35 ZR Improvements/Fixes
 

I'm not sure if this is useful, but here's some stuff I'll learned about my 2008 35 ZR:

First, it is an awesome boat - I just love it.

Second, here's some stuff I've learned:

a) The refrigerator is not mounted in a fashion that has its main frame/housing supported on the bottom. So, while underway, it bounces up and down until the front frame (part around the front door) starts to give way / crack. Pull out the fridge and slide a piece of 1/2" cushion foam in on the floor to fill the 1/2" gap between the factory floor and the bottom of the fridge. Then reinstall the fridge. A quick fix is to loosen all four front mounting screws, let the fridge settle down to the factory floor, then tighten the two top screws securely, and tighten the bottom two screws only enough to snug them. I'm not sure if the fridge people are worried about vibration from the fridge being in contact with the floor or not, but regardless, my door frame was breaking.

b) The anchor locker is always full of rain water, then molds and mildews, rendering your navigation lights and horn inoperable due to corrosion. First, coat your lights and horn with anti-corrosion grease, including the terminal connections. Second, buy some fiberglass repair stuff, and build the floor of the locker up until it is even with the locker drain. From the factory, the locker drain is above the floor by 2", so there is always 2" of water laying in the bottom of the locker. This fix seems complicated, but it's way easy. Mix the fiberglass stuff right in the locker. In other words, pour the base and hardener in, stir well, and go away. No mixing container needed. Counsel with your marine store to get the right stuff - oh, and I also poured in the snow flake stuff to make the new floor strong. Don't over fill or the fiberglass stuff will run down your drain, melt the plastic drain, (because of the chemical reaction heat) and otherwise plug your drain.

Remember, I just love this boat - and throwing some stuff out that might help ya.

Good information, I will look at mine and see if it is designed the same way....Crazy that the anchor locker wasnt designed properly to begin with...

my guess is the drain tube is 2'' up to prevent dirt and mud from clogging up the tube.... Just a though..

Thanks for the tips

Something must have changed.. I did a lot of AC installs in 35 and 38ZR and the fridge use to lay on a foam layer that protected the fridge from impact almost the same as what you are doing.. Great Move On Your Part..

The Anchor locker use to have a drain that drained the water outside the hull. They forgot to put one in? I have one on my 33ZX..

He stated it had a drain....The floor of the anchor locker is 2 inches below the drain, which left standing water.

Sorry. What I meant to say is that they use to have a drain that was lower then the floor with a hose that went from the bottom of the floor out the side drain, never had water build up.

My 38zx had the same drain in the floor of the anchor compartment so it was at the lowest point which was the back bottom of the compartment and a drain out the side with a stainless cover on it!!!!

Yup, it has a drain, and a nice one - with a rubber nipple at the inlet, a stainless cover, etc. But it was just too high up in the locker. Maybe mine was a freak - but I had two issues going on: one, my anchor line was always soaked and smelly, and two, my horn and nav lights would quit working weekly - all due to the real high humidity. Check your nav lights from the outside - if you see condensation on the lens, you're likely getting it from your anchor locker, cause all three (the horn, the nav lights, and the anchor line) are in the same compartment. The non-working nav lights were a really big deal because you had no idea when they were working and when they weren't.

To Shanghied Again - that's real interesting, and exactly what would have been a great solution. Wonder if they forgot my foam? On the same subject, it wasn't fun to get the fridge out the first time because the power wire and ground were too short to allow you to pull the fridge out partway, reach around the back, and unplug the wires. Made me think that a pro would have the solution (ie: how to access the wires from some other location), so maybe you know the trick?? I pulled on the fridge til the wires unplugged themselves ( I know, not cool, but - - -), then on re-installation, went and cut a bunch of cable ties on the wires, unwound them from being wrapped around a bunch of pipes, - all to lengthen the wires out so I could connect them with the fridge partially out, then slide everything back in place. BTW: I love this fridge, hold a lot, and gets everything really cold !!

I just looked at a 2009 Limited Edition 35 ZR (the black one), that my buddy bought, and it has the same anchor locker drain issue mine had. All just for what it's worth if it helps you guys.

I have a bud witha 38 ,ill pass the info on to him.Thanks for sharing:drink:

The anchor locker in my 26ZX has similar problems as mentioned. It drains somewhat. I am redoing my whole anchor locker. I know that it is not the new ZR but that is pretty weak. I am not a professional but have a few friends that have modified theirs with good results. Overall I really like my boat but think it is silly to have owners modify their boats to fix these problems.

I also have a number of drains (like the cooler) that funnel water into a part of the front bilge that does not drain. How dumb is that? My 27ZX was 3 year older and did not do that. Kind of silly having to vac out the front bilge if you use the cooler. Sure, I could let is sit and stink but that is not the way I roll.

I will say that lb for lb and foot for foot, it will spank most 26 footers from the same era. Especially in rough water.

On a side note, how hard will a 2008 35ZR with 496 mag ho's run?

80-82 Chris.

thanks Daniel

I saw 81 one time, and that's it. It's now going slower and slower. I now see 79, and have to wait and fool around a while to even get that. 77 and 78 seem to be the real numbers now. I have 400 hrs on it, so maybe it's getting tired, who knows. Anybody have wisdom on how long 496's last before they need to be rebuilt? Now that I said all this, I think it's time for a fuel filter change, so I'll plan to get that done in the next few days. Still love the boat, and wish I knew how to post a picture of it for ya to see. It is really sharp and gets a lot of compliments at the runs. I just bought a Hi-Tech Marine trailer for it and it is so cool and well built that I can't wait to trailer it again!! Brian

Ours is slower this time of year also, wait till it cools off some, it will run better.

I'm not sure, but I think you have to be a paying member in order to post pictures. I would love to see it, I love the lines on the 35, 38, and 43 ZR's.

My drain is in a perfect spot in our locker, no problems there.

Yeah, love the lines. Is your boat stored outdoors? In other words, would your locker get exposed to rain? Mine is on a lift over the water and gets rained on. I ask because the more I study the wet locker thing, the more I wonder why the designer let the water in to begin with. Seems like a little rim that a gasket could seal against would be way better - like the cabin hatches have. Just majoring on a minor thing - still love the boat and am thinking of trading up to a 38.

Ours is outdoors with just a cockpit cover. I think the drain is there for all the wet stuff that goes in there (ie. wet anchor line). Go over to Donzi.net or Donzi.org and post it over there, since we are to cheap be members here:) the pictures that is.

tom

OK, an update on the water / condensation and resultant navigational light failures: they failed again. So, this time: I coiled the anchor line, and laid it on top of the anchor, so it won't soak in and absorb and hold water that I really want to have drain out the drain!! Stay tuned for the next chapter in this less-than-perfect design. PS: I still love the boat !! Oh, BTW, new discovery: when you throw out the anchor, the line gets tangled with the navigational light wires and rips out the wires. I asked my 38 ZR buddy if he had any trouble with his anchor locker area, and he said "I took the anchor out of the locker because the line kept tearing out my Nav light wiring". My 28ZR buddy just got stopped by the cops for no nav light on one side and sure enough - corrosion city. All just FYI guys, as this boat still "Rocks the bay"

you do not need to take the anchor out,just dont put the rope in the locker,keep it in the cockpit.thats what i have been doing,have not had any more problems,awesome boat.

Hmmm, another great idea - a quick snap to the anchor and you're good to go. Thanks, I'll try it.