2509 Trophy Owner's Report

grandpa · 05-18-2003, 10:52 AM

Hello all...Anyone out there besides me own a Trophy? I have a 2001 model 2509 with a couple of outboards....My question is this: Has anyopne else noticed the access to the bilge pumps? I used the live bait well yesterday for the first time since it was "fixed" by the dealer and it damn near filled the boat with salt water. The problem is that access to the pumps and hoses requires a small elf...certainly not a 6'1" 300# mechanic like me. You have to crawl under the floor to get at the bottom of the bait well and pumps and the fish well and main bilge pumps in the back are so far down that even Dopey or Sneezy couldn't reach them . The float switches on both rear bilges don't work and I want to replace the pumps..Any 3' tall 65# mechanics looking for work? Most of the hose clamps were loose on this boat right out of the factory.

Captn · 05-18-2003, 04:28 PM

I also own a Trophy (older 350 I/O). But the bilge pumps, floats and electrical all have very difficult access. The bilge, and floats are very important to check before leaving the dock, in any boat, especially those Trophies.
Some on this board may remember my adventures last year with a nice ride back from the chicken ranch via the Coast Guard. The need for the bilge pump drill cannot be over stated.

Marty · 05-18-2003, 06:56 PM

I had a 2359 Offshore Trophy for about 2 years and had no majors problems with it except for access to maintenance. Changing plugs took forever, I had to literally drop the oil filter in the bilge (in a plastic sack) because access was so limited. I never had a problem with the bilges pumps or floats but changing them seems impossible. I finally got fed up with the layout of the engine and its non-friendly access to important maintenance requirements when my starter went out and I had to PULL the engine to replace it. I sold it and upgraded to a Sea Sport. You would think that the people that build these things would have designed something a little more user friendly.

good luck and tight lines.

Marty

grandpa · 05-18-2003, 07:27 PM

My last boat was an I/O and working on the engine was difficult but I learned to do everything myself with my eyes closed. Now I have a complicated outboard and would never attempt to do anything myself except flush it out. The boat looks like they installed a ton of stuff before setting the deck on the hull with no thoought for how the stuff under the floor would ever be worked on. Everyone with any kind of boat knows that working on the boat in a never ending process. I just finished drying out the carpet under the deck where something failed and pumped raw water into the forward bilge from the live well...Now to find that mini person to get back in there to trouble shoot and fix the problem. My grandson is small enough but he is only 1.