Yes, I bought an old boat with good bones. But bones alone don’t keep you on the water. It was time for some reality: maintenance.
The Alpha Drive
First up was replacing the gear oil in the Alpha drive. Not a big deal in theory, but this isn’t an outboard. This is a big, heavy inboard-outboard drive, and while some maintenance jobs are DIY-friendly, this one really called for a professional.
So, we hauled the boat out of the water. And that’s when I saw it: the propeller was dented.
How did that happen? Did I hit a submerged log? Was it water levels? Or did I ding it pulling the boat out? I’ll never know. What I do know is that now I needed to get the prop fixed or replaced.
I’d seen a YouTube video of a company in England that restores bent props to look brand new — true craftsmanship. But here at home, the cost of repair is often close to buying a new one. That’s boating for you. They say BOAT stands for Bring On Another Thousand. In my case, it’s more like Bring On a Few More Thousand — because I bought a bigger boat.
The List Grows
But that wasn’t all. The flexible housing in the out-drive was cracked and aging. That needed replacement too. And then came the impeller — the little part that keeps the engine cool.
I texted the previous owner (the “Boat TV guy”), and he admitted he’d never changed the impeller. Considering the boat had multiple owners, that was all the confirmation I needed. It had to be replaced.
And once you start down this road, the list doesn’t stop:
- Motor belts (funny name, since there’s no fan on the engine)
- Electrical connections that may be rusting from years of exposure
- Moving parts that wear out whether you notice or not
Preventative maintenance isn’t optional. It’s survival.
The Bigger Picture
Do the mechanics know I have a vision for this boat — a plan to digitize, automate, and modernize her? No. They’re just doing their job: keeping the analogue parts alive so the boat is safe and enjoyable. And they’re right. Without a solid foundation, the dream upgrades don’t matter.
Because here’s the truth: if something breaks on Lake Erie, there’s a hazard called Niagara Falls downstream. And that’s not a place you want to test your luck.