Is a Sugar Sand right for you?

[Chuck Buck]

Having purchased a rather neglected 2004 Mirage in late 2017 and nursing it back to health, along with perusing this board often since then, I think I’ve acquired enough knowledge to formulate a seasoned opinion on the subject with respect to a purchase decision. While by no means is my experience the be-all-end-all, it can serve as both a deterrent and encouragement to the first-time buyer.

If you read about my experiences in the series “When Nice Boats Go Bad” you’ll see that I had to be a VERY resourceful DIY’er to not end up spending two fortunes just to make mine seaworthy. And not a few owners on this forum have spent cubic-dollars fixing a blown motor. Just finding parts can be a daunting task, not to mention Mercury Marine stopped support of the powertrain years ago. It took me months just to figure out what kind of latches were used for the bow cushions as mine were completely gone, and then who to source the replacements from. (FYI - Southco MT-01-10-7 - bisco industries) As for repair help, my local trusted Merc dealer won’t even touch a Sport Jet due to lack of OEM parts.

Consider that Sugar Sand Boats Inc. capsized in 2008 (with brief resurfacings only to go under again). This means that every single Sugar Sand (barring one or two newer prototypes) is at least 13 years old. Many are in their late teens and early 20’s. For private aircraft, similar years are considered WCASW (who cares and so what), but for used trailer boats, this is not insignificant.

Careful consideration should be done, along with a certified report from a licensed marine surveyor before purchase, unless one is taken in as a “donation.” Even then, buyer’s remorse could set in quickly and suddenly.

That said, I love my Mirage, and guests I’ve taken on it have said that they love it too. For its light weight, it has a pretty decent ride. It’s fun and nimble and versatile. It doesn’t make the most efficient use of space, but it still has a reasonable amount of storage for your gear. It’s not a gas-hog and doesn’t beat you to death in weather. Even non-boaters appreciate the swoopy lines and say she’s a real beauty. Would I do it all over again? Hell’s yeah!

Now, if someone asked me if they should buy a Sugar Sand, my questions to them would be:

• Do you enjoy detective work? Because the clues may be hidden.
• Are you easily frustrated? Because the rewards may not come quickly.
• Are you on a tight budget? Because the costs might be prohibitive.
• Do you relish a challenge? Because challenged you will be.
• Are you self-reliant? Because many times you’re on your own.

There are some GREAT people on this forum, many who know much more than I about a number of subjects related to repairs and maintenance of this boat. And they’ve been of no small help to me in my adventures. However, while they can be there to help you with questions, they can’t be there to do it for you. You either find someone you can trust who is willing to work on it within your budget, or you do it yourself. There are no other choices save walking away. YMMV.

P.S. I’ve love for others to chime in here to add your $0.02. You can call me a doomer or call me a savant, but just don’t call me late for supper!

 

[pmorita]

I bought a 2005 Tango last week. Should I be scared?

 

[Chuck Buck]

I bought a 2005 Tango last week. Should I be scared?

Depends...

Welcome to the Sugar Sand family! How about some pix? You DID take pictures the very same day you took ownership, right?!? Good.

I hope your Tango was better cared for than the red one down the block from me - I first saw it in the street last fall while walking the houndies, and it looked pretty faded and neglected. They then parked it way back in the yard, threw the canvas mooring cover over it and called it done. The cover has since moved and exposed the interior and we're having a very rainy spring. I guess the owners figure boats are made for the water and therefore impervious to the weather. Makes me cringe every time I pass by.

Back to your boat, if it were mine, I'd give it a thorough going-over no matter what anyone said was done to it. I'd also drain the gear oil both in the gearbox and in the stator housing, and look for water in the bottom of the drain pan. Not that I have knowledge these are notorious for seal leaks, but just the same, water left in a gearbox will eventually make for some very spendy repairs. I'd also peruse the Sugar Sand threads for tips on upgrades and mods you might want to consider. They're good boats, but good can always be made better. Best of luck!

Oops, almost forgot - dog tax!

 

[pmorita]

Sorry for the crap photo but it's the best I have for now. Excited to start working on it. I see how to check the gear oil, but when you say water in the pan, where is the pan? I'm such a beginner.
Pierre

 

[Chuck Buck]

Hi Pierre, from what I can make out in the photo, your Tango looks to be in pretty nice shape! Congrats!

AFA "water in the pan" I meant that you drain the gearbox oil and drain the stator oil (for the stator I use a suction gun) then let the oil settle and check for water in the bottom of the drain pan. Water is heavier than oil, so you'll see a "bubble" of water under the oil. No bubble, no water.

At the end of the season, I always drain the oil, check for water, and if none, refill everything with new oil. Then I know those components are ready for the next season. If, God forbid, I found any water, then I'd need to replace whatever seal that failed that was allowing water in. And I certainly wouldn't want to overwinter the gearbox or stator with any water in it.

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I get the impression you're not very knowledgeable about boat engines and jet drives. Hopefully you're mechanically inclined to the point where you just need to study up on them. If not, better find someone who is!

And always remember, BOAT stands for "Break Out Another Thousand."

