Newbie here--just got a v20

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flats22slam

New member
Hi everyone, my name is Chrissy. I'm in the Tampa Bay area and I just bought an 88 Wellcraft 20 Fisherman center console. It has the original motor which I would like to upgrade to a four stroke at some point. I also want to ditch the bimini and get a t-top. I love the look of the boat and I'll be excited when I can finally do some offshore fishing. Right now I am slowly buying all new electronics for it...
 

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Hey Chrissy,welcome to the coolest boat forum on the web!!!!! I definetly see were that bimini could cause some issues trying to do some serious fishing off that rig. Nice boat by the way good luck with your mods. To get by for now with your bimini you can bring your straps closer to your pivot point so you don't have them in your way. You can move the eyelets just about under the edge of the top and it still stay tight. It will give you a lot more room to minipulate rods around.
 
Thanks for the tip! One question I have is about paint. I would really like to paint the bottom of this boat because it is so ugly. It is stored high and dry but I'm just looking to make it look better. What kind of paint is recommended, and my friends are telling me it will slow the boat down????
 
You have a few options. One you can get it soda blasted and remove the paint all together,soda blast is just abrasive enoght to remove the soft ablative paint and not effect the factory gel coat. You can repaint with a soft ablative which it looks like that's what you have. Or you could (i think) paint on a tie coat type primer and then paint on a hard shell non ablative which will not effect your performance as much. Others will chime in with other advice soon.
 
welcome to the site, are you going to trailer or dry stack? if you are not planing on keeping it in the water, i'd see about removing like kracker suggested. once removed, your done with it. if you paint , it will have to be done again at some point. and don't count that old merc out , lot of them still around

your living in a great spot to take advantage of that boat year round.
 
Hi Chrissy, Welcome to the insanity. If you're going to trailer it Soda Blast the bottom, and as long as the fibreglass underneath has no blisters I'd just wax it and leave it like that. If you're going to leave it in the water then yes, you need to repaint it. Good looking boat, and like Phatdaddy said, don't count that Merc out. I have a 1991 200 Merc almost identical to yours and it pushes my boat like there's no tomorrow. If it ain't broke, don't mess with it. Just give it tender loving care and it will last a good long time.
 
Thanks for the replies! I will be keeping it high and dry...it has been there for years and it seems to have done this boat good. Plus the marina is only about 7 min from my house, also convenient! I took a closer look at the boat and it seems as though someone may have tried to take the paint off in the past, so I think I will proceed and just remove it all. Anyone have any advice on what kind of tach to buy? I need a new one; mine is not working. I am reading that with my motor, I need a 6 pole..?? thanks!!!
 
Welcome to the site!! Lots of great guys here that can help you out with any questions you have!! So ask away!!
 
welcome

welcome to the site, i see your from Tampa also. the picture looks like the marina near Baypines VA center, well, good luck, and if you need help, let me know, Im a paramedic in Pinellas cty.
jet
 
i hope it is just your tach, but sometimes a tach not reading is a symptom of another problem. i'd verify the charging system on the boat is doing it's thing first.
 
phatdaddy said:
i hope it is just your tach, but sometimes a tach not reading is a symptom of another problem. i'd verify the charging system on the boat is doing it's thing first.
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Welcome to the site, Chrissy!...Phatdaddy's ZACKLY right...could be the tach, could be something else...could just be a bad connection. STRONGLY recommend you find and make friends w/a good, honest Mercury marine tech to check it out...spending money in the wrong direction can be worse than paying for someone to do it for you.
Teleflex makes great, affordable tachometers for your motor...just be sure, whatever you buy is a universal tach so when you repower, you can continue to use it.
I have a brand new one I'll sell you cheap...I THOUGHT I needed one and turns out I had one tucked away when I set up the V20 I have now. Let me know and I'll post pics, etc if you are interested.
 
Thanks macojoe---was following your posts for a while prior to signing up. congrats on the house and i'm so sorry you had to sacrifice the boat. something else will come your way, keep the faith. :)
 
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