252SD New Owner – What Would You Do? Trailer vs Rack vs Slip

[RedlineRider]

What are some of the essential items I will need and which mods should I seriously consider in my first season???

 

[AZMark]

I'm mostly joking but it happens. You have a pretty loaded boat to begin with.

 

[CastawayRK]

Yes awesome boat and well equipped!
All depends on your hobbies, but I’ll start your to-do list with battery charger/maintainer and a mirror.

 

[RedlineRider]

The boat already comes with a mirror. But definitely adding a maintainer as I use them on both my PWCs.

My List So Far (let me know what I am missing):
- Trailer Guide-on posts
- 4-6 Bumpers
- 4-6 Dock Lines
- First Aid Kit
- Spare Drain Plug
- Marine Tool Set
- Spare Fuses
- Battery Booster/Jump Box
- Battery Maintainer
- Telescoping Boat Hook Pole
- Emergency Telescoping Paddle
- Handheld VHF Marine Radio
- Porta Potti (for emergencies)

 

[zipper]

Flare kit with day signal ability or an electronic flare (they don't expire) and a distress flag, a type IV throwable cushion, PFD's etc. Make sure your handheld floats.

 

[VitaminSea]

If not equipped 1-2 anchors, chain and sufficient rode for where you boat. Mentioned 2 anchors, as having one for the stern if headed to a sandbar.

For flushing the engines, I like to have a hose shut off valve that you can install on the end of the hose with quick connects, then you don’t have to get on/off the boat while flushing to turn the hose on/off.

Also, a usb charger for your phone.

 

[SoonersJet81]

Last season was my first season owning a boat and we trailered/stored the boat locally. It was nice being able to quickly retrieve the boat to make my mods and do all the things I wanted to the boat. It also afforded me the opportunity to take it to several local lakes until we found which one fit best for our family. At the end of the year I found dry storage a mile from our favorite boat ramp and moved the boat there. I can't wait for the season to start and not have to trailer the boat an hour each way but it has been a little bit of a hassle having to drive all that way any time I need to do something to the boat. As others have said, whatever option you choose make sure there is power available to the boat so your batteries always stay charged and good luck!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The boat already comes with a mirror. But definitely adding a maintainer as I use them on both my PWCs.

My List So Far (let me know what I am missing):
- Trailer Guide-on posts
- 4-6 Bumpers
- 4-6 Dock Lines
- First Aid Kit
- Spare Drain Plug
- Marine Tool Set
- Spare Fuses
- Battery Booster/Jump Box
- Battery Maintainer
- Telescoping Boat Hook Pole
- Emergency Telescoping Paddle
- Handheld VHF Marine Radio
- Porta Potti (for emergencies)

You don’t want a battery maintainer, you want a smart battery charger, this will properly charge and maintain your battery. You’ll want to get one that is 10A per battery for two batteries.

A lot of people run the NOCO chargers, this one would be a good choice. You need the 10A charger to properly mix the electrolyte in the battery.

NOCO - 2-Bank 20A On-Board Battery Charger - GENPRO10X2

The GENPRO10X2 is a 2-bank 20-amp waterproof on-board battery charger for lead-acid and lithium batteries and rated at IP68.

no.co

This charger has what they call a “repair mode” which is an equalizing charge that you will use on flooded lead acid batteries only and is an essential part of their maintenance. Use this mode along with a hydrometer to check the balance of the cells and overall specific gravity for peak performance. Check the gravity monthly and run the repair mode as needed. Most people don’t take these steps to properly maintain their flooded lead acid batteries and that costs them about 20-25% performance.

While you’re at it put in the AC port adapter, all other models are sold out, just the two port ones are available currently. These make it very easy to plug in your charger.

NOCO AC Port Plug With Dual 18in Extension Cord

The GCP2 is an AC Port Plug with dual integrated extension cables (18-inch) that offers optimal flexibility and ease of installation. It can mount to the exterior of any vehicle to make the charging port more accessible. Equipped with heavy duty 14 AWG wire to supply power to your device, GCP2...

no.co

The BEP marine battery switch / DVSR that your boat came with is a wonderful device. The dvsr will automatically charge the start battery first when the engines are started (because the engines alternator outputs are connected to the start battery) then once the voltage reaches 13.4 volts will combine the start and house batteries to charge the house battery. When the engines are off, and the voltage drops to 12.8 the dvsr will open and keep the start and house batteries isolated so that the start battery is fully charged and ready to start the engines, while the house battery carries the accessory loads while floating or at the sand bar. The BEP switch also has an emergency parallel switch to manually combine the two batteries in the unlikely event your start battery needs a boost to get the engines started, but otherwise is always left off. In normal use you turn on the start and house battery switch at the beginning of the day and leave them that way, at the end of the day you turn those switches off.

However, when you’re on shore power and the battery charger is charging the batteries the DVSR will close due to the charging voltage being above 13.4. Your boat should have come with a start battery and a deep cycle house battery, and as such should be charged separately so that the smart chargers charging profile will charge each battery independently.

