New 255 FSH Owner with a Couple of ???s

[Roger Vrooman]

Hi center console team!!! Picked up a new 2022 FSH 255 about a week ago, and yesterday was the first chance to put her in the water...

1) Break-in Period--the owner's manual that came with my boat specified 5 minutes under 2K RPMs and then 90 minutes under 5k RPMs... Once in the 90 minute period, I used the cruise assist (either plus or minus) to vary my RPMs every couple of minutes or so... Seems like everything I read someone mentions the 10hr (first Mx) benchmark... Total, I have close to 4 hours on the engines, and "I would" consider that I have followed the Yamaha prescribed break-in and that is "completed"... When I hit 10 hrs I need to change the oil and filters (which I already have and it is ready for the oil change)... Is break-in complete, or am I misreading the manual, and/or are some folks just being careful not to run over 5K rpms until the first oil change???

2) The cooler compartment (bow. starboard), is not draining (please see attached pic)... Any ideas on how to make that water drain, or do I just need to vacuum it out of there???

3) Has anyone been inside the access panel on the T-Top and know how much room is in there??? I would like to replace the current stationary anchor light with a stowaway/removable light like the one pictured as an attachment... Is there room to mount this and have 3-4 inches inside the T-Top access panel and splice it into the current wiring??? *** HATE the location and Yamaha's design solution!!!

4). Looking for pics of where you guys mounted battery chargers, mounted portable toilets, and where do you stow all the life vests ;-)

5).My last E-series boat (2017) had an option to synch both throttles and usually only "1" throttle to control both engines,,, Couldn't find it in the manual or through searching the menus... Is that a capability of this boat??? *** LOVED this on last boat!!!

Sure I have a million other questions, but that is the main ones I have, after first trip out... Please keep the heckling to a min about my fenders, still trying to get that figured out ;-)

Thanks much

Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Hi center console team!!! Picked up a new 2022 FSH 255 about a week ago, and yesterday was the first chance to put her in the water...

1) Break-in Period--the owner's manual that came with my boat specified 5 minutes under 2K RPMs and then 90 minutes under 5k RPMs... Once in the 90 minute period, I used the cruise assist (either plus or minus) to vary my RPMs every couple of minutes or so... Seems like everything I read someone mentions the 10hr (first Mx) benchmark... Total, I have close to 4 hours on the engines, and "I would" consider that I have followed the Yamaha prescribed break-in and that is "completed"... When I hit 10 hrs I need to change the oil and filters (which I already have and it is ready for the oil change)... Is break-in complete, or am I misreading the manual, and/or are some folks just being careful not to run over 5K rpms until the first oil change???

2) The cooler compartment (bow. starboard), is not draining (please see attached pic)... Any ideas on how to make that water drain, or do I just need to vacuum it out of there???

3) Has anyone been inside the access panel on the T-Top and know how much room is in there??? I would like to replace the current stationary anchor light with a stowaway/removable light like the one pictured as an attachment... Is there room to mount this and have 3-4 inches inside the T-Top access panel and splice it into the current wiring??? *** HATE the location and Yamaha's design solution!!!

4). Looking for pics of where you guys mounted battery chargers, mounted portable toilets, and where do you stow all the life vests ;-)

5).My last E-series boat (2017) had an option to synch both throttles and usually only "1" throttle to control both engines,,, Couldn't find it in the manual or through searching the menus... Is that a capability of this boat??? *** LOVED this on last boat!!!

Sure I have a million other questions, but that is the main ones I have, after first trip out... Please keep the heckling to a min about my fenders, still trying to get that figured out ;-)

Thanks much

Rogman

Howdy!

Not a 255 FSH owner but have been following the threads on this boat.

1. I think once you are done with the 90 minute part of the break in you are done. Good on you for varying the rpm’s that helps the rings seat properly.

2. The cooler drain issue has come up before. Trace the drain line to the thru hull… there was at least one mention of something being on top of it and pinched it shut. You can always put a hose with a spray nozzle on it and try to force some water through, it could be debris as well..

