Tahoe 215cc review

[whmoore18]

Well got out there finally with it. Everything works livewell my learned thing is you got to leave the livewell engaged the water level will fluctuate but it will pump water in every couple minutes it go out the overflow drain basically refreshing the water in there. If you disengage that switch it will sit in there but gradually drain out (super slowly). We took the boat out the water and still had water in there until I switched to pump it out of there.

All guages work with no problems. The only issue we are having is a low water pressure problem but I think there is just a kink in the gauge line somewhere (grey hose). It sets the alarm off at low throttle. Water pressure is as follows, idle 1-3psi according to mercury acceptable. Low throttle where the alarm happens 3-4psi...1/2 throttle 4-7 psi acceptable range 4-9...We haven't gotten her WOT due to break in. I think there is just a small kink or pinch somewhere thats causing it to have funny readings. Once we get on plane and moving at about 3600rpms its fine when I back off down around 10mph 2,000-2500 rpms the alarm cuts on and backs the power down (not a tahoe issue this is a mercury issue).

Other than that I dont have any issues besides the compass being a little lose (a little glue will fix that). The boat's ride is exceptionally smooth! It rides like a bigger boat tracks very nicely very stable and maneuverable even in the high wind we had today 15-20knots. The seas got a little rough but the ride didnt change much. I think the guys who are experiencing rough wet rides arent trimming the motor all the way down. We had 3-4 and a head wind and the ride was just as smooth. We weren't mashing it but 24mph it was riding nicely if your seeing a rough ride back off the throttle some. You must be hitting 34-40mph or something in rough weather. We were at a decent speed for conditions and they boat was just handling its own breaking up the waves and white caps with ease.

Great boat we our happy with our tahoe boat.

 

[Shaamu]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

I'm curious what year your boat is? I just bought a used 215 cc 2007 model and haven't had a chance to really get it on the water yet (getting it serviced and up to par and having trailer overhauled...all necessary things to do with a used boat). I did take it On the water once but had the alarm go off when I throttled up.....found out alternator was defective and had replaced....looking forward to try again. I'm a little nervous about oil injection...had friend advise to disconnect and just add oil to gas tank to be on the safe side (disadvantage of 2 stroke).

Good luck and have fun.

 

[whmoore18]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

She's a 2011 (left over). The 2 stroke injection with my mercury 150 optimax is very safe if she isn't getting oil it will set off an alarm. Don't disconnect that injection system I think it will void the warranty it mixes it the way it needs and if you add it in the fuel you run the risk of it not having the proper mixture that it needs. At least with my optimax if I did that being direct injection with no oil system I think it would set off an alarm in the ECU. Basically it must sense it is being injected with itself. The new direct injection stuff is a little different than the older 2 strokes and you run a greater risk blowing her up by disconnected and voiding any sort of warranties.

Bottom line buddy you'll have fun and she will fly across that water with great fuel efficiency. You'll be passing boats with more power at only 4200rpms (about 36mph on a good day with little current....boat is in saltwater in a tidal zone). She won't handle big boat wake very well at high speed so slow down and let her break it up and then go back to her otherwise you will have a potentially scary moment since she rides so high out the water. Treat her right and she'll treat you right. She leaves you with a little to be desired though in my area since there is only one other Tahoe boat in Ocean City, MD that I've seen mainly there being alot of Deep V ocean goers that you'll want to follow offshore but you'll realize she aint meant to go past sight from land unless its a sure bet of good weather. If it turns snotty well the Donzi boys will be steaming in while your cruising at a slow 15mph heading back in nasty waves since she can't cut them as well without jumping all over the place which is hard on you and the boat since it has a flatter bottom.

hope this helps if you have any questions feel free to ask

 

[Shaamu]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

She's a 2011 (left over). The 2 stroke injection with my mercury 150 optimax is very safe if she isn't getting oil it will set off an alarm. Don't disconnect that injection system I think it will void the warranty it mixes it the way it needs and if you add it in the fuel you run the risk of it not having the proper mixture that it needs. At least with my optimax if I did that being direct injection with no oil system I think it would set off an alarm in the ECU. Basically it must sense it is being injected with itself. The new direct injection stuff is a little different than the older 2 strokes and you run a greater risk blowing her up by disconnected and voiding any sort of warranties.

Bottom line buddy you'll have fun and she will fly across that water with great fuel efficiency. You'll be passing boats with more power at only 4200rpms (about 36mph on a good day with little current....boat is in saltwater in a tidal zone). She won't handle big boat wake very well at high speed so slow down and let her break it up and then go back to her otherwise you will have a potentially scary moment since she rides so high out the water. Treat her right and she'll treat you right. She leaves you with a little to be desired though in my area since there is only one other Tahoe boat in Ocean City, MD that I've seen mainly there being alot of Deep V ocean goers that you'll want to follow offshore but you'll realize she aint meant to go past sight from land unless its a sure bet of good weather. If it turns snotty well the Donzi boys will be steaming in while your cruising at a slow 15mph heading back in nasty waves since she can't cut them as well without jumping all over the place which is hard on you and the boat since it has a flatter bottom.

hope this helps if you have any questions feel free to ask

Glad to hear you are enjoying the boat. Just got mine back today and getting her ready for a run on the gulf in the morning. I'm more of a flats/lake bound boater so I don't trust not being able to see land, at least not at this point in my boating expeditions. Thanks for the advice about disconnecting the oil. My mercury mechanic just told me today the same thing you said. I get so much advise from friends about what I should do that I'm finally realizing none of them know what the heck their talking about.

Since I bought used I never got an owners manual on how to operate the onboard system such as the depth finder. Do you know if there is an hour counter for the engine built in to the digital display? I'm thinking about having an external one connected so I know when it's time for service. I can't find an owners manual anywhere online.

