New 185 4.3L this week. - What accessories MUST have ?

M

manjo

New Member
Jun 26, 2007
48
Austin TX
I am getting my new searay 185 4.3L this week, I am supposed to take delivery today, but we are getting non-stop rain this week in central TX, so I might get it on Fri instead. Folks this is my 1st boat. :)

The question I have is, what accessories is a must have for a new boat? I have life jackets, coolers, paddles, flare, etc, but I am looking for any functional item that I might want to install or get installed on the boat, keel guard is one thing I have in mind . Any suggestion welcome.

Thanks a ton
Manjo
 
Manjo,

large fenders and lots of good marine rope. I carry 4 fenders and use 3 at every dock and lock. The 4th comes in handy if the concrete wall is very low in the water so I float one down the side in case a passing boat lifts mine up and the hung fenders pop up on to the wall. Lines, again 4. Two the length of the boat and two shorter. A boat pole; the extra 5' of reach has come in very handy especially in a lock with 12 other craft. In Ontario CA for a boat our size you require a proper fitting life jacket per person, a bailing pail, a throw floating device and line, floating flashlight, fire exting, a whistle or external warning device in addion to the boat horn, paddles or an anchor with suitable length of rope.
 
Welcome to CSR!!! Post your boat information in your signature when you get a chance.

I will list the options that I did not get that I wish I had now after using the boat...

1) Booster seat. The windshield is low and without it you will find yourself sitting on your knees more times than not.

2) Wakeboard Tower - If you plan on doing alot of wakeboarding it is wise to get it up front instead of waiting and trying to have it installed.

3) Radio remote by the swim platform

If you need any other help spending your money let us know I am sure we can come up with a couple of grand for you to spend. That said congratulations on the 185. It is a great boat and you will be glad you got the 4.3. :thumbsup:

Wesley
 
GPS with map chip, Fishfinder/depthfinder, VHF Radio, paper charts of your boating area. The GPS will show you what the depths are supposed to be as in deep water to no water/sandbar, the depthfinder will tell you what is below the stern of the boat so you know when you are getting dangerously close to the bottom with the drive or that it is too deep to drop anchor. :thumbsup:
 
First Born said:
1) Booster seat. The windshield is low and without it you will find yourself sitting on your knees more times than not.
Click to expand...

I am really glad to hear this. I was wondering if it was just me......and i'm 6'2". I plan on getting one ASAP. My gf (5' tall) has to drive the boat standing up.

And to the new owner....the only accessory you MUST have imho:

WATER :lol:

He he he, sorry, I had to. :wink:

Graham Butler
 
I made sure to get a battery operated, remote control spotlight. Helps at night on a boat w/o one.

That, and limes. No boater should ever be w/o limes.
 
The 07 model comes with flip up seats, that puts me above the windshield. I test drove the model that had flip up seats and was sold immediately. I got fenders (6), ropes/ties, flares, life jackets, and a good anchor as a package that the dealer threw in.

Thanks a ton for all the suggestion, I had to postpone taking delivery of the boat till end of this week, we have really bad weather now and dont want to be out in the water, the sky is lite up like 4th of july with lightning.
 
Congratulations on the new boat! I saw you test drove the 185 and it had the flip-up bolster seat! Great choice Sea Ray made with those seats! I have a 2006 Sport 195 and I, like everyone else, thought I was the only one sitting on my knee! I solved that problem though... Here in TX you have to have a "throwable flotation device" on your boat.... So, with that said, I use it as my booster to see over the windshield! Works great and easily accessible should I ever need it....

Wesley.... Hope you read this... I just purchased another remote for the rear of the boat and should be installing it sometime this week.... It's a real pain climbing in and out the boat for volume control when we're hanging out on the back of the boat or in the water.... I think it's probably going to be the best $150 I've spent yet on the boat! I'll post pics of the install in the "Mod" section next week....
 
Stern anchor, needed when you back in to the beach and occasionally for other reasons.
 
Merge360 said:
Wesley.... Hope you read this... I just purchased another remote for the rear of the boat and should be installing it sometime this week.... It's a real pain climbing in and out the boat for volume control when we're hanging out on the back of the boat or in the water.... I think it's probably going to be the best $150 I've spent yet on the boat! I'll post pics of the install in the "Mod" section next week....
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
manjo said:
The 07 model comes with flip up seats, that puts me above the windshield. I test drove the model that had flip up seats and was sold immediately. I got fenders (6), ropes/ties, flares, life jackets, and a good anchor as a package that the dealer threw in.