3. Look up Zackadams posts on his radar and vhf radio install, there some pics showing the inside of the overhead area. Should be plenty of room in there for a different anchor light. Have you seen the fold down ones? Lumitec makes a nice one, I‘d think that style would be easier to deploy as opposed to a plug in style.

4. My battery chargers are on the shelf in the head compartment. My porta potty just sits on the floor of the head compartment. Life vest storage, didn’t your boat come with a zippered mesh pfd storage in the T top right above your head when you are standing at the helm? Perhaps thats an accessory.

5. Yes the single throttle operation is supposed to be on the E series. From the tests I’ve watched, there is a small icon on the lower right of the connext screen?

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Howdy!

Not a 255 FSH owner but have been following the threads on this boat.

1. I think once you are done with the 90 minute part of the break in you are done. Good on you for varying the rpm’s that helps the rings seat properly.

2. The cooler drain issue has come up before. Trace the drain line to the thru hull… there was at least one mention of something being on top of it and pinched it shut. You can always put a hose with a spray nozzle on it and try to force some water through, it could be debris as well..

3. Look up Zackadams posts on his radar and vhf radio install, there some pics showing the inside of the overhead area. Should be plenty of room in there for a different anchor light. Have you seen the fold down ones? Lumitec makes a nice one, I‘d think that style would be easier to deploy as opposed to a plug in style.

4. My battery chargers are on the shelf in the head compartment. My porta potty just sits on the floor of the head compartment. Life vest storage, didn’t your boat come with a zippered mesh pfd storage in the T top right above your head when you are standing at the helm? Perhaps thats an accessory.

5. Yes the single throttle operation is supposed to be on the E series. From the tests I’ve watched, there is a small icon on the lower right of the connext screen?

Thanks much!!!

1. My thoughts as well, Awesome!!!

2. Will try that, yesterday didn't want "more" water in the compartment, so didn't try... Looks like I have to remove a cover, behind the trash can/plano boxes to access the drain--looks like FUN, not!!!

3. Will do thanks much, remembering going through that thread about a month back!!!... I like the folding ones as well, but wanted the lowest/and cleanest profile I could get for the top... Hoping to make it a one hand operation versus needing two to unscrew, hold-up and re-tighten... ;-)

4. I ordered the T-Top storage, but it doesn't come with it stock... Wow, would've never guessed the battery charger cables would reach from the head compartment to the batteries on the port-side/stern... How in the world did you fish (no pun intended) the cables to the back???

5. I saw the icon for the throttles, but tried to tap it several times and it wouldn't engage... Will dig in the manual again, thanks much...

vr

Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The charging cables that came with the Minnkota PC MK220 charger would not reach. I ordered the minnkota extension cables and that was more than enough, should be plenty for your 255 unless there is something I don’t know. You will need to order two extension kits. I like having the chargers in the head compartment as opposed to the battery compartment, they can get pretty hot and need more air than the closed battery compartment.

I would imagine there is an access hatch to the fuel tank under the mat where stand at the helm. Take that hatch off and that should give you a midpoint place to get the wires from the charger and to feed then towards the stern and the battery compartment. Tape the two sets of cables together and that will make them stiffer to push around as you feed them.

Again, I don’t own an E series drive boat. Perhaps the engines must be at idle and in neutral for the single throttle to engage?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I think that is page 46.

 

[Roger Vrooman]

I think that is page 46.

View attachment 184239

My man!!! Thanks much (tried everything but neutral, apparently!!! My fuel tank access hatch is between the Engel cooler and engine hatch... Do you have a plug-in receptacle in an easily accessible spot, or do you have to get in the boat to plug in your battery chargers??? I had planned on using one of these Noco thru the hull plugs:

Thanks again

vr
Rogman

 

[tabbibus]

Yup as stated above. Need to be in N to engage single throttle mode. Same to disengage.

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Yup as stated above. Need to be in N to engage single throttle mode. Same to disengage.

