1. Ensure Sea Hunt or the dealer:<br /><br />a) "Really" fills foam in void around 100 Qt and 150 Qt forward coolers. These are advertised as fish boxes but none of the 212 or 232 Sea Hunt boats I've examined, including my own Triton 212, had foam in the voids around coolers or <br />foam adhering to coolers. I installed foam with kit myself at my own expense after getting no where with my dealer or Sea Hunt. Make them do it prior to handing them one buck or reduce <br />price for boat that has stowage lockers, but not coolers!<br /><br />b) Check wiring harness under center console to ensure harness is not loose due to excess slack in wiring. This is the harness that runs to Yamaha with control cable. If there is excess make dealer/Sea Hunt secure with aluminum rod so <br />wires will not pull out of connections to your electronics on dash.<br /><br />c) If you want close-celled foam in the sides, bow and accessible voids for rigidity and shock absorption you will have to negotiate with dealer/Sea Hunt prior to delivery. You will have to pay extra, but the cost is worth it!!Sea <br />Hunt does not fill all voids with foam. They add some amount below waterline in voids that are non-accessible and they spray, for some obscure reason, foam around access port on the port side of your 212 (around gas fill line), but <br />that's for appearance only. There is no foam above waterline forward or aft. I injected my <br />hull with 64 CU FT of 3.0 LB/CU FT foam. That's enough foam to fill two 17 FT aluminum pontoons, so there's plenty of void space for foam. It makes a big difference if you will be using the boat in water over 2-3 foot chop. Gell coat <br />cracking is a common occurrence in all fiberglass boats, but foam will really <br />reduce the incidence. I have none after <br />using boat this season off-shore at distances averaging 40 miles off-shore.<br /><br />d) In disussions with dealer/Sea Hunt if they start babbling about how Sea Hunt <br />measures/injects foam in your boat based on some foam flotation requirements of Coast Guard, you know they don't understand or are blowing smoke over USCG regulations and how they apply to boats 20 FT in length or over. (i.e., there in <br />NO USCG requirement to fill your boat with any foam whatsoever. The foam quanity is entirely controlled by Sea Hunt and dealers. Call USCG Office of Boating Safety, Recreational Boating Product Assurance Division, U.S. Coast Guard, telephone(202) 267-0981 for verification.<br /><br />e) Install Bennett trim tabs if you want to have less fuel consumption, smoother ride in chop/swells, and better throttle control. Cost about $700.00 from dealer.<br /><br />f) Verify that dealer installs your ski ladder and padeyes on transon with screws that have been throughly sealed with white marine sealant. Many do not and you will see running rust after every trip caused from water entering voids <br />where screws are not properly inserted and sealed.<br /><br />g) If you are having dealer install fish-finder/depth finder like Furuno Series <br />that has ground lug, ensure dealer provides grounding wire to a foot (hard ground to water). Grounding feet are available from several vendors. Electrical system is like big DC battery, but the ground should go to water not to battery terminal. If that cost extra you should be making that choice rather than dealer <br />improperly install the unit. Some units will operate fine without interference from other electronics or motors such as pump for live fish well. Others will have interference on Fish-Finder monitor unless you install ground wire.<br /><br />h) If you are having VHF radio installed recommend you install an external speaker under STBD T-Top. This allows you to hear better underway without opening electronics cabinet above center console.<br /><br />i) Outriggers. If you have outriggers installed ensure they are installed per <br />directions so padeye for holding clip on outrigger line is about 1 foot aft from <br />outrigger mounting sleeve. If they mount it further away your fishing line will not stay at the end of the outrigger (insufficient tension) <br /><br />2. Hope this helps.<br /><br />Terry Payne<br />CACI<br />tpayne@caci.com<br />843-766-4437 Office<br />619-459-0359 Cell
