Redneck's last day out of the year!

[Steve509926]

Well unless we have a very mild autumn/winter I think that was my last day out on "Redneck" for this year.
Had a good day on Coniston Water, cold windy but sunny and obviously very choppy, it is Coniston after all!
First time I've had 4 adults a dog and kit on board (prob 480 kg Inc OB & fuel) and you can really tell the difference, can't say it was an experience I would want to repeat often. Obviously the wind and the choppy waters didn't help but it seemed to take an age to get on the plane and when we did the SIB felt sluggish and heavy. A huge difference when the two women and the dog decided they wanted off and went for a coffee
I can say Coniston makes for an enjoyable days SIBing
Decent size lake approx 5 miles, interesting shore line, beautiful views. Good parking, good slipway with a jetty alongside so your feet stay dry!!

[pumpkinking]

Looks great Steve! Yes definitely more fun with fewer people in our size boats...

Glad you got a good few trips in Redneck this year.

[Steve509926]

Really enjoyed all the trips. Steep learning curve and a few scary moments, but all in all a good couple of months. Tachometer reads 24 hours which I think isn't bad.
Looking forward to next spring now. If your ever back "Up North" pm me if you want to meet up.
Do you think you'll get out again this year?

[pumpkinking]

Absolutely will do. Nah I think that’ll be it for Pip this year... I work for one of the few theatres that’s reopened in London and it continues to be a flat out effort trying to “stay afloat” over the coming winter!

Looking forward to spring when hopefully large audiences return and we’re able to get away again.

In the meantime RIBnet shall have to be where I get my boating fix. Don’t really fancy the Thames... Enjoyed living vicariously hearing about other people’s trips.

[Fenlander]

>>>First time I've had 4 adults a dog and kit... you can really tell the difference, can't say it was an experience I would want to repeat often... seemed to take an age to get on the plane and when we did the SIB felt sluggish and heavy.

Glad to hear you managed a last day out... due to family stuff and covid this could be the first year in more than a decade where the SIBs only outing was into the garden.

Interesting to hear too your realistic take on weight in a SIB. I find for 3.5-3.8m SIBs two adults plus dog perfect and occasionally a lightweight daughter still OK. More weight than that and you lose throttle response from a 15hp so working a sea is harder and the options to trim the people positions according to weather/sea conditions is much reduced.

[Steve509926]

I've been instructed by my darling wife to make two corrections:-

"A huge difference when the two women and the dog decided they wanted off and went for a coffee" should have read "A huge difference when are darling wives........."

The other is, I didn't have a tacho fitted for the first weeks holiday. So we have probably have done closer to 35 hrs on the water.

Which leads me onto a question :-

The OB logbook says "First 3 months or 20 hours service checkup (Recommended only)"

I'm more than capable of doing all the visual checks, lubrication, changing oil/filter, but I can't check diagnostic codes, ECM and sensor operation.
Question is, do you think I'd be giving a big get out for any future warranty claim if I didn't have a "Recommended only" first service?

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

I've been instructed by my darling wife to make two corrections:-

"A huge difference when the two women and the dog decided they wanted off and went for a coffee" should have read "A huge difference when are darling wives........."

The other is, I didn't have a tacho fitted for the first weeks holiday. So we have probably have done closer to 35 hrs on the water.

Which leads me onto a question :-

The OB logbook says "First 3 months or 20 hours service checkup (Recommended only)"

I'm more than capable of doing all the visual checks, lubrication, changing oil/filter, but I can't check diagnostic codes, ECM and sensor operation.
Question is, do you think I'd be giving a big get out for any future warranty claim if I didn't have a "Recommended only" first service?

Most warrantys require the full servicing to be done.... This is how they get you. Many people can DIY the warranty work but dare not because of potentially voiding their warranty on what was an expensive new engine.

Personally I would do the work myself (save the money which is not insignificant) and take the risk

[Ferryman]

I bought my outboard with 70 hours on it at 18 months old. Bembridge Outboards corrected the rigging under warranty, I believe they charged the company that originally fitted the engine via Mercury.
I asked them to service it because it was 18 months old, they said it wasn’t necessary until 100 hours.

[Steve509926]

Decided to go with the first 20hr/3 month "Recommend Only" service for £65 + Vat, to me it's worth it to preserve the warranty.
However, it's been suggested that I "winterise" the OB for an extra cost. I asking myself why? It will have been serviced. It's an EFI - no fuel in the carb. It's been flushed clean after every trip. Its stored upright in a dry, warm garage. I'll be running it for 5 mins every month in a bin of fresh water.
Am I missing something? Should I pay the extra cost?

[neil.mccrirrick]

If you run it regularly as you say imho no. I run my engines a similar way through winter and have never had a problem. FYI you can still have a problem with efi on the injectors

[Steve509926]

Thanks Neil, confirms my thoughts about running the OB throughout the winter months.
When you say problems with the injectors, would that be a "wax" deposit?

[Ferryman]

I genuinely don’t think you need to run it every month, modern engines are much better than that. I don’t even worry about batteries any more.
As long it’s they flushed through and drained, it’ll be fine!!