Thanks a ton for all the suggestion, I had to postpone taking delivery of the boat till end of this week, we have really bad weather now and dont want to be out in the water, the sky is lite up like 4th of july with lightning.
Click to expand...

The dealer package is nice I got the same. If it's anything like mine you'll want nicer dock lines keep the ones they gave you for the fenders and other stuff but they are kind low grade for dock lines.

Go to a West Marine or something have a walk around you'll see all kinds of stuff you'll both want and need then after your first trip out go back and get the things you didn't think you would need that you found out you'd better have.
 
I'd definitely recommend a trailer! :grin:

How about a nice pop up LCD TV? Like a 42 inch in the front so you can watch movies drive in style? Of course, a generator is a no brainer. A nice 4000 watt Westerbeke ought to do it. Might as well add radar and a hot water heater! :thumbsup: :smt043

A mooring cover is a nice addition along with a SECOND anchor. I'm sure your boat already has the tow hook for watersports. We also have a two person kayak that fits perfectly under the boat between the wheels and the winch stand. It's a great addition and keeps the kids busy. :wink: A mask, snorkel and fins are required items around here.
 
The 2 most important items I have had on board are my GPS and my VHF. you don't need to go fancy and spend a bunch of money.

I've got a little Garmin76 that is battery powered and plugs into the cig lighter. it's shows me the channel marker locations and the tracks i've run so I can find my way home even on a moonless night.

same goes for the VHF. it's a way to call for help when you need it out on the water. most of the time it justs sets there doing nothing; but it becomes real important when your stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

beyond these everything else is a nice to have, but not a requirement in my book.

hope you enjoy yourself.
 
manjo - congrats on the boat. I saw a guy yesterday with his new boat in the parking lot of west marine. What a great day that is! I would recommend a T-Bag to suspend from your bimini, unless you don't plan to use your bimini much. We use the bimini all the time b/c it is HOT here as I know it is where you are. I have a 185 also, which I love, but it does not have the greatest storage area. The T-Bag is great b/c you can put a bunch of stuff in it and keep it up off the deck and out of everyone's way.

[/url]http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?r=view&i=35013&pdesc=Kwik_Tek_T_Bag_Storage_Pack_for_T_Tops

I keep my boat in dry storage, so an automotive vacuum that plugs into the accessory outlet is good to have too.

And a spare prop and prop wrench, and a small tool kit or leatherman, and a ...... :grin:
 
I got my boat yesterday, the sales person took me to a small lake (pond) (decker lake Austin TX), most of the area lakes are closed due to flooding. This is the 1st time I had to launch a boat, I always rented one. The hardest part of it all was backing up the trailer, it took me 45mts to back it up into my drive way once I got home :) heh and it took me several tries to back it into the ramp. I am clearly a newbie! I could int back it up without the boat on it, so the sales person had to do it for me, if I had to do it myself, I think I disconnect the trailer, push the trailer down the ramp and hook it up to the truck :) heh


The rain here in Central TX seems to be decreasing, hopefully LCRA will open the lakes for boating by next weekend and it stops raining by then.
 
manjo said:
I got my boat yesterday, the sales person took me to a small lake (pond) (decker lake Austin TX), most of the area lakes are closed due to flooding. This is the 1st time I had to launch a boat, I always rented one. The hardest part of it all was backing up the trailer, it took me 45mts to back it up into my drive way once I got home :) heh and it took me several tries to back it into the ramp. I am clearly a newbie! I could int back it up without the boat on it, so the sales person had to do it for me, if I had to do it myself, I think I disconnect the trailer, push the trailer down the ramp and hook it up to the truck :) heh


The rain here in Central TX seems to be decreasing, hopefully LCRA will open the lakes for boating by next weekend and it stops raining by then.
Click to expand...

congrats on the boat. As for backing it will take some practice here are a couple of tips.

Instead of putting your had on top of the wheel put it on the bottom then if you want the back the trailer to go left move your hand to the left and if right go right. Do this while turning around an looking out the back. do keep an eye on the side mirrors to make sure your not running into the dock and going straight back but this should help.

Go to a big vacant parking lot get some cones or something and practice backing it up. If your married have your wife practice too so she or you can back it in while the other is either in it or on the dock with some ropes to it.
 
Manjo;

All things worth doing take time to learn. In a couple of months you'll be pulling up to the ramp and backing down in one shot with out even thinking out it. it just takes time.

get out their as much as you can this year....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,154
Messages
1,427,384
Members
61,060
Latest member
Danileo
Back
Top