Official Irate4x4 boat owners thread

Lowrollin70gmc said:
Made it from the launch to the lift.
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I did a 20 minute test drive with my boat with the plug out. (When I bought the boat). The owner put it back on the trailer and pulled it out. Then we saw the water coming out. I think as long as you are moving, water doesn’t go in. Maybe you have to be planed out. When I did the test drive, I only went to an idle a couple of times.
 
DirtRoads said:
Shop dewinterized it.

I disagree. Owner launched it, owner should have done a walk around to make sure the plug was in.

In an alternate reality, the owner could have take it home and left it out in the rain with the batteries off and flooded it that way if the shop left the plug in.
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Owner should check the plug every time he launches the boat. No argument there. I keep my boat in a lift and still check the plug, I have this weird fear of some asshole removing the plug in the night just to cause chaos. That being said, part of a dewinterization service is literally reinstalling the plug. Shop and boat owner both taking an L for this IMO.
 
redneckengineered said:
Owner should check the plug every time he launches the boat. No argument there. I keep my boat in a lift and still check the plug, I have this weird fear of some asshole removing the plug in the night just to cause chaos. That being said, part of a dewinterization service is literally reinstalling the plug. Shop and boat owner both taking an L for this IMO.
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Nope. Owner gets to install it. Not being blamed for "sunk on trailer". Its in a baggie zip tide to the tiedown strap hooks.

If we are launching it. Of course. If its leaving on a trailer. Its out.
 
I never put a hull drain in a boat unless I was launching it myself. The people that leave them out are the same people tgat always tell you they leave the plug in so they won't forget it.
 
xjmark said:
I loved the Baja you had, but this fits you better with the family. So glad you found such a nice well kept vintage machine.
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Thanks man! I didnt think id find another boat id love more than the Baja, but I keep falling more in love with this Chaparral every time we take it out.

I still have the Baja with no intentions of selling it. It does need a transom at some point, maybe I'll tear it down and fix it while the Chaparral seems to be running good.
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When I was little we had my grandpa's 1970 something Glastron tri-hull with a 65 Mercury on the back.

All I remember is that the drain plug was on the inside of the transom, and my dad would get the boat up on plane and then have me hop over and steer while he went back underneath and removed the plug. We'd make a few laps around the small lake we had a camper on until most of the water was out, then he'd put the plug back in and take back over driving.

I cant imagine doing that.
 
Put the plug in when you hook up the trailer. Keep an extra plug in the console in case something weird happens.

I’ve only forgotten the plug once, realized it when I backed the boat in at the ramp and pulled it back out before I launched. Then I realized I’d forgot the key also. Was rushing trying to get a quick fishing trip in before it got dark. :laughing:
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
Put the plug in when you hook up the trailer. Keep an extra plug in the console in case something weird happens.

I’ve only forgotten the plug once, realized it when I backed the boat in at the ramp and pulled it back out before I launched. Then I realized I’d forgot the key also. Was rushing trying to get a quick fishing trip in before it got dark. :laughing:
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In ND its a $100 ticket if you are caught with the plug in on a trailered boat. Technically you are supposed to pull the plug on the ramp, and I have seen that enforced at some ramps. But most places you can pull up and drain it in the loading area. I do know the state parks around here will ticket you for having the plug in when you enter the park to use the ramp. I got a talking to by G&F once for not dumping my live-well at the ramp. They saw it draining at the fish cleaning station half a mile from the ramp.
 
I thought everyone pulled their plug every time they pull the boat, maybe it's an Alaska thing. I back the trailer into the water, put the drain plug wrench on the ramp, the wife walks the boat onto the trailer, I crank it up with the winch, pull up so it's out of the water on the ramp enough you can walk behind it I stop, she grabs the wrench off the ramp and pulls the plug, water drains out going up ramp, I pull to the tie down area, wife puts plug in the side storage tray. Launching the boat while the wife is putting junk on the boat she hands me the plug or asks me if I've put it in

Raider boats come with this on the transom for drain plugs.

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Bigstic said:
In ND its a $100 ticket if you are caught with the plug in on a trailered boat. Technically you are supposed to pull the plug on the ramp, and I have seen that enforced at some ramps. But most places you can pull up and drain it in the loading area. I do know the state parks around here will ticket you for having the plug in when you enter the park to use the ramp. I got a talking to by G&F once for not dumping my live-well at the ramp. They saw it draining at the fish cleaning station half a mile from the ramp.
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I forgot y’all have deal deal with the zebra mussells and **** up there. Here in FL we’ve already got all the invasive species.
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
I forgot y’all have deal deal with the zebra mussells and **** up there. Here in FL we’ve already got all the invasive species.
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The Zebra are already here. G&F thinks they can still keep them under control and appearances suggest they are. But there isn't any stopping them. People don't realize that they can live for as long as 30 days out of water and their larva can live for even longer in puddles inside live wells and ballast bags.
 
My boat is semi closed cooling, the manifolds, sand trap (dumps outside the transome), and heat exchanger hold outside water. I have always pulled the plug at the ramp, dumped all three, and drove off. Plug stays out until I put it back in the water.

We have one known spot of zebras. The last couple of years the have killed everything in a stretch of the river to try and control them, If you use the one ramp in the area the require you to hot wash the bilge before leaving.
 
New OEM canvas ****pit cover from GLBT went on last week, installing the snaps sucked but man was it nice getting down this morning and actually having everything be dry. Quick 4 hour trolling this morning with my daughter, she was a champ and super proud of bringing that fish in on a 9 color leadcore setup and board all by herself. Went 5/6 the rest of the day,


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Went for a nice rip yesterday evening. Spent the weekend moving GF's stuff to my house. Well deserved sunset cruise. $7 a gallon ****ing sucks. Had a stiff wind chop yesterday, I usually run at 4100 and it kinda wallows in the downhill chop. 4400 and it skips across. yay 30GPH!!
 
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KacksterK5 said:
Went for a nice rip yesterday evening. Spent the weekend moving GF's stuff to my house. Well deserved sunset cruise. $7 a gallon ****ing sucks.
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My marina still has fuel from their fill last fall, and has yet to raise the price. You better believe I top off after returning from every single trip at this point waiting for the inevitable.
 
Been out pulling the kids on tubes and wakeboards the past 2 weekends. Already went through close to 50 gallons of gas. It’s gonna be an expensive summer. All the kids had a blast so it’s worth it in the end.

Water temp got up to 75 because of the nice heat we got last week. I even got a few laps around the lake in on the wakeboard myself. My wife always enjoys seeing my faceplant at 19 mph when she is pulling.

Me and the kids also ran close to 10 gallons of gas through the Superjet. Our standup skills are improving!!! Side note a Kawasaki super chicken showed up for sale in Minneapolis. Trying to talk myself out of buying it. My wife would be super proud of that purchase. A 95 jetski that still commands 5-6,000$. Stupid lol
 
ANGELO said:
First time doing bottom paint, this re coat schedule sucks. And of course we got no rain for like 6 months and yet this entire week is on and off drizzling
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4 Barrier coats is always a bitch. At least you only have to do it once. You can tent it.
 
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