Yet More "Upgrades"

8122pbrainard wrote: Joe, The switches I'm sure will work better than the originals and they do look great. The originals sure are problematic to say the least. With the new rockers, what are you doing for overcurrent protection?

Couldn't agree more. I researched the switches thoroughly before making the switch and indeed found a significant number that found them problematic. I was considering just replacing the existing panels with replacements since they and the switches are still available, if nothing else for the ease of installation. But for those that remember my original post on the subject, the wiring in my boat was more reminiscent of a rats nest and needed to be pulled and completely rewired anyway.

As for the over-current protection everything is run through an old style marine fuse box. I may "upgrade" later to a resetable breaker box type, but with the overwhelming amount of repairs and refurbishing this boat was requiring I thought this would do fine for now since good quality marine grade breaker panels were literally 10 times the cost.

I still don't like the grab rails but yourself and others do like them so I just have a different opinion. No big deal.   Enjoy the boat!

Understood Sean, and I'm glad to understand where you are really coming from as the tenor of your previous posts suggested otherwise.
I agree and fully respect everyone's opinion, or right to thereof, and try not only to adhere to it myself but request nothing less in return.   For those "Purists" out there - this site or others - I am certainly a purist myself, depending on exactly what we are discussing. As I mentioned to Pete a few posts back, if I had his classic Atom, it would be 100% original for sure.
Constructive criticism is always welcome with me and apparently on this site, as it should be.   And your observation of the ski rope is a mere extension of something that was posted previously. While I appreciate the input (truly) rest assured in this case I have more than enough experience ( that's a PC way of saying I'm old and have been around this stuff for a while ) to do the math on the ski rope trajectory while on plane and a bit of forethought, whether it be a snagged rope - hence the utilization of low profile pop-up cleats and low profile, gradual radius bends for the grab rails - or the potential hazards thereof.   Incidentally, my kids were raised from the time they were 3 and 6 ( they are 28 and 31 now) in boats with grab rails at the stern without incident.   It's really just a matter of what you get used to.

So thanks for your input AND your compliment - and thanks to all by the way - and yes, we will have fun with it, once I'm done with the repairs and refurb process .... Fixing, not mods or upgrades - at this point those are pretty much done.      

Glad to see that everybody understands each others point of view now.

One of those little voices in my head told me it seemed quite out of character for Desertskier. I guess now we know why.

By the way Joe, if I had Pete's Atom I'd put a tower on it probably made out of pressure treated pine and nailed to the floor and most definitely convert it to a Pertronix ignition

Just keeping things light

Hey, I like those stainless cupholders for the rear seats. Mine has those funky plastic pop out jobs mounted near the floor. It seems we always need more cupholders when on the Lake. Does that mean we drink too much?

Someone mentioned the NWZ having such great and near perfect lines. I could not agree more.   Love the style. I am biased of course.

KENO wrote: Gary S wrote: KENO wrote: By the way Joe, if I had Pete's Atom I'd put a tower on it probably made out of pressure treated pine and nailed to the floor and most definitely convert it to a Pertronix ignition You were the guy behind these?? Busted I'll bet they had a lot of fun with that setup though

Ken,
You're not up to date with the progress I've made with the Atom. Here's the latest with the glassed hull, non original graphics and the best is the tower is now steel!

You guys are nuts....

Each to their own Pete, but you know I'm a finish carpenter .... I like the wood tower !!   

gt40KS wrote: Gary S wrote: .. These cleats just look like their waiting to grab a toe or gash a calf. It occurred to me after seeing this that likely no one had seen the docking cleats, since they were just installed this last week. One of the relatively minor issues I've had with the design of the finished craft was the lack of any docking cleats. In certain environments, and seeing how some have tied these to the bow lifting ring or a rope at the ski tow or pylon, I understand why it may not be a priority or even an issue. I however, have the need and really don't relish the idea of crawling over the windshield every time I want to tie off. So the low profile pop-ups I've had on my other boats seemed the perfect choice.

