Quote:
. . . That means I really HAVE to find a good swim step for this boat. What sort is traditionally used on Seacrafts? I might be able to find a used one of those full stern teak ones if it isn't too hard to fit.
|
Most folks with outboards prefer the half(assed?) platforms so you don't have to worry about interference with the motor. It's pretty easy to make one like this one that I had before I repowered:
I made it from a 4' piece of 1" OD SS tubing; bent it into U shape with a conduit bender. The teak planks were about 2-2.5" wide x 1" thick, spaced about 1" apart and mounted with 1/4-20 SS machine screws that were countersunk into the planks and covered with teak plugs. You'll need a drill press to drill holes in the tubing for the plank mount screws. Used the same SS fittings you'd use on a Bimini top to mount it. Works best if mounted right at the water line so it's awash when lowered. It's fairly light and easily removable. With one 8' length of tubing, you could make one for each side. If you want a SERIOUS swim platform, you need one like this on my friends old SeaCraft 21, the "Unohu"!
BTW, I think you made a good choice with the 90 E-Tec for all the towing you'll be doing. Those motors run in an extremely lean stratified charge mode below 2000 rpm, so they burn even less fuel than a 4-stroke or ANY other motor when you're running at hull speed. My V-6 only burns about 0.5 gal/hr @ 5 mph, and that I-3 90 hp is exactly 1/2 of the V-6! There really is no break-in required for those motors because the engine computer keeps track of time @ rpm, and it feeds extra oil to the motor until you accumulate something like 5 hrs above 2500 rpm. If you have any other questions on the motor, go to
this owners forum. It's run by some very knowledgeable technicians. I would suggest using ONLY the XD-100 full synthetic oil right from the start. It burns cleaner and you'll use less oil if you have the dealer reset the computer for it. BRP says you don't ever have to do a periodic decarb to keep the rings clean, as is required on most 2-strokes, if you use XD-100. If the boat still seems a little stern heavy, you may also want to consider running a 4-blade prop. The extra blade provides more stern lift and made a dramatic improvement in low speed planing and acceleration on my boat. Good luck with the new rig!
