effort. That is what power assist steering does.

 

[1Blderbob]

Glad to hear you loved the boat this past weekend. I'm sure you will enjoy it this summer. Sounds like the steering is working normally. But make sure that the motor can be turned left to right completely with no problems.

Your steering is doing what it is designed to do. That is, it is steadying the motor from forces that want to turn it from straight ahead. That's why it works so well when you are going straight.


It does not and will not reduce your steering effort. That is what power assist steering does.

And your seats are not designed to keep heavy amounts of water out. That's the covers job.

 

[BigKahuna]

Was the cover on when it was parked or did the rain run directly into your boat??? 


My loungers have drains in them.......

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

As Daril state, you should have drains in the loungers. It's just some holes drilled around the bottom where the water channel is. 

 

[hilljec]

Can I just drill some holes in the water channel in case this happens again?

 

[goldnrod24]

Can I just drill some holes in the water channel in case this happens again?

Carefully, I suppose. I might suggest you add some water first to see where in the channel the water settles. If you keep it in the water, do it when it's in the water. If it sits mostly on a trailer, do it when it's on the trailer in its normal resting place. Water will run to different places depending on many variables.