Time for springizing the boat

[wings&wheels]

It was a factory option on 180 SSI 2008+ years, not sure about earlier years. The interior floors are fiberglass I think previous years were carpet?
It also had snap in carpets that we replaced with new because the rubber backing of the carpet was just literal falling apart with age. Chaparral are well made solid boats and actually, hard to tell from this photo but the extended swim platform shows the quality as well, heavy duty, well made, doesnt have/require any braces under the platform. Many boats have two metal support braces, one on each side of the outdrive.

Great choice that you ended up.
2 photos below are last summer one more close up of the swim platform

Nice. I'm debating the platform. I bought ours not knowing much about boats other than I wanted a fiberglass floor (Chaparral started that in our models a few years earlier) and that Chaparral and a few others were better bult than some others. I will say they do age well, the 'glass and interior on ours are still excellent. Needed only basic maintenance since. I did add led dock lights, for night cruises, and I went to a 4 blade prop w/ a few less inches of pitch. I willingly sacrificed top end for slower planing and much better low speed handling. It really made the boat 'feel' better and will stay on plane noticeably slower and at a flatter angle than the original prop, at a cost of speed but we are on a 400acre pond, so not much need or space for top end.

 

[BigCahuna]

I had my boat in Raritan bay, and fished the heck out of it. Fished Strippers and big Blues around Sandy hook, and down the coast at our spots. That was about 20 years ago. I hung it up when my fishing buddy's started moving away or dying. Plus the family wasn't into it anymore. And doing all the prep, and repair work in the spring was getting old. Sanding and painting a 27 ft boat wears you out, when your not a kid anymore.,,

 

[alarmguy]

I had my boat in Raritan bay, and fished the heck out of it. Fished Strippers and big Blues around Sandy hook, and down the coast at our spots. That was about 20 years ago. I hung it up when my fishing buddy's started moving away or dying. Plus the family wasn't into it anymore. And doing all the prep, and repair work in the spring was getting old. Sanding and painting a 27 ft boat wears you out, when your not a kid anymore.,,

Yes, Sandy Hook! I remember all the time checking weather and stats from the Sandy Hook Coast Guard station I think whenever we traveled outside of Jones Inlet, also Fire Island Coast Guard Station

 

[Ursatdx]

Do you boat in the northern part of NJ?
I was born, raised, boated my whole life until 15 years ago on the South Shore of Long Island, out of the Seaford area.
Loved the diversity of sea life in the Great South Bay and up to around 20 ish miles out into the ocean via Jones Inlet, sometimes Fire Island Inlet.
Many fishing trips off the Jersey highlands for monster Bluefish and our old standby at the Ambrose Light/Navigation tower outside of NY harbor never let us down using jigs.
As much as I love the fresh water boating, Im not so sure anything can beat the decades on Long Island the only thing I dont miss it the beating the boats take from the salt but that's all part of the package.
I love the thought of an outboard again, has evaded me for the last few decades though *LOL* BTW-Nice boat.

My getaway is on the Great Bay in Little EggHarbor. The bay has a great fishery. I'm 20 minutes to the Mullica river, 30 to the ocean and 40 minutes to Atlantic City. LBI is 1/2 an hour.
Love the Parker 21SE. The 150 Yamaha sips fuel.

 

[Donald]

The 150 Yamaha sips fuel.

It's all relative. The Queen Mary got 16 feet to the gallon going across the Atlantic.

 

[alarmguy]

Nice. I'm debating the platform. I bought ours not knowing much about boats other than I wanted a fiberglass floor (Chaparral started that in our models a few years earlier) and that Chaparral and a few others were better bult than some others. I will say they do age well, the 'glass and interior on ours are still excellent. Needed only basic maintenance since. I did add led dock lights, for night cruises, and I went to a 4 blade prop w/ a few less inches of pitch. I willingly sacrificed top end for slower planing and much better low speed handling. It really made the boat 'feel' better and will stay on plane noticeably slower and at a flatter angle than the original prop, at a cost of speed but we are on a 400acre pond, so not much need or space for top end.
View attachment 98569

Wow, looks great another mint condition boat.
Smart choice on the fiberglass floor, yeah, never buy with a carpet, more so now than ever, unless new and not going to keep it more than 5 years.
Im wondering if that year had their stepped hull design? I am thinking no but I dont know for sure. They actually patented the hull design in 2008/2007 I think, We have a plate on the back of the boat, Ill check next time I am there.

