First Day Out

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Hello all, I finally picked up my SX210 Saturday and took her out Sunday. This is my first boat, first time trailing one and driving one. Everything went pretty smooth - got trailer down the ramp on my first try but then realized I forgot to take off the tow straps . Left the dock and return docked pretty smooth. I read a lot about how these can be hard to dock - but on our test drive Saturday the sales manager showed me how to dock and it is cake.

Anyways have a few questions....

1. The Yamaha anchor does not seem to fit perfect in the boat and doesn't seem to catch well... any one have part # or recommendation for something else?

2. We were backed in and tide started coming out and depth finder was way off in flat mode... showing like 90 feet in probably less than 2 feet.... is that normal?

3. Twice during the day it seemed we had cavitation in one of the motors. The first time I put under throttle - RPMs jumped then fell back down.... idled out of the channel... then tried it one more time and it was fine. Second time - basically the same thing expect throttle didn't clear it. Pulled the plugs on the rear and didn't see anything, but put them back in and it ran fine. Thoughts on this?

4. When flushing the motors a small bit of steam was coming off, is this normal?

5. These speakers suck.... that is going on the short list.

 

[H2OBoy]

1. I have part number SBT-YS600-00-14 and it fits perfect in the front locker

2. This does not seem normal at all. My depth finder has always seemed very accurate.

5. You are absolutely correct...

I'm sure someone else will comment on 3 and 4.

 

[Gym]

Hi @adrianp89 and welcome to the forum. Most of us here experrienced most of your concerns so I'm sure you'll get good adice on your issues. I had the same issue with the stock Yamaha anchor so went to West Marinè and bought a fluke anchor. The arms it hangs from were a little long so I hacksawed off an inch from each side and it's been great for the last 5 years.

Yes, the speakers & stock stereo suck. Replace them as budget permits. The temporary cavitation issue is not uncommon. It was most likely a transient condition where something got hung up in the pump. You can look at the "look here first section" to learn how the reverse maneuver can easily clear most of the blockages. The depth guage will usually read pretty accurately down to about 2 feet unless the bottom is muddy or has a lot of growth. If it reads ok above 2 to 3 feet over a solid bottom it's ok. When you get shallower than that your eye is the best guage. Remember these pumps suck water from 3 feet down at idle so you can suck debris into your pumps if shallower. You can get a little steam through your pee holes when flushing. I usually use the "no wake" button when flushing. That way if it ever goes to overheat the computer automatically drops the engine down to idle and I'll hear it immediately. Hope this helps.

 

[Julian]

1. Yamaha doesn't supply anchors with their boats...yours is from the dealer, and is likely a simple fluke anchor. Many people go with a box anchor or mantis anchor....lots of threads on the forum about this.
2. depth finder not reading at 2 feet isn't unusual.....too shallow. At that depth you risk damaging your boat if the engines are running. You can suck sand/mud into your motors. Yes these boats CAN run shallow, but beware of this....its nice to know you won't hit your prop/outdrive...but avoid doing this routinely.
3. Occasional cavitation is not unusual. Here is the reverse move that Gym referenced.
4. Normal
5. Yes....if your stock speakers are white thin grills, they are likely "Seaworthy" brand speakers....and are pretty crappy. Here is an FAQ with lots of Stereo advice.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Sweet - thanks guys! Now I just need to re-do my fence so I can park it properly. I had an old chainlink fence with 10 foot gate that I moved over to fit the boat - but the angle and bushes in the backyard make it damn near impossible to get it how I want. Just going to switch over to two 8 foot gates and not worry about a damn thing lol.

 

[synackattack]

Congrats on your first day out! I agree with the speakers, they are pretty bad! An amp and new speakers are on my short list.

I was able to tweak a couple of settings on it and I can now at least hear it while I'm at speed.

• Turn Loudness On
• Adjust Bass and Treble to your liking...both are set to 0 by default.

We hit Egmont this weekend. Maybe we'll see you around!

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I will try messing with the settings for now. We have friends that usually go to Bunces Pass - so we will probably be that way a lot. Yesterday we went out of Bellair, took it slow and learned our way up to HoneyMoon Island and then back through the inlet at Clearwater Beach.

 

[Just1more]

I notice my depth finder to get screwy when we are anchored shallow. Especially if there is seaweed brushing underneath. I could be in 2 feet and it all of a sudden reads 90 feet. Once I start the engines it turns to normal.

 

[0627Devildog]

Welcome aboard and congrats on your first day out!