Thanks much!!!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

My man!!! Thanks much (tried everything but neutral, apparently!!! My fuel tank access hatch is between the Engel cooler and engine hatch... Do you have a plug-in receptacle in an easily accessible spot, or do you have to get in the boat to plug in your battery chargers??? I had planned on using one of these Noco thru the hull plugs:

Thanks again

vr
Rogman

I have the double NOCO receptacle, it has two female plugs instead of one, they are nice units and the water tight plug / cap works well. I would suggest the same for you so you have an extra plug for something in the future, like another charger for trolling motor batteries for example. Mine is mounted on the port side of the center console, I can stand on the fender well and plug it in.

This is how my chargers are mounted.. this was before I got the NOCO plug thing and I was just using a store bought extension cord with three outlets on it. This gives the chargers plenty of air space to keep from getting too hot. The charger on the left is a two bank for house and start, the one on the right is a three bank for the trolling motors.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Yup as stated above. Need to be in N to engage single throttle mode. Same to disengage.

Question for you @tabbibus and @Roger Vrooman

On my 210 FSH when trolling I will use more than neutral but less than TDE position so I can get 1.8 mph. With the E shifting, when you shift into forward, is it possible to only get a little thrust like with a cable driven set up, like I mention above or is it all or nothing?

 

[tabbibus]

Question for you @tabbibus and @Roger Vrooman

On my 210 FSH when trolling I will use more than neutral but less than TDE position so I can get 1.8 mph. With the E shifting, when you shift into forward, is it possible to only get a little thrust like with a cable driven set up, like I mention above or is it all or nothing?

My experience is with my 242 LSE, MY2018. I don't have a TDE stop. I have N then a detent at F. Then all after that is no detents. As far as I understand from other posts, non E models have two detents before full open.

That being said. If you don't activate NWM, and put the throttle in the F detent position, you will probable do about 2mph. Hope you have TV or cobras. Otherwise it won't track straight at that slow speed.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

My experience is with my 242 LSE, MY2018. I don't have a TDE stop. I have N then a detent at F. Then all after that is no detents. As far as I understand from other posts, non E models have two detents before full open.

That being said. If you don't activate NWM, and put the throttle in the F detent position, you will probable do about 2mph. Hope you have TV or cobras. Otherwise it won't track straight at that slow speed.

Thanks for your reply! On my boat there is the TDE detent, the next push forward does not have a detent like TDE, it’s just a push to the full idle ahead, then the throttles will start increase engine speed beyond that. Based on your answer the servo is not a potentiometer per se’ but more of a select idle ahead position. This is sort of confirmed by the 2022 255 FSH Sport owners manual.



For me as a fisherman, I need to have the infinitely adjustable thrust to maintain a certain speed at a wide variety of conditions to maintain that magic speed of 1.7-1.8 mph that makes the lures do their thing in the most enticing way.

I have some more questions but I do not want to further hijack the OP’s thread…this question has been a quandary for me since the introduction of this model. I love the 25’ series of FSH boats, but as fas the Sport E model goes an all or nothing from idle to idle ahead makes it a non starter for me as described in the short paragraph above. Which is probably a good thing for my pocket book LOL! Most of my boating is on smaller lakes, but there are some larger lakes not far from here that get some pretty big short frequency waves where a larger heavier boat such as the 25’ FSH would be better suited to such conditions.

 

[Roger Vrooman]

I have the double NOCO receptacle, it has two female plugs instead of one, they are nice units and the water tight plug / cap works well. I would suggest the same for you so you have an extra plug for something in the future, like another charger for trolling motor batteries for example. Mine is mounted on the port side of the center console, I can stand on the fender well and plug it in.

This is how my chargers are mounted.. this was before I got the NOCO plug thing and I was just using a store bought extension cord with three outlets on it. This gives the chargers plenty of air space to keep from getting too hot. The charger on the left is a two bank for house and start, the one on the right is a three bank for the trolling motors.

View attachment 184298

Wow, that really looks good, and you have me doing some thinking and measuring before I go with my orig plan ;-) Thanks much, vr Rogman

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Thanks for your reply! On my boat there is the TDE detent, the next push forward does not have a detent like TDE, it’s just a push to the full idle ahead, then the throttles will start increase engine speed beyond that. Based on your answer the servo is not a potentiometer per se’ but more of a select idle ahead position. This is sort of confirmed by the 2022 255 FSH Sport owners manual.

