Getting ready
 

Spring time is upon us in Flawda, so it's time to get my skiff ready to go. I hate to admit it, but I've let her set awhile, so I got the injectors cleaned & flowed($86 well spent for peace of mind it won't lean out), replace the fuel lines(was sucking air somewhere), charge the batteries, changed the timing belt(looked new, but at 11+ years old it was due), water pump, oil change, and now to move on to cleaning up the console.

The previous owner mounted the lowrance elite 7(POS!) & radio on top of the console making it so you can't see squat when setting on the seat. Standing to drive didn't used to be a big deal, but my hip, knees, & back say differently now. So I'm looking for a gauge type radio to put in it to use less space, putting a seat mount in the bow so I can sit to fish, and got a new humminbird helix 7 g3 msi to mount down lower on the console so I can see while sitting(and have a plotter that will work with a map chip in it). Looking forward to trying this humminbird out, the demos show amazing detail on this one. I couldn't afford to step up to a 8/9 with the g4n and 3d side imaging out to 200' vs 125' for the 7, and I prefer the smaller transducer of the 7 vs the 8+.

let us know how that humming bird works, I may try one on the bass boat

Third foggy morning in March, Spanish Mackerel will be here
We went yesterday, kind of a shakedown cruise, so I m with you on getting ready.

You planing on flush mounting the Hummingbird? I had a flush mounted furuno on my V and didn t like it. Hard to see most of the time , seemed to always be washed out by sun when rounding up on spots. I m sure when they designed the dash layout in 1983, they no idea of the electronics that would be put on these boats.

Great to see you getting ready Ferm... Hope that's a sign you're on the mend. :love:

Nope, not on the mend. Fooled around and hurt my back, so this weekend was a wash. I'm just at the point of either I use it, or sell it. I'm not flush mounting it, for now I'm going to just use the mount for it.

Some say you can't feel a picture, but I beg to differ. I HATE doing fiberglass work. My transom is curved except for a small spot in the middle where the outboard mounts, since I'm switching to side imaging sonar, I figured I better get a pad that is flat to the transom so the side imaging will be accurate. So I'm using some gel paste I had left over to build up a pad to mount the transducer to. But I really do not miss the fiberglass itch. Once it cures, I can sand it down to a flat pad that is even, and then I can put a coat of gel coat over it since this paste is purple, and no matter what you do, you cannot get a decent off white coloring with it.

Getting close. Here's a before and after of my console. Before I couldn't see SQUAT while sitting down on plane which isn't a problem to most, but my back don't let me stand much anymore. Went ahead and decided to flush mount everything. Cleaned my console up considerably.

Looks good!!!

Oh yeah, that a yuge improvement!

look at Stern Pad on amazon. no more holes in transom. Works great lasts forever.