The reason it caught my attention was I had the OEM prop on it when I bought it, it was a bit beat up and it was a 4 blade. I loved the performance so much I ordered the same OEM Volvo 4 blade prop and put it on. Yes, I could have went with a 3 and a bit more pitch
but more interested in keeping the jump on plane character of the boat.
WIth that said, (here is the part regarding the hull) low speed performance is all over the place as far as tracking a straight line, reverse is almost comical. I never had a 4 blade prop and thought it was all due to that but here you are having the exact opposite experience so I assume its the new hull and not the prop on our boat.

Don't miss understand me though, I love the 4 blade, exact experience you have as far as anything above 1500 RPMs for me. Jumps on plane, tracks like its on rails, doesnt matter how many people on the boat. Really amazing and I have been boating since a kids and owned my own boats since I was 17 years old. That was (gulp) many, many, many decades ago. Im really good maneuvering since I have boated so long and the reverse doesnt bother me but its unlike anything I have ever known.

Maybe its the Volvo Penta drive but I doubt it, if there is one thing I would have liked is a Mere drive ONLY because I know them inside and out but I do enjoy the V/P for a change, other than having to replace the upper gear case last spring, a known clutch issue at the time around 2008 when the SX drives first came out.
Other then that all I have done was replace spark plugs, cap and rotor. Cap and rotor looks like it wasnt changed in 10 years when I did it, who knows, maybe the plugs too. Boat wasnt used much but was stored indoors and dry. Seasonal oil changes and gear case lube changes.
Never uses oil during the season.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Almost time to reactivate the trailer plates. I sticker the plates for 6 months per year. There are a few mountain lakes I like to use in the area, so I need the trailer.

Here in BC, liability insurance is covered by the plates. ( the insurance comes with the plates). In Alberta, the liability insurance of the vehicle pulling the trailer covers the trailer which means no need to renew plates each year; much better.

Got my trailer plate renewed for 6 months. It cost $36, just enough to be an annoyance.

 

[alarmguy]

My getaway is on the Great Bay in Little EggHarbor. The bay has a great fishery. I'm 20 minutes to the Mullica river, 30 to the ocean and 40 minutes to Atlantic City. LBI is 1/2 an hour.
Love the Parker 21SE. The 150 Yamaha sips fuel.

I remember reading about Parkers, long tradition of building boats, its kind of cool and its an east coast company. I have seen a fair amount of them around Long Island.
This might sound weird (to me anyway) but I always like what's called their Sport Cabins in the 21 and 23 foot size. I dont know why, nostalgic I think plus the construction, practicality and resale value. I would love to own one but dont think its going to happen in this lifetime.

In some ways but very different style boat Chaparral is the same, I THINK but could be wrong both companies are still privately owned or maybe better said not owned by a conglomerate like Brunswick which owns = Sea Ray, Bayliner and Meridian pleasure boats; Boston Whaler offshore fishing boats; and Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris (formerly FloteBote), Lowe, Lund, Princecraft fishing, deck and pontoon boats.

We used to be a Sea Ray everything family, including other family members with boats up to the 30 foot range. I lost my love for them decades back, started to see some cost cutting in some of the boats I owned.

 

[wings&wheels]

Wow, looks great another mint condition boat.
Smart choice on the fiberglass floor, yeah, never buy with a carpet, more so now than ever, unless new and not going to keep it more than 5 years.
Im wondering if that year had their stepped hull design? I am thinking no but I dont know for sure. They actually patented the hull design in 2008/2007 I think, We have a plate on the back of the boat, Ill check next time I am there.

The reason it caught my attention was I had the OEM prop on it when I bought it, it was a bit beat up and it was a 4 blade. I loved the performance so much I ordered the same OEM Volvo 4 blade prop and put it on. Yes, I could have went with a 3 and a bit more pitch
but more interested in keeping the jump on plane character of the boat.
WIth that said, (here is the part regarding the hull) low speed performance is all over the place as far as tracking a straight line, reverse is almost comical. I never had a 4 blade prop and thought it was all due to that but here you are having the exact opposite experience so I assume its the new hull and not the prop on our boat.

