An OG Malibu Owner's first launch of a "New" Malibu

[EchelonMike]

Launched the new-to-me 2022 Malibu 23 LSV this weekend!  Picked her up at Lake Martin on Saturday morning, and was on the dock at Norris by 4 PM and that includes putting on my registration numbers and doing a prop swap!  :-)  Not too bad!

Anyway, I have had multiple OG boats (2002, 2005, 2008) so this is my first foray into the "Surfgate and Screens" era.  The boat launch was uneventful...she fired instantly, came up to operating temp, all systems go, and she ran great.  And the 6600 lbs hydrohoist lifted her with no issues.  However, I do have some questions for the experts on these new boats:

1.  The boat has Sumo 650 lbs PNP bags.  They were nasty inside an out.  Very easy to remove and clean, but is this just something I should plan as a part of my normal clean up process?  I removed them and found all of the plugs in the glovebox just in case someone hits fill while they are out.  There were 3 connections - i assume drain, fill and vent.

2.  Either my new boat depth finder is wrong or my OG boat was wrong.  :-)  Is there any calibration settings?  If not I will crawl around the bilge and check the transducer and make sure it looks OK.  Anyone know where it is on a 23 LSV?

3.  My drive back to Norris took be across some crazy roads (very bumpy).  When I opened the forward facing seat and pulled the cover out, the amplifier "wall" was leaning over a few inches at the top.  Looks like it is held on at the top by one screw, less than an inch long.  The screw goes through a small metal tab, through some carpet and into a little bit of fiberglass on the inside of the companionway wall.  Found the screw, reinserted...stripped.  Already repairing the new boat, LOL.  The proper way to fix it is probably to remove the companionway padded panel, drill a small hole, and thru-bolt it.  Anyone have this happen?  Any recommended fix?  I could also fill the existing hole with some marine adhesive and put the same screw back in...but that might be hard to remove in the future.  I do have a riv-nut gun as well and could probably press in a fitting into the hole. 

Thanks all!  A few pics below.

 

 

 

 

 

[ahopkins22LSV]

Nothing better then the first launch with a new boat!

I remove our PNP bags each off season, but I have yet had to clean them. I mainly do it to prevent any extra areas that could contain water/moisture through the winter. Maybe that’s why I don’t have to clean them?

I believe there is a depth calibration setting on the small screen. I could be wrong through. I’ve never messed with it. One thing to keep in mind is the depth is the reading from the bottom of the boat. This lsv is going to draft a lot more than your previous boats. Is that the difference you are seeing?

[EchelonMike]

6 hours ago, ahopkins22LSV said:

Nothing better then the first launch with a new boat!

I remove our PNP bags each off season, but I have yet had to clean them. I mainly do it to prevent any extra areas that could contain water/moisture through the winter. Maybe that’s why I don’t have to clean them?

I believe there is a depth calibration setting on the small screen. I could be wrong through. I’ve never messed with it. One thing to keep in mind is the depth is the reading from the bottom of the boat. This lsv is going to draft a lot more than your previous boats. Is that the difference you are seeing?

Thanks for the info on the PNP - I will plan on removing them more often to keep them less nasty!  :-) 

On depth, our lake is really deep.  When I backed off the lift yesterday, it showed about 50-60 ft deep, which is what I expected.  We are on the main channel of Norris and it is a very deep lake but was consistently reading 190-ish feed deep which seemed deeper vs what I recall seeing.  Expected 120-150'.  Could be 100% accurate of course.  And not really that important as I'm not hitting the bottom here.   :-) 

[mxmark4]

My boat consistently reads 160 -180 ft deep out around the boy scout cove area near the marina. I figured that was about right. 

[oldjeep]

My .02 on depth finders - unless you are fishing, by the time you need it it is too late

Edited April 29 by oldjeep

[BigCreek]

1 hour ago, EchelonMike said:

We are on the main channel of Norris and it is a very deep lake but was consistently reading 190-ish feed deep which seemed deeper vs what I recall seeing.  Expected 120-150'. 

Depending what part of Norris you are talking about, those could be legit numbers. Just north of Sequoyah is more than 200-ft deep, and it gets near that towards the dam. If you are seeing those numbers up east of the Peninsula or down on the part of the lake I call the "Big Lake", you got problems. 

Incidentally, my '16 23LSV shows "--" when it gets above 200. 

Edited April 29 by BigCreek

[EchelonMike]

1 hour ago, BigCreek said:

Depending what part of Norris you are talking about, those could be legit numbers. Just north of Sequoyah is more than 200-ft deep, and it gets near that towards the dam. If you are seeing those numbers up east of the Peninsula or down on the part of the lake I call the "Big Lake", you got problems. 

Incidentally, my '16 23LSV shows "--" when it gets above 200. 

Cool, this is just up the lake from Sequoyah.

[Olddognewtricks]

Great looking boat!   If I hadn't been in mine most of Sat I would've thought someone stole it and sold it to you.

