Duffy Electric boats....?

There is a dealer in Stuart, FL now. Maybe they could help you out

Called the dealer in Stuart a few times, they tell me to call the factory with technical questions...
Been there done that.
Changing the drive belt today, should be interesting, got to remove the Thrust Bearing, not sure how, but will figure it out somehow, I guess.
2 bolts to remove, not sure if there is nuts behind the bulkhead the bearing is attached to, and if I can access the nuts. These boats need a Service Manual for sure.
The belt was $9 at Amazon.com, same belt from Duffy $24, big mark-ups, but not sure they make money of they are pricing themselves out of the market.

How to clean vinyl trim on a Duffy:
Sonic Toothbrush and water/toothpaste...

Tried soap and water with a rag and a kitchen brush. No cigar. Tried denatured alcohol on a rag, no cigar, tried rag and acetone..No cigar. The toothbrush and toothpaste works, plus it smells like fresh breath around the forepeak

Ha, not my type, otherwise good idea.

Mum is the word...

Changed the drive belt on the Duffy the other day and also did a good alignment of motor/pulley/belt.
It has never ran this good and this quiet.
Will post pictures soon and if any questions from other Duffy Owners, let me know...Instant Expert on belt changes now

Yeah, but have no choice. No service center in the Fort Lauderdale, the Yachting Capitol of the world
No independent mechanics with Duffy knowledge either. (that I know of anyway)
When I call or email the factory they are usually helpful and polite.
When I call the Dealer in Stuart, FL (82 miles from Fort Lauderdale) they are helpful as well, but refers technical questions to the factory in California. Not easy to bring the boat to Stuart either, 1:30 drive with a trailer.
Soooo, I am it in Fort Lauderdale.

Changed the belt on the Da Duffy:
Had to remove the forward bearing and slide the shaft back.
Also aligned the motor as it was out of whack.
Runs better now, no noise or vibration.

Aye Neo, you are easy to please.
If you think the above is funny, don't go to the Joke Thread, you may do more damage than peeing on yourself

Aye, you guys are too full of ideas. (Or something)

Da Duffy has been running good for a long time, except recently.
Noticed an unusual voltage drop after running a few hours.
Also my butt-feeling told me less power than usual.
Hmm, looked for loose connections, nothing, corrosion, nothing.
Disconnected each battery and measured voltage. Found the culprit on the Port side. (Total of 8 Golf Cart Batteries, 4 on each side, all wired up to 48 volts)
The low battery showed 4 Volts. Measured specific gravity on all cells, found a bad cell on the bad battery showing 11.0. Basically a dead cell.
Should be easy to replace a battery, but not so fast.
Can't put a new battery in an old bank, the charge or absortion rate is different or some such thing. Need to find a 4 year old Golf Cart Battery to match the 7 old ones, or buy a new bank of 8. (For 1 dead cell )
Buzzed around town and stopped at 4 battery places. The first 3 said all their Golf Cart Batteries were junk when they came in. (Core trade-in)
The last place had some used AGM Golf Cart Batteries that tested good. They said I could intermix with regular flooded cells. $30 after the $10 core trade-in.
Hmm, okay, worth a try, only buying time here before I have I have to replace 'em all.
Took the AGM home and installed. Then down the New River to test out the replacement. Worked great, lots of oomph...
After I while I started smelling a whiff of burned or "hot".
Not unusual as Rhe motor gest hot and being between my legs I get the smell now and then.
After an hour and several stops to pick up friends I noticed the rig started to slow down noticeably. Hmm, I did not charge the batteries properly before I set out?
Plugged in to a friend's boat at Cooly's Landing while I helped him reduce an
overstocked bar to a more manageable level, then unplugged and headed home at full power but slow speed, and even slower and slower.
Voltage way down, stronger smell of something hot, not good.
(To be continued, now headed to Costco to look for 8 new batteries )

Yes and no.
I never go below 70% so that should help on longdetivity.
Don't know the previous history of the batteries before I bought the boat so they could have been abused and yes, past their useful life.
Problem is (was) some were good and some less than good.
Now back with new batteries and will continue the above saga after I exchange the whole bank.
The story gets better
(First a trip to the beer store before I start wrestling sixteen 70 lbs batteries in the 90 degree heat)

Capt J, you in the neighborhood by any chance?

Yup, and yup.
Will finish the story after the bank is on and hooked up.
Now started the process, got 2 new ones on the boat, 6 to go, then lift the 8 old ones up to the dock.
Already soaked in sweat...
Olderboater: You have been goofing off on yer big boat lately, feel like doing some lifting today? Free beer included