Be sure to set that trailer up so you have plenty of weight on the tongue. These short twin engine boats have a HUGE weight bias toward the stern and if you don't put at least 400~500 lbs on the tongue your trip home will be a slow and scary drive. Move those axles back as much as you can.

This is the trailer I will be using. Got the new hubs and bearings on. It was too dark to fool with boards and wheels.

That big pile of parts pulled great. It's 27.5' though. And way different hull. I may have to pull the boat a little further ahead on the trailer. Won't know till it gets on there. If it's worth getting that is.

What did you decide on a survey?

I'm fairly comfortable with my judgement. I have driven further and came home empty handed . I'm not getting my hopes up. Would really like it to be what it's said to be though. I was basically asking if there was specifically any certain ways to check certain areas of it like there are for hydrostreams and other boats that require meticulous care.

Tapping the transom with a rubber mallet can tell a lot. A solid thud is good, hollow sound means rot.

Yeah that is pretty much common on all boats. I've looked at plenty of them and walked away due to that dreaded sound.

Redneck, I'm coming down to your area in March. My spring break is in march so the GF and I are taking a vacation down there. My parents own a townhouse in Daphne. I'm going to trailer my 84 242 to use on the bay and possible go out into the gulf. Do you have any recommendations on places to go by boat? Hopefully you get this new one. We could put them side by side.

If your going to be staying on daphne you'll be right on mobile bay. You could run out the bay to gulf shores. There is always a good turn out at Robinson island for large boats such as these. I'm a river rat so I'll probably be running up to gravine island. That is a small island where tensaw river and mobile river meet up. Most boats there are allisons, bullets, other bass boats, or bow riders. I'll be the outcast lol
That said, definitely get up with me when yall are down here I'd love to see another 242 and meet some of you guys and gals. I'd run out in the salt water with you. I have plenty of friends with contenders, sea hunts, sea pros, center console type rigs.

Progress is going very slow on the trailer due to work and othet things. Wife got the new fenders today. Went with bare steel and decided to paint them because galvanized were $360 vs the steel @ $130. They are now buried in 4 heavy coats of rustoleum bare metal primer. The boards were fairly cheap at $45 each. Got them cut down to length, wrapped with the carpet and installed with new stainless bolts. Finished halfway cleaning the aluminum wheels. Installed some new temporary round tail lights for the trip the leds I ordered won't be in till Monday.

Plan tomorrow is install the new led marker lights on the trailer, remove the surge brake tongue and weld it in place so it doesn't slam back and forth with every stop. Paint the fenders and possibly install them if they are dry enough. That should have the trailer ready. Then the tow rig will be getting a new fuel water separator/ filter.


Yesterday


Today