New (old) Nautique Owner - please help

[msquito]

Hey all,
Pretty stoked to be the new (3rd) owner of a 2000 SAN now living on Lk. Sammamish in WA. The boat's in reasonably decent shape for a 20 year old whip, but I'm admittedly a little anal when it comes to configuration and functionality so there's plenty to do ...

This is a family boat - lotsa tubing, some kid/guest wakeboarding and us older folks are of the mind that we'd like to surf (not sure how many blindside 180 wipeouts my creaky-*** can tolerate any more).

I'm happy to put myself to bed every night digging into the forum so as to not ask the same question for the 37th time, but preemptively put it out there that a lack of familiarity with technical terminology is going to get me trying to reinvent the wheel from time to time, so please bear with me, and educate me as necessary.

A few things that I want to get smart on soon (and could use some pointers)
* I'm a former architect. I like to read drawings and diagrams, etc. I have downloaded the 2000 SAN user manual but while I appreciate its spirit, it's sorely lacking in detail. Is there a more technical document, like repair and maintenance manual for mechanics and technicians that lives somewhere out there? I'm thinking about things like, where are the bilge pumps supposed to be? What's the routing of the hoses? What's that white thing under the port side of the engine that looks like a pump with a disconnected barbed end? etc, etc...
* Factory ballast is "disconnected" (hoses are rotted/broken) hard tanks are empty, yet the boat lists to starboard +/- 220# (judging by my fat a** on port). Both batteries are starboard, but that's not 220#. Any ideas where to look for the imbalance?
* more on ballast - thinking I'm gonna pull the rigid tanks (+/- 400# seems hardly worth the space) and drop in some bags to make bigger waves - worth it to plumb/wire into the house system, or is a standalone unit (or two) worth the simplicity?
* Electrical is foobar - I've got power to lights, 12v is no-go, haven't messed with any of the ballast fill/empty due to above, I don't know if we have a shower, heater, horn is silent, blower works, bilge pumps work (though I suspect only one of them) - where to start???
* Cleanliness: holy &(^% - stern compartments need a good cleanout (going to bring the vacuum down tomorrow), and the ski-locker is funky, as is the engine compartment. I'd like to spray the engine compartment down with something entirely environmentally unfriendly to make it sparkle but that's a ****ty thing to do for the world I'm leaving to my kids. so... what's a good way to clean this stuff out? Vinegar? Bleach? Bourbon? (haha jk - not gonna waste that)
* Stern hatch: we looked at a 2001 before this (beat to sh%$), but man, I really, really appreciate the manual three lid deal there - our monster single lid has had the piston (what's the right term for this???) replaced with a slow, weak-*** aftermarket dealio that has a switch under the rear starboard cushion (dash-switches weren't wired in) - an inordinate PIA for sure. I'd be really into some manual lift/gas-shock options if someone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction for a post detailing a reasonable mod

that's all for now - guaranteed more dumb questions to come

ryan

[MTRBTR]

I will take a stab at a few of these questions.
You may need to get a PCM engine manual but as far as routing hoses it’s pretty much however you want. There should be a bilge pump about midway in the boat around the ski locker and one in the very back of the boat behind the engine.
the white thing is the blower motor.
talk to wakemakers about ballast. They can get you all fixed up. Also get your self a wave shaper to surf with. You can make one or buy one.

[gary s]

Like oil recommendations I’m sure everyone has their take on keeping/cleaning their bilge. I like to use hot water and Dawn. If it’s been neglected you will have to scrub as well. A pressure sprayer like you use in the yard works good too. Pressure washer to me is too powerful. As to listing don’t overthink it you after all have a 20 year old boat that had 2 owners before you- it may even have water trapped somewhere. Most likely it even left the factory that way- after all they are hand made. The factory build sheet for my 95 even states it had a 1/2” list on its water test. Google corner weight on cars, yours could be listing right now out in the garage-you just can’t see it

[dhmcfadin]

Hey all,
Pretty stoked to be the new (3rd) owner of a 2000 SAN now living on Lk. Sammamish in WA. The boat's in reasonably decent shape for a 20 year old whip, but I'm admittedly a little anal when it comes to configuration and functionality so there's plenty to do ...

This is a family boat - lotsa tubing, some kid/guest wakeboarding and us older folks are of the mind that we'd like to surf (not sure how many blindside 180 wipeouts my creaky-*** can tolerate any more).

I'm happy to put myself to bed every night digging into the forum so as to not ask the same question for the 37th time, but preemptively put it out there that a lack of familiarity with technical terminology is going to get me trying to reinvent the wheel from time to time, so please bear with me, and educate me as necessary.