 

[pmorita]

Hi Chuck,
Great information and thanks for sharing. You are correct that this is my first boat, and definitely first jet anything. I've managed to rebuild several cars and houses so I'm comfortable with getting my hands dirty and have every size hammer. I just picked up the Mercury jet drive manual and it sounds like I need to get a suction setup for pulling the oil out of the stator and some way to pump gear oil back into the gearbox. Looking forward to sharing some stories when I get this boat on the water. Hope I don't star in any fail videos on youtube.

 

[Chuck Buck]

Glad to hear you're "mechanically reclined"
My attitude towards a new-to-me boat/vehicle/whatever, is that I don't put my faith in it getting me home safely unless I give it a thorough going-over, ESPECIALLY the stuff not done by the OEM (in this case Mercury Marine). For example, the Karavan trailer has all the wiring connections done with Scotchloks. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? Electrical connections constantly exposed to moisture, possible even salt water, and they used a totally unsealed splice method for the sake of speed/ease of assembly. I find this unforgivable. However, this is easily remedied, and I did so with sealed butt connectors. 'nuff said.

Back to your jet, you should probably assume that nobody has ever removed the stator. I would recommend doing that for it's first service in your possession. After that, the suction gun with a bent metal extension tube to get to the bottom of the reservoir should be sufficient. These instructions aren't 100% identical to your drive, but it's a very thorough step-by-step and it'll be close enough. You likely won't go so far as to remove the impeller unless it's damaged. Winterizing a two stroke merc jet engine!?

Yes, buy yourself one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Plews-Edelmann-55-005-Marine-Lower/dp/B000PDIBF8
I like this one because the metal drive-end fitting spins independently of the hose. The newer cheapie ones with the yellow plastic fitting don't.

Spend some quality time in this forum. Somebody somewhere has already been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. Good luck!

 

[Morten]

Thanks Chuck for this nice rundown. Interesting to read as I'm in the process of buying a 2006 SS with 200Hp M2 engine. The current owner does not have any service history on the impeller, wear ring or oil changes in the Jet. But he claims it has only run 40 Hours from new in 2006 (!) I don't understand how that's even possible but so he says.. The boat looks very clean and good kept. What checks can easily be done when I'm looking on the boat outside his garage?

 

[Chuck Buck]

Yore welcome, Morten!

The owner could be telling the truth about the low hours, but I think the overall condition should give you plenty of insight as to the care or lack thereof.

One area I would look closely at would be the leading edge of the impeller from the grate side. If the impeller is badly dinged, scored, or chipped, that’s going to be spendy to fix. And you will want that fixed.

I’m assuming you’ll insist on a sea trial prior to purchase. I’d take along a GPS to be sure of top speed. A damaged or worn jet will perform poorly. I’m not sure about your exact model/engine combo, but I think I can safely say you should get 50+ from this boat.

Happy hunting!

 

[Morten]

Ok, a visual check on the impeller should be easy. Thanks again. Yes, I will ask for a short trip. Its a 200 Hp motor, and I guess the rest is equal on all Super Sport models. Good tip to check top speed. I can just use my iPhone to record GPS speed. I will let you know how it goes

 

[Morten]

Here is a picture of the impeller with claimed 40 hours on it. Is this easily fixable or what do you think? Its difficult to see the surface condition on the barrel here, but hopefully it has survived

 

[Chuck Buck]

Sorry, wasn't notified of your reply. Just checked in here by chance.

Yeah, 40 hours of sucking up rocks.
I'm no impeller/wear ring expert, but the pump housing also looks beat up from your pix. Not sure if that's detrimental to performance.
Somebody is going to have to get out their checkbook. Perhaps others with more knowledge on the subject can chime in with recommendations.

 

[Morten]

I purchased the boat anyway Got a ok price, I think.. its not many of these boats over here so hard to compare really.
I will take out the stator, change the oil/seal and refurbish the impeller. Anybody know where I can download the repair manual for the Jet Drive and powerhead? (2006 200hp)

 

[WILL IHNE]

I purchased the boat anyway Got a ok price, I think.. its not many of these boats over here so hard to compare really.
I will take out the stator, change the oil/seal and refurbish the impeller. Anybody know where I can download the repair manual for the Jet Drive and powerhead? (2006 200hp)

View attachment 177838View attachment 177839View attachment 177840

Morten, check on Ebay that is where I found my 175xr2 manual. Mercury 200 OptiMax Jet Drive Outboard DFIMotor Service Repair Manual 356 pages | eBay

 

[WILL IHNE]

Oh and welcome aboard to the Sugar Sand family.
Here is my 2001 Tango 4x2

 

[Morten]

Thanks a lot for that Will Good, get the eBay link.

 

[WILL IHNE]

Morten, there is also a page on Facebook called Sugar Sand Boats

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[Boatsnhoes]

Just bought a 1999 Mirage 120xr2 and I already have problems. It ran great for a few trips but now it's very sluggish, barely planes off and randomly stalls at 3/4- full throttle. Seems like it's just starved for fuel.

I think I've narrowed it down to a fuel issue (replaced plugs). I found the carb rebuild kits and plan on changing all fuel lines. Hopefully that does the trick.

Any advice here would be appreciated.

 

[pmorita]

Fuel filter fixed mine. I would start there.

 

[Boatsnhoes]

Fuel filter fixed mine. I would start there.

Did you use the OEM part or will any in line fuel filter suffice?