Thread: Updating and Upgrading My Skeeter F-80 Strada

SWEET!!

Looks good. Get'em in the water!!!

Dang that looks great. I guarantee my Sprint ain't gonna be close to looking like that when it hit the water.

This is how my wife greeted me calling me to dinner when I was checking out where buckets of water ran into the Skeeter when I dropped in the water early this morning. She can be direct.

Anyway, I wet the Skeeter and found out quickly there was a problem. First I thought it dipped water when I launched it. Being rated for only a 80HP, being manufactured in 1986 few if any 4cyl 80Hp engines were made. If I'm wrong I welcome the correction but I think the 88HP no-frills Evinrude & Johnson was the lowest HP offered in a 4 cylinder outboard engine. In a 20in shaft they weighed 320#'s. The 90 3 cyl E-Tec weighs 320#'s also, most of the engines of the time 80HP or less was in the 250-260 pound range. I added a 5in manual Jackplate to the situation increasing the fulcrum factor aft of the transom increasing the depth the Transom was submerged.

To my surprise the boat was really sitting down in the back. I moved it over to the side of the dock and tied it up. Using a Bud's ramp I pulled the Fishin' Expedition up parking in the ramp and went back to the boat to check and see if any engine mounting bolts were leaking but the whole back of the boat was filling up and filling up fast. I turned the bilge pump on but it couldn't keep up. I went to start the E-Tec and it would hardly turn over. Battery voltage was fine till I put the cranking load as well as the Bilge pump was still running. I quickly realized it had to go back on the trailer pronto. I backed the trailer back in and used the trolling motor to bring the boat to the trailer winching it up on the bunks and safely out of harms way.

It has 2 very large hull penetrations for the 2 livewells for drains and I suspect either a hose is not connected inside the hull under the deck out of sight or a rodent has chewed a large hole in them. This is a opportunity to add a remote Livewell drain valve. I checked the voltage drop on the battery and I suspect the battery is past it's prime and too old to use for a cranking battery. More later after pulling the hoses out. Nothing but keeping life interesting, never a dull moment around here.

Bummer, hopefully an easy fix

Originally Posted by SuperDave336

Bummer, hopefully an easy fix

Well I have the back Bi-wing Hatch cover removed to get more access to the area. The Bow & Aft Livewells didn't get any water in them. This is a 1986 boat, back then a snorkel drain was used to maintain the water level in the Livewell. The Snorkels consisted of PVC pipe & fittings returning at 90 degrees towards the stern where the fitting just stuck into the actual drain fitting so when you wanted to drain the Livewells you pulled the Snorkel out of the Drain fitting and the water drained out the Transom penetration fittings. Where I can see the hose there are no holes but concerning the bow Livewell drain they connected it before putting the Cap on, no access that I can find to the fitting to disconnect and replace the hose. I'm looking at adding a battery in the bow Livewell anyway now. I will post a picture later this evening. I came inside to shop for a rugged service battery.

Just ordered a Odyssey PC1200 for a cranking battery power upgrade. I will install the PC925 on the Port side for a second battery.

No float, not good. Should maybe just carry some of those rubber carboy plugs (bungs) with next time you go to the ramp to plug those holes up and see which one was letting the water in. Hopefully they are reachable from the outside. Musta freaked you out when it was sinking, dang.