I sold my boat last July and have no plans to get another one but tools and parts keep popping up in my garage. I have a new Merc bellows installation tool and a snap tool. $15-20 for both plus you pay shipping. Make me an offer. Shawn
Those are an indispensable money saver for any Sea Ray owner. I discovered them the year before I sold ours, but even with only 12 snaps on the the new boat, it still is a lifesaver.
On older boats the snaps can get a bit tough to remove if not lubed occasionally. The other end of the tool really helps when putting snaps on when the canvas has shrunk a bit.
Sea Ray canvas is ok, but not great. On many of the designs there is a lot of it. And with a lot of pieces comes a lot of snaps. On a boat with a camper back taking it all down can be a 30-45 minute job largely because the snaps could be reinforced better. As the canvas ages care has to be taken to avoid tearing it at the snap. This tools speeds the process along because it engages the snap and puts no load on the fabric.
Thanks, you made my day with that. After retiring I thought I’d never hear anyone tell me, “we’ve been doin this for forty years like this and we aren’t gonna change!”. It never gets old.
When someone tells me that in my head I'm thinking "that's probably the best reason to find a way to change."
I lubricate my snaps a couple times per year. I've used chap-stick because it's easy to use, and works well. Quick touch on each snap, rub a little and move on. When you attach the snap it gets into the other part. One chap stick lasts for several uses on the whole boat. For zippers I got a small tub of lanolin. Been using it for years... apply a little and then run the zipper to spread it around. Works great, and this $8 tub has lasted at least 4 years.
Truthfully I sold the boat before I ever had a chance to use it. In theory, its for the exhaust bellows and the 2 half disks at the end fit into a rib on the bellows. IT then is supposed to stretch the bellows a bit and you are then able to pill the bellows on to the bell housing. It was $49 new on Amazon but I'll take $20+ shipping. Shawn
Yep. I've had snaps pull out of the canvas and pull apart because the cap was stuck on the stud. Salt water can get in the snap, crystalize, and jam the cap onto the stud. Slightly shrunken canvas (such as when old or cold) also puts a lot of stress on the snap, making it hard to release. This tool helps pop off the snap without damage to the canvas or the snap.
NorCal, I’ll take the bellows tool I’m planning on doing a lot of maintenance on the 205 this spring perfect timing. I’ll pm you .
2 prior boats ago was a 270 DA. (99). The front of the enclosure had the tracks that you kinda used your thumbs to slip in....almost like a ziplock. My thumbs still hurt from taking that off and on....
