Dregsz

Current state of # 14. Bow up, water drained, hull dry and reported to have no rot. Motors run, Compression 115 on all 12 cylinders.
Hydraulic tilt and trim and jack plate working, K planes working but need one new hose, ordered. for left side.
Tachs work and that's about it.

Call me what you will, but I couldn't stay away.

I negotiated the purchase of #14, and I can tell you the negotiations weren't pretty. I'm paying way too much for her, but it was a monumental effort to get the price down at all.

If the motors survive without a rebuild I will call myself lucky.

I have an offer on the Donzi and things are heading in the right direction.
I should be able to pick the Banana up just after Labor Day, (with luck), and then start to put her right.

The Purple Banana is just up the road, when this one looks presentable I'll meet up with Ron and have an Oregon Regatta of 2 boats.
I'll need lots of info soon.

Thanks in advance.
Evan

Air Dog

Congrats...and welcome to the club...

Air Dog

I would recommend a leak down check to get a true idea of the state of the powerheads.

Also, change impellors before you even use it as well as the lower unit lube.

Are they oil injected?

Chatim Racing

Congrats Evan!! I think you'll be happy with your decision.

I'm sure you'll be sharing some pictures when you pick her up.... Can't wait to see her when you've finished restoring etc. Get rid of that ugly windshield ASAP!!!

fruitta55

Congrats Evan, and good luck in your restoration. I'm sure you'll be more than happy with her once you get it finished.

Dregsz

The gear lube and impellers have been changed every season but it's easy to do it again.

They are premix.

I'm convinced that the ugliness of the windshield is what has kept it from selling, along with the price and condition.
But I'm seriously considering keeping the windshield on until spring to lengthen the PNW boating season.
I have been known to wear a full face motorcycle helmet to keep my face from the rain needles, (I was missing one today in the rain while running the Donzi.)
I may need a full set of Foulies. Boots, coveralls. Neoprene gloves were onsale today when I went to get parts, but i was walking out.
It gets cold here but not as Bitter as the Atlantic NE states and the rivers (and the Puget Sound) don't get too rough, so winter boating is a possibility if the windchil can be dealt with.

It aint Boca.

I'm considering the Team Banana Sticker.
This board does feel like the "home team"

What would you do with these bolsters?

http://image38.webshots.com/38/8/92/...0lyAubK_fs.jpg

Money wil be tight since I don't work, (for the last 7 month)
I'm thinking of recovering them as they are or rebuilding them square and having them covered, (my buddy is a shipwright.)

The seat bottoms mount on a post and are considerably lower then the bolster, I'm thinking about getting rid of that hardware and making the bottoms hinged, drop downs and pinning them. I can do that easy enough from all the race car fabrication experience.

Now what about the Sun deck?
It kind of goes with the Genre of boat, however Not much sunning will take place on them,
Should we just move the back seat further aft?
How bout an Aft cockpit, A second bench seat leaving the crossbeam in place? It's a thought...

Is that crossbeam necessary for rigidity?
The bulk of the work would be making a floor and sides since there was a big block in there once upon a time.

Cheapest would be to just recover the lid, but stuff WE do won't cost much, it's buying things like $1500 bolsters that would sink the project.


Thanks All

Evan

Chatim Racing

Evan:

Chris (Airdog) did a great job with his backseat - I'd talk to him about it if I were you. I cut too much out on my boat when I did it years ago...

PM me your mailing address and I'll send you the Powerboat boat test, old brochure, & Popular Mechanics pics.

Dregsz

Unfortuanately, I'm not yet a Official Banana owner.
We have a deal but no money has changed hands, no boat in my posession, and the Donzi buyer walked because he didn't want to pay to ship the boat to NY.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

fruitta55

Charlie,

Curious as to why you say you cut to much out of your boat? Since, as you know, I will be doing the same surgery to mine while its apart.

Air Dog

Hi Adam,

I think Charlie is referring to what his boat used to look like.

Years ago he had the cockpit go all the way to the transom and it had twin Mercs on a bracet, which I thought would be cool, but he said he did not like it.

He then pushed it forward to it's current postition, which is just a bit further ahead of where our back cockpit wall is.

It is hard to tell, but Charlie's current cockpit is a few inches shorter than mine, now that I have eliminated the sun pad. Charlie's cockpit measurements will give you a bit more storage once you eliminate the well though. It is all in what you want I guess.

The only way to really tell is that his cockpit ends about 6 to 8 inches from the hatch that covers the main fuel tank. The aft bulkhead on our boats is about a foot to 16 inches from the same spot....Have I confused you yet?

For a good visual reference. Look at the pic's of Charlie's banana, and his aft sunpad. Then look at the pic's of Tripps red Banana laying on the beach.

He did what I did, but with out the well. You can see the difference there.

If I were you, I would cut the aft bulkhead in 1/2 like I did and then eliminate the well.

Good luck....

Have you done anything yet to your boat?

I finally have my boat dialed in. Avgas cost me $3.05/gal so I am digging it.

All I have to do is put a thicker OMC head gasket on it and I can run whatever fuel I want, but Avgas is cheaper than car fuel right now.