More newbie questions

[DocPit]

I’m trying to spec-out my first boat purchase. Hope I can get some advice on three issues:

1) The dealer charges $531 for Sharkhide on three pontoons. Is it worth it?

2) I live near Lake Murraay in SC. People here boat all year round. Even in winter, there are usually one or two days per week when it’s warm enough to go out. It’s not clear to me what the value is of a playpen cover or seat covers. I don’t think I would enjoy constantly taking them off or putting them back on. Seat coves alone would add $900 to the price.

3) Under what circumstances does it make sense to opt for a dual battery system? I would not be going out at night; so I would not be running lights. No stereo. A GPS is the only accessory I can think of that I would run off the battery. I would carry a jump box in case the battery went dead and the boat wouldn’t start. Do I need adual batteries?

[BobL]

1 - My water is "dirty" and probably should have done it but since I keep my boat on a lift and it never stays in the water for more than 2-3 days, I decided to opt out. That is not a bad price for 3 toons. Much cheaper and easier to do it before you get it wet than after you have used it a few years. Others that have done Sharkhide would be better suited to answer your question.

2 - Do you have a covered lift or slip? When not in use, will you have an enclosed storage unit? Regardless, you need some type of cover in my opinion. As mentioned, I have a covered lift and still put the full cover on each time. Keeps the inside clean, prevents UV damage, etc. If I had to do it again, I would get a play pen or furniture covers as they are easier to put on (vs a full, "trailerable" cover). Just make sure you have a "breathable" cover. I had a cheap cover on my first toon and I did not breathe worth a crap and I fought mildew. Recently, I have considered going with an RV cover with straps (no snaps). While not a perfect fit, it is easier to take on/off and will cover all sides and the motor.

3 - I have never had a dual battery system on my toons as I am not drawing anything big (no trolling motor, no massive sound system, etc.) and we don't pull up to a party cove and run the stereo for an hour. I had a dual system on my offshore boat due to peace of mind and some additional power draw (live wells, lights, etc.). A Perko switch is cheap and easy to add after the fact if you think you will need it. Given what you said, I would stay with one battery for now unless you will be running the stereo for long periods of time with the motor off. For now, a fresh jump box will give you peace of mind. One more thing to consider is if you do go the dual battery setup, is the location of the batteries. Be careful with where they are placed. One of my buddies added a second battery and the boat listed a few inches to one side and it drove him nuts (both batteries were on the same side as the console so he had his weight, weight of the console, and two batteries all on one side).

[TWB]

1. - I, also, have not used Sharkhide, so I can't speak to that. I am on a lift and very rarely in the water when not in use, so I have no problems.

2. - I use a full playpen cover with snaps, though during peak usage (practically every day) I don't cover it every time. When I cover it, I prop the side and front gates open to allow air flow through the toon. I use 2 small bricks to hold the side gate and 2 for the front to keep it halfway. It keeps moisture and mildew down to nil.

I will agree with BobL also on 3. - Like you, I'm not pushing a big sound system, or lights, or live well, etc. One battery works perfect for me for the motor, GPS, and the stereo. Also agree - keep the weight as centered on your toons as possible. I was drooping on one side, moved the battery to the center, and Voila!



-Paul

[wc9550]

1- I have also not used sharkhide, but have seen a few guys on here comment about it. If I could do mine over, I would have added it when new (mine is now coming up to 1year old). I may try to have mine done in spring time if I can make some time to clean my toons prior to applying the product. Being that mine is a year old, I think it would be more cost effective on my end to do this myself. In your case, I would say $530ish to have them do it is a pretty good price.

2- my boat is always fully covered (with snaps) when not in use as mine sits outside during the season. The only time it is not covered is on the weekends we use it (I remove it when we get into town and are camping for the weekend and then it goes back on when we pack up to go home at the end of the weekend). It is also a breathable cover as well (it is from South Bay)

3- as for the dual battery question, I opted to have a second battery added to my boat because I knew I would be at a beach or a cove with the radio going for a while. I can say that I have had my radio going for 3-4 hours straight (with only using 1 of the 2 batteries) and the boat started right up when I was ready to move along. So you may not need a second battery. I got mine for peace of mind just in case I do kill a battery with the radio going, I will always be able to start the boat and then charge both of them on my way back to the launch.

Good luck on your search for a new boat.

[ROLAND]

and now my 2 Cents..

1- My boat is now going on 10 years old.. never used shark hide. So I can't comment to much on it. I've just never seen the need for it.

2- My boat does not stay in a slip... I keep it in a metal building year round.. I have a custom cover for it but it's such a pain to put on and take off, I just folded it up and put it away. Instead I purchased a generic " loose " fitting cover.. much easier to throw on the boat and since it's inside a storage building, it does just fine keeping dust and grime from setteling on the seats.

3- I only have a one battery set up. Like some of the others on here, I don't run my boats stereo when we're not underway... but I do carry a jump box with me " just in case ". Don't want to get caught 10 miles from the launch with only 20 minutes of day light left....

hope this helps.

[jediger]

I shark hide my boat every spring. Wouldn't pay $500 for it though. Just buy some shark hide and do it yourself upon delivery. My boat sits on a lift too, but its 5 years old and looks practically new. I dont worry overly much about getting every inch of the centre toon. Visible sections, nose cones and what I can teach on the trailer works great.

UV damage is real. A cover of some kind is a must in my opinion.

I have 4 batteries on my boat but I run a lot of electronics. A trolling motor, two fish finders, radio, two livewells. For your needs, one battery sounds fine.

[riplipper]

Shark hide is a must if you plan to trailer to salt water. Mine came with it on it and you can see every place they missed. My use is almost 100% salt though.

The best vinyl protectant in the world can only hold up to the sun for a short time. Cover is your best friend.

[steve1313]

You've gotten plenty of good advice so far!

Like some of the others, I can's speak to Sharkhide.

A cover is a must in my opinion. My boat sits on a lift and is covered, but I put my playpen cover (custom cover with snapscame with the boat) every time. Even though my slip is covered and seems to stay clean, I have slip neighbors that don't cover and there boat ends up with a fine coat of dust and other stuff. Also, if your boat is going to be stored outdoors, you'll really want a cover during pollen season. Even under my covered slip, it's amazing how much pollen accumulates on my cover during the spring. I've learned to take off and put my cover back on in just a few minutes while standing in the boat. I start at the front, and walk out the back door as I snap the last part down. I also have individual seat covers that snap at the base of each seating area and the helm. I used those the first season instead of the playpen cover and I found those took just as long to take on and off as the full playpen cover and didn't protect the whole boat, especially when the pollen was prevalent.


One battery will be fine for your usage. The jump box is all you'd ever need. Just be sure it stays charged!