In Episode 17 of Project Activator, we look at installing the interior, running the Evinrude G2 for the first time and how our sponsors were key to the project.

When we installed the interior, we kept it very similar to the original in some ways. Obviously the seats are completely new, and the color is a strong red. Mark at Rage Powerboats made the seat shells and Daryll at Unique Upholstery built them up and upholstered them. The rear bench has dividers, which help bolster the rear passengers, whereas the original had full bolster seats, which are a little overkill to me. Our front seats are a really low but plush bucket. We designed to be ultra supportive and the height is just above the wind fairing. To me, the color turned out amazing. The red offsets the deep silver and really makes it pop.

One thing we did was put a tiny amount of space between the floor and the base of the seat. We used large spacers shaped like washers to lift them just enough. For the rear bench we used long strips attached to the support length wise so the rear bench is lifted about a quarter inch. This way, the boat could get water in the cockpit and the water wouldn’t get trapped. The carpet is a super durable waterproof marine carpet. This carpet is comfortable on the feet and can easily be cleaned.

We ran the boat for a about and hour and everything went great. The big Evinrude G2 250 HO is quiet and smooth at low RPM and once it revs passed 3000 RPM, the engine takes on a nice deep sound, not too loud but has a nice grunt to it. Since it was just a quick run we didn’t give it a full shakedown and the water was pretty rough in the Long Island Sound so top speed wasn’t really in the cards. Plus, I do believe the engine has a programmed break in period where it runs a little rich for the first few hours. Next week I should have a chance to do a better test and put some hours on it.

Everything tested out great and worked. We will add some foot pads and button a few things up. We are so grateful for the support the project has had so far. Mark Schnepf of Rage Powerboats, was the original builder of the boat, so it was amazing to have him on the project. Mark was the key to it, he did all the heavy lifting, and did an amazing job. I think it’s fair to say the boat is better than new.

Additionally, Livorsi Marine, SeaStar Solutions - Dometic, Amera Trail Trailers of Florida, Finney’s Plastics in Lake Havasu, and Daryll Zeiser from Unique Upholstery in NY were all incredibly supportive of the project and we can’t be thankful enough.