Don't miss understand me though, I love the 4 blade, exact experience you have as far as anything above 1500 RPMs for me. Jumps on plane, tracks like its on rails, doesnt matter how many people on the boat. Really amazing and I have been boating since a kids and owned my own boats since I was 17 years old. That was (gulp) many, many, many decades ago. Im really good maneuvering since I have boated so long and the reverse doesnt bother me but its unlike anything I have ever known.

Maybe its the Volvo Penta drive but I doubt it, if there is one thing I would have liked is a Mere drive ONLY because I know them inside and out but I do enjoy the V/P for a change, other than having to replace the upper gear case last spring, a known clutch issue at the time around 2008 when the SX drives first came out.
Other then that all I have done was replace spark plugs, cap and rotor. Cap and rotor looks like it wasnt changed in 10 years when I did it, who knows, maybe the plugs too. Boat wasnt used much but was stored indoors and dry. Seasonal oil changes and gear case lube changes.
Never uses oil during the season.

Perhaps I should have said 'low speed handing', as the Solas 4 blader really improved the handling in the same rpm band as yours. Idle speed handling seems more 'touchy' as I would expect as the prop is moving more water but at a slower velocity so you have more steering authority...good and bad. My reverse is OK for an I/O, so maybe the hull design is a factor.

 

[dja4260]

Yes sir, summer has arrived in South Carolina on May 1st. A few weeks late but that's ok. Boat ran great, thank god, always does but last year .... Spent 6k on it last spring, brand new OEM Volvo SX1 upper gear case and sea water pump.
Boat only has 117 hours on it, 2008, picked it up for a song was a dance back in 2019, worth way more than I paid for it in todays market. Truly mint condition.
Just a lucky rare find at the time. (it didnt hurt that it was the end of January either)

View attachment 98543

What lake? I hope to get out on Hartwell over the next weekend!

 

[alarmguy]

What lake? I hope to get out on Hartwell over the next weekend!

Lake Murray is our lake in the Midlands of SC.

Lake Hartwell, really pretty country up there. Took our bike up that way a couple times over the years, long time ago stopped by the dam there.
Daughter graduated from Clemson, haven't been up that way in a few years now.
Love the start of the mountains over there, was, still am, thinking of doing some heavy rafting at some popular place up in the SC mountains that we read about, forgot the name. Typically without fail at least once in the summer we take our bike to the Smoky mountains starting in Maggie Valley to Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge and do a day or two rafting up there but from what I understand the one in SC is like, the really deal when it comes to tough.

 

[Donald]

I

Perhaps I should have said 'low speed handing', as the Solas 4 blader really improved the handling in the same rpm band as yours. Idle speed handling seems more 'touchy' as I would expect as the prop is moving more water but at a slower velocity so you have more steering authority...good and bad. My reverse is OK for an I/O, so maybe the hull design is a factor.

I am hoping my new to me VP duoprop will handle significantly than my old Mercruiser Alpha One.

 

[Ursatdx]

I remember reading about Parkers, long tradition of building boats, its kind of cool and its an east coast company. I have seen a fair amount of them around Long Island.
This might sound weird (to me anyway) but I always like what's called their Sport Cabins in the 21 and 23 foot size. I dont know why, nostalgic I think plus the construction, practicality and resale value. I would love to own one but dont think its going to happen in this lifetime.

In some ways but very different style boat Chaparral is the same, I THINK but could be wrong both companies are still privately owned or maybe better said not owned by a conglomerate like Brunswick which owns = Sea Ray, Bayliner and Meridian pleasure boats; Boston Whaler offshore fishing boats; and Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris (formerly FloteBote), Lowe, Lund, Princecraft fishing, deck and pontoon boats.

We used to be a Sea Ray everything family, including other family members with boats up to the 30 foot range. I lost my love for them decades back, started to see some cost cutting in some of the boats I owned.

I bought a new Sea Ray 27 Sundancer in 2000.
Loved the boat but the Bravo III drive was problematic.
Quality was on it's way down back then.

