Newbie with a few questions

[Arkansan]

My husband and I just bought a 1998 Sportster 1800 after spending a year trying to figure out the best boat to fit our limited budget and limited storage space. We just love the layout, and the boat is in good shape for something that dates back to the Clinton administration. We have ordered the shop manual, but in the meantime we have some questions that you veterans might be able to help with:

1) There are a few small gouges in the hull of the bow. They are really small -- I didn't even notice them until I started washing the boat for the first time. Do these need to be patched, or is that just typical wear and tear on a 14-year-old boat?
2) The backrest of the forward facing seat on the "starboard bow" isn't attached just right. How can I get behind it to remove it?
3) The armrest on the starboard side of the back bench seat (across from the driver) is not attached at all. How do I get to the screws that are supposed to hold it in place?
4) The ski pole doesn't stay up. Is there a trick to that?
5) The boat has a Perko brand base for a pole light at the stern. I don't know if this is OEM or not. It seems to be a 2-pin base. Will any 2-pin pole light work in it, or do I have to buy a Perko light (which seem to be two or three times more expensive)?
6) We are not really audiophiles but we like music and would like to be able to listen to our iPods in the boat. Can anyone suggest some decent stereo and speaker systems that would be loud enough for a Seadoo without costing more than the boat? (The current speakers are Roadmasters, and they sound terrible at high volume. Plus they are black, and I'd rather replace them with white that blends in better.)

Thanks for any/all help you can offer.

 

[Dr Honda]

First... Welcome to the seadoo world.

OK... let's just go down the list....


1) It's probably just superficial, and nothing to worry about. If you post a pic, we can better tell. BUT... I would probably just brush in a little white paint and be done with it.

2) The backs are held in 2 points. They have body trees in the bottom, and then aluminum pins on the top. SO... you pull from the bottom of the backrest, and when it pop's out... you lift it straight up. Chances are, you will need new "Trees" to install it again. (you can get them at your local autoparts shop.

3) They are a bitch. They are held on with a 6mm bolt. SO... you need a 10mm socket, and a ratchet... and long, skinny arms to get to them. (From the engine compartment)

4) Yep... the trick is to not use it. They aren't very strong, and they are known to bend. I would suggest tying your rope to the eye on the rear of the boat.

5) Yes... any 2 pin stern light will work. The nice thing about the early seadoo boats was that a lot of the hardware was from other companies. Perko makes the lights and switches, and Tellefex makes the controls. Then things like the latches, and cup holders are industry parts also.

6) Someone else can talk to you about the radios. Seadoo boats are loud, and even good radios will eb hard to hear over the engines, and wind noise. Personally... I would buy a $100 system with 4 speakers, and just live with it.

 

[Arkansan]

Thank you so much! I will try to post a picture of the hull, but I do believe the nicks in it are superficial. And I think I have my port and starboard confused. (I have never even been able to tell left from right, which frustrates my husband to no end.) I'll just ignore the ski pole, and buy a cheaper stern light. We'll see if our long skinny son might be able to help with the armrest, and I'll try to get brave enough to pull off the backrest. You referenced a radio with four speakers... but I think there are only two speakers on our boat. Have I overlooked another pair? When you say that Perko made the switches, does that include the toggles next to the steering wheel (lights, horn, fuel, etc.)? Ours look really worn but certainly functional. If we decided to replace them, were would we go for parts like that?

Again, thank you very much. I so appreciate your help.

 

[bigtexan99]

Welcome aboard! I see you are in Little Rock. I believe there is an Academy Sporting goods store, they will have most things you need such as the light pole. They also have speakers, you'll probably want to get Marine speakers as they will get wet. If you only have 2 then I would stick with 2 instead of adding another pair. I would replace the speakers first, and if they don't sound better then a new radio/head unit. Don't plan on listening to music while you are driving, just when you are drifting or anchored.

