Upgrading my $1,000 Electric Boat Ordered From China

[@texasprepperprojects]

The best part of this video is watching you and your Dad hanging out and working on a project together. You're very blessed there. The project is fantastic as well. Great work, fun build

[@micahsdad5388]

Thanks so much for your kind words. Best regards

[@VLLVN420]

reminds me of the time my dad and I built dirt bikes that came in milkcrates and proceeded to do wheelies in front of the house until the neighbours complained that it was almost midnight... Very formative memory... nice to see others taking the opportunity.

[@texasprepperprojects]

@@micahsdad5388 very welcome!

[@keving4081]

I'm 70 now and my dad passed many years ago. This brought back all of our wacky adventures and uncontrollable laughter. Thanks for giving me laughter tears as well. They are the best.

[@micahsdad5388]

Thanks for sharing your memories. That is why we do our best to make our own. Best regards

[@gudfarfar]

When I grew up, we made a speedboat ourselves with just plywood and plastic tarp, put on a Mercury ourboard and had a lot of fun near one of the beaches here in Lofoten. It was also very hard to stear, we usually got wet and even capsised in a freak wave near the beach, but the water was shallow and we could walk ashore and drag the wrecked vessel on dry land, removed the ourboard and made the silly thing into a bonfire while enjoying a beer and camped out on the beach that night.

[@micahsdad5388]

I am so very pleased with this latest video, just uploaded by my son, Micah, featuring our continued adventures together. We filmed it a while back and I had literally forgotten much of the words we spoke during those 2 frenetic days. As is clear, we plan nothing in these videos, they just unfold in front of us, as they do for you when watching them. When I saw it today, I was laughing out loud so hard I had laughter tears streaming down my cheeks. Many of you have previously pointed out that it is a wonderful, if not a rare event to see a dad and his son enjoy working together, sharing common interests, and creating memories for the rest of their lives. To those of you who have admonished me to not take those moments together with my son for granted, I absolutely assure you, I never have, and never will. The world has become a more challenging place and life moments filled with love and laughter are more important than ever. Thank you to all who have watched, and especially those of you who have taken time to add a comment. Is this video about upgrading an inexpensive imported electric boat? Well, sort of. But to me it is so much, much more. I think you understand and you get it. To everyone, love life, hug your kids, have fun, make laughter. We all need more of that right now. Very best regards to all. And by the way - despite what he said in the video, I did the vast majority of the cleaning of the boat !!

[@ktrazz]

I'm not ashamed to say that I love you, sir, and I thank you for raising an awesome son! You two are SO entertaining!

[@micahsdad5388]

@@ktrazz Thanks. Comment much appreciated. Micah chose his parents well LOL !!

[@michaelsprinzeles4022]

כל הכבוד!

[@bill_heywood]

Lovely sentiment and the enjoyment you both having shines though the video 😊

[@JLBartee71]

My father passed before I was born. Had he lived, I hope he would have been just as loving and delightful as you are! You've raised a remarkable man, and that is an amazing thing.

[@elelegidosf9707]

Great video. I don't care about the boat but it was nice to see a father and son just goofing around and having fun together. I lost my father several years ago to a domineering step-mother, and I miss those times with my dad.

[@afrog2666]

Remember the good stuff, that`s the important part ;)

[@stevebergman6747]

Micah, I laughed my way all the way through the video - love your self-deprecating asides regarding how to engineer the various solutions to this upgrade! Makes the whole process so much more entertaining!😁

[@ragincajun1984]

This is so humbling to see a dad and his adult son having so much fun on a cheap Chinese boat in there pond. This is so awesome. More families need to be like this

[@excourage1725]

Love your Dad and you interacting, the laughter and giggles. ❤ Family❤. Great job and thanks for sharing.

[@scottlp2323]

Your dad's laugh... :) Proper father/son hilarious adventures are the best. My dad and I always find something funny when it's just the two of us and making him laugh uncontrollably is my greatest joy. :)

[@littlemanjonjon]

Seeing you and your dad laughing was a real treat. You guys are adorable!

[@RichardJensen-f7t]

Montgomery Scott: "The engines CAN take it, Captain!" Sulu: "She won't answer to the helm!!"

