To just basic service oil change and check everything isn't much more than a standard drive. However, found a little water in the drives when I had Barrett Go through everything so, had em cracked and full service - seals, filters, check gears, shafts etc etc. it was 3k a side to crack them open and go through em. Decided to put new prop shafts in while they were open. another 3k a side for new prop shafts. Vern at West Coast Drives did all the work.

Believe Merc recommends service every 50 hrs. barrett is big on preventative maintenance and likes to do it every 25.

Not for the faint of heart.

Went out and ran the boat this weekend in havasu. Just Sunday actually. The main point of going out was to drag the boat back here to California to run in the big blue for summer and fall and to fix some bunks on the trailer. So, put 75 gallons of 100LL a side Sunday morning and then dropped the boat in. 104 degrees out!! Didn’t take many pics. But we did swim a bit and ran up river.

As we’re running up river about 65-70 mph the port motor shuts down. I’m like WTF?!? Come off plane check switches fuses etc etc. I shut down the starboard motor so I can crank the port and actually hear it. Just turns over and keeps turning over. We’re drifting down river, I’m starting to panic a bit.

Anyone think they know what was wrong???










I go to fire up the starboard and now it won’t turn over. I’m like WTF?!

we’re floating getting closer to the reeds and shore. Taylor, my daughter yells from the cabin “LANYARD!” lol. I look down, it ls off. Doah!!!somehow it got pulled off. I put it back on and for some reason now the starboard fires right up. Then the port. Then we’re on our way. Duh. Taylor text her husband and said “port motor lost power under way, seems like no ignition” he responded back one word and one word only. “Lanyard”. lol man of few word.

so we put the boat in the dock at the end of the day and I drag the trailer over to adrenaline trailers in havasu first thing Monday morning. One of the bunks came off last time I loaded the boat. Luckily didn’t scratch the bottom. Left the trailer. Told them to check all bunks and make sure all
lohhts are functioning (couple fender marker lights were busted). Told them do what they need to do. got a call back around 3. “All Done”. Go grab the trailer, all new bunks and lights all repaired. Trailer is actually looking pretty nice. I’m not in such a rush to replace it now. Bought some single stage paint restorer cleaner I’m gonna try on the paint to see if it’ll bring back its shine. It’s supposed to, we’ll see.

so, it’s like 3:30. My -5 year old and I grab the trailer and we go pull the boat out, get it over to the shop and I’m cleaning the props and spin the drives, the starboard spins like butter. The port is a little…I don’t know, just doesn’t feel the same. Not as smooth. Little stiffer. Little “grainy” maybe. I don’t know how to explain it but 1) it wasn’t as smooth as the starboard and 2) it was BAAAAAAARELY notable so I asked AJ to spin em. He said he wanted Vern (west coast drives) to spin em. So this morning I have the boat details and Vern goes over to the boat storage and checks em. I swing by Vern’s shop a little later and he says he wants to pull it off and look closer. So sh*t, not dragging the boat home. Good news is AJ will bring it out to me on a couple weeks, soooo that’s cool. lol.

anyway, great trip. Looked at some houses, did some boating, had dinner with friends and family, good times.

some pics from Vern’s shop (Paul Tracy’s skater and Gary smiths predator skater. Couple pics from Barrett custom marine too. And a couple from boating. and of course all detailed up and ready to go back inside.

Time to change that "port o' call" on the rear, no?

yeah, I just need to get it to the paint shop. I’ll get around to it eventually. 😂

Yea that damn Lanyard got me a few times on my Cig. I ALWays assumed the worst and spent several minutes in the Hot Bildge looking to no avail.

Tank, it looks great. Hope to see it next year in LOTO. I hope you and your family are doing well.

Same here on multiple boats. Also had a battery switch that was just not completely locked in the ON position and had no power to the boat.... It looked like it was on but wasn't.... wasted a whole night. I got up in the just barley touched the battery switch and heard it "click" into place...

I like those CMI chairs.

yeah. I put these Lipship nylon key chains on there as kill switches and they have chrome clips. Work good, look good but maybe a little too heavy when whipping around in the wind.

hey brotha! Hope to get out that way at some point.

how’s the boat??