Yes, I bought an old boat with good bones. But bones alone don’t keep you on the water. It was time for some reality: maintenance.
The Alpha Drive
First up was replacing the gear oil in the Alpha drive. Not a big deal in theory, but this isn’t an outboard. This is a big, heavy inboard-outboard drive, and while some maintenance jobs are DIY-friendly, this one really called for a professional.
So, we hauled the boat out of the water. And that’s when I saw it: the propeller was dented.
How did that happen? Did I hit a submerged log? Was it water levels? Or did I ding it pulling the boat out? I’ll never know. What I do know is that now I needed to get the prop fixed or replaced.
I’d seen a YouTube video of a company in England that restores bent props to look brand new — true craftsmanship. But here at home, the cost of repair is often close to buying a new one. That’s boating for you. They say BOAT stands for Bring On Another Thousand. In my case, it’s more like Bring On a Few More Thousand — because I bought a bigger boat.
The List Grows
But that wasn’t all. The flexible housing in the out-drive was cracked and aging. That needed replacement too. And then came the impeller — the little part that keeps the engine cool.
I texted the previous owner (the “Boat TV guy”), and he admitted he’d never changed the impeller. Considering the boat had multiple owners, that was all the confirmation I needed. It had to be replaced.
And once you start down this road, the list doesn’t stop:
Motor belts (funny name, since there’s no fan on the engine)
Electrical connections that may be rusting from years of exposure
Moving parts that wear out whether you notice or not
Preventative maintenance isn’t optional. It’s survival.
The Bigger Picture
Do the mechanics know I have a vision for this boat — a plan to digitize, automate, and modernize her? No. They’re just doing their job: keeping the analogue parts alive so the boat is safe and enjoyable. And they’re right. Without a solid foundation, the dream upgrades don’t matter.
Because here’s the truth: if something breaks on Lake Erie, there’s a hazard called Niagara Falls downstream. And that’s not a place you want to test your luck.
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