[@micahsdad5388]

Next upgrade = dilithium crystals !!

[@benholroyd5221]

​@@micahsdad5388nah. To do that you'd need to invert the polarity of the plasma injectors, but that would mean you need to replace the graviton magneto invertors, which would make it incompatible with the anti matter epicyclic big end. Of course doing all that would increase efficiency by 2.3% which would increase the theoretical frybender limit which could be useful as you can imagine.

[@fallinginthed33p]

Fly apart then!

[@MoralHazard-g1e]

@@micahsdad5388 All it needs are a pair of Heisenberg compensators.

[@andronian]

I love these videos where these cheap Chinese vehicles are upgraded to a useable state. I want to see you skiing of the back of this at some point 😉😉 What is also brilliant is seeing you and your father enjoying your time together, it’s really lovely to see

[@thyme-wm8pt]

It was a nice cheery on top to be thoughtful about not leaving glass behind! Loved all the laughter and fun you two shared.

[@fenceup07944931177]

The fun you two have had with this boat is priceless, I think you definitely got value for money.

[@Vikrum_]

This is so wholesome, I don't care about the boat or the motor, just love to see father and son having fun

[@Blztrls]

I have a friend who built a fairly flat bottomed speed boat with a 40hp outboard that tracked like your boat with awful understeer/oversteer. He added a small fin to the bottom of his boat about a 1/3rd from the front and the boat handled perfectly after that. You might want to consider adding a fin to your boat for even better handling.

[@gdog2815]

That's what I was thinking.

[@dodgeme1986truck]

A 1inch pvc pipe run down each sponsoon and fiberglassed on is more than enough keel... River boats usually don't have a keel as it hinders rapid steering control to avoid rocks and other hidden obstacles but on a lake/pond they are necessary for straight line control.

[@ncdave4life]

Exactly!

[@allangibson8494]

Add a surfboard skeg…

[@ncdave4life]

​@@allangibson8494 , yes!

[@johnnymaynard299]

This is so wonderful to see you and your Dad having so much fun together. Truly thanks for sharing, I love it. Awesome stuff !

[@domramsey]

Nice drift-boat! I'd love to see you take these customisations even further. Maybe a built-in drinks fridge, music, seat cushions & storage. Go all out in making it the perfect fun boat for your little lake.

[@micahsdad5388]

Stay tuned - Micah doesn't need much incentive to perform upgrades !!

[@finecutpost]

I love the laughter between you and your father. Best bonding activity is working on a project with someone you love.

[@Stryford1]

Yes, we got a boat update! I really like all the new modifications you've done to it.

[@micahsdad5388]

So do we ! thanks

[@-RyN-23]

Watching you an your dad laugh so hard was just awsome. Wish i could of had a dad like that. Yall are just having a blast , this experiment was well worth the joy yall had

[@roryhennessey1983]

I love seeing a father and son at that age laughing and smiling together. Best friends. Makes me miss my father

[@darylnicklen3685]

Thanks Micahsdad. you and your son working together then sharing a good old fashion belly laugh during testing brought extreme joy to me. You have a great father / son relationship may it go on for ever.

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

Great Tune Up for this very cool little boat! Love to see you and your dad meking memories together!

[@micahsdad5388]

Yep - making memories is an important part of the effort that goes into making these videos. Glad you like the content Best regards

[@Drewniversed]

It's always funny when you hear that laugh and you can't help but laugh with him. It truly is ridiculous LOL!

[@robotsonmars1989]

The two of you laughing and joking your way through that video was the best part. Fantastic memories. Well done from Ireland…

[@micahsdad5388]

Many thanks. Hope to visit your country one day soon. Best regards

[@TheOriginalCoolDad]

What a great video!! Love the upgrades, but love the snapshot of time spent with your dad enjoying a project together!

[@peterwei]

You should call this "Adventures with My Dad". Wonderful moments you can show your children and grandchildren. Enjoy every moment with him. I really enjoyed this video.

[@mandrax7137]

I love hearing y'all laugh together. Got to treasure these moments with your Dad.