 

[howie099]

I just bought the same year and model of boat 4 months ago. The seats are a pain to put back on, the manual shows a few pictures but they are not that good. The rear light should be stored under the engine lid on 2 hooks the light is not a seadoo model and you can buy it anywhere. The ski pole pulls up and there is a pin that slids into a groove to hold it up. I am betting the pin is missing. I can take pictures of mine to show you if you want. The boats are pretty loud crusing around, I am just upgrading the 2 speakers to bigger ones, putting in a subwoofer, 4 channel amp and calling it a day. You cna speand alot on radio I just bought a decent headset that takes and MP3 and USB drive didn't even opt for a CD since the thing will skip anyway. If you add more speakers than 2 that come with the boat you will have to make your own holes and run wire.

I was luncky when I bought mine that for a 1998 it looks like its 2 years old. They boat only went on the water for 3 times a year and the owner did tell the truth on the hours of the boat. It only has 114 on it. I know because I bought a CandooPro to read the MPEM and make keys for it.

 

[Arkansan]

We are the kind of people who would replace the two speakers. We are NOT the kind of people who will start cutting holes in the fiberglass and start adding wires. Our first boat (which we still have) is a 1959 MFG runabout with the original 35hp Evinrude Lark outboard, so having a boat with a sound system is new to us. I'll just stop thinking about being able to listen to music while zooming around. Still, I do think we'll want a newer system with an auxiliary port. That can wait. Academy Sports is just a couple of miles from our house, but Gander Mountain is even closer. We browsed around there yesterday, getting an idea of the things we might want. Thanks so much for your suggestions.

 

[Arkansan]

Howie099, BLESS YOU! I went out and opened the engine lid and found that we already have a pole light -- and it works fine! Yippee! I'm sure we would have eventually discovered that... but probably after I went ahead and bought one. So now I can take one thing of my lengthy list of things we need to buy to get this new toy ready for spring. If you have a chance to post a photo of the ski pole pin, that would be great. Or just tell me where to look.

Thank you so much!

 

[Arkansan]

One more question: Do you folks have a favorite vendor of decal lettering for the registration numbers? It looks like I can order custom lettering online for only a few dollars more than a decal kit. Anyone have a good experience somewhere?

 

[Dr Honda]

You referenced a radio with four speakers... but I think there are only two speakers on our boat. Have I overlooked another pair? When you say that Perko made the switches, does that include the toggles next to the steering wheel (lights, horn, fuel, etc.)? Ours look really worn but certainly functional. If we decided to replace them, were would we go for parts like that?

Again, thank you very much. I so appreciate your help.

The radio wasn't standard on that boat... so if it only has 2 speakers... it's what someone else has installed.

There shouldn't be any toggles on that boat. They should be a twist switch. Either way... you can splice in anything you want if they need replaced.

 

[Dr Honda]

One more question: Do you folks have a favorite vendor of decal lettering for the registration numbers? It looks like I can order custom lettering online for only a few dollars more than a decal kit. Anyone have a good experience somewhere?

I can cut you custom hull numbers if you need them. They are $20 for a single color, or $30 for a 2-tone/outlined style. (plus shipping)

PM me if you are interested.


click on my signature lines to see some of my work.

 

[Arkansan]

Duh. Thanks Tony. I guess I didn't think of vinyl graphics as being registration numbers...

I'm trying to attach a photo of the gouges on the hull. Keep in mind that we just got this boat a week ago and haven't cleaned it up yet. Most are just scuffs, but there are some gouges.

 

[LouDoo]

Tony's a little shy about this here's some registration nos. he made for me.

Lou

 

[Arkansan]

Beautiful! We have three more weeks to get the boat registered. When I know what letters/numbers I need, I'll be in touch with Dr. Honda.

 

[bigtexan99]

Nice letters! I'm not sure that would pass inspection in texas though....they call for 'block' letters.

 

[howie099]

Here is the picture of the ski pole. The locking device is a clip with a rubber strap that locks in to the groove.. To fix those gouges you can use just use a gel coat paste kit to fill them. As long as you don't see fiberglass your good with the paste.

 

[bigJake]

Nice letters! I'm not sure that would pass inspection in texas though....they call for 'block' letters.

Doc will make any font you want.

