I purchased this boat from Diamond Marine in East Haven Ct in May of 2008. I loved the boat and the price was unbelievable ($26,000.00) so I grabbed it up. It is powered by a 2003 Yamaha HPDI 200hp and the engine only had 114 hrs and had never been in salt water. The only problem I had with the boat was the transom was low and I would often get a following sea coming over and getting my feet wet and I did not want the small wall that they supply you with from Parker as it took up too much of the cockpit.Secondly I was confined to the cabin to operate the boat as there was no outside station.
The first thing I did was to replace the Rocket Launcher that someone lifted while it was sitting alone somewhere in upstate NY
I added a bulkhead second station so I could be out where the fun is and still have complete control. I Changed the insde helm and added a new helm outside. Changed the controls from single lever to Morse double lever for smooth and easy operation. Works out great because now I can go out alone and have no problem taking it into any tight areas.
My biggest change comes with the closing of the transom and adding an Armstrong engine bracket. Parker does not make a 2120 with an enclosed transom so the only thing I could do was close it up. My fiberglass man and I started talking and soon we were on our way to a dealer to do some measuring and start to figure what changes would have to be made. We also talked to Armstrong about the possibility of building a bracket for the boat. It is not yet complete but will be done very soon.
There is one other problem with this particular model and year and that is that it is designed to be a great fishing boat but there was no livewell. We have designed and built into the transom a 16 gallon livewell. It also is not completed but some paint and the plumbing will finish it off. I am very excited about the project and cannot wait to mount the engine on her and put her in the drink next year and try her out.
I finished building and installing the new box to hold the new Morse controls. I built it out of Starboard and managed to steal some carpet from under the gunnels inside the cabin. It will not be missed as I took it from behind the bench seat. THe box holds the controls and also the ignition switch. Very sturdy and it clears my seat and I can still get at the circuit breakers with no trouble.
The boat is coming home tomorrow and it now has a solid transom. I sure wish it was Spring instead of Fall . I still have to have the engine mounted and that is not getting done until Feb.
The engine is on the boat and all the electric, hydraulics, and controls are done. Here is a couple of new pictures that shows the second station and the engine mounted along with the dash board with the new Fuel Management Guage under the original two Yamaha guages.
I just finished all the work that I wanted to get done this winter and I am going to get the boat wet on Monday. I have just finished a Windlass installation also and do have pictures to post but I want to get some of her in the water and have some good numbers as well. Spring must be around the corner.
She went in the water this morning just for sea trials and I was totally impressed with the entire boat and her performance. She gets up on plane quicker and the ride is incredible, at 4100rpm's she is sitting on 29mph with no cavitation. I have to say that I never expected it to perform so well or to be so quiet, with the cabin door closed you can hardly hear the engine running. There is a slight list to the starboard but that is because there is a little more weight on that side, an easy correction with a tap of the trim tab. We marked the waterline and it has not changed on the boat at all. There was no porpoissing, just a real comfortable ride and I am sure there will be a savings on fuel. I think the biggest differance will be that my feet will stay dry. It was a lot of work and a lot of time but it was worth every cent and the time was a labor of love. Parker should put this style boat in their lineup as it is small but performs like a much larger boat and less docking fees than a bigger boats. I am fortunate that they don't charge for brackets at my marina but they will get you for a pulpit.
Parker makes a very sturdy boat!
I will post more pictures as we progress :roll:
I want to thank the following people for there help in this project
Bob Brodeur North Kingstown, RI
James, parts manager @ Parker Beaufort, NC
Don's Marine Tiverton, RI
Robin Parker, Marketing Parker Boats Beaufort, NC
Eric Denton, Engineering Parker Boats Beaufort, NC
Jack, sales associate at 3Marine Hingam,MA
Ocean House Marina Charlestown, RI
Snug Harbor Marine Service RI
Micheal @Coastal Canvas Beaufort, NC