Thanks for the advice about the oncoming waves. I was under the impression since there is such a large V-hull compared to a flats boat that it would slice right through some of the bigger waves. I guess I have a lot to learn and experience will teach me some of what I need to know. It's funny you mention the Donzi boys because my neighbor just told me tonight about a run back in when the weather turned nasty and he said they were on top of the waves going full blast for 2 hours getting his fillings hammered out.

Talk to you soon....................

 

[Shaamu]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

Glad to hear you are enjoying the boat. Just got mine back today and getting her ready for a run on the gulf in the morning. I'm more of a flats/lake bound boater so I don't trust not being able to see land, at least not at this point in my boating expeditions. Thanks for the advice about disconnecting the oil. My mercury mechanic just told me today the same thing you said. I get so much advise from friends about what I should do that I'm finally realizing none of them know what the heck their talking about.

Since I bought used I never got an owners manual on how to operate the onboard system such as the depth finder. Do you know if there is an hour counter for the engine built in to the digital display? I'm thinking about having an external one connected so I know when it's time for service. I can't find an owners manual anywhere online.

Thanks for the advice about the oncoming waves. I was under the impression since there is such a large V-hull compared to a flats boat that it would slice right through some of the bigger waves. I guess I have a lot to learn and experience will teach me some of what I need to know. It's funny you mention the Donzi boys because my neighbor just told me tonight about a run back in when the weather turned nasty and he said they were on top of the waves going full blast for 2 hours getting his fillings hammered out.

Talk to you soon....................

 

[whmoore18]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

The manual for our boats honestly don't tell you much so your not missing nothing. The depth finder is pretty simple to operate just play with it using the 3 keys on it to go through the various menu's. As for an engine hour counter honestly I don't know if it has one on it or not. I have a Lowrance HDS 5 Gen 2 chartplotter/fishfinder that has an hour counter on it as well as how many miles the boat has traveled etc etc.

The boat will take some beating with the oncoming waves. Its a large V-hull yes but it is also wide and the deadrise is 20 degrees which is decent but see the thing is since it is a deck boat its made to have stability while your on anchor or drifting. To be honest that boat feels better while drifting over the wake of a 40ft sportfishing boat than taking it head on. It is truly made for walking around that thing with ease even while the water is rolling to be honest.

Now also with the oncoming wave deal its mainly with the chop. With actual swells so long as the ocean isn't chopped all to bits you can go over those like every other boat even while on plane. Pick yourself a 5-10kt wind day and the seas can be 3-4 feet but they will be rolling under the smoother surface of the water and the boat will just ease over it throwing a little water here and there. I've yet to have anything splash over her bow.

The Donzi boys know one speed and thats full blast whether they are in glassy water or snotty water. Thats one of the few boats I just don't like to ride on cause they jump I mean to the point the whole boat is out of the water and you can hear the props pushing air. Thats got to be one of the most exciting fishing boats to watch make a run but the most scary boats to be on. Litterally those boats are nothing but a cigarette boat hull with 3 engines and a t-top on it. They are extremely fast and will get you to the fishing grounds the fastest if you manage to hold on. On a calm day I wouldn't mind but when the weather turns foul everyone that I see that owns one is still putting the screws to her on a 50 mile treck back from the tuna and marlin grounds off OC. 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes for a donzi....2hours to 2 hours 30 minutes for everyone else just incredible speed.

 

[Shaamu]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

Well, I took her out on crystal river after her recent repair and was let down miserably. It started out great and my family and I were very excited to be on the water......once I cleared the low wake zone I told everyone to hold on and I throttled up.....as soon as it started to get up it began choking and bogged down.....had to idle back to the ramp and about half a mile out it kept dying...had to get pulled in the rest of the way....very frustrating! I don't think the mechanic did a full diagnostic when he had it last.

Sounds like a bad fuel line is what the mechanic said when I immediately called him. At least he is coming to my house to pick it up Monday morning to try and resolve. Will try again next week if boat is back by then.

 

[whmoore18]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

Sounds like it thats rough. Well our first time leaving a no wake zone she went up for a second and triggered the alarm for low water pressure. Nothing changed she just stopped doing it by herself after the first time out.....but the fact the mechanic was suppose to have gone through it and checked her out. At least mine it was an unforeseen thing and even the service manager at basspro offered to have someone sent out to me but it stopped doing it by itself.

Don't get discouraged a boat is work stuff happens. Did you check the livewell and make sure it turns on and off and holds water some folks have problems of them draining water when the boat gets on plane.

 

[whmoore18]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

Having the boat looked over up to basspro for the water alarm....my jensen head unit display went out so they're replacing that....a few other minor cosmetic issues all being worked out under warranty

 

[whmoore18]

Re: Tahoe 215cc review

Boat was fixed under warranty no issues...they put a bigger water pump impeller on there to boost the water pressure higher....the head unit they upgraded and the livewell they said was a bad design and put a new valve on it to stop it from draining (tahoe recommended it)....since it was fixed and we checked it out we took her out for a nice run into the open ocean.....Took her 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City, MD where you can barely see land. On the way out we ran into some sloppy swell about 4-5 ft but the boat was cutting is so well we felt safe in it. Later in the day it laid down to a smooth 2-3 ft and that boat loved it. She took off 30mph softly just beating the swell down no bumps nothing. It cuts the big waves better than boat wake as I put in stacey's T-top post. Its really strange I guess thats in the design.....the only part that got bad was on the way in through the OC Inlet on the outgoing it gets real bad. Today was a 4-6ft sloppy inlet. With the nose up some she went right through it no bumping just cut the stuff away and kept going. Very good design I was very satisfied with the boat and once it cleared the inlet's slop it was back up to 30mph from the 20 through the big stuff. GREAT BOAT and I am very pleased