47 Fountain Lightning Project
 

I towed it home yesterday, got caught in a little snow but towed very well even in gusty winds. I could use a little more HP but I crusied at 65-70 Mph.

I will update the thread as I get into it a little more.

www.raymondbaldwin.com/Fountain/index.htm

Glad to see your already into it.
Keep us posted...maybe you could make the SOTW poker run?
Good luck!:cool:

105mph_38_2003: Gas V10 300 Hp works great for all except big towing, I would be very slow in the mountains.

Back4More: I am going to try and make the Smoke on the water poker run in june but it might be cutting it close. When / Where is the SOTW run I have not heard of this one.

Awesome looking boat.

Well now I am sure it fits in my warehouse!

JUST FITS!

Ray, Is that a Myco trailer? I have a Vangard under my 47 and it looks like the axles are in about the same place. Mine's got the regular hitch and unless I get the boat way up forward, the handling isn't so good. I thought about getting a goose-neck to see if the thing handled better. I have the same truck with a diesel (chipped). Plenty of power, but the boat is heavy and I can really feel it trying to move the truck around. Looks like you have a good set-up. Good luck with the boat. You will like it.

Innthered, It is a Manning trailer, It works very well with the goose neck hitch. There was no sway and I really did not notice any movement even when I passed semi trucks. Much better than my 38 Powequest on the regular hitch setup. I was really impressed as to the difference. Granted I need more pulling power but it works pretty well. It was a little tounge heavy as it has no engines but that did not show in the towing at all. After the engines are in it may be different and will be about 4,000 lbs heavier. I really believe with this typeof boat you really should have a different hitch than standard. The only thing I dont like is I have to use electric brakes. I guess because the goose neck hitch is not available with a hydraulic actuator. Here is a pict of the hitch, The ball is removable too. I had the trailer built new and the goose neck hitch option was only $800.00 you can get the hitch installed in the truck for under 500.

Nice Christmas Present!

What motors are in it? Did you sell your PQ?

Happy Holidays.

Jeff

That's a lot of Fountain!! Good luck with it, you need to hook it up and head south. I don't think I could wait for spring if I had that boat sitting in the shop.

Jeff: No motors yet I am leaning toward 540's x whipples for 750-800 hp. Not sure yet though. I am planning on using IMCO Extreme SC drives. The PQ will be for sale but I need to comfirm some plans first with the Fountain. It was bought less engines and less outdrives.

Ray - sounds like fun.....let me know if/when you sell your 38...as you know I am looking for a 38....more importantly looking to sell my 34 so I can buy a 38!!!

Take care.

Jeff

Saw the boat at Troy Dennis shop in the summer of 01,it had 572s in it nice boat

GottaHaveIt: looks like my server is down?? My business site is down too , it usually works so the link is good. Thanks for the heads up.

Ray - Your trailer is the way to go. If I were keeping my boat I'd go the same route. It will be interesting to see if it still handles well with the motors in. I've read that tongue weight for the goose necks should be 20-25% of the total weight. Regular hitches around 10% or so. It just seems like the axles are too far forward. At least I thought that was most of my problem. Like I said, yours seem to be in the same spot. Have any idea what the tongue weight will be?

Troutly - I shouldn't say what the dimensions are, you'll arrest me and take my boat!! The boat is 9' wide (at the rub-rails) and my total length is close to 70'. Hey, we are in for going out with you guys. I think Deana is calling you as I type this!

innthered: I have no Idea on the tongue weight but I will when done. My rig is 76' long from bumper to drive guard. WOW . I did get a permit for traveling it was 10.00 from Ohio but a tone of red tape.

I also have a question, I noticed a toggle switch under the two volt gauges above the steering wheel it is not labeled it toggles left and right. Any idea what this controls??

GottaHaveIt: Nope no GPS, Maybe its for turn signals:D :D :D I'll have to pull the dash and see.

There are three batteries in the boat but only room for two gauges on the dash. The switch toggles between two of the batts. Not sure which is which. Mine also has a "center off" position, which really seems useless. Keep us updated on your progress, it'll give us something to look forward to till the ice melts!

Ray..............................you gotta change that avatar:)

Yes they do! I've only seen one longer one. A 51 footer with surface drives. The thing is like a freight train!!!!




http://www.vxi.cc/phantomchaos/images/P0001142-w.jpg

http://www.vxi.cc/phantomchaos/images/P0001143-w.jpg

http://www.vxi.cc/phantomchaos/images/P0001145-w.jpg

twinn29: What avitar????:D :D :D :D

I seen this 51 in boat trader:http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/9/0/28158990.htm

I also seen the one with the surface drives previously. How long is that boat really ? It has beaks at both ends!

