Fishful Thinkin Loc: santee cooper lakes south carolina

A Sun Tracker Fishing Barge Pontoon, I think a 2004. I got to say I can't believe the price they get for these things! My Husband was saying because it has a brand new motor and Trailer , but geesh it's a Mercury not an Evinrude I still think it is ridiculous!
And what I can't believe is the shape the dealer sold it to my husband in. All the seats were badly molded and filthy, everything was filthy. The carpet looks dry rotted on top of the live wells and in 2 places on the carpet is 2 long lines of where something rusted sat. The forward throttle sticks and the cigarette power outlet doesn't work even though my husbands volt meter says its supposed to be working.The aluminum trim all around is so badly oxidized I have already bought about 3 different things to try out on it. Already bought a new top and boot for it and someone before us used ..of all colors some God awful Green duck tape to tape where the seams are coming undone on the fishing chairs! Maybe men are not so picky but for this kind of price I'd be ashamed to sell it in that sort of shape! Don't get me wrong. LOVE The boat...just saying...I bought a 2003 BMW Z4 Roadster , after that should have been fatal Mustang wreck I had, one owner, 7000 miles and the thing looks brand spanking new! Anyways thanks for letting me vent here LOL and maybe someone can tell me some products I can buy that they have had great success with to help with my makeover of the cleaning of the aluminum trim etc! Blame it all on me as I am the one that just had to have a fishing pontoon boat! Of coarse the dealer did his best to sell my husband a new regular Pontoon, not made for fishing... Huh, What?? I know right!? LOL And when he saw my husband wasn't gonna bite on this bait this boat just happened to appear and was found to be on the back of the lot!

Foodfisher Loc: SO. Cal coast

I've gotta go get my eyes checked. Looks good to me.

Fishful Thinkin Loc: santee cooper lakes south carolina

Looks can be deceiving, I know how to take a great photo! LOL

Fishful Thinkin Loc: santee cooper lakes south carolina

I'll have to do some zoom in shots on my problem areas and maybe you can help me better

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

I’m with you Food, but then again, we don’t see the pics of the problem areas. Not sure what she has against Mercury, either? If it runs…and floats, it is fishable. Get a long handled landing net and go get dinner!

Bcmech1 Loc: Clinton Wisconsin

If you want a good aluminum cleaner go to a semi truck stop and see what they have. I know from experience they have products that could give semi rims and fuel tanks almost a mirror finish. By the way that is still a nice boat for Santee-Cooper.

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

Congrats on your new (to you) boat. I hope you find what you are looking for. Seats can be reupholstered. Looks like the front end may have experienced a cocktail cruise “incident” by the previous owner? Good luck with it as fishing off a pontoon can be very comfortable. Get a long handled landing net to save on a sore back, though.

Fishful Thinkin Loc: santee cooper lakes south carolina

Well no, so sorry not bashing Mercurys, per say just bashing the price we paid for the boat. And our last used boat previously named "Bad News" had a Mercury but not new and had to be towed back in every time we took the boat out! That boat lived up to it's name! LOL

Fishful Thinkin Loc: santee cooper lakes south carolina

Yes, I was gonna compare the prices around here from the cost of reupholstered to new. I saw some new at about 250-260 each. And LOL, The last person I heard only had it 3 months and He was the one that did the most damage!
But also heard he wasn't drinking , just said he was extremely old, not in the best of health and didn't know how to handle a boat and ended up bringing it back.
And YES, we got that long handled net before we even got the boat! *wink*

Fishful Thinkin Loc: santee cooper lakes south carolina

Thanks for the advise! And don't get me wrong, I DO LOVE This Boat Yall!
It's just I guess I figured if your gonna pay tousands and tousands (LOL) of dollars for something I wasn't really counting on having to clean it like a slave mule!
But,on a positive note, It's a good thing I was born a work-a-holic!

badbobby Loc: Humble Texas

looks like a great boat FT
at my age
I'm thinkin I'd rather be fishin outta that un
than fishin outta a bass boat
congrats catch a lotta fish

Catfish hunter Loc: Riggins idaho (Paradise)

Looks like it floats and and the water pump works. That’s a good start. 😂

Catfish hunter Loc: Riggins idaho (Paradise)

Sorry for your bad luck. I’ve ran mercs my whole life with zero problems from any of them. I suppose there’s lemons just waiting for buyers but I’ve been lucky with my mercs. 👍

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

I too am a Merc man and have been for many years. I would rather have a Merc, than an (out of business) Evenrude.

bknecht Loc: Northeast pa

Fred, I’ve got an 18 hp from the late 70’s and it still runs well but I’m getting a bit spooked when it will need new parts. It doesn’t see much use lately because most of the lakes I fish are electric only.