What are your Top 3 favorite boat mods or additions you've made?

[Lt.Mike]

This is what the negative busbar replaced....
This is how Grady provided ground to multiple accessories.


I've since put a lot of Blues, Fluke and bass into that well like this 43"er. They all recover from the fight in there and make culling my catch a snap without harming the fish. They also arrive home on the trailer in good shape thanks to the 12v aerator and air stone.

 

[Lt.Mike]

The dash upgrade was a good improvement...
from this....


To this with a Blue Sea switch panel.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Radar , upgrading all lighting to LED , outriggers .

 

[Koz54]

I added a bunch of store bought stuff, Simad, etc... but you ask for "mods". I got mods

Number #1 is converting my starboard front fishbox to a livewell. It is plumbed with the rear livewell thru a diverter valve used by wakeboarders to fill water tanks but I use the valve to send fresh water to the front tank, the rear or both. Both wells have an aerator for when its on the trailer and LED lighting. THe front well has a large overflow that is plumbed to the side and rear of the tank. This was done because the 3/4" drain had no hope of keeping up with the incoming water from the custom sprayer bar particularly when fish scales clogged the inlet.
Here's some pics

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To the right the wells, to the left a washdown pump I added which is a godsend also.
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here you see the washdown pump I added at the same time and the stainless bussbar I made for the negative contections at the battery replacing the wiring mess that came from the factory ! (shown in the following pic. ...Ok I'll have to follow up on that, reached my limit.

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The rule 90 degree angle valve worked perfect to provide a solid foundation for the sprayer bars front and back.
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This shows how I plumbed the drain. The stand pipe and screen isn't necessary and I never use it. The plastic screen on the drain comes off and stays off 99% of the time to allow the big striper scales to flow freely out the drain.
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I'm sure this sight has confused more than a few people who see me on the water

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Sprayer bar in place, air line to a air stone thats out of the pic on the bottom sorry, and LED light mounted under the bar. The LED light is wired into the navigation lights.
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Home made sprayer bar. the end cap just snugs on but can come off to clear debris that sometimes gets sucked up.
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That is awesome! Just when I thought there is not much more that I can add/modify here this is!! Very cool setup, I need to look into this for future reference!!

 

[PNW_Drifter]

My other favorite mod that I think is great on walkaround boats. Bow boarding ladder for beaching. I beach alot during the summers to camp. Docks are usually full or don’t exist on the remote places. Rail opens too. Still looks great when closed. Also I have a Keel Guard now, not pictured.

 

[Koz54]

Since reading this thread I've been trying to decide on my THREE favorite boat modifications or additions. Choosing is much harder that I thought it would be! So much so I made a list. So far I have eleven fairly significant modifications that I have done to my Seafarer over the past seven years.

My (current) three favorites are all shown in this photo. Funny thing is that two of the three are the least expensive things I have ever modified/added to the boat!

#3 - Flush mounting my electronics (Originally a Humminbird 998c si now a Simrad GO9) and radio head unit with the gauges.
Total cost for Starboard $30.18

#2- Rhodan. Close to the most expensive addition I've done to date, but WOW do I really, really love this thing.
Total cost was a lot, just shy of 5k all in but worth every dime!

#1- My most favorite thing that I added to my boat I use each and every single time I am on the boat. It makes something that for a while was awkward and annoying to do so very easy. Anyone who has ever piloted a Seafarer can back me up here.

My favorite additions is the cup holder I mounted on the dash. No more reaching in a weird bodily position in order to retrieve my beverage of choice. If the container is taller (Soda bottle or taller water bottle) grabbing a hold and pulling it out of that inconveniently located cupholder by my knee was a real pain. You'd have to angle it to get it out ect.

I never in 1,000 years would have thought a $13.48 addition would be my favorite modification that I've done, but it is!

 

[hooked on Grady]

My other favorite mod that I think is great on walkaround boats. Bow boarding ladder for beaching. I beach alot during the summers to camp. Docks are usually full or non existance. Rail opens too. Closed and still looks great when closed. Also I have a Keel Guard now.
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clever

 

[Lt.Mike]

That is awesome! Just when I thought there is not much more that I can add/modify here this is!! Very cool setup, I need to look into this for future reference!!

Oh this is a good thread !
I’m jealous of the seadeck and definitely that custom hardtop pilot house !

