Old guy, first boat (not counting canoes and kayaks) 1990 200BR

Elkhunt

New Member
Jul 3, 2016
4
Oregon
Boat Info
1990 Bowrider 200
Engines
4.3L, Alpha1
I'm 57 and avoided boats for years, we seemed to get enough invites to lake days and Shasta vacations without buying a boat. On a vacation to San Diego in March our hotel deck sat right on Dana Bay and I was watching boats come and go all day. Being a compulsive Craigslister I started looking for boats back in Eugene Or. With grown kids and grandkids all living in Eugene, I thought maybe I should buy an old boat. I mentioned it to my wife and to my shock she was more excited about a boat than me. She said, I'd love to float around the lake and enjoy the sun. So I called a buddy who has a large warehouse and asked him if I bought a boat could I store it with him. He graciously agreed and told me to call a mutual friend who was wanting to get rid of his Blue Water ski boat. The friend said he needed to keep the boat for 2 church ski days a year, but I could use it anytime I wished and much as I wanted. So my boat shopping was done... but not according to my wife, she hates to borrow.

Making a long story longer, I kept looking and in April I found a 1990 20' Bowrider located in Vancouver Wa. I called the owner and bought it sight unseen. I drove up the next day and was pleased with the boat. He was a stand up guy, he had 37 more calls and cash offers over the asking price of $4000. I am the 3rd owner, it has always been garaged, only 220 hours on a new 4.3L Alpha 1, dual axel trailer and fully outfitted... dozen jackets, skis & ropes/handles, tube, anchor and moorage lines, fenders, tow lines, bimini, spare prop, tools and original manuals.

We've taken it out 4 times, yesterday we cruised 67 miles on the Willamette from Portland up to Oregon City, back through downtown portland, out to the Columbia, up to Tomahawk Island for dinner at a cute little restaurant (Island Cafe), and back to Portland in heavy chop. A great day, and the old girl performed like a champ. The Lowrance Elite-4 Sonar/GPS I installed worked great, the charts were very helpful.

I changed the oil/filter today, thinking it would be pretty straight forward... the brass fitting on the hose would not fit through the drain plug hole (new motor old hole?) so a funnel and smaller hose was used and it took a long time (open to suggestions).

I had a bow cover made, and we are contemplating taking it up to either Puget Sound or the San Juans... but more lake days prior to that. I will mostly lurk on the forum learning from "old salts". Here are some pics...







 
Welcome, you've got a good looking boat there!
 
Welcome and enjoy your 200. I had the exact same boat (my first boat some years ago).
 
Nearly 30 years old... looks pretty darn nice!

Can you expand on the issue you had with changing oil? I'm not sure what you meant by " the brass fitting on the hose would not fit through the drain plug hole". Typically, we just suck the oil out through the dipstick hole - and it's better to attach directly to the dipstick than shove a small diameter hose down the dipstick.
 
This boat is equipped with a rubber hose that is attached to the drain plug on the pan. Originally it was tethered to the transom drain plug, so you pulled the plug, pulled the hose out the hole, opened the brass fitting and drained your oil out through the transom. The drain plug is .72" ID, and the brass fitting on the hose is .80" OD. So it's a no go. I guess I will have to consider the dip stick sucking approach.
 
Wow! What a great boat. My favorite part is the owners packet.

So, when it was repowered maybe they added the oil drain hose? My old Sea Ray had that feature.

It's easier and quicker to suck oil out the dipstick. West marine sells a vacuum pump that I screw to the dipstick and it sucks it out in just a few minutes. I use that thing all the time to change fluids.
 
As others have said, WELCOME! You obviously got a great boat from a responsible owner(s) who took care of thing well. As someone who is older (58) and just got back into boating after over 20 years away, we're enjoying our immensely, and you will, too.

You'll learn a lot hear by lurking, but don't be afraid to ask questions and tell us about your experiences. Obviously, Sea Ray makes some much bigger boats, so sometimes us "little guys" get lost in the shuffle, but this is a great community that shares lots of great information.

My only suggestions would be to take a boater safety course if you haven't already (lots available online), and also be very mindful of the weather. The Northwest is a beautiful part of the country but I know the weather on the water can change quickly, and you're talking about some rather long trips in potentially big water. Stay safe and enjoy your new hobby, which will quickly become an obsession if you're like the rest of us!!
 
This boat is equipped with a rubber hose that is attached to the drain plug on the pan. Originally it was tethered to the transom drain plug, so you pulled the plug, pulled the hose out the hole, opened the brass fitting and drained your oil out through the transom. The drain plug is .72" ID, and the brass fitting on the hose is .80" OD. So it's a no go. I guess I will have to consider the dip stick sucking approach.

Ah, got 'ya. As Blaster mentioned, that must have been added when the new engine was put in as this wasn't an option back then. In fact, I think it wasn't until somewhere around 2001 that it was. That's strange that it doesn't fit - I thought those garboard drain pugs have been standard for pretty much ever. Does a normal brass plug fit it (1/2" pipe)? But if the measurements are correct, I guess it's as you say... New motor, old hole.

