1991 Tracker Bass Buggy Restoration

The boat is 99% done.  It's been on the water three times and I really enjoy it.  But, rear admiral says "sell it".  So, next week going up for sale.  

I had to replace the VRO (fuel and oil) pump.  Ouch!  About $400 and lots of broken knuckles.  Then decided to replace the impeller since it had been sitting 10 years.  The old impeller was still in really good shape.  I'm starting to believe the previous owner that he only had about 100 hours total on the boat.  

I started having problems with the trim/tilt.  The short story is the relays were not grounded.  I think they were dangling behind the relay bracket.  When I decided to replace a relay to see if I could improve my 70% IT WORKS mode to 100% it went totally the other way.  0% working.  So, had to probe around, test the pump with 12 volts direct.  Figured out it had to be a wiring problem since the pump worked.  So, back to the relays.  I wiggled the ground wires and could not see a wire harness anywhere nearby move.  So, I pulled on the black ground wires and to my surprise I had a handful of go-nowhere ground wires.  Got those grounded now...in plain sight so I can watch them.  Trim/tilt is 100%.  

First time to the river I did okay.  I am over choking the motor and that does make it difficult to start.  Three times out and I'm learning.  Just a little extra fuel for starting.  I did have an incident on the way home first time out.  I used those motor support bars.  Only nobody told me that I should strap down the motor and the bar slipped off.  On the way to being lost on the road somewhere it punched two divits in the prop.  

The next week it was a scramble but got everything ready to go to Wallowa Lake in Oregon for three days.  Then the following weekend (last weekend) we spent three days at Waitts Lake north of Spokane.  

Everybody likes the little pontoon boat.  I did reveal my decals to the wife just before the first day on the river.  She was cool with them.  The back story is that when I first met my wife's dad at Waitts Lake he took me in the motorhome and told me no drinking before 5.  He then pointed out his clock that was 5 oclock at every hour.  

Here's a few photos.  Enjoy.  

Dave-

I will be at Camp Hauberg this weekend if you want to look over the boat to see how/where I did the batteries.  If you are on the river, just look for the orange cabana on lot 3.  Otherwise, you can PM me if you have Facebook.

BTW:  I am a master electrician/electrical engineer/power monitoring designer and work for Tri City Electric Power Testing Solutions division.  I know a little bit about electrical distribution..........And would be happy to assist.

Roger Altman

When I did the remodel, I reduced the battery in this location to one size 24 and then mounted the water tank and pump for the galley in the same compartment.  If I were to do this over, I would mount everything BEFORE putting the rear upper deck back on.  Not much room trying to work through the hatch!  This battery is for the motor only and is isolated from house power.  I did run a couple of extra cables from the rear battery compartment to the console "just in case" I ever need to use house power to start the motor.  They are not hooked up, but are there if needed.

The two house power batteries I mounted under the console are size 27.  I could have gone with a size 29, but the price difference did not seem worth it.

Does your battery box have a lid?  Odd that it would fill with water if it has one.  The Iowa DNR is looking for some really strange stuff this year.  I've been checked for the routine life jackets, horn, etc, but he also checked that my fuel lines were marked "for marine use" and that my battery box had a lid on it.  This in addition to inspecting the fire extinguisher,  throw-able life ring/cushion, and fuel tanks.  I think he really just wanted to look around the boat!  Illinois DNR hasn't checked me yet this year, but I suppose it's coming...