[@Dan_Kornfeld]

I’m waiting for “so, after converting this 10 year old abandoned jet ski drive system to electric, it was time to install the hydrofoils!” “We may need a bigger pond!” Keep doing what you do 👍‼️

[@FlyingPurplePizzas]

Seeing you and your dad laughing together made for a fun video. Sunny Side Up has some real pep now. Your projects are entertaining.

[@DonOblivious]

That's.... some good piloting by ol' dad there. Splitting speed and steering duties on something like this is like one of those old Top Gear Challenges.

[@jasonholley3009]

Seeing you and your dad having so much fun with each other is great to watch.

[@trevhedges]

That’s your Dad? I never knew my Dad, i’m hope he was as fun as that, the laughter was infectious and just plain wonderful to watch, thanks for the giggles., just precious! 😊

[@josephrobichaud5198]

So much fun watching you and your dad having these interactions !

[@LexiCon_-oj7vw]

Love this video. You guys are throughly enjoying the experience and each other. Great memories.

[@HappyQuailsLC]

I love Douglas' name for your boat! It embodies the boat's cheerful design and impression it creates! What a perfect choice! "The Sunny Side Up"!!! : )

[@bigshowradio_550]

I hope the manufacturer sees this video. Outstanding improvement. Sunny Side Up is perfect!

[@EShirako]

Sunny Side Up really is perfect for that boat, I'm quite amused on their behalf. :)

[@dawei9450]

These kind of boats are usually operated on crowded small lakes/ponds in city parks. Usually, a family of 3 or 4 would sit in the same boat and the kid would be allowed to operate. You can imagine that there are a lot of low-speed crashes, both between boats and between boats and the concrete shores. My guess is that the company who made this had no motivation to make any good boat. Instead, I would say it's more like that they want to make sealed floating boxes that can move. Loving this video

[@paul_london]

Awesome project and I love that you are working with your dad on this! Man it is a dream!

[@joshuarisker5525]

Enjoy the memories with your dad these are times you will look back on later in life and cherish

[@RikiB-f4c]

I adore your Dad and his attitude. With many, many years of marine experience, I would simply secure a couple of 2" aluminum right-angle pieces tapered forward the length of each hull side to provide some strakes for control. Use 3M 5150 to seal the securing screws and you should be all set with something like the feel of a pontoon boat.

[@micahsdad5388]

Strakes would be a good move. Next video !!

[@RikiB-f4c]

@@micahsdad5388 I still want that folding electric bike that you reviewed but was a scam! I can't wait to see the next video. Please at least put a couple of life rings with throw lines (ski line) on each side of your little vessel so when kids and visitors play with your boat they can at least effect a rescue when someone invariably falls in.

[@micahsdad5388]

@@RikiB-f4c The gear we carry when the grandkids are onboard is indeed very different. And they are wearing fully approved life vests. thanks and regards

[@RikiB-f4c]

@@micahsdad5388 cool, but drunken adults fall overboard too. I mean the little lake needs a post on the dock with a ring and a long line too just for the day-to-day. Some communities (even) require this just for local "retention" ponds. Keep up the good work.

[@Buses2Bikes]

Nice job. That's a pretty cool little boat. Glad to see you made it more fun and usable.

[@robertheinkel6225]

Everything works in theory until reality sets in.

[@mesanders1113]

As engineers say looks good on paper technician say real world not so much

[@Ken-v5l5d]

Looks nose heavy. Like a white water kayak. As your dad mentioned, a skeg on the motor should clear that up. Glad to see you having fun with your dad.

[@redacted_____]

Pov: bought a boat off temu

[@lmaoroflcopter]

​@@mesanders1113technicians think ship will float. Engineer knows they built a boat.

[@donkeykong516]

That’s why iterative testing is important

[@johnandjanetclark9158]

Definitely your best video! We all were laughing right with you guys. Thank you.

[@micahsdad5388]

We could hear you - LOL (again). Best regards

[@stealthassasin1day291]

Fun to have if you have a lil lake around you or better yet in your back yard!

[@fortressfrazze3777]

Best part of this video is see an father and his son have a good fun time together. Nothing is worth more than good relations.

[@o1ecypher]

this was a great happy episode, thank you and father for the good heartfelt laugh

[@micahsdad5388]

Thank you for watching and very pleased you enjoyed it. We laughed for 2 full days !!

