My Third Twin-Engine Fish Nautique

[MN Ryan]

Not the best for skiing or wakeboarding.

Not saying it'd be ideal, Jeff, but I like to try oddball things just to say I've done it. I'd also like to ski behind one of those barges used for installing docks and boat lifts.

[NautiqueJeff]

Oh, I totally get it, and I can guarantee we'll do some skiing behind it!

[NautiqueJeff]

Since the original engines are ruined and the replacements aren't pretty, I have decided to put the rebuilt engines from my other twin-engine Fish Nautique into this boat. The other TEFN is nowhere near ready for engines yet, so these beautiful, freshly-rebuilt engines have just been sitting in storage for the past couple of years. Might as well throw them into this boat, and maybe send the running ugly pair that came with this boat out to be freshened up and made to look good.

These ARE the original engines for the other twin-engine Fish Nautique, so they may eventually make it back into that boat.

[JDC02SANTE]

Now those look nice!

Am I the only one that got confused for a minute from the early pic with the steering wheel facing rearward? I'm still at work, so I couldn't blame the Whisky.

[NautiqueJeff]

Ha! He had the center console folded forward. That's how you access the engines.

[bird_dog0347]

The rear facing steering wheel was a rare option aimed at new boaters who also wanted to learn to back a trailer while on the water.

[MN Ryan]

I mean, half the guys I see towing tubes face that way...

[NautiqueJeff]

Got one new carb and found one of the originals that has been rebuilt.

The guy who kept my other Twin-Engine Fish Nautique for over five years without working on it "lost" the other original carb...

These will be going on the rebuilt engines before installation.

[NautiqueJeff]

I am taking this boat over to the world-famous BBC here in Mooresville tomorrow. The engines are just about ready to go in, and we'll be doing the prep work to drop the engines in over there. Not sure if we'll have it ready for the White Lake event on June 3, but I am fairly confident we'll have it up and running for the Nautique Regatta at Lake Lanier on June 23.

More updates soon!

[NautiqueJeff]

Work has been progressing nicely on this boat, and I am hoping to have it in the water here soon! We're still shooting for the Nautique Regatta in Georgia June 23 - 25 to show it off to the world for the first time. It won't be perfect, but I hope to have it functional enough to run around the lake by then!

[NautiqueJeff]

Well. work is still progressing on this boat. We test-fit the engines today, and I am happy to say that they lined up pretty well. I still need to order a few parts for them, but I should have everything soon.

Unfortunately this boat is probably not going to make it to the Nautique Regatta in Georgia this year. I REALLY wanted to bring it, but we're just not going to have it ready. It'll be there next year though.

I am hoping to have it up and running and on the water in about another month. It is still over at the world-famous BBC here in Mooresville, NC, and we'll have it ready soon.

[NautiqueJeff]

I guess it is fair to say that this boat is undergoing a small-scale mechanical restoration. It'll get a full restoration in a couple of years, but for now, I just want it functional and safe so I can drive it around.

The boat is currently in my bay at the world-famous BBC in Mooresville, NC. We're hoping to have it ready to splash within a couple of weeks now.

[NautiqueJeff]

Even though the engines have both been rebuilt, we still are going through them again to be sure everything is safe and functional. They have been sitting for three years since restoration.

Here's how the impellers looked after sitting for three years:

[NautiqueJeff]

Lots of new parts arrived today, like fuel pumps, spark plugs, oil, filters, belts, plug wires, blowers, fuel line, and bilge pumps. We'll get these installed next week, along with a few more things we're still waiting on (like exhaust gaskets), and then we'll drop the engines in and see where we are.

[NautiqueJeff]

The four new control cables came in as well.