The BEP marine DVSR comes wired to operate as I’ve mentioned previously here, but as per their instruction manual can easily be modified to work in a couple of other ways that are still automatic but will keep the DVSR from operating while the battery switches are off, on shore power and the battery charger is charging the batteries. This is accomplished by cutting a small red wire on the back of the DVSR and attaching

Note; This is not something that has to be done right away. Just get the battery charger installed and go have fun with your boat!

There are three operating modes, fully automatic which is how your boat came set up, storage mode which is where the DVSR is deactivated when the battery switches are off or a manual switch is used, and ignition hot so the DVSR is only active when the engines are on. Most folks on this site have gone with the battery switch cut off, others have done the ignition hot by attaching the red wire to one of the fuel pump hot wires-that’s what most people do who have LFP / Lithium house batteries. You can also accomplish the storage mode by putting a switch on the small ground wire that is attached to one of the batteries, you just have to remember to turn that switch off at the end of the day and turn it on when you turn the batteries on when you go out.

 

[AceKicker]

I am also a new 252SD owner. We don't have a vehicle that can tow it, and decided the cost of buying a truck just to tow the boat would too greatly increase the purchase of a new boat. We live on the Gulf Coast, so we are not limited to a lake, so we have less of a need to trailer. Plus, we can always get a truck down the road.
I'm not in your same situation since you can tow, but here are the pros and cons I've found to keeping it at a marina. Our boat gets put in and out of the water for us, and risnsed and engines are rinsed (and salt away for an extra charge). It's convenient and takes the barrier to entry away since the trouble of trailering and getting the boat in and out of the water is gone. But, it does become a pain if you are particular about how things are done, like I am. It's great I don't have to do all the cleaning at the end of the day on the water. But sometimes I worry and find myself going by to check on things. And it's more of a pain to ask for things like compartments to be left open to dry or get them closed again. And I don't have the convenience of it being next to my house if I want to do some extra cleaning or any work on it.
That being said, this is a great option for us now. In the future, I might want to be able to trailer it. My biggest problem then will be my lack of experience of getting it in and out of the water. But I have friends who can help me with that when the time comes.

 

[AceKicker]

@RedlineRider can you check your freshwater tank and tell me if the strap to hold it down looks like this? I've been looking for a picture of one. The aft bolts popped out and I have a feeling it's because the metal strap was not flush to the indent for it on the tank, giving it room to bounce up and down. I'm curious if mine came installed incorrectly, or if this is how all Yamahas are delivered. My local dealer doesn't have any Yamahas with this type of tank in at the moment. The FSH boats they have are different setups.

 

[AceKicker]

Glad to see you are familiar with the TDC / No Wake thing. Level 3 no wake in the TDC gives brisk directional control but on my boat generates too much wake in a marina at level 3 so I stay with level 2.

Your closest lake maybe small, but it’s convenient and practicing doesn’t require much room.

So the book, that was a joke. But there should be one, like a little kids book, big pages with illustrations, you know, Barney style.

Having the boat at your pad and being able to load everything up then head to whichever lake you are going to go to will work out well for you. You mentioned your son, perhaps he will be able to drive the boat when launching and retrieving ? Or perhaps your wife, that makes it go so much faster. When my friend is with me and he is driving the boat, it takes less than a minute to launch, and about 90 seconds to retrieve the boat, in and out super quick.

If the only time I could go and use my boat was on the weekends, and I could find a secure marina with electricity at the slip, and I could put a lift in then I’d probably do that to avoid the chit show at the ramp, the only thing I’d have to bring to the boat would be an ice box. I had a run in with total asshole on the trip, Lake Mohave at Katherine Landing, I just came back from, basically he and his wife had completely cut the “ramp lane” and pulled his boat to the front of the very long dock blocking everyone else from using the left side of the single dock, and he thought I was the problem because as he put it, I cut off his wife who had emerged from a special parking place and had not gone through the “ramp lane” as I had. As I like to say, “people are awesome”. Compare that to the other times I retrieved there on this same trip and it was mostly older folks who were all waiting their turn and helping each other-thats my kind of crowd.

We hope to see posts from you in the “one picture of your last outing” thread or perhaps the “show us what you see” thread in the coming season.

@FSH 210 Sport when you talk about No Wake Level 3, you are talking about directional control for transitting, not for mooring up, correct? In my boat, I have it clutch ahead for the No Wake mode to engage, unless there is another way to make it work that I haven't figured out yet. I'm still working on proficiency in all the modes. I don't have a joystick, though, like I think yours has.

 

[AceKicker]

What are some of the essential items I will need and which mods should I seriously consider in my first season???

My Bluetooth range barely lets me go to the aft end of the boat. Consider some kind of amplifier or new Bluetooth transmitter. I’m going to do that eventually. A few threads on here talked about a recall or some kind of software update to the Connext system. But I haven’t been able to find anyone that can confirm that for sure and my dealer also doesn’t know anything about it. The mechanic for the shop was actually at Yamaha when I asked about it and he asked them directly. So I think the best fix is to upgrade the Bluetooth transmitter.