View attachment 184341

For me as a fisherman, I need to have the infinitely adjustable thrust to maintain a certain speed at a wide variety of conditions to maintain that magic speed of 1.7-1.8 mph that makes the lures do their thing in the most enticing way.

I have some more questions but I do not want to further hijack the OP’s thread…this question has been a quandary for me since the introduction of this model. I love the 25’ series of FSH boats, but as fas the Sport E model goes an all or nothing from idle to idle ahead makes it a non starter for me as described in the short paragraph above. Which is probably a good thing for my pocket book LOL! Most of my boating is on smaller lakes, but there are some larger lakes not far from here that get some pretty big short frequency waves where a larger heavier boat such as the 25’ FSH would be better suited to such conditions.

I will try this next time out (engage single throttle control and check for TDE)... Didn't even know about the TDE setting until I read your post, thanks much!!! On maiden voyage, if I had both engines in F and doing about 1.8K rpms and let go of the helm, the spins freely to port and pushes the bow 90 degrees to port... Almost face-planted a docked Baja retrieving fenders before slamming her into FULL reverse... Came within a few feet of a collision and scared the #$%^& out of myself... Going to measure thrust angles before next trip...

Thanks much,

vr Rogman

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Update: I pulled the access panel between the bow fish cooler and behind the tackle/trash can storage... I can see why the cooler doesn't drain as the drain hose rises 30-40 degrees almost like a reverse p-trap... I would "guess" that the drain hose is NOT supposed to rise between the cooler and the hull drain fitting, but not 100% certain... I hooked a wet vac to the hull drain at it easily sucked all of the remaining water out in less than 5 seconds... Guessing the drain is not below the water line or there would be some sort of scupper mechanism to not allow water to flow into the cooler... Don't know if I have the courage to just shorten the drain hose to allow the water to drain out by gravity... Thoughts???

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Obviously an installer who has a strange understanding of physics…maybe one too many trips the Haunted Shack at Knott’s Berry farm- let’s see if anyone knows what I’m talking about.

Use a hair dryer or heat gun on the hose right where it is attached to the fitting, get it warm enough to be playable and assist you getting the hose off. Warm the hose up some and try slightly twisting the with light pressure, the boat is new so the hose should be somewhat pliable. Might as well take the hose off of the cooler end since you will have to adjust that fitting down so it points at the thru hull. Trim the hose to the proper length and reinstall using the heat gun / hair dryer again. I’d put a hose clamp on the hose on the cooler side unless I’m missing one there.

Easey Peasey

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Obviously an installer who has a strange understanding of physics…maybe one too many trips the Haunted Shack at Knott’s Berry farm- let’s see if anyone knows what I’m talking about.

Use a hair dryer or heat gun on the hose right where it is attached to the fitting, get it warm enough to be playable and assist you getting the hose off. Warm the hose up some and try slightly twisting the with light pressure, the boat is new so the hose should be somewhat pliable. Might as well take the hose off of the cooler end since you will have to adjust that fitting down so it points at the thru hull. Trim the hose to the proper length and reinstall using the heat gun / hair dryer again. I’d put a hose clamp on the hose on the cooler side unless I’m missing one there.

Easey Peasey

Thanks much for the tips!!! Yepper, prolly a hair dryer as I can just see me burning up the hose or boat with my heat gun and my experience ;-) Thanks for the advice... Couldn't tell "how" to adjust the fitting coming out of cooler as I was tired and didn't want to try and wedge myself in there last night... Should have a fresher perspective today, hopefully!!! LOL!!!

vr
Rogman

 

[MilesPrower]

3) Has anyone been inside the access panel on the T-Top and know how much room is in there??? I would like to replace the current stationary anchor light with a stowaway/removable light like the one pictured as an attachment... Is there room to mount this and have 3-4 inches inside the T-Top access panel and splice it into the current wiring??? *** HATE the location and Yamaha's design solution!!!

