cyber104

Yes - I have a DD LaPointe also - yes, the passenger seat and base needs to be removed - then the panel just lifts up

No - the 19ft runabout didn't sink but there was a LOT of water in the the boat. And that was from just one nose dive. If I had taken multiple hits like that I would have been swamped. Also, it's not only the bow you have to worry about. The stern is another source of problems. Again - my experience is with an Elite LaPoint (has very little freeboard) - but - with 3 people sitting on the rear bench seat, a quick stop can actually allow the wave that follows the boat to come into the boat over the stern. Again - you would be shocked at how much water can come in. Again, I didn't sink but if it happened multiple times like it could in heavy seas you could be in trouble. I'm not trying to discourage you - I'm on the upper Chesapeake Bay and know nothing about your area - just sharing my experience and providing some things to think about. If you are still considering using your boat off shore then I would strongly consider crafting a rigid bow cover and having at least 2 bilge pumps installed. Don't laugh but I would also strongly consider some type of life raft and I wouldn't take off my PFD on these excursions. Boats can be replaced - friends and family cannot. I think you would probably be fine as long as you excercise safety and common sense. Hope this helps

I would try to fabricate some sort of rigid bow cover out of plywood coated with fiberglass and then seat it using some sort of gasketing material. I can tell you from experience that a snap on bow cover will not survive a nose dive into a wave - I've done it in my old 19ft. runabout. However, if you can create a rigid structure you will be a LOT better off. I've nose dived my Elite LaPoint many times and have always been grateful that it is a closed bow - that boat rides really low in the water and it can get a bit hairy even in the upper Chesapeake.

I paid $6500 for my MINT 1995 LaPoint 2 years ago. I would think that boat would be more in the 5K-7K range at best.

I NEVER suggested that the air be blown into the bilge by the blower - just to be clear. The blower should "pull" air from the bilge and exhaust it out of the engine area. Many of. the Elites do not have traditional vents in the rear or on the sides. My '95 Elite LaPoint doesn't have a vent anywhere aft of the windshield. There are vents at the windshield but they seem designed to force air into the bilge while underway (unless it was rerouted by the previous owner - but I doubt it). My blower currently exhausts air out of the engine box area but it is only effective if the box is open. If someone believes that my boat is not vented correctly - please tell me and I'll make the appropriate adjustments. The only possibility would be to exhaust the blower out of the windshield vents but I don't think that's how it was designed.

There should be a hose attached to the intake side of the blower that draws air from the bilge at the rear of the boat under the fuel tank. The output side of the blower has ho hose attached as you are supposed to open the engine box and run the blower before you start the engine - thereby exhausting the fumes into the open air. ...at least that's the way it's set up on my Elite LaPointe

I really wouldn't worry about using anodes unless you plan on leaving the boat in the water for extended periods of time

Unfortunately I can't help you there as my boat is a Competition Ski Boat - no ballast tanks :-)

Just to clarify what GOBIG said - you want to find the terminal marked '+' on the coil, turn the key to the 'run' position and check for 12 volts between that terminal and the engine block

Boy - I'm starting to feel bad for you RhuntIII! So many discouraging words! At any rate - most anyone would prefer to run their boat in fresh water but the reality of it is that sometimes salt is the only option. BUT - this doesn't have to end your boating aspirations! Of the utmost importance is a closed cooling system for your engine. Once you have that in place you're half way there. Secondly, make sure that you have the means to flush your engine with fresh water after every outing. "Fake a Lake" will work but I find that system cumbersome on my Elite LaPointe so I opted for the Perko flush system. The next recommendation that I have is a painted trailer constructed with open 'C' channel - not box sections. This type of trailer does not trap water and can easily be hosed off with fresh water. Also, if any rust/corrosion issues start you can easily see and fix them. The biggest thing you can do to fight saltwater issues is to flush the engine thoroughly and then rinse both the boat and trailer with fresh water when you're finished for the day. Follow these steps and you'll be just fine! Chris

There is no mystery here. Unless it's a closed cooling system it's going to be difficult to pressurize it. Run a leakdown test on each cylinder - that will tell you if it's a headgasket. GOBIG is also giving good advice - intake gasket is a definite possibility

I think that boat looks just fine. I have a '95 Elite LaPointe - no tower - don't need one....all we do is ski

Centurion used composite stringers in my 95 Elite LaPointe - so you don't need to worry too much about stringers in the mid-90's. The floor and all other wood in the boat is marine grade plywood. 16 years later, everything in my boat is still in fine shape. The end grain in some of the plywood that sits directly on a wet floor is showing some signs of rot but not much. My floor still feels very solid. I too struggled with a decision to buy an older boat - in retrospect, I'm glad I did. The boat was VERY reasonably priced and anything that rots out in the future can always be repaired 10 times over relative to the cost of a new boat. As long as the hull appears sound and the engine/rudder/strut mountings all look and feel solid I wouldn't worry too much. Centurion builds a good boat. Hope this helps Chris

Sporty is exactly right - those hubs are getting mighty hot - hot enough to expand or boil the grease. I'd be looking for a dragging brake at this point. Or, if you're towing long downgrades it might be just fine. I'd jack the trailer up and try to spin the wheels be hand. If there was resistance in a wheel I'd take a close look at the brake. If the wheels spin freely I'd just keep an eye on the situation. Chris

A deep cycle is not needed in this case. In fact, deep cycle batteries are not intended as 'starting' batteries. The only advantage to a deep cycle is its ability to recharge fully after being discharged to an extreme. Since he seems to be using it only to start the boat this is not a concern. Any only car 'starting' battery will work just fine. Chris