JimH wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

JimH wrote:
The beat goes on.

After trickle charging it for 24 hours @ 2A and letting it sit another 24
hours I tested it and get a reading of 11.6 volts.........not good.
OK........time to get a new one, but this time upsizing to Group 27.
Another $150 (including holding bracket/box) goes to the boat expenses
for
2006 and the darn thing is not in the water yet.

I have spent over $900 so far this season (helm seat, helm seat pedestal
and
slide, A/B battery switch with field disconnect, Group 24 starting
battery,
ski mirror, epoxy barrier coat, Ipod, vinyl seat repairs)........with
another $700 to spend on bottom paint, electrical wiring and fittings, ss
hardware for securing the seat pedestal, new carpeting and a bimini.
This does not include labor as I am doing all the work! ;-)

Looking back I guess this is not too bad as I originally planned to spend
about a $1,100 for these upgrades/improvements. I forgot to add in the
epoxy barrier coat and bottom paint....so I guess having to replace the
deep
cycle battery is not that bad of a bite.

Bottom line........after spending $1,600 this spring (with my labor) for
the
improvements I will now have more room in the cockpit, tearing out the
helm
seat/ice box/water faucet contraption and replacing it with a new helm
seat
(on adjustable pedestal with 360 degree swivel and 7" front to rear
slide).
I will also have a new Sunbrella bimini replacing the 4 foot deep
convertible cover (that snapped at the windshield frame), new carpeting
(I
hated that red), 2 batteries on switch, a bottom with barrier coat and
bottom paint, seating with no tears or rips and over 1,600 tunes to be
able
to play on my old stereo thanks to Ipod. ;-)

After these upgrades/improvements are completed and the boat is in the
water
I will be building a dockbox (our old one was too tall for the new marina
we
are at) and picnic table (I gave our old one away when we stopped boating
in
2004) for our new dock area. Add another $150 in lumber/hardware
materials
to my expense list, again not including my labor.

Boating...........what a deal! ;-)


BOAT: A hole in the water you throw money into............how true that
is.
;-)


Here's a secret: You can't take it with you. Once you have provided for
a secure retirement,
set aside money to educate or finished educating the kids, used some of
it to relieve the social injustice of your choice, and made sure that
aging parents have enough to get by in a secure and comfortable
lifestyle it's time to spend the rest on whatever you'd like. Boating
is a great choice.


I agree to a point Chuck. Our retirement has been well planned
(financially) and is secure. The kids education (my daughter will be a
senior at OSU next year and my son a freshman in college) is being paid off
year by year. Our parents are all deceased.

I would, however, like to leave a nice chunk of change to my kids while
still enjoying life and the money we have saved and invested. There is a
balance. ;-)

Jim, do you have a Batteries + (plus sign!) in your area? I've had very
good luck with the deep cycle batteries they sell, and the prices are
good, too.