Sold My Big Fiberglass Monster

[fishhawk2700]

Tired of wax on, wax off. Hanging upside down in the bilge for repairs. Having to pull a DOT permit to tow an oversized load. My solution:

 

[ENCORE50A]

Now you need:
https://minnkotamotors.johnsonoutdoors.com/featured-products/ulterra

 

[dwm]

Tired of wax on, wax off. Hanging upside down in the bilge for repairs. Having to pull a DOT permit to tow an oversized load. My solution: View attachment 7252

Congrats, I would be lost without my boat, but I certainly know what you’re talking about. They say the best 2 days of a boat owners life , the day they buy it and the day they sell it

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Very nice. Really like the rod holder arch.

 

[fishhawk2700]

Now you need:
https://minnkotamotors.johnsonoutdoors.com/featured-products/ulterra

It has the Motorguide version. Autopilot, spot lock, all that good stuff.
.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

What have you got for fish finders? Is it linked to the motorguide?

 

[fishhawk2700]

I have a Lowrance HDS 12 Live at the helm and a Lowrance HDS 7 Live mounted on the bow linked up via nema 2000 network. I've had a bunch of software problems with the units. The boat came with Lowrance which I hate. If I would of had a choice it would have been Furuno. Lowrance marine radio, Fishhawk speed/temp with probe, Magnum Metalz riggers, Cisco electric planer board reels, the rest of the rod holders (36) are Trax Tech.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Sometimes a software update will fix glitchy Lowrances. We've had 50/50 success with them. Humminbirds seem to have better software. We've found bad termination resistors bad in at least two networks that caused weird behavior. I once found a network that the tech had just not installed the terminators. Its usually something simple. You can always send the head units in to Lowrance for testing and update. Or update right at home.

 

[fishhawk2700]

I've updated till I'm blue in the face. We've checked the network, wiring, terminals. I've talked to Motorguide and Lowrance. The biggest problem is there is no consistency in the symptoms. I get " no autopilot computer" msgs, "low voltage" msgs on fully charged batteries, and others. The system only powers up correctly about 10% of the time. I do think the problem is in the nema 2000 system. Sometimes if you power the nema sys on and off you can get it to work. Lowrance and I don't get along

 

[ENCORE50A]

Lowrance started going down hill a long time ago IMO and has continued down hill. I remember back in the day when everything they did was cutting edge and actually worked. Repairs were free or a replacement and it quite fast, which is non-existent now.
Hey, where do you plan on mounting the radar?

 

[bdog]

Pontoons are great boats, they've come along way from what they used to be... nice boat you have there

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Lowrance started going down hill a long time ago IMO and has continued down hill. I remember back in the day when everything they did was cutting edge and actually worked. Repairs were free or a replacement and it quite fast, which is non-existent now.
Hey, where do you plan on mounting the radar?

I used to be strictly a Lowrance user/fan, but Humminbird has made big improvements and Simrad is making some cool stuff now, too. I don't see much Furuno around here.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I used to be strictly a Lowrance user/fan, but Humminbird has made big improvements and Simrad is making some cool stuff now, too. I don't see much Furuno around here.

My last Lowrance was an HDS10 on a Lund Tyee I sold in 2016. The Lowrance unit I had prior was a PITA. Hummingbird hadn't quite gotten the following at the time I went with the HDS10 unit, which thankfully I never had an issue with, at least that I can remember.
First time since I was 8yrs old I haven't owned my own boat. At one time I tried to talk the wife into retiring on a boat. I wasted a lot of air on that subject...…..
IF...… I were to purchase another watercraft, it would likely be a pontoon.

 

[fishhawk2700]

Simrad and Lowrance have the same parent co. Furuno hasn't done any marketing in the great lakes area, their a salt water kinda company. Go down to FLA and look on the commercial boats, mostly Furuno, and Raymarine.

 

[fishhawk2700]

Lowrance started going down hill a long time ago IMO and has continued down hill. I remember back in the day when everything they did was cutting edge and actually worked. Repairs were free or a replacement and it quite fast, which is non-existent now.
Hey, where do you plan on mounting the radar?

Going to have to put off the raydome this year. just bought 600 worth of rod holders and another 1100 for a MFD for the front. That will be for jig and perch fishing. Next year will see radar. It will go on the radar arch

 

[ENCORE50A]

I may have told you, but the wife and I headed from Tawas to TBM. Short here, we ended up in some NASTY fog. Of course I stayed way clear of the shipping lanes and had the course plotted on the GPS. The wife asked me if I could see what was ahead of us "with that thing?" Nope, need radar for that.
When we got to TBM, the first thing out of her mouth was, "We're going to West Marine and buy a radar". We did and she bought it
Yeah, I know, I don't have to tell you how nice it is to have radar

 

[fishhawk2700]

Yep, in weather or at night. If you have ever done Manistee in mid August heading out the pier heads at 5 am.