New Boat Buyer: Questions

I bought a 14ft tri hull bow rider recently. It is made of fibreglass and runs off of a 65hp merc. My questions include:

Should i be concerned about owning a fibreglass boat?

I have an electric bilge pump but it is manual, my question is when should i use my bilge pump when on the water and how often should i use it?

Thanks for all your responses!

Cheers,
Ryan

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

Interesting questions.
As the proud owner of a Tinnie, I'll answer the first question with a Yes.
Turn the bilge pump on when water is in the boat. Every time water is in the boat.
Good luck.

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

RyeWilkes said:

I bought a 14ft tri hull bow rider recently. It is made of fibreglass and runs off of a 65hp merc. My questions include:

Should i be concerned about owning a fibreglass boat?

I have an electric bilge pump but it is manual, my question is when should i use my bilge pump when on the water and how often should i use it?

Thanks for all your responses!

Cheers,
Ryan

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Welcome aboard Ryan.

If you decide you should be concerned about owning a fiberglass boat, you'll be in good company. A very large share of the boat owning market has one too. The bigger questions are "should you be concerned about the fiberglass boat you bought?" and "should you be concerned about maintenance to keep your fiberglass boat in good shape?"

You should run that bilge pump anytime there is water in the bilge (and that's not a "snarky" answer). I usually run mine while I've got the engine generating power, or if I visually see water. But I've got a few problems in the back of mine that causes me to pay attention to it.

What kind of shape is your hull in? Solid, or do you have soft spots in the floor and/or a transom that flexes?

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

southkogs said:

Welcome aboard Ryan.

If you decide you should be concerned about owning a fiberglass boat, you'll be in good company. A very large share of the boat owning market has one too. The bigger questions are "should you be concerned about the fiberglass boat you bought?" and "should you be concerned about maintenance to keep your fiberglass boat in good shape?"

You should run that bilge pump anytime there is water in the bilge (and that's not a "snarky" answer). I usually run mine while I've got the engine generating power, or if I visually see water. But I've got a few problems in the back of mine that causes me to pay attention to it.

What kind of shape is your hull in? Solid, or do you have soft spots in the floor and/or a transom that flexes?

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Thanks Southkogs for providing our new member with a much better answer. I guess it was late and I was in a mood.
Ryan, many people prefer glass boats and wouldn't have a Tinnie. I think why many like them is because they are easy to repair(relatively) and less heavy, which has its good and bad points. It's a great idea, for novices and more experienced boaters, to take a safe boater class. I keep reading on this site and learn new stuff all the time. It's a great resource. What year is your merc and how does it run? Welcome and good luck.

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

There isn't anything peculiar about fiberglas to worry about and it is way more durable than wood or aluminum. Give us the age and make if you can.

If you are concerned about the condition of your boat, the main thing (other than holes, including chips through the gel coat) is that your transom is solid. while it's on the trailer, motor up, put your weight on the motor and see if the transom flexes. if so, you have problems. if not, you are fine. Being a 14' OB you shouldn't have to worry about anything else.

Your question about the bilge pump leads me to suggest you take a boating safety course now.

Some boats that size have no pump and you pull the plug and run the water out. But it's better practice to have a pump.

A manual pump is fine. turn it on when you need it. Turn it off when it stops pumping. Do NOT leave it running, regardless of whether the motor is on.

If you find your boat is accumulating water in normal operation, or just sitting there, focus on the leak, not the pump. A bilge pump is equipment used to prevent a problem from becoming serious; it does not solve a problem (except for evacuating water you know where it comes from, like rain or splashing).

If you are tinkering with your new boat, the better set up is to have the pump on a seperate float switch so it comes on automatically when needed, as well as the manual switch. This is particurly important in a boat you leave in the water. The float switch is also important for larger boats where you can't see the water inthe bilge; probably not a worry for your small boat. Do NOT get the kind of pump that cycles itself on and off "checking" for water; some people call them "automatic" (I call them "moronic") but others refer to the float switch set-up as "automatic."

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

RyeWilkes said:

I bought a 14ft tri hull bow rider recently. It is made of fibreglass and runs off of a 65hp merc. My questions include:

Should i be concerned about owning a fibreglass boat?

I have an electric bilge pump but it is manual, my question is when should i use my bilge pump when on the water and how often should i use it?

Thanks for all your responses!

Cheers,
Ryan

Click to expand...

To answer you questions as you asked them:

1) No reason at all to be concerned about fiberglass boats. Mine is 37 years old in top shape and plan to have it for another 37 years. (if I live that long)

2) You turn on your bilge pump when you have water in the bilge and off as soon as it all bails out, simple as that. If you notice that the boat is constantly filling up with water (by just leaving it in the water) than you have a leak somewhere and you need to address that but other than that just enjoy the boat. As suggested by others here, if you haven't already taken a boating safety course than that should become a priority for you.

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

The vast majority of boats you see out on the water, on trailers going down the highway, and parked in driveways are fiberglass. More so than any other material (aluminum, wood, etc..etc).

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

Krichbourg said:

Thanks Southkogs for providing our new member with a much better answer...

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No worries.

Krichbourg said:

...many people prefer glass boats and wouldn't have a Tinnie...

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Ain't nuthin' wrong with a good tinny, there are several I'd love to get my mitts on. I just wouldn't want someone to be needlessly afraid of a glass boat.

Mines' 40 years old, and aside from a couple of issues with some fittings in the stern she's a good solid boat.

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

Hey Guys,

Sorry about not being clear. My boat is a 1969 peterborough, it has been completely restored and has no soft spots on the bottom of the boat. the transom seems to be in great shape. The boat has a little bit of cracking near the passenger side window and the bow right near the top but it doesnt seem major.

I have a boaters licience and i took an online course. However wasnt sure about the bilge pump. i know what it does, i just didnt know when i should use it. Thank you for clarifying.

I stood on the transom and it didnt flex at all

The other question i have is what kind of checks should i perform regularly to make sure my engine and boat are in good working order?

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

Hey Guys,

I was going to get a bimini top, bow mounted trolling motor(foot pedal control), and/or a fish finder. Which of these options is the most practical and for those of you that have any of these options are they worth while?

Cheers,

Ryan

P.S Sorry about my terrible grammer and spelling in my posts.

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

I got a bimini two years ago and don't know how I lived without it. A basic fishfinder will tell you the depth and some idea of the presence of fish so that's pretty handy as well. I also LOVE my bow mount trolling motor but they're hella-expensive new. I scored mine used off craigslist for $75. The transom mounts ones are a giant pain.

Re: New Boat Buyer: Questions

Each has there purpose, the "most practical" is a person opinion.

I use the fish finder every time the boat goes out. I use it for speed and depth and to find fish when fishing.

The bimini is a great feature, keeps the hot sun or the rain off. Harder to fish with it up. Use it about 50% of the time.

I have a kicker on the transom, so I can't comment on a bow mounted trolling motor.