Announcement

**400 HP Silverado** · 10-07-2005, 05:03 AM

Welcome aboard, you get a big thumbs up from me [

][

] for adding your location already, we always like that.

1. Whats your price range?

2. Looking for a turn key, a little project, or a complete resto?

3. 10-30 miles is not to shabby, I do about 20 in my Ranger, its 23' so anything 21' and above given hull design I think should suite your needs.

4. 2 stroke or 4 stroke? Undecided, 4 stroke will surely set you back a few bucks more especially for a set of twins.

My personal favorite is the mako 25' with twin yammi's, but zuki's around here are the favorites. I hered alot of great things about them, just never owned one so really have no basis for my opinion except history. They do make canvas or Sunbrella covers that can snap to a t top and then to the bow, its usually a custom job but if your looking for a rain fly type thing just to nap under its more then fine.

I feel you on the college student budget, Im a Mechanical Engineering/Meterology student at the University of South Florida so picking and chosing and maintaining the necessary cash flow for student life is always exciting.

Ill find a euro transom picture or someone will post it before I do, but you dont want it, you loose about 1.5-2' of your deck. I think group census is they suck.

Gradys are nice boats as well I would be surprised if they didnt have something to suite your fancy. I know we have a few of them floating around here (GW204).

Well one again, welcome aboard[

][

]

**ShawnQ** · 10-07-2005, 05:26 AM

quote:

Welcome aboard, you get a big thumbs up from me [

][

] for adding your location already, we always like that.

I noticed how it seems that every Newbie is always asked their location somewhere in their first post...I didn't want to be one of those guys [:u]!

quote:

1. Whats your price range?

That all depends on the boat, of course, but no more than $15K FINISHED, less new power. Whether I buy it for $8k and put $7k worth of work into it, or buy it for $15K and just re-power, doesn't matter. I will be doing all labor myself, so I should be OK

quote:

2. Looking for a turn key, a little project, or a complete resto?

I'm actually leaning towards a 'little project/complete resto' job. It is going to be a father/son(s) project, so I'd like some work...but I would definitely take on an easier project if I could afford it. A solid transom and stringer system would be nice, but I would go as far as rebuilding the transom and stringers if I had to. I'm pretty good with glass and paints (automotive painter), and I'm sure I could figure out the wood working side of it. I do want to keep the boat as cheap as possible. I think that buying a fairly worn out boat that is repairable will cost me less in the long run because I will be doing the work myself.

quote:

3. 10-30 miles is not to shabby, I do about 20 in my Ranger, its 23' so anything 21' and above given hull design I think should suite your needs.

I have ventured 10-12 miles offshore in my blue wave. The boat will handle 3'ers, but the range is minimal. It's obviously not made for being in the blue water, so I'm always hesitant and it has to be a blue bird day before I venture beyond the jetties. I have seen that the price difference between a 21 and 23 is minimal, so I'd prefer larger. I'm just not sure if one has more known problems then another, or if one is more 'fishable' then the other. Some 21' boats fish better than 23' boats, ya know?

quote:

4. 2 stroke or 4 stroke? Undecided, 4 stroke will surely set you back a few bucks more especially for a set of twins.

I'm leaning towards 2 stroke, E-Tec. I've ridden a few boats and test drove a few others with these engines. By the time this all happens, the test of time will tell whether or not they are worth the hype. If they are still ticking, I'll probably go that route. If not, the yamaha would be #2.

quote:

My personal favorite is the mako 25' with twin yammi's, but zuki's around here are the favorites. I hered alot of great things about them, just never owned one so really have no basis for my opinion except history. They do make canvas or Sunbrella covers that can snap to a t top and then to the bow, its usually a custom job but if your looking for a rain fly type thing just to nap under its more then fine.

I too have been eyeballing the 25's. Awesome boats!

quote:

I feel you on the college student budget, Im a Mechanical Engineering/Meterology student at the University of South Florida so picking and chosing and maintaining the necessary cash flow for student life is always exciting.

I am currently just taking care of my basics. I worked my first 4 years out of high school to help the ol' lady through her nursing/pre-med. Once she gets rolling, it will be my turn for the school life. I'm leaning heavily towards meteorology or marine biology/fisheries management as well. Mech engineering would also be interesting.
I noticed your name and couldn't help but wonder. What have you got on that Silverado? I have seen a few floating around the web with turbo kits pushing some serious HP...impressive! I've got a few mustangs (one is finished, one is still a project) that I tinker with. Fun cars, and they're cheap.

Thanks for the help!

Shawn

**SeaReel** · 10-07-2005, 05:38 AM

Hey Shawn,

I spent some time in SA. I went to school at Trinity University. I love that town but it is a bit far from the coast.

I think the perfect boat for your situation would probably be a 1970's 20 foot Mako with newer power. It will give a seaworthy platform to fish offshore on good days, fish in the bays and Upper Laguna Madre (I really miss that place) and it is easy to trailer. My two cents.

Cliff

**mubikS** · 10-07-2005, 05:57 AM

Here's a link to a euro-transom:

http://www.mako-boats.com/boat/index...=193&boat=1673

Euro transoms effectively give you an outboard bracket and closed transom, but significantly shorten usable space in the boat.

Say you have a 21' boat, and the motor is hung on a normal notched transom. For the sake of arguement, you have 20' of usable space. If you take this boat, close the transom and put an outboard bracket on it... you really may have a 23' boat with your whole 21' of usable space.

But if you take a "21" with a euro transom, you may have lost up to as much as two feet... so now you're down to a 19. Big difference between that and a 23, eh? This makes it very important to see what kind of transom you are looking at when you are buying a boat.

