My new to me 2004 265 Express

[SeaVee]

My tidbit of advice ( based on experience!) : Don’t run it hard with the side windows open!
Love mine, and you sound like you scored a good deal. Congrats!

 

[slipshod]

My tidbit of advice ( based on experience!) : Don’t run it hard with the side windows open!
Love mine, and you sound like you scored a good deal. Congrats!

I assume you are saying they will break?

 

[captain swag]

I love mine. You stole it for that price. As to the bow steer thing: Use the trim tabs sparingly...Use engine trim to keep the bow up high. Works like a charm on the 265. Plus...I tell everyone to sit and stay put while underway. If a canned drink rolls across the cockpit the boat will shift. A sensitive hull but a joy to run in the snotty stuff.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I Love My 265! Its the biggest little express ever built. My advice--- NO COOLERS! Use the giant fish box and the livewell. Enjoy the fishing space like it was meant to be.

A bean bag is a welcome rest (for guests) on the 3 hour ride to the canyon. And it gets out of the way easily when fishing

Don't touch the tabs if you don't have indicators. They haven't done anything good for me.

Come out of hole with motors down and start raising them( the motors) as soon as you are up.

Experiment with lengthening the steering tie bar about 1/2" to toe out the motors (props toward each other). It really helped the slow speed wander for me

 

[slipshod]

Thanks for all of the great info!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Thanks for all of the great info!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yea....and this boat doesn't like slow....if its snotty 3-5ft ..25 -29 mph is better than 21-24 mph
But over 40 mph (in flat water) it gets squirrely
Since my repower I find myself running "slow" at 27ish and "getting there with purpose" at 35 mph on my offshore trips.

 

[bartoma]

Congrats! That's about what I got my 2001 for in 2013... First thing I did was replace all the hinges and latches...Over the years, I've replaced faucets, freshwater pump, livewell pump, washdown pump, rear bilge pump and switch, added a floodlight, replaced electronics with HDS-9, sonichuh, subwoofer, new VHF radio, Fell kill switch, and so on... This year added new enclosure from A&J canvas, the cockpit table, divider for the fishbox, autopilot, new carpet, weave mats for the stairs, and froli springs under the v-berth cushions... You'll love pimping your new ride...

 

[Twin 300’s]

Not sure why everyone says it’s scary over 40mph I put twin 300’s last year on mine and at 48-52 mph it feels awesome.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Not sure why everyone says it’s scary over 40mph I put twin 300’s last year on mine and at 48-52 mph it feels awesome.

idk....its no center console... maybe it gets better over 50??? maybe you have dual steering cylinders and its better??? maybe you're crazy?.....

 

[Coolchange1]

Very nice boat, I have a 2003 and love it. I don't have the tenderness issues with it heeling over like a lot of people write about but I believe that's due to the deadrise change in 02 to 03. I also find it rides better a little faster in a good chop but watch for that one bigger wave she'll go airborn. I've done it in a big way luckily I pulled back on the throttles and she didn't over rev but she landed solid as a boat could.

 

[slipshod]

Very nice boat, I have a 2003 and love it. I don't have the tenderness issues with it heeling over like a lot of people write about but I believe that's due to the deadrise change in 02 to 03. I also find it rides better a little faster in a good chop but watch for that one bigger wave she'll go airborn. I've done it in a big way luckily I pulled back on the throttles and she didn't over rev but she landed solid as a boat could.

Yea I think grady took the advice on the issues. From what I read and hear from people that the newer 03 04 05 s, are a bit better. What speed you like to run in the chop? 90% of all my running will be in the ocean off Ocean City MD.

 

[Coolchange1]

Realistically in a (real) 2'-3' chop I stay at about 30 knots nothing over that. I'm talking a solid chop. I've read some people run 35-40 but to me you just end up airborne too much

 

[SkunkBoat]

Yea I think grady took the advice on the issues. From what I read and hear from people that the newer 03 04 05 s, are a bit better. What speed you like to run in the chop? 90% of all my running will be in the ocean off Ocean City MD.

I'm fishing ocean in NJ so same conditions you'll encounter. I'll say that anything that I would consider "chop" doesn't slow this boat down and in fact a little chop is better than dead flat. There's a lot of different 2 to 3 and 3 to 5.... Running into a swell will slow you down because of the "airborne" potential but in that case I find myself trying to keep it at least 25mph and a hand on the throttle. My long offshore trips tend to be about 30mph and no faster than 35mph.
Wish I had the "short" run to the canyons that you have...

 

[Bonnie Blue]

I Love My 265! Its the biggest little express ever built. My advice--- NO COOLERS! Use the giant fish box and the livewell. Enjoy the fishing space like it was meant to be.

A bean bag is a welcome rest (for guests) on the 3 hour ride to the canyon. And it gets out of the way easily when fishing

Don't touch the tabs if you don't have indicators. They haven't done anything good for me.

Come out of hole with motors down and start raising them( the motors) as soon as you are up.

Experiment with lengthening the steering tie bar about 1/2" to toe out the motors (props toward each other). It really helped the slow speed wander for me
[/QUOTE

I Love My 265! Its the biggest little express ever built. My advice--- NO COOLERS! Use the giant fish box and the livewell. Enjoy the fishing space like it was meant to be.

A bean bag is a welcome rest (for guests) on the 3 hour ride to the canyon. And it gets out of the way easily when fishing

Don't touch the tabs if you don't have indicators. They haven't done anything good for me.

Come out of hole with motors down and start raising them( the motors) as soon as you are up.

Experiment with lengthening the steering tie bar about 1/2" to toe out the motors (props toward each other). It really helped the slow speed wander for me

im interested in hearing more on the slow speed wander. I get that a lot when trolling around 4 knots making it hard to keep a steady heading. Was there any negative effect at faster speeds?

 

[SkunkBoat]

im interested in hearing more on the slow speed wander. I get that a lot when trolling around 4 knots making it hard to keep a steady heading. Was there any negative effect at faster speeds?

no bad effects at high speed. I do see that the prop wash comes together somewhat when it did not before.
I definitely see a real improvement when at idle or just over idle speed coming down a long narrow channel to my dock

 

[Coolchange1]

I do see some slow speed wander as well but nothing that bothers me. Mines a 2003 with 2016 Suzuki 225's (white). With no Isenglass and two full tanks myself and my son we got 53MPH on dead flat water. Put up the isenglass and that takes a chunk off your top speed but when do you realistically want to go that fast anyway. I want to modify a comment I made earlier in this post. I was asked how fast I run in a 2'-3' chop (a real 2'-3' chop) my answer should have been no more than 30 knots I sometimes find 25 to be better depending on the spacing and rollers. Love the boat although I miss having a tower and I'm looking to move back up I do love this boat. I just added SeaDek and it made it look great

 

[Twin 300’s]

When you troll do you guys use one engine or two ? I found when I tried only one it was always wondering on me but if I used both big motors to troll it was way better but still wanted to wonder a bit since I only troll for salmon and fish halibut off Vancouver island at
2.3-2.7 mph

 

[SkunkBoat]

When you troll do you guys use one engine or two ? I found when I tried only one it was always wondering on me but if I used both big motors to troll it was way better but still wanted to wonder a bit since I only troll for salmon and fish halibut off Vancouver island at
2.3-2.7 mph

We prefer one engine for trolling for fuel savings and less propwash
we troll for striped bass at 4 mph and tuna/dolphin at 7 mph. since we got the AP it is a pleasure.
the AP will keep her straight just above idle speed with one engine. great for clearing lines.
it will even take me down the narrow channel straighter than me.

 

[Fishtales]

Always liked that boat.