 

[Lt.Mike]

clever

I agree !
Drifter, I’m a little blown away with the swing away railing .
Climbing over the rail at the ramp is something that always scares me a little. I’m not as graceful or nimble as I used to be nor do I heal as quickly.
Can you tell me where to find the parts and what to look for in doing this? I definitely will be following your lead !

 

[bcoco]

Not really in order. I should say doing a DIY motor swap to a used fourstroke but that's a no brainer and more than a 'mod'.

- Similar to Skunkboat, - Reconfiguring batteries to have a dedicated house battery, moved both to port side, Added a VSR switch so I'll never run down my start battery and I don't have to remember anything. Wish I had known about BEP at the time, would have saved some room but BlueSea is a local company.

- Floor hatch cutout where Aux tank used to be. That much extra storage down low is priceless.
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- Flush mounting electronics and new bigger Garmin Striker. Plus added fuel flow I got with motor finally.
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i like the floor hatch idea. what kind of hatch did you install and what did you do inside the hole? looks clean in there.

 

[trapper]

Can we have more than 3? Mine are kicker with helm controls, Auto pilot, iTroll, salt water spray down in starboard fish hatch, 10 inch Armstrong hatch covers in splash well, collapsable cleaning/ fishing gear table, flush mount two 7 inch GPS. OK OK there is more but that is enough......for now!

 

[PNW_Drifter]

i like the floor hatch idea. what kind of hatch did you install and what did you do inside the hole? looks clean in there.

Here's a full 2-page post with huge pics about the "hole" process. All I did to prep was belt sand some fiberglass bumps and paint/prime. with Marine topsides paint. I give 3 hatch options in this post. I'm happy with it 18 months later.

Then I cut a big hole in the deck

Needed to access that huge wasted space under the deck for storage. Took a while and bought several hatches before I found a color match. Finally found one. - sorry pics are flipped. Measured lots Cut a hole epoxied the wood edges. Rerouted wires Sanded/Primed/ painted I haven’t used it yet...

www.greatgrady.com

 

[bcoco]

Here's a full 2-page post with huge pics about the "hole" process. All I did to prep was belt sand some fiberglass bumps and paint/prime. with Marine topsides paint. I give 3 hatch options in this post. I'm happy with it 18 months later.

Then I cut a big hole in the deck

Needed to access that huge wasted space under the deck for storage. Took a while and bought several hatches before I found a color match. Finally found one. - sorry pics are flipped. Measured lots Cut a hole epoxied the wood edges. Rerouted wires Sanded/Primed/ painted I haven’t used it yet...

www.greatgrady.com

Thanks, looks great and not too hard. did you go with the seafoam color?

 

[TommyGirl225]

Battery Charger quick disconnect cables that fit through the transom shower. Custom canvas that attaches to bow cleats to protect gelcoat during anchoring, turbo swing for water sports.

Battery Charger Quick Disconnect

• TommyGirl225
• Jan 2, 2022

Tommy Girl after day of swimming

• TommyGirl225
• Dec 28, 2021

 

[athomp228]

Haven't seen this before, thought I would share. 22" 12v TV blends in nicely.

 

[ilmmct]

I know this thread is for the best 3 mods of all time … but coming out of winter, we are looking for good boat content.

A big, medium and small mod in the off season of my 2014 251 Coastal Explorer.

BIG

I had Gore Marine of Wilmington mount a hardtop using the factory pipework. The new hat that Gore put on her came out out very nice:

-powder coated the pipework “Grady-beige” from the aging aluminum finish that had suffered from some prior owner neglect
-slightly longer (4”) and wider (2”) than the OEM canvas top, which I felt was a bit to small for the 25’ boat
-rewired lighting and a redo of the OEM stern rod holders
-new underside chart/vest bag
-had a 4’ antenna mounted (the 8’ one just got in the way and was too big for my “simple” needs)
-deleted the Quantum radar dome and used the proceeds from the eBay sale to lessen the pain of this mod ;-)

Shes mostly a sandbar queen and ICW cruiser, but she does get lightly fished. Real fish guys go easy on me … was just trying to make her look prettier with this mod. Gore Marine is the goto place for this type of work.

MEDIUM

I did the replacement of the stern Powerpole bracket … the power-coating was flaking off. PowerPole provided nicely discounted parts for some great customer goodwill (bracket, fluid, repair hardware, hydraulic line bits). A great company to deal with.

SMALL

New registration letters. I hung the last ones while hanging over the gunnel and the letters were poorly aligned and spaced. It looked like a ransom note. The boat lettering came out great and was done by Bobby Brown of Wilmington, while I waited.