 

[Arkansan]

Thank you again, Howie. I'll dig around in the engine compartment and figure out the ski pole. (That's normally my husband's domain, although our entire boating experience has been with an ancient outboard, so he's got a lot to learn, too.) I'll hunt for some gelcoat paste.

 

[Dr Honda]

Nice letters! I'm not sure that would pass inspection in texas though....they call for 'block' letters.

you are right. 3" block leters are USCG requiered. Most places will allow for a little style, and I found that the font I used on my XP, and Lou's GTX is JUST passable. Last summer I had a ranger give me a little grief over them... but in the end, he said..."OK."

I find as long as they are contrasting... they will let them pass.

 

[Dr Honda]

Arkansan: I wouldn't worry about the scratches. If you sweat every nick and scratch... you will never enjoy the boat. The scratches in the picture are superficial.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

Beautiful! We have three more weeks to get the boat registered. When I know what letters/numbers I need, I'll be in touch with Dr. Honda.

maybe tx is different, but the reg #'s in florida never change, its not like a car license plate... so if you have a title, it should already have the reg #'s on them,
i'm sure somebody in tx can clarify this.... but my guess is you can go ahead and order them now, just wait for a tx person to clarify

i've bought many reg # sets and usually pay between $15 & 20, as long as its good vinyl you'll be fine, heck i even ordered a set for my mailbox, they are so much nicer than the crap box numbers you get at homedepot and since they come on a peel off sheet, they actually are straight and a year later no peeling at all.

 

[Arkansan]

We bought the boat in Texas and brought it back to Arkansas, so the registration numbers will definitely change. Dr. H, I'm not the type to sweat every imperfection -- we knew we were buying a 14-year-old boat, after all -- but I wanted to know if these were really as minor as they seemed to me. I probably will buy some gelcoat paste and do my best to fill them in, since we are getting the boat ready to be waxed for what will probably be the first time in several years.

Again, thanks to all of you for your help and advice.

 

[howie099]

If the gouges are deep you can fill them in or if they both you you can. Usually you will need to mix the white gel paste with a little yellow to match the color of the seadoo if you buy a universal kit. If you buy a seadoo oem kit the color should be an exact match with no mixing. The universal kits are like $40 not sure what Seadoo ones cost. Just need the and kit, some asetone, and wetsand paper. The seadoo manual goes over this and the kit instrucitons do also.

Every state is differnet on the numbers most of them are just like 3" letters that you can see that go on bow of the boat. Usually you just go to your States DNR website or agency that registers the boat and they have all the info. In Illinois the registation numbers stay the with boat for its lifetime in Illinois. We have to buy new stickets every 3 years and put the sticker right next to numbers. We get one for each side of the boat. If you get cought with out them them fine is pretty heafty here a few $100 for the ticket without them.

Just make sure you have all the safty equipment you need for your state. It is all posted with DNR or the registration agency on what each boat needs.

 

[Arkansan]

I think the rules are pretty much the same here. We have to update the registration on our old (old, old, old) boat every three years. I see that Spectrum sells gelcoat paste that's supposedly a match for Seadoo white. It's worth a try. On such small areas, I doubt I can make things much worse. http://www.iboats.com/Seadoo-1995-2...0378276--session_id.325363213--view_id.830341

 

[howie099]

For $25 for the gelcoat paste I would try it. Heck my boat is newest of my water crafts. I have 94 Polaris SL750 and a 97 Yamaha GP1200. Both still run good and are in decent shape for years. Both have new top ends in them. I like the older stuff since I don't fell to bad if they blow up. I would be crying if I broke a $12,000 seadoo PWC or a $40,000 Seadoo boat.

 

[Arkansan]

LOL! Boats, exercise equipment and musical instruments: the three categories one should never buy new. We paid $5,900 for the 98 Sportster 1800 with OEM trailer. Maybe someone else could find a better deal, but it seemed fair to us -- a way to have fun in the water without taking on a monthly payment. (I couldn't enjoy a boat that was losing thousands of dollars of value every year.) We expect to spend a few bucks cleaning and polishing and equipping, and maybe a few more bucks upgrading the sound system. But my main concern is how much fuel we're going to burn!