 

[alarmguy]

I bought a new Sea Ray 27 Sundancer in 2000.
Loved the boat but the Bravo III drive was problematic.
Quality was on it's way down back then.

How ironic, my nephew up in New York had a 2002 280 Sundancer that he bought used some years ago, mint condition but had constant issues with the Merc Engines themselves. Constant sensor issues with the new EPA BS pollutions control. Seems like almost every summer the boat was in for repairs for half the season up there.
I cant remember if he had issues with the outdrives (something tells me yes on one of them) but I know as best I remember both engines had to be replaced within 3 years of each other from overheating issues.
Keep in mind when I say this, our entire family knows boats inside and out, this wasnt some kind of user error.

Anyway, he got rid of it just last year, everything was running perfect when he did and actually sold it to his neighbor who was aware of everything. I dont see or talk to him often, just saw him a few months ago for the first time in a while, next time I ll ask him about the boat itself.

Bought a 29 foot center console, forgot the brand. I personally prefer a cabin in that size boat but these center consoles seem to be the "in" thing now. Wife's boss just got rid of his 40 foot sport fisherman and bought a 40 foot center console.
I THINK the big draw to these center consoles are the outboard engines. GOD I would love to have an outboard, simple and reliable.

 

[alarmguy]

I
I am hoping my new to me VP duoprop will handle significantly than my old Mercruiser Alpha One.

Yes, dual prop outdrives are like "4 wheel drive" to "2 wheel drive" for single prop. On a larger single drive craft it of course will be very helpful and I am SURE you will love it.
On something in the 18 to 24 foot range I would prefer single prop, less complex but I am one would would much prefer an outboard in that size too. Again for simplicity and my limited budget. Plus I am pretty darn good handling a boat... ok, not the most modest statement... *LOL*

 

[wings&wheels]

I THINK the big draw to these center consoles are the outboard engines. GOD I would love to have an outboard, simple and reliable.

...as I have to replace the flywheels every 80 hrs on ours...but at least Yamaha pays! But my Wife picked out 'our' boat.

I am with you on outboards, especially in saltwater...they are ugly IMHO, but convenient.

 

[alarmguy]

...as I have to replace the flywheels every 80 hrs on ours...but at least Yamaha pays! But my Wife picked out 'our' boat.

I am with you on outboards, especially in saltwater...they are ugly IMHO, but convenient.

Wow ... the infallible Yamaha? Shocking if I must say... but at least Yami pays and at least the whole engine doesnt have to come apart.
Ive been hearing good things about Suzuki outboards but I am by no means up to date on outboards or any propulsion right now.
I really have always been a Mercury person, dont know why but just have been, though if buying a boat any of the three(or 4)would make me happy if no choice and why I have a V/P I/O right now ...
Well, time to sign out of BITOG before it gets up to 90 degrees I got to get the lawn cut. Ironically while wearing a Holter Monitor but that's a whole other subject. Im ok though.

 

[Ursatdx]

...as I have to replace the flywheels every 80 hrs on ours...but at least Yamaha pays! But my Wife picked out 'our' boat.

I am with you on outboards, especially in saltwater...they are ugly IMHO, but convenient.

What year/HP Yamaha(s)?
Thanks

 

[wings&wheels]

What year/HP Yamaha(s)?
Thanks

Hi, 2019 F350C's. They require flywheel replacement at ~80hrs of operation in a certain rpm range; 3500-5000 maybe? The engine monitor will alert you and the job is done in less than a day w/ no cost...currently. I only have 7 hours in the new-to-us boat and the boat only has 60 hrs. total, I am still learning ocean boating, but given the type of boating we expect to do I can't see spending much time in that range. We are usually puttering around for fun or running around Buzzards Bay and Vinyard Sound.

 

[Donald]

Yes, dual prop outdrives are like "4 wheel drive" to "2 wheel drive" for single prop. On a larger single drive craft it of course will be very helpful and I am SURE you will love it.
On something in the 18 to 24 foot range I would prefer single prop, less complex but I am one would would much prefer an outboard in that size too. Again for simplicity and my limited budget. Plus I am pretty darn good handling a boat... ok, not the most modest statement... *LOL*

At least my I/O is fresh water cooled and the boat will be rack stored. Unsure how much salt water will effect my boat.