The other thing is if you want to do any water, Sports. I will probably end up wakesurfing, but I’m going to start with just tubing. My next mission is define a good tube that can hold at least two people and a line to pull with. Part of me just wants to go into West Marine today and buy whatever’s on the shelf. But the other half of me wants to waste time digging through the Internet for hours to find the perfect one, ha ha. If anyone on here has recommendations, please send.

 

[paleus]

My Bluetooth range barely lets me go to the aft end of the boat. Consider some kind of amplifier or new Bluetooth transmitter. I’m going to do that eventually. A few threads on here talked about a recall or some kind of software update to the Connext system. But I haven’t been able to find anyone that can confirm that for sure and my dealer also doesn’t know anything about it. The mechanic for the shop was actually at Yamaha when I asked about it and he asked them directly. So I think the best fix is to upgrade the Bluetooth transmitter.

The other thing is if you want to do any water, Sports. I will probably end up wakesurfing, but I’m going to start with just tubing. My next mission is define a good tube that can hold at least two people and a line to pull with. Part of me just wants to go into West Marine today and buy whatever’s on the shelf. But the other half of me wants to waste time digging through the Internet for hours to find the perfect one, ha ha. If anyone on here has recommendations, please send.

Tubes aren't that complicated, just get a good rope. If you have small kids that don't want to fall off, get a couch style tube. If you have bigger kids or adults that want to get thrown off, get a flat tube. There's plenty on Amazon.

 

[qwikkotatx]

I am also a new 252SD owner. We don't have a vehicle that can tow it, and decided the cost of buying a truck just to tow the boat would too greatly increase the purchase of a new boat. We live on the Gulf Coast, so we are not limited to a lake, so we have less of a need to trailer. Plus, we can always get a truck down the road.
I'm not in your same situation since you can tow, but here are the pros and cons I've found to keeping it at a marina. Our boat gets put in and out of the water for us, and risnsed and engines are rinsed (and salt away for an extra charge). It's convenient and takes the barrier to entry away since the trouble of trailering and getting the boat in and out of the water is gone. But, it does become a pain if you are particular about how things are done, like I am. It's great I don't have to do all the cleaning at the end of the day on the water. But sometimes I worry and find myself going by to check on things. And it's more of a pain to ask for things like compartments to be left open to dry or get them closed again. And I don't have the convenience of it being next to my house if I want to do some extra cleaning or any work on it.
That being said, this is a great option for us now. In the future, I might want to be able to trailer it. My biggest problem then will be my lack of experience of getting it in and out of the water. But I have friends who can help me with that when the time comes.

If you don't mind me asking, about what does that storage/service cost on a monthly basis?

 

[AceKicker]

If you don't mind me asking, about what does that storage/service cost on a monthly basis?

$450/month for a 25' boat. Adding Salt Away costs extra each application depending on engines or exterior or both. But $30 for all of it. But rinsing, water through the engines, taking it in and out of the water, and storing in a covered barn is all included.

 

[RedlineRider]

@RedlineRider can you check your freshwater tank and tell me if the strap to hold it down looks like this? I've been looking for a picture of one. The aft bolts popped out and I have a feeling it's because the metal strap was not flush to the indent for it on the tank, giving it room to bounce up and down. I'm curious if mine came installed incorrectly, or if this is how all Yamahas are delivered. My local dealer doesn't have any Yamahas with this type of tank in at the moment. The FSH boats they have are different setups. View attachment 244590

I don't have my boat yet. I signed all the paperwork and paid for it just haven't taken delivery of it yet as I have date next month to take it out on the lake across from the dealership with my sales rep to do a complete run through of the boat and all the systems to ensure I am familiar with operation. Once I have it here I can certainly check.

 

[qwikkotatx]

I don't have my boat yet. I signed all the paperwork and paid for it just haven't taken delivery of it yet as I have date next month to take it out on the lake across from the dealership with my sales rep to do a complete run through of the boat and all the systems to ensure I am familiar with operation. Once I have it here I can certainly check.

Ok, understood. You had very specific items in your post. I was also wondering about the engine flushing. Not everyone knows you have to have these engines running before you start the water flow.

 

[RedlineRider]

Ok, understood. You had very specific items in your post. I was also wondering about the engine flushing. Not everyone knows you have to have these engines running before you start the water flow.

Yes, I am aware of this as I have owned many Yamaha WaveRunners over the last 30 years so I usually always start the engine then turn on the water flow. But since I am in Michigan and run only in freshwater I usually connect water flow up only I need to run the engines which is usually when I am troublyshooting or winterizing my watercrafts.

 

[qwikkotatx]

$450/month for a 25' boat. Adding Salt Away costs extra each application depending on engines or exterior or both. But $30 for all of it. But rinsing, water through the engines, taking it in and out of the water, and storing in a covered barn is all included.

Thank you for the reply. That's above what I'm willing to pay and now I have a figure to tell the Wife, hah.

 

[qwikkotatx]

Yes, I am aware of this as I have owned many Yamaha WaveRunners over the last 30 years so I usually always start the engine then turn on the water flow. But since I am in Michigan and run only in freshwater I usually connect water flow up only I need to run the engines which is usually when I am troublyshooting or winterizing my watercrafts.

Sorry, I think I replied to the wrong person. The notice took me to a different post than I thought I was replying to.