I love/want/need those pop up cleats. MIght you share brand, model number, and place you purchased them from?

Thanks!

Thanks Kyle.

Timr71 wrote: I love/want/need those pop up cleats. MIght you share brand, model number, and place you purchased them from?

Tim, these are the ones I bought:

http://www.go2marine.com/product/387633F/sea-dog-pull-up-cleat.html

Decent price, well made, super easy installation. Shipping department of this place was a bit slow though.

gt40KS wrote:    Shipping department of this place was a bit slow though.

Were they drop shipped from the OEM or did they come from go2? If drop shipped, I wouldn't blame go2 right away.

EArnold wrote: C I wanted to ask for any advice you have for installing the cupholders i.e. how best to drill the holes, remove the foam beneath, etc. This is an upgrade I've been wanting to make for a while and seeing how well yours turned out I'm ready to pull the trigger.

Why drill holes in perfectly good gelcoat??? I just use the old school plastic car cup holders (the ones that have the tab and slide in between the window seal and window) and slide them between the combing pad and gunnel. That way you don't mess up perfectly good gel, can place them where you need them and as Pete would say...keep it original.!

Morfoot wrote: EArnold wrote: C I wanted to ask for any advice you have for installing the cupholders i.e. how best to drill the holes, remove the foam beneath, etc. This is an upgrade I've been wanting to make for a while and seeing how well yours turned out I'm ready to pull the trigger. Why drill holes in perfectly good gelcoat??? I just use the old school plastic car cup holders (the ones that have the tab and slide in between the window seal and window) and slide them between the combing pad and gunnel. That way you don't mess up perfectly good gel, can place them where you need them and as Pete would say...keep it original.!

Well Tim,   as we all know there are those that agree with Pete's signature line "keep it original" - evidently you're one of those folks. And that's just fine, for those folks.

But there are others of us that have a different thought ... more like Duane's signature line ... keep it as original as you want. For me though, it really all depends on what we're discussing.   If we were talking about a cherry, all original 67 Shelby GT 500KR ... well, of course I'd keep it original - but perhaps not everyone would, and that's fine too since, well, it's not mine. But we aren't. And while there are plenty of folks on this site and all over the planet that have crafts of all sorts that are bone stock and all original, there are an equal amount that have a vast array of minor improvements all the way to full blown customs that have a substantial amount of upgrades, modifications and improvements.
Does this make either party wrong?   Nope.   I've ALWAYS been a huge supporter of one very important adage: To each his own.   

I've done things to my boat that I feel were either necessary, more economical or just plain make more sense - to me - than what the factory produced with the boat. All or some of them may not be what others would do. And yet what others would do may not be what I would do ( case in point - those cheesy plastic cup holders you spoke of -- yuk ) But does that make me right and you wrong? Nope. If that's what you want because you don't want to add or modify your boat in any way, great.   Just not great for me. And apparently, other folks from time to time.    

Not going original? Then, there is one more option and that's going "cheesy" retro.



Nothing beats stepping into a 50's boat with those screwed all over the dash and gunnels!!

So we got more snow so I guess I should come on here and critique others boats...   

I am in the camp of having a clean deck too but I must say you did a top notch job on the grab rail/cup holder install well really all your upgrades as the dash looks very nice too! I get the ski rope thing but even with a completely unmolested deck, I have ropes get stuck between transom and swim platform. I have 3 kids (now 8,10,12) and would say I have a lot of traffic to and from the swim platform sometimes three kids and a dog at same time, + while teaching kids to ski or helping them get skis on... I am always sitting there! I'd think they would get in way more than help but I too am finally buying into the "happy wife = happy life" moto. For this reason, I will be installing seat heaters this spring...

Are your instrument lights dimmable? Specifically the stereo? My perfect pass gauge was my problem; it was distracting as hell driving at night or in fog... so I installed a kill switch to the light on the PP only..

To bad uniflex doesn't still sell the red cord for our rubrails! The would be the best $30 you could spend to enhance the looks... otherwise your gelcoat looks killer!

Happy boating!