"Rosstafari" a year in review

[Rosstafari]

I bought my 265 express just around this time last year and I love the boat. In the past year I have done a ton of upgrades to make it my own, so here are some pictures and an overview of my upgrades over the past year.
THE LIST:
1. new 4 bank battery charger
2. 4 new deka marine group 24 batteries
3. Guest remote spot and flood light
4. rigid LED flood lighs
5. new lee 18' rigger poles
6. lee 45 degree center rigger and pole
7. lumitec sea blaze 3 underwater lights
8. sirius xm radio and 4 new speakers 2 under the electronics box and 2 in the steps in the cockpit
9. flat screen tv in berth
10. microwave in galley
11. brand new canvas and ez2cy glass changed over from blue the cream color
12. all lighting changed over to led inside and out
13. added a 2nd vhf
14. the list will go on and on I'm sure!!
The boat is pretty well set up for everything i use it for…. from over night trips in Block Island to over night trips in the canyon! i can't wait to kick off the 2014 season and get out on the water
This is what the boat looked like the day i got it home..

 

[onoahimahi]

Impressive list - and the boat looks great. How's the flat screen TV working out for you? I never thought of adding one of those - it might go a long way in my house for convincing the family to do overnighters or stay out longer on those slow fishing days. Is it 12V? What size is it and what did you use for an antenna? Does it play DVDs?

Thanks
-Scott

 

[Sea Shift]

Nice job on the mods! I especially like the dual lines on the center rigger. I might have to use that Idea.

 

[drbatts]

boat looks great. You have her rigged and ready to go. I like how you have a 4 battery system. I have been thinking about adding a fourth on my boat. The small tv looks good in cabin. Do you still have access to the anchor compartment up front?

 

[Rosstafari]

The tv was a good add on. Its nice to be able to go down below open the hatch and throw a movie on. When im away from the dock it runs off of my inverter with low amp draw to the batteries. I mounted it to the removable acess hatch for the anchor locker. so whenever i need to get in there i just remove the hatch as you always would and the tv comes right with it.

 

[fishbust]

Rosstafari, you've been busy!

Looks great. The canvas job is awesome.

I see you have outrigger hooks on your hardtop. On most boats they are aft of the j bracket for lowering them down to go under a bridge, no room on the grady for that. I found the hooks kicking around in the cabin of my boat. Why are the hooks on your hardtop? Are they needed to hold them still?

What LED bulb did you use for the domes, like in the cabin? I use the one over the galley a lot, would like to change that one out.
What did you use for cockpit LED's? Just bulbs or did you buy new fixtures?

How do you like those rigid LED spreader lights? I have old school halogen and they draw too much current to leave them on but a few minutes and they get hot. That is on my list of projects to completely rewire and replace with LED.

 

[Rosstafari]

The bulb that i used for the dome light was made my imtra and its a bayonet style direct replacement led bulb. i have an extra on the boat ill snap a pic of it tomorrow. As far as the riggers go, i had those hooks in the hard top from day one when i got the boat. I do use them to secure the riggers when I'm under way mainly because i thought that was their purpose.

 

[drbatts]

If your talking about the c-shaped outrigger support bracket on the hardtop. They help support the riggers. I have them on my boat. Most of the 265s I have seen with Lee outriggers have them. You have to remember to fold them up when the riggers are not on the boat. They are at head level when moving around hardtop. They have almost got me a couple of times.

 

[max366]

Great additions and updates!. I particularly like the canvas work - who did the work for you? If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for the canvas job? I had just the clear part on my front windshield piece replaced with Strataglass and it was $400, so I can only imagine what the whole job, with EC2CY cost. Thanks

 

[Rosstafari]

I did the front three pieces ez2cy then the rest is regular grade glass. I was lucky enough to find a guy in Pawcatuck that had a shop big enough for my boat. He cut me a good deal at 2500$ because canvas work was slow this winter and i was able to get the boat to him so he could work inside. I am really happy with this canvas. I was not sure about straying away from the blue and into the cream color but I'm glad that i did i think it makes the boat look like the newer Gradys