I will say, though, that they fit kinda tight through the hole and they need to be wiggled a bit as you pull them out as sometimes it's coming through the hole a bit cock-eyed. And sometimes the SS wire gets hung up so you have to push the fitting back into the hole with your finger and then pull again.

So, another option you have is to suck it out of that hose. You can re-route the hose up one side of the engine or the other and secure it in place small with a clip/carabiner/zip tie/etc. Then use a 3/8" pipe-to-barb adapter (very inexpensive) so you can slip the hose from your oil sucker onto the barb fitting. FYI, you don't have to use a tool to screw the pipe end of the adapter into the oil drain fitting - hand tight is plenty good enough.

There's no one best way to change oil, and there really is no significant difference in the amount of oil removed via the drain plug vs the dipstick. Personally, though, I prefer to suck it out of the drain hose. Partly because it makes it easier to re-check the oil level since when you pull it out of the dipstick, the dipstick tube is layered with oil for a while. For what it's worth, I use a MityVac 7201 - it doesn't need any power and I sometimes need to use it when there is no battery. It works better than any $50 12V unit, too.
 
Welcome that is a pristine boat someone has spent many hours keeping her looking that good.
As stated there's many ways to get the oil out I just use the oil sucker from WM it's easy just warm the engine up, connect it, start the vacuum pumping and go do something else while it does it's job. One advantage is it's easy to recycle either at a marina or any recycle place without any mess trying to transfer it. I use it to change oil on all my small engines too generator, John Deere, Honda lawn mower etc.
 
That's a sweet looking boat!
We picked up a 2005 18' bowrider for the kids a week or so ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was equipped with the oil drain hose that pulls through the boat drain plug hole.
Anyway, if for some reason yours doesn't fit, it's possible that the fitting on the end of the hose was changed to an improper size at one time or another.
There should be plenty of slack in it to pull it up from under the motor to have a look at it, and a trip to the local hardware store should result in a set up that would work.
 
Lazy Daze... I was hoping it was the angle and did my best to "will" it through, and then I pulled out my caliper and learned the hard truth... it's just a no go.

JVM225.... I am thinking your suggestion might be my next step. I've even thought about grinding the corners of the "bolt" down allowing for it to pass. Im hopeful the local hydraulics company might have a fitting that would fit. In any case, she has fresh oil and I can mull it over for a season. My dip stick tube does not have the treaded fitting that accommodates some (all?) of the pumps.

Steve195... Agreed on your caution on the weather. A number of my friends have cruised the San Juans in ski boats and they have issued the same concern, but say common sense makes it pretty doable. My next door neighbor who owns a big Arima and a 24' Deep V North River feels I am under boated! Imagine that. But I may start in Puget Sound, shorter tow (Olympia vs Anacortes) and more protected waters.

Thanks all.
 
The "bolt" that SHOULD be in the end of that hose is supposed to be smaller than the hose. It's also only a square head bolt (basically, a 3/8" pipe fitting with a square bolt head at the other end). Google Mercruiser Quick Drain Oil Kit. It sounds like someone may have changed it as JVM said or possibly added an aftermarket kit that was never meant to go through the garbaord drain hole.. IF you wanted to, you can get a new bolt/SS wire/plug kit right from a Merc dealer - but a local hydraulics shop might very well have something, too.

You don't need the threaded end on the dipstick tube. A 3/8" ID hose should fit right over it - and a simple hose clamp will secure it. That's the exact way I do it, even if there is a threaded end - I never use the threaded end.
 
Steve195... Agreed on your caution on the weather. A number of my friends have cruised the San Juans in ski boats and they have issued the same concern, but say common sense makes it pretty doable. My next door neighbor who owns a big Arima and a 24' Deep V North River feels I am under boated! Imagine that. But I may start in Puget Sound, shorter tow (Olympia vs Anacortes) and more protected waters.

Thanks all.

We boat mostly in the South Sound 1100 hours in the last 5 years from Elliott Bay to Olympia moored in the Hyelbos Waterway in Tacoma. In my opinion you should have no problems in the south sound there are many areas & marinas to get into if you need to sit out a surprise storm. We have been caught in several over the years, mostly heading south from Alki Pt. to Tacoma the winds can change instantly from a light breeze & calm water to 20 knot plus winds coming from WSW with easily 4-6 waves they gain speed through the Narrows bridge.

There are several marinas & coves along the way with guest docks don't hesitate to pull in we've made that mistake once the winds & waves will be head on to the starboard side making things difficult, I've had the anchor pulpit berried while being slammed on the starboard side with waves up to the windshield.

Learn the capabilities of you boat, don't push it thinking you can make it.
 
You don't need the threaded end on the dipstick tube. A 3/8" ID hose should fit right over it - and a simple hose clamp will secure it. That's the exact way I do it, even if there is a threaded end - I never use the threaded end.

+1 on that I do it this way 3-4 times a year.
 
Lazy Daze, it's as you describe, but the brass fitting that receives the squared headed plug is the issue, it's too large for the drain hole.

Bob and Sue, thanks for the advice on the south sound.
 

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