Hard Boat question

Into The Blue · 29 March 2010, 22:00

Despite my advice my little sister has just purchased a boat. And a hard boat at that. All looks good on the surface BUT she's not exactly the most mechanically minded and seems to have purchased off E-Bay without even seeing the boat.
So I could do with a little help.
Firstly the motor - it's a Force 75. Can anyone tell me anything about these? From memory they were made by Mercury but is there any obvious stuff I should get her to look for?
As for the Hull - it's a ring 16ft. I'll get her to do the usual hull checks but anything unique to Ring's?

Lastly - anyone got any experience of these - top speed? Fuel at full throttle.
Any ideas very gratefully received.

Video enclosed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUMsze0LMBI

Steve_B · 29 March 2010, 22:08

I'm sure it will turn out OK, but if honest, it is the sort of boat which when we see them go out the harbour, think to ourselves will be towed back in later in the day.
They seem to be driven by those with very little experience or equipment.

I cant answer any of your questions, but would strongly recommend she spends some money on good training, plenty about in Poole.

Steve

Into The Blue · 29 March 2010, 22:24

Thanks
I've already got her to agree to an RYA I and II with an RNLI Sea Check.

Gonna cost her some money but it's either that or I take the spark plugs out

Nos4r2 · 29 March 2010, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Into The Blue

she's not exactly the most mechanically minded

Quote:

Originally Posted by Into The Blue

Firstly the motor - it's a Force 75.

Christ.

Tell her not to turn up to collect it. A Force and being non mechanically minded is a very bad combination. As far as I'm aware the only place in the UK for parts now is Bill Higham.

Sorry to sound negative, but I'd repower that boat immediately.

BogMonster · 30 March 2010, 00:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by 250kts

it is the sort of boat which when we see them go out the harbour, think to ourselves will be towed back in later in the day

We have one of them here

The bugger still owes me a case of beer from the last time too....

Cookee · 30 March 2010, 08:04

A Ring 16 certainly isn't a "soft" ride either!

Dirk Diggler · 30 March 2010, 08:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cookee

A Ring 16 certainly isn't a "soft" ride either!

Unlike the "armchair" ride of a Bananashark rib!

Cookee · 30 March 2010, 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Unlike the "armchair" ride of a Bananashark rib!

You haven't been in the leisure version have you? Still slightly firm, but a lot better ride than the race version at 90mph!

blinddog · 30 March 2010, 19:22

The Ring 16 is actually an ok little boat, sell the force and buy a yam 90 and you'll get years of cheap boating.

gaZ

Into The Blue · 30 March 2010, 20:54

Thanks for all the comments - I'll edit them in to something palatable and pass them on. I think it's too late to stop her buying it but a new engine with more power, now that's a message I can get behind

Cheers

Jizm · 30 March 2010, 21:06

Ring make RIBs aswell, can't you talk her into one of those?

http://www.ringpowercraft.net/

Jizm · 30 March 2010, 21:06

like this one....

Into The Blue · 30 March 2010, 22:27

Nice thought but there is no way I'm persuading my li'l sister to get a faster boat than mine.
This is the woman who's only driven a boat once, it broke down and needed a tow. Cost her all the pride she had to ask for help. And she swore she'd never get a boat.

Good news is her husband is a sucker for a new toy so there'll be loads of mileage in getting him to buy all the toys, including a nice new engine.

Nasher · 30 March 2010, 23:42

Wow you guys really do have a family full of boats now.

The Force range was developed from the old chrysler engines, the first ones were just painted Blue rather than the Off White and Gold.

Nasher

Into The Blue · 31 March 2010, 09:12

My parents dragged us up real proper.
Each of their three offspring now have a boat. Seems perfectly reasonable to me, sadly two of them are hard boats but perfection was a bit of a high expectation.

Knowing the force might be a chrysler really worries me, previous experience of one was a disaster. Damn thing was a pig to start and guzzled fuel; along with a taste for very expensive Spark Plugs that never seemed to last more than a couple of weeks.

I'm getting a bad feeling abouth this.

Nasher · 31 March 2010, 13:33

On the other hand, the 35HP Chrysler my father had on his first Force4 Flatacraft was a great engine that was reliable for many years.

Nasher.

Nos4r2 · 31 March 2010, 14:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Into The Blue

Knowing the force might be a chrysler really worries me

I don't think it's a Chrysler-Later ones were Merc based. There's a video on the guy's Youtube showing what looks like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oaV8...eature=channel

I'd still shift it on rather than use it though.

chewy · 31 March 2010, 14:22

Like Nos said the later ones were Mariner/Mercury based I think. Someone from Barrus might be able to help?

Lets go boating · 31 March 2010, 16:03

iv raced that boat on my ski before, back towards pwllheli

Screaming04 · 31 March 2010, 17:05

It's a Force/Chrysler. Merc bought them but that's all they had to do with them. They were a budget motor. Run it till it breaks, but in the UK, I wouldn't bother trying to fix one.

http://www.vottle.com/uploaded_image...ef56d002d3.jpg

That's the motor with it's old cowl.

FORCE= F'in Old Recycled Chrysler Engine is the acronym used here.