Hey, I just got my first boat, it is a 2004 Southfork 1442. The motor is an 06 Yamaha 25 2 stroke. I took it out twice so far and it was a blast. It was the first time I ever drove a tiller steering boat.

One weird thing about the boat it is seems to have a longshaft motor and the boat does not have a high transom. The motor goes so deep it the water there are a lot of places I can't get to. I have been told a jackplate is what I need.

I was looking at them and they seem pretty expensive. I am willing to spend $100 - $150 if this is what I need. Which ones should I look at? Which measurements should I take to know how high of one to get? As far as setting the motor back how far should I go?

Another question is mixing the gas and oil. What is the best way to do this? I found an online calculator that told me how much oil I needed with how much gass. So I added 3 gallons to the tank and poured it a little less than 4 ounces to get 100:1 ratio. The boat ran fine, is that close enough? It is hard to get it exactly right out of the bottle.

When I got the boat going as fast as it can it is really hard to steer, it seems to be straight or turning, not a lot of in between. I guess this is from the resistance of the water going by, is this normal?

The prop is chewed up a good bit and a lot of water seems to splash off the transom, it is hard to explain, but this water looks like it is creating a lot of resistance and slowing the boat down. It is almost like a rooster tail coming off the back of the boat on each side of the motor. I have a feeling once the high is right on the motor this will speed it up.

Also I was shopping for new boats before I bought this one and a lot of them can be ordered with camo coating for $250 extra, are there places that do that for around that price? I have not been able to find any.

I was fishing in water that is a little brackish, should I flush the motor out with a water house everytime? Also should I flush it out with a water house after fresh water?

Thanks for your help, I am very happy with my boat, but all of this is very new to me. Thanks again.

i dont know about the rest of the stuff, but premix is usually 50:1, though i would follow whatever the manual says to do

I just double check the premix it is 100:1. Thanks though.

I found a book in Walmart while I was waiting on my oil change and it said the cavitation plate should be the same height as the bottom of the boat. So when it stops raining I am gonna check the different between to two and see if I can find a jack plate that raises it by that amount, does that sound good to yall?

I also bought this cup thing at walmart that has a chart on the side and says if the mix is 100:1 add this much oil for this many gallons, it is all marked out and should let me get it pretty close to dead on.

Thanks.

Congrats on the new boat!  I can't wait till the weather warms up.

Put the oil in the gas tank (empty) first, then shoot the gas in rapidly until it is close to full then eze up until full. The force of the rapidly incoming gas will mix with the oil.

I know you are a happy camper!

I just got my first boat in Feb this year, course we are fishing the power plant lakes (Coffeen and Baldwin) so we been at it for a bit now.

I bought a 2005 Triton 1650SC, 9.9 Fourstroke Bigfoot. I LOVE IT!

Takin her in Monday for a New Motor > 50HP Merc.

Gonna cost a bit but I wanna be able to go farther thn I feel comfy rt now on the big lakes!!!

Gonna spend a few dollars and have the 9.9 > It's a 2004 motor, very nice > gonna have it converted over for a kicker motor. Coffeen as well as many other lakes limit us to 25HP, but you can only access the Strip Pits if you are under 10hp, so I am skipping the 25 and guess I'll just be slow if I ever tourney lakes with 25hp limits > NO BIGGIE, I am throwing bait INTO the bank now!!! 8-)

Good Luck with your new boat

Instead of buying a full sized jack plate. They sell one called a "minijacker" for small outboards. Its only in $70 in BPS, or if you want a big jackplate. look on ebay. I picked up a 6 inch setback adjustable a few months ago for $75.  The minijacker raises the motor a few inches and sets it back a few. I have one on my small boat and it helped out with some more speed also.

If it seem hard to steer. The motor might need some grease there are grease fitting on it pump some in there. also you might want to trim the motor up some, it sounds like its to deep. As for flushing the motor. I would after every time in brackish or salt water, just flush it with fresh water. flushing after fresh water? No need.

also if the prop is chewed up. Get it fixed or get a new prop.

Jack plate is over kill.

Look thru the BPS catalog marina you will see a thing that bolts on the transom that makes the transom taller. If you are handy making 1 is easy.

Below the motor on the piece that turns is a screw that you tighen until the tiller has a little resitance you can over tighten so take the time at the ramp to get it right. Most times it's to loose if you trailor this boat if it flops around easy it's to lose.

Hit all your grease fittings

You need to center that motor. Just a measuring tape is good. Measure both sides high and low, then stand back and look.

Garnet