 

on the cleaning of the bags, I've always wondered but never done anything about cleaning them out.   My boat is literally identical to yours and on occasion the bags have had a bit of mold around the connections on top but otherwise stayed pretty clean.   I have no delusions that they are totally clean inside, but have never seen it blow anything out and have never tried to flush them out.  I would be  curious to know if anyone cleans theirs routinely.  Mine stays on a lift under cover from April to September and in a garage the rest if the year and so far no real mold issues.  

 

Depth finder has always worked well, for which I am grateful since I go around some shallow areas going to and from my dock.  

No idea how accurate it is at deeper areas tho. 

 

On the stripped screw, not really surprised.   It seems pretty easy to do that with the laminated plastic "plywood" from my limited experience of adding an onboard  charger. I would either do the fix you described or find a nearby sport to reattach. 

One other comment based on where you got your boat - if originally ordered from Blue Creek, they tend to put a torque prop on them.  If M5 motor may want to keep that but with the M6 I just changed mine to a 2805 speed prop based on lots of reviews on here.   So far (1 weekend) I love it.  

good luck.  Hope you love it as much as I do.   

 

[EchelonMike]

On 4/29/2024 at 7:39 PM, Olddognewtricks said:

Great looking boat!   If I hadn't been in mine most of Sat I would've thought someone stole it and sold it to you.

 

on the cleaning of the bags, I've always wondered but never done anything about cleaning them out.   My boat is literally identical to yours and on occasion the bags have had a bit of mold around the connections on top but otherwise stayed pretty clean.   I have no delusions that they are totally clean inside, but have never seen it blow anything out and have never tried to flush them out.  I would be  curious to know if anyone cleans theirs routinely.  Mine stays on a lift under cover from April to September and in a garage the rest if the year and so far no real mold issues.  

 

Depth finder has always worked well, for which I am grateful since I go around some shallow areas going to and from my dock.  

No idea how accurate it is at deeper areas tho. 

 

On the stripped screw, not really surprised.   It seems pretty easy to do that with the laminated plastic "plywood" from my limited experience of adding an onboard  charger. I would either do the fix you described or find a nearby sport to reattach. 

One other comment based on where you got your boat - if originally ordered from Blue Creek, they tend to put a torque prop on them.  If M5 motor may want to keep that but with the M6 I just changed mine to a 2805 speed prop based on lots of reviews on here.   So far (1 weekend) I love it.  

good luck.  Hope you love it as much as I do.   

 

 

Thanks for the info!  I saw your boat and that you were on Lake Martin - that is where I bought mine!!  Small world, and clearly we both have good taste.  :-)  Wish I could have spent more time exploring Lake Martin - beautiful area.

Anyway, Singleton (Blue Creek) did the warranty transfer for me.  The boat did have the torque prop but I swapped to the 2805 and it's so much better - very pleased with that Crew recommendation.

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

[Five Cent Worth]

Great looking boat and set up.  Congrats on the new purchase!  You are going to find yourself loving all the new tech and features!  (I will spare the jokes on the Kent St flag....Can't read, can't write....LOL.  MAC educated from OH here, as well  ...)

I have never pulled my bags.  My boat is dry racked - so I may be less susceptible to water / rain and all.

I am thinking in all four boats we have owned, the depth finder has been good and never needed calibration.  Our dealer does an AWESOME job in putting ten hrs on them before delivering.  I.E. all these types of things are worked out prior to me pulling away.

[EchelonMike]

4 hours ago, Five Cent Worth said:

Great looking boat and set up.  Congrats on the new purchase!  You are going to find yourself loving all the new tech and features!  (I will spare the jokes on the Kent St flag....Can't read, can't write....LOL.  MAC educated from OH here, as well  ...)

 

Thanks!  I am an OU Bobcast myself, so I make fun of the Kent flag too, LOL.

 

[Steve B.]

32 minutes ago, EchelonMike said:

MAC educated from OH here

Count me in too. Still working at one.

[JeffK]

1 hour ago, Steve B. said:

Count me in too. Still working at one.

Miami of Ohio represented, plus spent a lot of time (and Halloweens) at OU on Court st. IYKYK

[EchelonMike]

4 hours ago, JeffK said:

Miami of Ohio represented, plus spent a lot of time (and Halloweens) at OU on Court st. IYKYK

I was 0-3 getting a kid to be a Bobcat...but 3-3 for having Miami Redhawks. :-) Last one graduates next week! 

[JeffK]

On 5/3/2024 at 8:04 PM, EchelonMike said:

I was 0-3 getting a kid to be a Bobcat...but 3-3 for having Miami Redhawks. :-) Last one graduates next week! 

Congrats!!  I'm old enough to have been a Miami Redskin

[JeffK]

On 5/3/2024 at 8:04 PM, EchelonMike said:

I was 0-3 getting a kid to be a Bobcat...but 3-3 for having Miami Redhawks. :-) Last one graduates next week! 

Did they get to overlap while being there? I had a semester with my sister at the same school and was very grateful for that

[EchelonMike]

56 minutes ago, JeffK said:

Did they get to overlap while being there? I had a semester with my sister at the same school and was very grateful for that

Yes, they're 3 years apart so when one was a Freshman the other was a Senior.  Worked out well!