z280 owners
 

Couple questions, what's top mph? Mine has a 7.4 mpi bravo three 22pitch props. What props are you guys running? Does your boat lean to the port side? And last but not least in the cabin by the stairs are you getting water in that compartment??? I am and can't figure out why, bellows, shift cable boot all that's been repkaced and good!! Thru hule fittings are not leaking either? Ac not leaking? And last question when you flush the toiket does the bowl fill with wa ter like a house toiket?? Mainly how fast are these boats running, I'm no where close to what the advertisements say?? Thanks tom

Re: z280 owners
 

I'll try and answer all of them based on my Z280.

1. I don't know what top MPH is, I very rarely open her up fully. Typical cruise speed is 23-25 mph @ 3200 rpms.
We've discussed this before, you can't expect this boat to be a speed demon. It's heavy, and has a hull that sits deeper in the water so it doesn't ride on top like speedboats do. You just can't expect this boat to be hanging with the Bajas... The figures in the brochure are heavily inflated, even from when it was brand new. Your engine is also 14 years old. It's not running with as much steam as it did when it was brand new. Think about it, when you were 30, did you have as much energy as you did when you were 16? I know I didn't.

2. Bravo 3 22 pitch here. I think it's an OK configuration, but yesterday I was checking Mercruiser's prop tool and seeing if I was running optimally for my fuel economy and my cruising style. They now offer their "Elite" series for the bravo 3, which is a 4 blade front and 3 blade rear prop setup. Ron Hill from Hill Marine has been making these custom configurations for years, and those who can pony up the $900 for the pair say they're very good and have some gains.

3. No, mine doesn't lean to the port side, but I do have a 300lb Genset over there to balance things out. It does list slightly to the starboard side, which seems to be pretty common with these boats. If you're leaning to the port side while underway, just adjust your tabs to even things out.

4. In the cabin my the stairs, do you mean the midship bilge compartment? It's under the steps if you pull the cover up. Yes, you will have water in there, no matter what. It has an automatic bilge pump to pump it out, and you can activate it manually too. I always turn on my bilge pump as soon as I arrive at the boat and let it pump the excess water out. You'll never get it fully dry, it will always have water in there.

5. If you have the electric flush toilet, yes the bowl will fill with water when you press the button to flush. It pulls seawater to flush from the thru-hull in the midship bilge. This is the same thru-hull that feeds your A/C system. There is a strainer that they both attach to. If your toilet is dry, make sure the intake thru-hull is on (if your A/C works and is pumping water out the thru-hull in the side then it's on). Press the flush button and hold it for a few seconds. If it's still dry, try it again. You should start getting water in. When I take the boat out on the water, it flushes dry for a few seconds before the water will come in. I'm guessing this is just from the air that gets in the intake line while traveling.

Re: z280 owners
 

Thank you, you answered them all, my toiket works I was wondering after you use it it holds water and splashes around under way. And getts stinky from sunday to friday when I sits in the bowl for a weak.

Re: z280 owners
 

It shouldn't hold much water while you're underway. Just flush it until it pumps down and there's just a little left. If anything splashes around while you're underway, the shower sump drain should catch it. That's why it's placed where it is.

As far as stinky goes, yes, it's because of using seawater to flush. There's live critters in there that die and cause it to stink. I used to get some Campa-Chem (the blue stuff used for RV toilets) and pour it in the bowl before I left on the weekend. That keeps odors down a little. I'm going to be trying something new, and if it works, I'll post the details on it.

Re: z280 owners
 

Tom,

1. 37 - 38 MPH is about all I have seen on my GPS, may have hit 39 once.
2. I'm running Bravo III, 22P props as well.
3. My boat lists pretty hard to port. I have a Group 4D battery, a 2.5kW inverter and the hot water heater all mounted on that side. Thinking of moving the 4D battery to starboard next to my starting batteries to help trim things out.
4. The mid ship bilge is the low point of our boats and there is always a little water in there as Shabah states. You can never get it all out until you pull the plug when the boat is out of the water. Most of the water enters from rain or from dripping kids when they are standing in the galley area just after swimming...that little drain by the stairs goes right into the bilge.
5. Shabah did a good job on this one :)

Re: z280 owners
 

Well I rebuilt the toilet today, works great! Best 40 dollars spent. Mine worked but when you let go of the button, the water filled up almost to the top. Not any more.