On another note, stay away from MechE! I made it 3 years into my mechE degree and bailed... you could NOT pay me enough to finish it or to work at a desk job that required it.

**corpuscruiser** · 10-07-2005, 06:42 AM

Hello Shawn,

I'm down in Corpus and I have a 17 footer. I also go offshore on the really good days, but if you're wanting to go on those 2-4 days we have here most of the summer, I think probably a 23 or up would be a good choice. Where are you launching when you go off shore?

**Megabyte** · 10-07-2005, 07:07 AM

While reading your original post, my first thought was a 261...

But after seeing your budget, I'm thinking that a 23 with a single motor would be within the parameters you've set for yourself.

Happy hunting, and welcome! [

]

**ob1jeeper** · 10-07-2005, 09:05 AM

Shawn...

Don't mubiks scare you away from a career as an ME [

][}

][

]. Especially, if that's what you want to do. Follow your heart, and your abilities, to a career that you will enjoy.

IF you decide to go to engineering school (or any of the technical related fields for that matter), before you enroll, decide up front just how hard you're willing to work at it. B-Cause some of the prof's will try thier best to discourage you, and make you want to quit. All they are doing, is testing you to see if you got the spunk and grit necessary to want it bad enough.

It's been a number of years ago, but I also put the "1st missus OB1" thru nursing, then med schools, before getting down to getting my ownself's education out of the way. Glad as billy-b-heck now that I did, cause life don't always work out like planned, and it sure was nice to be able to fall back on a decent paying means of affording my expensive tastes in toys.

Turning wrenches, and splashing paint payed the early bills, but I got myself hooked on some champagne tastes in my toys, and was struggling doing it on a beer & soda budget[:x)][:u].

These days I play around doing pretty much nothing of significance or importance. And I am enjoying the HECK out of retirement.[

][:x)][88][

]

Welcome aboard, and good luck with your boat AND your schooling decisions[

]

**ob1jeeper** · 10-07-2005, 10:24 AM

Shawn... Take a look in the classifieds section. Fellow Texan, Don has a pretty nice 224, which I believe would fit your bill nicely...[

]

**400 HP Silverado** · 10-07-2005, 10:25 AM

Shawn,

Im thinking a 23 is whats gonna fit the bill for you. I think its probably the most readildly available too.

As for the truck,

Mine is an 04' 2500HD Duramax, its way over 400 HP now, last dyno tune session was 514.1Hp and 824.5ft/lbs. Between the day job (school), and my little start up business, Qwik Fish. I try to still work with my buddies building some drift cars. If I kept the screenname updated it would change every week or two.

But as it stand right now the list of toys includes

Edge Hot juice w/ attitude chip

Banks Exhaust

Banks Big Head Wastegate

AFE Stage II w/ Proguard 7 filter

Amsoil filter bypass

Bully Dog Tranny Shift kit

MSD Digital Propane injection

And next week it will be getting happier with the N20 strapped onto her back. That probably will be it for a while unless ol Santa comes to town with a shiny new Aurora 5000 turbo

**Gary Shallbetter** · 10-07-2005, 10:49 AM

HI Shawn, Welcome aboard. Stick with us kid, we'll get ya goin! There are projects and then there are PROJECTS. Replacing transoms, stringers or decks on a first time project tends to turn into a job after while. In my oppion, I would find a clean single engine boat like a 22 or a 23. that needs a basic refit like new wires, steering and minimal structural repair, maybe new paint. Those are fun projects. As far as a single engine goes, Im a firm beleiver in a kicker and towing insurance. You can run a boat that size off shore or go the beach with your sweety with one engine as long as its well maintained. Take your time there are lots of clean projects out there. By the way, I like your attitude! [

)]

**ob1jeeper** · 10-07-2005, 10:52 AM

quote:

Originally posted by 400 HP Silverado

And next week it will be getting happier with the N20 strapped onto her back.

NOX on your duramax?[:u][:u][:u] Better invest in a couple bags of speedy-dry first! ! ![

] Either that, or keep your toe out of the carpet, and go EASY on the spritzer, or else you'll drive the conn rods through the pavement !!![}

][

]

**400 HP Silverado** · 10-07-2005, 12:51 PM

Actually the Nitrous really does a whole lot of nothing except cool the intake charge alot. The propane is what adds the power, stock efficeny is something like 85% fuel burnt, 15% un burnt. Propane makes it nearly 100% but adds tons of heat. So to cool it the NOX is added in small amounts. Im also adding a fogger to the intercooler to "chill" it down. My EGT are sky high right now when I lay the hammer down. I can only run level 2 boost whith the trailer or ol Betsy gets mad, hence the NOX to cool her down a bit.

The spray on a gas engine is a totally different ball game, those wonderful smelling cotton candy fumes only last about two weeks then its the burnt oil smell.

The project for tomorrow is to add my second alternator and an inverter so I cant charge the boat batteries while Im out of town off my truck when Im driving.

[:x)][:x)]

**ob1jeeper** · 10-07-2005, 01:03 PM

quote:

Originally posted by 400 HP Silverado

[br The project for tomorrow is to add my second alternator and an inverter so I cant charge the boat batteries while Im out of town off my truck when Im driving.

[:x)][:x)]

Is there some reason the trucks alternator you have now is insufficient to charge the batt's? [8)] Most RVer's, charge their RV trailer batt's, when driving also, but I can't recall the last time I saw a second alt. added to accomplish that.[

]

**400 HP Silverado** · 10-07-2005, 01:23 PM

Well stock is 105 amp, it has a place for another one so Im adding it

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