New 'toon owner as of TODAY! Of course, some questions pls. :)

[quantum]

Hey all,

I just bought a 1994 Smokercraft Sunsport 21' today! Woo Hoooooo!

Came with a complete 3 yr old Ray electric outboard setup, which included the power tilt bracket, 8 newer batteries (6v??) and a Lestronic automatic 48v charger. Everything is all wired, tested and works. Some of it still looks new. The electric motor was a huge factor, since the lake we live on is dino-free.

Pontoons themselves are in excellent shape with no pitting or dents. new 8' Bimini top and hardware. Carpet and furniture are weathered as would be typical for a 16 yr old boat, but definitely usable. Railing and fencing are also worn, but no dents or damage. Sealion bunk trailer is a 2006 model and has about 100 miles on it.

The whole thing was $4,500.00. Pretty sure I got a decent deal on it, no? Had I made it to DMV in time, I could have been out on the water tonight! It is totally usable as is, but I am not one to leave well enough alone.

I plan to tear it down ASAP and redo the floor with marine plywood or some composite material. New carpet for sure, 20oz marine. Then some new furniture from Veada, love the custom color thing.

Also wanted to redo the fencing panels and pinstriping, rather than try to remove decals and paint. I saw this http://www.restorepontoon.com/pontoon/pc/Vinyl-Fence-Paneling-14p79.htm#details which looked interesting, but I am confused on mounting the stuff. I'd want to completely remove the old panels, not go over them, but they sit in some kind of very narrow channel inside the rail, and are pop rivited to the center rail brace (horizontal). It looks like it should be easy, but I can't wrap my head around how to get the old aluminum off and the vinyl in. Any help form someone who's done it? Is it easy? Hard? Hours? Days? Do you pop rivit the vinyl in or is there some other method? Also, is it like cloth vinyl or more like thin plastic?

The engine - I believe from what I've read this is a great motor for this sized pontoon. I don't need speed, but my question is how long will these batteries last on a full charge and 1/2-3/4 throttle most of the time, with the occasional full throttle burst of course. I plan to run the electronics and lights off a regular dep cycle 12v battery, maybe a solar charger for that.

Any tips, advice, etc would be greatly appreciated. I am really curious about that fencing material though!

I was also lucky enought to get a complete Minn Kota Neptune Twin Pontoon setup for pretty cheap, bought that before I bought the boat, so I may need to get another boat for this power setup! How would these motors be in comparison to the Ray electric? My guess is the ray is better?

 

[5150abf]

Re: New 'toon owner as of TODAY! Of course, some questions pls.

Not gonna happen, I build pontoons and once a panel is placed it cannot be removed without destroying the rails and these guys do this every day.

The panel is placed in the rail then it is put through a pinch roller sealing it in.

The only way to get the panel out would be to pry the lip up which will cause it to crack so it will need to be removed then you would need to rivet the new panels in, alot of work for very little gain in my opinion, oh and if you screw one up I don't think you can get a replacement, I have read a post than they can only replace rails to 5 years old.

I don't mean to pee on your parade but changing panels just isn't done, the rail is thrown away and replaced.

As to your motor question, don't know how many people here have any experience with the electric boats, they are still pretty new

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: New 'toon owner as of TODAY! Of course, some questions pls.

Actually I don't think you got a very good deal. You will have a significant amount of time and money in this 16 year-old boat if you do all of the things you have identified. You can easily double the cost of the boat.

Sorry for the negative reply, but you asked.

 

[5150abf]

Re: New 'toon owner as of TODAY! Of course, some questions pls.

Well, if he plans to keep the boat for awhile and that is how he wants it, restore away but if you are thinking of selling any time soon I would rethink all the upgrades, even with new everything it is still a 94 Smoker, you would be at the top end of value but I don't think anywhere close to making your money back.

I have a 1980 Sea-Nymph, I knew it was mine for a long time so I redid everything from the keel up so the hull is 30 years old but everything inside is 2008, the only original parts are the engine and hull.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: New 'toon owner as of TODAY! Of course, some questions pls.

How long the batteries last on a full charge depends on their "condition" and the current draw of the motor. That number should be displayed on the ID plate. Using a solar panel to charge a battery is a lost cause. Consider that a standard one by two foot panel outputs about 5 - 7 watts, you can easily see it would take several days of full sunlight to actually "charge" a deeply discharged battery. Since you have a 48 volt charger on board already that needs to be plugged in at the dock, why not add a single output on-board charger for the 12 volt deep cycle you will use for accessories. It will actually "charge" a battery. As for the deal, you bought a 16 year old boat that apparently needs lots of work. You did not get a good deal in my view but then it's your boat -- not mine and your idea of a deal may be very different than mine.

 

[steelespike]

Re: New 'toon owner as of TODAY! Of course, some questions pls.

I had an electric car; motive power has pretty much the same requirements as a rule don't discharge beyond 40% recharge as soon as practical don't let partially discharged batteries sit for extended periods.If your overnighting can't be helped.
There should be a date code on the batteries You may have to decifer.
May be warrantee strip punched for date.If they are 3 years old they may be near the end of practical use. More than likely one or more batteries may need replacement.Generally can't replace an older battery with a new battery as the new will tend to over charge. You can get an idea of the condition of the batteries by checking the individual voltage an hour after charge,and again the following day
a 6 volt (has 3 cells)would be around 7+ volts , about 2.5 per cell.Should hold easily over night.You can also check the electrolyte(ACID be careful) in each cell with a hydrometer specific gravity I believe 1250 is minimum Your looking for individual cells noticeably below the ideal.Your batteries are probably typical Golf cart type(About the best battery in dollars per amphour) When replacing buy the highest amp hour rating in your size and if you can fit a higher amphour consider it.The heavier the battery the longer it will operate before reaching the 40%
rating.The less times you go to 40% the more times you can charge cycle.You'll probably have a gauge indicating remaining charge and perhaps amperage draw.The least draw at a convient speed will cover the most water.
I'm guessing 4 to 6 mph ( about the max displacement speed)will deliver the best times/distance.Pontoons lend themselve well to displacement speeds.If you have a gps and the amp draw I think you'll get the idea of best speed to discharge rate.Allways turn off the main disconnect when dealing with batteries/electric system the voltage can kill.It is possible to extend your range slightly with a large costly solar panel.something like 4' X 8'.They do it with the electric cars like I had.
How cost effective is the question.Modern control systems conserve well because they pulse the motor to control speed instead of wasting power with resistance to control speed.Full speed will use an amazing amount of power.I'm pretty sure your system is someting like 5hp.I think there is a higher voltage higher hp system.
Sometimes over time you may notice one or more batteries will fall behind the pack Sometimes they reccomend unplugging and plug back in and let charge. Sometimes called balancing.I used to simply charge the offending battery with a portable charger.Any questions I'll be glad to try to help to the best of my experience.
Use your imagination on the redo.I allways wanted a porch glider maybe a patio
table and umbrella,Plastic Addirondac chairs,light,comfortable easy to store.A little curtained head/changing shelter.Pitch a tent on the forward deck for overnighting.
maybe a full inclosure for cruising.Tent is less costly and more room for daytime activities.No need for a bulky control console a simple stick steer setup like on a fishing utility would work fine.Pilot could be elevated for a better view of the water
and to save deck space for storage under.