Finally, got to play.

[Swatski]

Finally got to play a little bit!


The boat ran like a champ. We were riding around the Raritan bay with some wind, locking the cabin feels like you are riding a truck. It's very cozy and feels very protected.




I did open her up a couple of times, she hits 50mph quickly with room to spare.





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[Mpellet]

Your boat FLIES.......

 

[Andy]

Finally got to play a little bit!

View attachment 28580
The boat ran like a champ. We were riding around the Raritan bay with some wind, locking the cabin feels like you are riding a truck. It's very cozy and feels very protected.
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I did open her up a couple of times, she hits 50mph quickly with room to spare.
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Hey Swatski, your boat is awesome, and you post some of the best pictures on CP! Thank you; I very-much enjoy see them.... There is nothing nicer than seeing a family together, enjoying the new boat!

 

[rseate]

Great day to be out with the family!

 

[seahare]

That's a great looking boat. I particularly like the first picture which shows your wake. Very clean and smooth with no crazy spray flying all over the place. Very efficient looking. Good luck with your boat and have a great season.

 

[shawnee83]

Beautiful boat

 

[Swatski]

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[sydngoose]

way to go. Great color combo. Great hull. Great motor...great, just great.. Girls look like they approve!

 

[DanLovingood]

Very handsome boat! I love your transom graphic - Nicely done!

Cap'n Dan

 

[Andy]

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Beautiful boat, and very nice pictures! Did you install the transom name and hailing port decal yourself? If so, nice job!
(even if not so, Nice Job! ☺)

 

[Swatski]

Beautiful boat, and very nice pictures! Did you install the transom name and hailing port decal yourself? If so, nice job!
(even if not so, Nice Job! ☺)

Yessir, I did. I'll be honest, next time with a decal that size I would probably be looking for some help, it's work that's nerve wracking, lol.
I absolutely love this boat.
We have been landlocked for many years before moving back to the East Coast, I can not get enough Sea Breeze Salt Therapy!

 

[Andy]

Yessir, I did. I'll be honest, next time with a decal that size I would probably be looking for some help, it's work that's nerve wracking, lol.
I absolutely love this boat.
We have been landlocked for many years before moving back to the East Coast, I can not get enough Sea Breeze Salt Therapy!
View attachment 28694

Love your boat, and your enthusiasm is contagious! ☺

 

[Swatski]

I brought the trailer home to work on it, it has rollers... still don't know what I think about it, it's different for sure. I never had rollers before. I want to say it's great, it really is. But when I look at it... it still makes me scratch my head.
I use SaltAway out of a foam gun attachment to pressure washer, and then when it dries out I spray it with copious amounts of CRC6-56, and spot treat with Corrosion-x or heavy duty CRC spray.
Thoughts of any of those roller things corroding and coming apart can be very motivating, lol.

 

[Mpellet]

I brought the trailer home to work on it, it has rollers... still don't know what I think about it, it's different for sure. I never had rollers before. I want to say it's great, it really is. But when I look at it... it still makes me scratch my head.
I use SaltAway out of a foam gun attachment to pressure washer, and then when it dries out I spray it with copious amounts of CRC6-56, and spot treat with Corrosion-x or heavy duty CRC spray.
Thoughts of any of those roller things corroding and coming apart can be very motivating, lol.
View attachment 28695

Ski,

You seem pretty squared away so I’m probably preaching to the choir BUT just in case, I’ll mention it. With any trailer just the winch strap and safety chain on the bow are are NOT adequate but particularly critical on a roller trailer. You’ve got those two eyes that I can see towards the rear of the trailer, a 2” wide ratcheting cargo strap that costs about $20 works great hooked through those eyes going up and over the gunnels. The gunnels on Parkers are very conducive to strapping like this since they angle in and the cargo strap will not be rubbing up against the gelcoat.

Again, apologies in advance if you’re already strapping the boat.........

 

[Swatski]

Ski,

You seem pretty squared away so I’m probably preaching to the choir BUT just in case, I’ll mention it. With any trailer just the winch strap and safety chain on the bow are are NOT adequate but particularly critical on a roller trailer. You’ve got those two eyes that I can see towards the rear of the trailer, a 2” wide ratcheting cargo strap that costs about $20 works great hooked through those eyes going up and over the gunnels. The gunnels on Parkers are very conducive to strapping like this since they angle in and the cargo strap will not be rubbing up against the gelcoat.

