2005 230 - My First Boat

230 Mike · **Posted:** Sat Jan 30, 2016 11:33 pm

There could be a difference, though the only 2004 230 I've seen was like mine, which I call silver; maybe it's actually white.

The full tape for mine, whatever color it is, is Four Winns #055-3019 (Described as 1/2" x 3/16" - which actually means "of the total width of the tape, 1/2" of it is navy blue and 3/16" of it is silver").

I don't have a part number for the blue gel coat. I'm confident Spectrum has it in small quantities but in my experience their web site sucks and their people are rude to deal with...

formulax · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2016 11:17 am

Doap1 wrote:

Formulax, nice job on the template layout. Are you doing the walk thru as well?

Thanks, and yes, I am pretty much doing the whole boat. Here is the walk area.

Doap1 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2016 8:12 pm

Neat! I was hoping that your templates would work for my boat but it appears that there's a slight change between 2004 and 2005. Where your number 2 step is, mine has a hinged compartment right there. And it looks like they rotated my hatch lift 90 degrees as well.

formulax · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:55 am

Finally got all the templates made for Gatorstep and shipped off today. Can't wait to get it back and installed.

Not much else has been done but I did wet sand and polish the cultured marble countertop and it looks a lot better. It was very dull before and now has a darker new counter top shine to it.

Next up is to tackle the shift cable.

Doap1 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:26 am

Fantastic! I need to do my countertop as well. Did you get any kind of an idea as far as what the cost of the Gatorstep would cost? I'm trying to make up my mind, but can't seem to get an idea of how much...
If you'd rather not say, I understand.

formulax · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2016 10:03 am

I'm estimating 1200-1500 on the Gatorstep. I originally sent him a top view of the boat from the Four Winns brochure and told him the swim platform and everything in carpet and he estimated around 1200. I've sent in templates for everything including the anchor locker, step-throughs and port compartment floor so I'd only assume that estimate will go up. Once they get the templates and get them all scanned in they will send me a mock-up and quote.

Doap1 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:52 pm

That's about what I expected. I'm anxious to see how it looks.
thanks and keep us updated...

formulax · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:58 pm

formulax wrote:

....including the anchor locker, step-throughs and HEAD compartment floor...

Typo...

formulax · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2016 3:08 pm

Does anyone have a photo of where their dual batteries are located? My single battery is located on the starboard side of the boat. Another poster had suggested when adding a second battery to move both batteries to the port side. The port side is pretty crowded with fuel hoses, air vents and other mechanical items as where the starboard side is empty. Is having the battery that close to a fuel line safe?

formulax · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2016 2:48 pm

Random info: I'm new to surge brakes. When I got the boat I did not have a proper adapter for the 5pin flat harness on the trailer. I was not sure what the 5th wire was for, the guys at the dealership just said it was for the brakes but I would be fine getting it home as long as I was not backing up a steep hill.. ok. When I went to get an adapter at a local trailer shop I asked them for a more detailed explanation of the 5th wire. He explained it was the reverse backup and without it I would not be able to backup on a boat that size. When I told him I could back up fine he said my brakes were not working then. So great, I'm thinking I have to have work done on this supposedly brand new trailer. I was going to run it over there today to have them take a look at it and decided to do one more quick Google search. Found out that these have a brake bypass key... and guess what. It had been in the tongue of the trailer the whole time. :idea:

It's a little scary to think I drove 2 hours home with the boat with no trailer brakes, but all is well now. What a difference having brakes makes

230 Mike · **Posted:** Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:42 am

One of mine is behind the storage compartment in one of the original open trays. The other is in the very rear of the storage compartment in a battery box to protect it from a dropped ski, etc. It is cramped in there, but you get used to working with it once they've been moved. The small panel that makes up the rear of the storage compartment is hinged on mine; I don't know if it came from the factory that way, or if my dealer added that when they moved the batteries, to make it easier to maneuver them around.

No matter what, you should be using these, which did not come with my boat:

You can get them here: http://www.vteworld.com/content/termins ... lators.php

As to your brakes - wow, it's a good thing you asked. Stopping these boats without any help from the trailer can be a seat-staining experience. Do know, though, that even when working correctly the trailer brakes & hubs will likely be one of the things you spend the most time doing maintenance on. I'm on my 3rd backup solenoid and my 2nd complete actuator/master cylinder. If you have a good trailer shop, know that they can usually do in 30 minutes what would take most of us an afternoon, so they can be a smart choice for this work. But it's a good idea to at least get familiar with how they work, what to keep an eye on, and how to grease your own hubs.

If you're into working on your own trailer, some great resources are:

championtrailers.com
easternmarine.com
etrailer.com
trailerpartsdepot.com

Finally - if you don't have a mounted spare tire for your trailer, getting one should be a priority unless you don't tow very far or very fast.

formulax · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2016 5:40 pm

Thanks Mike! I appreciate the info.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2016 8:07 pm

Anything for a fellow 230'er.

I also meant to say, I had my dealer move my batteries, and I think they earned every dollar on that job. If you're going from a single battery setup to dual, you'll also be installing a battery switch, probably on the starboard side. Lots of work in pretty cramped quarters.

formulax · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:24 am

I've finally approved the mockup for my Gatorstep. It is now in the production line so I anticipate having it at my door in about two weeks. I can't wait to see it all finished up.

formulax · **Posted:** Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:12 pm

GatorStep project is complete! I started a new thread for photos: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14739

www.iFourWinns.com

2005 230 - My First Boat

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