Just joined the Sea Ray club !

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
I got a Sea Ray 180 with the 4.3. We took it out yesterday with only about an hour of sun left but it runs like a dream as far as I can tell. I am a first time boat owner so I will be posting some stupid questions, Bear with me !! Do I need to run the blower the whole time or only before I start it? Is it normal to take on about a gallon of water in about an hour? Can I get a more open canopy without spending custom money? (Mine snaps to the windshield so you can't get up on the seat)
 

relocyo

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
Messages
446
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

No, blower for around 5 minutes before starting, either at the dock or on the water it evacuates combustible gas fumes, and again a NO on a gallon of water if noone has been swimming and getting in and out of the boat while wet... Check the bellows on the outdrive for cracks or holes, 1 gallon per hour could easily sink your vessel on an all day boat excursion... Please check that and get back to us, lots of help here, but you gotta ask... Be very careful as I feel that is an unsafe amount of water coming in...
 

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Brand new transom so there should be no leaks there, and yes we were in and out wet. I never ran the bilge pump because we were out for such a short time. Don't worry about me asking, that's why I'm here. Bellows?
 

relocyo

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
Messages
446
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Well, maybe thats not excessive if yall were swimming, im an outboard guy but I read tons and tons here... Ill let the experts be the judge of that, bit for peace of mind, next time you take it to the water, open the engine hatch and observe were the engine meets the transom to the outdrive, ANY water coming in from there is a problem , so try that bounce around, or better yet, take a cruise around in the boat with noone getting in the water and THEN check the bilge... Im not trying to scare you ive just read alot of threads similiar to this that ended up with expensive repairs... Be viligant, and check what ive prescribed... An ounce of prevention is greater than a pound of repair... If you know what I mean :) if all is well happy boatong! And enjoy your new toy! Cheers and good luck!
 

beason

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
338
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

i noticed noone commented on your last question. What you have for a cover is a convertible top. what you want is a Bimini top. You can get them in different heights and lengths. I think Iboats actually has them on sale right now.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

My .02 is any water other than incidental from swimmers is not normal and needs attention. A gallon sounds not incidental. Some people run their blowers at idle speed also. I'll never forget the Oprah episode where the child died due to CO poisoining while they idled around the lake as he layed down in the rear seat. Saw it probably 15 years ago. You have what is sometimes referred to as a 'Navy' top. My oldest bowrider has one too, I used it once in 26 years, was such a pain, I never used it again. Back then they were made of a completely different material than today's. You can buy one to fit easily on the internet. Why don't you post some pictures so we can take a look at your new boat.
 

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Thanks guys, I really didn't expect a response like this, Ive never been on a fourum before. I've heard that Sea Ray owners are a proud bunch and tend to stick together like Jeep owners ect... I'll get some pictures of the new toy and get 'em up today.
 

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

I'm not sure if I did that right but those are some pictures of "Fancy".
 

Struc

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
409
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Pictures didn't come through.
 

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Let's try this...
 

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Struc

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
409
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Very nice looking boat! What year is it? Looks somewhat similar in design to my 1988.
 

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

I looked for bikini tops, but all I found was "bimini" tops which cover the whole boat, I'm looking for something just big enough to cover the pilot area and high enough to be able to sit up and look over the windshield.
 

solonfoster

Cadet
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
11
Re: Just joined the Sea Ray club !

Missed your post at first... Its a 1990 so I'm sure they have a lot in common, yeah I had looked at a newer boat (Glastron) that was in no where near this condition. I had decided to buy the Sea Ray before it was even out of the shop where I found it.
 
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