Again, apologies in advance if you’re already strapping the boat.........

Those are great pointers!
Please keep them coming, I'm always learning.

In the last ten years we have had Yamaha jet boats with Shorland'r bunk trailers and frankly never used that extra strap up front. BUT - I started strapping the bow eye the last couple of rides with this boat, mostly because that roller trailer still weirds me out - so, yes, I couldn't agree more with you there, I really like it and wouldn't go without.
Don't have a good picture but there is an eye bolted to the frame right below the bow winch, easy to use.

However, coming home from the dealer - only the winch strap and safety chain. Which is not good enough with this trailer.

That ride home was interesting actually (it was only about 100 mile ride from Bayville/Toms River to North Caldwell) as one of the hubs started getting hot almost right away and I noticed a zerk fitting inside one of the Knott (autoflex?) hubs was not sitting in right and leaking grease. I had a set of spare zerk fittings but none was the right size...lol, so I just hammered the crooked one as straight as I could and managed to push enough grease in.

I was also a bit surprised the trailer came with bias ply tires so I'm swapping them with radial. I was planning on going to R15 for better tire selection but found some very nice R14 tires and am going to give it a try - they will be mounted and balanced this week.


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[A-K]

I ended up putting bearing buddies on my trailer.
I lost hub going down the high way, but had the music up in the truck so didn’t hear or see it. By the time I got to the next stop I had this entire gas station staring at me. My axel was smokin and sounded like a train wreck.

I live in the northwest and fish up around the tip called the north coast. Towing there is like Alaska. The roads suck, lots of tight turns and everything else.

 

[Key Largo]

I brought the trailer home to work on it, it has rollers... still don't know what I think about it, it's different for sure. I never had rollers before. I want to say it's great, it really is. But when I look at it... it still makes me scratch my head.
I use SaltAway out of a foam gun attachment to pressure washer, and then when it dries out I spray it with copious amounts of CRC6-56, and spot treat with Corrosion-x or heavy duty CRC spray.
Thoughts of any of those roller things corroding and coming apart can be very motivating, lol.
View attachment 28695

Had both rollers and float on since 1965, you can watch them corrode right before your eyes in South Florida.

 

[Swatski]

I have had bearing buddies on all my other trailers and like them.
The knott hubs, in theory, take it to the next level as older grease is pushed out - up front. It works great, until it doesn't - in my case one of the zerk fittings was crooked. Also, if you let the grease get old and harden, easy to accomplish when bathing hot of the highway hubs in cold salt water, lol - the old grease doesn't come out and pumping new grease can build up pressure and blow the back seals.

So far, I kind of like the knott hubs and the rollers, I think, but the trailer is not like anything else I have had in my 25+ years of doing it, lol.

 

[Swatski]

Had both rollers and float on since 1965, you can watch them corrode right before your eyes in South Florida.

I'm aware of that. Personally, I use a schedule involving SaltAway and CRC6-56, I buy those buy a gallon. Supplemented by spot treatment with Corrossion-x and/or CRC heavy duty. I have a dedicated power washer and a 2 gal sprayer, all dialed in for trailer maintenance. I went through several gallons of the good stuff last season.

One could say I am a bit obsessed. It may or may not have something to do with having a trailer tongue, and separately an axle, break on me on boat trailers - that was a long time ago in my "early career" - w/some interesting boats I would purchase in rural Missouri, lolol. But those events left a strong impression on me.

I almost never see people taking care of their trailers, particularly salt water boaters with galvanized trailers, because, well, they are galvanized salt water trailers! Well, things like brakes and wiring are still not galvanized, so without a lot of attention those things only last about a season.

By comparison, my current 2016 Shorland'r trailer is painted. Used for mostly inland boating, but has been used a couple of times for few weeks in FL and been in and out of NYC harbor and bay constantly in the last year - and still shows not a spec of rust.
My wife claims I already ruined the new driveway though, lol.

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[Key Largo]

We have a Florida lobster " 2 day Mini Season" the 3rd Wednesday in July. People trailer their boats to the Keys who rarely use the trailers for long distances. I have counted a half dozen broken sidelined boats on the turnpike in a 50 mile stretch.