Yes, there's plenty of room up there to mount a stowaway light like the one you picked out. In the photo below, the hole that you see at the top of the T-Top cavity is where my stock light used to be attached. (The stainless-steel brackets and white HDPE bulkhead in the photo are pieces that I installed to strengthen the T-Top for a radar that I mounted on top. After I took this photo, I also attached an N2K network spine and my Vesper Cortex VHF+AIS radio to that bulkhead.)



BTW, I replaced my stock light with a fold-down LED one that clears my radar antenna.

4). Looking for pics of where you guys mounted battery chargers, mounted portable toilets, and where do you stow all the life vests ;-)

If you plan to use that closet for a toilet and other things, you'll probably want to put your trolling motor batteries into a covered box, and mount your chargers/switches/breakers out of the way. I chose a Century Plastics battery box, which fits perfectly on the battery shelf:

Century Plastics: Heavy Duty Battery Box - Holds (4) 6 Volt Golf Cart Batteries

Designed to contain four 6-volt golf cart batteries and their corrosive battery fluids Century Plastic battery boxes are an environmentally safe.

allbatterysalesandservice.com

I machined chocks for the box out of HDPE and routed a battery strap between the chocks and through slots I cut in the box, so that the batteries are held down tightly by a cross-member that I fashioned out of HDPE and stainless hold-downs. (My boat takes a lot of pounding from running through 2+ ft waves in the Gulf, so I didn't want my batteries jumping around.) There are three 100 Ah LiFePO4 batteries inside the box.

Meanwhile, the switches/breakers/chargers are mounted on HDPE bulkheads that I installed on the walls of the closet tub, underneath the deck and out of the way; and all of the wires have drip loops — because that closet is not dry.



My solution for PFD storage was to install trunk-nets between the under-gunwale rod holders. When I'm hardcore fishing with lots of rods, it's usually just me and one or two others on the boat, and we're all wearing our PFDs. When I've got a lot of people on board and they're not wearing their PFDs, then I usually don't need the under-gunwale rod holders because we're just plain-ol' boating, not fishing. The nets are easy to remove, so provisioning between lots of rods and lots of PFDs takes mere seconds.

I ordered over a dozen different trunk-nets on Amazon and returned most of them. The ones I kept are sold by Trunknets Inc. They are by far the best quality, and the KIA Soul version is sized right for the application:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013C3XWRO

I've done so many mods to my boat, I really should just write them up in their own threads. One of these days I'll get around to it.

 

[MilesPrower]

@Roger Vrooman — I just noticed that you're in Navarre. If you want to see my boat and compare notes, maybe we should set aside a morning to hang out? @HangOutdoors will be in town next week too... and I know he's only 1 step away from buying his own 255 FSH. (1 step = convincing his wife.) Perhaps we could do a jetboaters meetup on Santa Rosa Sound.

There's also a 255 FSH Sport E (same year and color as mine) on a backyard lift in Lafitte Cove, a number of houses down from Peg Leg Pete's. I'm wondering if that owner is here on this forum too.

Oh wait... speaking of Peg Leg Pete's... Roger, did you and your friend pull up behind my 255 in your 242X a couple weeks ago, and we talked about how Yamaha wouldn't be delivering your 255 until next year????

 

[MilesPrower]

For me as a fisherman, I need to have the infinitely adjustable thrust to maintain a certain speed at a wide variety of conditions to maintain that magic speed of 1.7-1.8 mph that makes the lures do their thing in the most enticing way.

Knowing that, I think you should definitely buy the 252, not the 255 FSH Sport E.

That's one of many things I hate about my FSH Sport E — not having infinitely adjustable thrust for slow-speed trolling with the engines at low idle. Sure, I can tweak engine speed (via the No Wake function) instead of bucket gate position to adjust my forward velocity — to a certain extent. But my AR210's non-E manual low-speed control was so much better!

And yes, I can manage my forward speed with my trolling motor. (With my Motorguide networked to my Simrad MFDs, I can actually set my trolling speed in 0.1 knot increments.) But I don't always want to pull out the trolling motor to plane a couple lures behind me, especially if I'm in a high-traffic area, and I need the ability to make a quick maneuver now and then.