A few things that I want to get smart on soon (and could use some pointers)
* I'm a former architect. I like to read drawings and diagrams, etc. I have downloaded the 2000 SAN user manual but while I appreciate its spirit, it's sorely lacking in detail. Is there a more technical document, like repair and maintenance manual for mechanics and technicians that lives somewhere out there? I'm thinking about things like, where are the bilge pumps supposed to be? What's the routing of the hoses? What's that white thing under the port side of the engine that looks like a pump with a disconnected barbed end? etc, etc...
* Factory ballast is "disconnected" (hoses are rotted/broken) hard tanks are empty, yet the boat lists to starboard +/- 220# (judging by my fat a** on port). Both batteries are starboard, but that's not 220#. Any ideas where to look for the imbalance?
* more on ballast - thinking I'm gonna pull the rigid tanks (+/- 400# seems hardly worth the space) and drop in some bags to make bigger waves - worth it to plumb/wire into the house system, or is a standalone unit (or two) worth the simplicity?
* Electrical is foobar - I've got power to lights, 12v is no-go, haven't messed with any of the ballast fill/empty due to above, I don't know if we have a shower, heater, horn is silent, blower works, bilge pumps work (though I suspect only one of them) - where to start???
* Cleanliness: holy &(^% - stern compartments need a good cleanout (going to bring the vacuum down tomorrow), and the ski-locker is funky, as is the engine compartment. I'd like to spray the engine compartment down with something entirely environmentally unfriendly to make it sparkle but that's a ****ty thing to do for the world I'm leaving to my kids. so... what's a good way to clean this stuff out? Vinegar? Bleach? Bourbon? (haha jk - not gonna waste that)
* Stern hatch: we looked at a 2001 before this (beat to sh%$), but man, I really, really appreciate the manual three lid deal there - our monster single lid has had the piston (what's the right term for this???) replaced with a slow, weak-*** aftermarket dealio that has a switch under the rear starboard cushion (dash-switches weren't wired in) - an inordinate PIA for sure. I'd be really into some manual lift/gas-shock options if someone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction for a post detailing a reasonable mod

that's all for now - guaranteed more dumb questions to come

ryan

1. Here is pretty much every technical manual that exists for PCM. There’s a pdf download link for each manual and its free to download. https://www.skidim.com/mobile/products.asp?dept=1034
2. First thing I would do is pull all of the old ballast tanks, hoses pumps, seats, etc and give everything an inspection. ItÂ’s possible the previous owner left some lead weights hidden for wake surfing
3. Ditch the hard tanks and go soft. You will lose the ability to use gauges but you gain exponentially more ballast. That being said, if your ballast pumps work and you just need new hoses, only replace the tanks with bags and you are good to go.
4. IÂ’d start by inspecting the main power and ground wires, terminals, and lugs. From the battery all the way to the engine. ThatÂ’s your foundation. 20 year old copper and water donÂ’t mix. Then open up the dash and start checking for voltage/continuity. Pick up a few alligator jumpers at the hardware store. It will make your life so much easier. Work your way through each switch. Check for a voltage source first. Before and after the switch. Then check for continuity at the switch while using the alligator clips at the far end of circuit (horn, ballast pump, etc). Obviously, you only need to check if something isnÂ’t working. If you have power and you have continuity then your pump, horn, etc is bad.
5. CLR and a nice foamy soup plus a pressure washer will make all of those compartments look brand new! Expect to get dirty and expect to clean the rest of the boat throughly as a result

[msquito]

Thanks all for the responses - some good tips in there!
Re: white thing - I'm thinking the blower is right up under the hatch at the stem. I'm wondering if it's one of the bilge pumps, though it appears to be disconnected. Corrugated hose laying on the bottom looks like it has been removed from barbed fitting on pump (or whatever this is ) and intentionally capped. Would this be a workaround to a shot pump? Here's a photo .
Also, on the blower - low much hose should be there? Or has been replaced with some dryer flex and there's a lot of it. I keep coming down to find a bunch of water sitting in the hose. When I pick it up, it pours through the blower and (I'm assuming since I can't see behind the ballast tank) into the bilge. Is this normal? Can't imagine it's good for blower ...
Thanks!

[DVskier]

I’ve found that using a few gallons of hot water, bleach and laundry detergent in the bilge followed by a Road trip for an hour or so to be an effective way to throughly clean the bilge. Swing through a coin car wash to drain the mess into their drain. Environmentally friendly solution.

[functionoverfashion]

That white pump in the picture is one of the original ballast pumps, most likely. I'd for sure go to wakemakers and do it right, once.

On the blower motor, it should be only enough hose to reach the vent. Is water getting in there when it rains? Or when you're using the boat? That stuff is cheap and easy to replace, in any case.

[msquito]

functionoverfashion thanks for the insight.
There's like 8' of flex in there. I'll swap it out for a shorter piece for sure . Not sure how the water's getting in there - could be while running, could be big water while docked (we're in water, stem - out), don't think there was rain during the most recent period I noticed it, but it is Washington...