Those Look like Pulse Drives. Is that what they are ?

No.
they are non-trimmable drive from ZF
All Pulse Drives are Trimmable.

Those are surface drives, with rudders. I think it's wither a 51 or 52 footer, and they made 2-3 of them. This one is in Dana Point and is serviced by Dick Simon Marine. The name of the boat is Fly Paper, but I don't know why. I think it's a 1998.

These pics were taken at the launch ramp. Cigarette was having a presentation at the ramp of the new 35' Playboy Cigarette just prior to a Cig run to Catalina, then DSM rolled this thing into launch it for the client......all heads turned away from the Playboy Cig and the Playmates stealing their thunder for a few minutes. :D :D :D

http://www.vxi.cc/phantomchaos/images/P0001138-w.jpg

Optima's
 

Out with the old in with the new, I am waiting on the blue billet battery brackets from Eddie Marine. Plus I loose 12 lbs per battery too.

Hey Ray-

Here is a guy in SCOPE that is parting out a front damaged 47 Fountain. Maybe some stuff you need?

http://66.34.157.161/cgi-bin/ikonboa...orum=4&topic=6

I started cleaning up the Bilge area, What a mess, Oil and fluids all over. Here is a picture of what I started with:

Here is what I have so far, I need to tie up a few loose ends then clean, clean and clean. Then I am going to re-paint the bilge white. Or at least as much as I can get too.

Parts is Parts, Next week it goes off to Mitcher T for paint.

Ummm......you must have used a dirty rag while cleaning....the before pick on the bielge looks cleaner! (just messing with ya!)

Ray,
Looks like you’re going to have fun this winter. I don't know what Fountain uses to coat its bilges but it sucks!!! Simply Green actually removes it. Your rag will become white. For the money these things cost you think the Factory could do a better job. Seadated redid his bilge and posted pictures about a year ago. It looked great.

I hope Mitcher will post some pictures of the project as it progresses. Maybe you can get him to stripe the bilge too!! What did you decide to go with for power?

Dan

Candyman

Once again thanks for the kind words. Just in case someone is interested, the bilge still looks like the day I did it. That is a great product and I highly recommend it.

I second the pics...please keep us in the loop.

Gig

Charging systems international
 

I was testing the charger in the boat and noticed the middle bank of charger lights were alyaws on. I did some testing and found the charger was bad on the middle bank. I called the manufacturer: Charging systems international @ http://www.dualpro.com/ and they sent out a brand new one in advance and with a call tag to pick up the old one. (no charge!!) Now that's what I call service! 3 days later it's fixed.

Lucky for me I found the problem now as I would have to pull the front engine to change it out later. The charger is mounted by 6 bolts that are lock washer and nylock nutted behind the trim pump mounting plate. I had to un bolt the large white mounting plate with 8 bolts then remove the charger from behind. As it was it turned a 10 minute job into aover an hour. It could not be done with the engine and water tank installed. I hope yours dont go bad!

My battery charger lost one of the outputs also. Don't know if the batt took out the charger or vice-versa but the battery was so hot I thought it was going to blow up! You are right, you can't get the charger out of the boat with out a major hassle. Very stupid on Fountain's part. I bought a new charger and put it under the back seat.

It would no be so bad if they uesd screws or jack nuts to install it to the panel, Then you could remove it fairly easily. I guess if I'm smart I will go back and install the jack nuts.

I did order another single bank charger for the 4th battery for the generator. I dont see where it has a charger. Makes sense to me because if your batteries go dead you could use the generator to re-charge but what then if the generator battery is dead from the generator not being used? I figured this way they all stay charged up.

Paint design
 

Mitcher T has worked up this design, I like it and I think I may name the boat after it, "Tidal Wave" It will be a few more weeks befor he can start but I'll wait.

WOW Super graphics!!! :cool:

Thanks the graphics are killer, I cannot wait to see it on the boat.



QUESTION: Does anyone know the draft of the 47 with tripples? It's not published in the litterature or website.

Pretty close to 4', maybe a little more. My 42 with trips was exactly 4' to the bottom of the center skeg. I can't remember what the 47 measured exactly. I'll try to post a picture of the boat in the water and then you should be able to figure it pretty close if you want.

Looks about 6" from rub rail.