Whats your favorite improvement(s) to your 242?

[zelone]

I've only had this boat for a year and a half, and have been changing, modifying and repairing thins on it constantly. Its a labor of love, or maybe an addiction lol. In no particular order, because I its too hard...

Fangs!
Seadek
Hinged cooler seat cushion
Underwater RGB lights
Cooler bilge pump
Tower anchor light
Bow/cockpit covers
Fusion/Polk stereo & speaker upgrades

Honorable mention:
Plumbed in inflator pump
LED speaker rings
GPS/Fishfinder
Head storage
Sliding battery tray
Helm switch panel
Keel guard
Black bimini canvas
Dual bank battery charger
Fully automatic float bilge pump

I may be forgetting some things, but I'm curious about others.

 

[Bennie]

I've had quite a few mods but I believe that I use the Lowrance and the bow handles every time.

If I had to pick one it would be the bow handles. Cheap parts, easy install, used every time --- yep it wins!!

 

[Westbeach Bum]

@Bennie do the bow handles effect how your boat cover fits. I really want to do this mod, but I don't want to harm the cover.

 

[Derek Fosbury]

I think my most useful mods are my storage mods - adding a hangar rod to the helm storage compartment, and adding a shelf to the head storage. The stress reduction on my "crew" when they go to get ropes and fenders for docking is worth the effort 10 times over!

 

[Bennie]

@Bennie do the bow handles effect how your boat cover fits. I really want to do this mod, but I don't want to harm the cover.

Not at all - actually (according to the kid) it makes the covered boat look like a monster with nostrils.

Here's a pic. You'll have to look close to even see them.

 

[Bennie]

I think my most useful mods are my storage mods - adding a hangar rod to the helm storage compartment, and adding a shelf to the head storage. The stress reduction on my "crew" when they go to get ropes and fenders for docking is worth the effort 10 times over!

What did you use for the hanger rod mod? I was looking to do the same thing. Would help free up some storage.

 

[Derek Fosbury]

I used a dirt cheap closetmaid one from Canadian Tire. Just had to cut it to length and shim the forward one due to the angle of the fibreglass behind the seats. I just used some left over bits of dynamat to build the shim.

 

[Ilmmct]

Zelone that is an impressive list. My boat is feeling unloved, she only got some fender straps and new rope for the shore spike this season.

Do you have the cooler seat hinge details ... a parts sourcing list and pics of your mod? Is this hinge easy enough for a less skilled guy (that would be me), to do some of the other seat cushions with the same hinges you used?

 

[Cory]

My best addition was an AO Cooler full of beer.

 

[Ronnie]

1. Certificate of ownership, I no longer co own it with a bank.
2. Bimini extension, keeps my crew and I on the water longer.
3. Bow handles, makes the bow ladder useable from the water and makes driveway boating easier as well.

 

[zelone]

Zelone that is an impressive list. My boat is feeling unloved, she only got some fender straps and new rope for the shore spike this season.

Do you have the cooler seat hinge details ... a parts sourcing list and pics of your mod? Is this hinge easy enough for a less skilled guy (that would be me), to do some of the other seat cushions with the same hinges you used?

Here is a link to the thread I discussed it in. I bought most of the parts at Home Depot, and McMaster.com The part most people would not want to do would be trimming the seat, and restapling the vinyl, but I think it was well worth it. Now that the concept is proven to work well, I plan to modify it a bit over the winter to make it a little more refined. Right now, when those not familiar with it, try and use it, they tend to pull a little too much and the wheels come out of the track.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/has-anyone-modded-hinged-seat-cushions.5810/

I love those bow handles pictured above. Anyone know if they work with a Yamaha Bow cover?

 

[Ilmmct]

Here is a link to the thread I discussed it in. I bought most of the parts at Home Depot, and McMaster.com The part most people would not want to do would be trimming the seat, and restapling the vinyl, but I think it was well worth it. Now that the concept is proven to work well, I plan to modify it a bit over the winter to make it a little more refined. Right now, when those not familiar with it, try and use it, they tend to pull a little too much and the wheels come out of the track.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/has-anyone-modded-hinged-seat-cushions.5810/

I love those bow handles pictured above. Anyone know if they work with a Yamaha Bow cover?

Thanks for forwarding thread on the hinge mod. I've subscribed to watch this innovation unfold. At this point it is lifting seat cushions until a simple DIY breakthrough emerges.

 

[zelone]

I thought I could put together a kit of some sort that would streamline it for others to install, but its a much more complex issue. The seat typically has to slide out in 2 directions, before it can lift. Trimming the rear edge of the seat allowed it to only have to slide in one direction, before it could lift. The wheels in the tracks allow the sliding, so the hinge can open. It was fairly complex to get it done.

 

[Bennie]

I love those bow handles pictured above. Anyone know if they work with a Yamaha Bow cover?

Hey @zelone - if you are talking about mine then - yes. No problem at all. Post #5 shows the cover on with the bow handles in place.

 

[zelone]

I see that with a mooring cover, but not sure if a bow cover would work. They don't seem to have as much slack in that front area. Maybe I can find some lower profile handles...

 

[Bennie]

@zelone - I will tell you that the cover was tight at first but once that hot summer sun hit it for awhile it fit just fine. The rise from the bow really isn't more than 2-3"

 

[Ronnie]

One way to check the fit before buying the handles would be to remove the handles you already have on the boat, place them in position on the anchor locker hatch and install the bow cover over them. Alternatively, you could cut some scrap wood with roughly the same dimensions as the handles instead.

The mod is worth the effort of you want to use the bow ladder more easily or you frequently access you boat through the bow when it's on its trailer.

 

[zelone]

Thanks Ronnie. We do use the ladder when boating and swimming, and more guests would use it if it had handles. I need to start my winter bucket list soon.

 

[Bennie]

BTW - super cheap and easy mod!

Rods from Amazon were about $14/ea plus some stainless hardware from my local Ace. I do suggest some very large washers on the bottom side for pressure/torque displacement. I placed them were I wanted, used a pencil to mark the circles then drilled in the center. Do watch out for the wiring to your bow nav lights.

 

[zelone]

@Bennie I like your stainless nav light also. Is it LED? That's another upgrade I'd like to do.