[@o1ecypher]

@@micahsdad5388 ☺ ☺

[@HighfalutinLowCarb]

This was so much fun to watch! I happened upon your channel with the unboxing video of this boat, and it was great to see it again. Looks like you and your dad had a great time tackling this project together. 🧡🚤

[@neira.francisco]

Had a great time of fun you and your dad and, after operating a hovercraft, got a great boat!

[@tonysmith4392]

great father son time ... i can't wait to get my both sons together again and spend family time like this thank you guys are amazing.

[@AlexanderEresov]

Ah, "sunny side up" is just brilliant! 😂

[@MichaelWilliams-kq1lv]

It was a vast improvement over the original e-boat. Thanks for sharing. I think I was laughing as much as y'all were.😂

[@micahsdad5388]

Yep - much more better !!

[@mhchopper4]

For bilge pumps on such a small boat you could look into an arduino/esp32. A kit I bought had a small water pump with soil moisture sensor to automatically water plants, and I know there are water level sensors. In theory it would be simple, automatic (you could have a manual option as well), small footprint, low power consumption, and cheap.

[@Keith_WB2VUO]

I just discovered your channel. The How-to book on lithium batteries is of interest, as I am always looking for portable power sources for my amateur radio gear. I like to take my radios out to various pars and set up and operate away from my noisy power lines! I will be following the channel now.

[@dodgeme1986truck]

For the water and grime in the seat take a 1/4inch drill and put a hole in the lowest point in the seats reseal the fiberglass with a touch of paint or gelcoat inside the holes then you can insert hose barbs into the new drain holes with some epoxy and install a drain hose that runs to where the bilge pump(s) is/are... This will keep the grime in the seats down and can be done for any low spots that hold water

[@JonathanDoiron-p4q]

Could you add some ballast into the Hull to make the boat ride a little lower? Some kind of variable bladder like a sub to allow for different numbers of passengers? or sand to just make it sit lower in general?

[@savneetsinghrairai6823]

That was some real fun n good time in Chinese boat ⛵ .....the improvement it made is massive....so smooth

[@HappyQuailsLC]

It looks like you could use a pair of surf board fins mounted to the rear to stabilize drift or thrust vectoring in turns, placed to either side of center to aid it stability in steering and also one along the leading edge of center to maintain straight travel. I also wonder whether any counter balancing keel weighing might help before mounting any heavy solar panels so far above it's center of gravity?

[@Freeagent-4-life]

She's a beauty gents. Good to see you having fun with a interesting project. I'd love to see it on a voyage, camping trip perhaps, with a complete crew of 5. Might make a good video if you got a few other family crew, Aye.

[@Kodanikage]

The S.S. Up definitely deserves a river camping trip. Add a tent to your floating dock, and find a way to store your gear on board, and you’d be set for an epic trip.

[@rajamohdnaimrajanazarudin8623]

Father and son bonding time. Waiting for epic project!

[@HowlingWo1f]

Worth every penny for the amount of laughs and memories made with his dad 👨

[@romeos.ellorin6645]

That came out great, and the name is perfect for it! Great Father & Son time! 😊

[@richardoleson7934]

New name is outstanding! Have fun with your new improved vessel.

[@Sputz3]

Aaaaw nice to see an update on the boat! 😊

[@joemama7435]

Not sure if anyone mention this but my suggestion is to add a solid straight rudder in the front opposite the trolling motor. Kind of like on a sail boat. I have a 19 foot Bay Boat with the trolling motor mounted in the front and found that it is better to keep the rear outboard down in the water to stabilize the trolling motor steering.

[@lynnebrown9149]

Enjoy those days with your dad because they won't last forever. I miss mine terribly.

[@cappallCogadh]

What great memories you are making with your dad.

[@maurice0769]

What a fun project! Thanks for sharing with us!

[@Hobbies4Hire]

Great job on the video MIcah! Thanks for making it. Your dad is funny!

[@H-GHN]

that zig zag move in the pond just LOL

[@phychmasher]

Oh man your Dad's laughter is super infectious!

[@EShirako]

Your dad is laughing so hard...it's like you two went mudding. "Did you SEE how I slid sideways and then BACKWARDS?! Aaahaahaha! Oh man, I can't breathe..!"

[@Navyuncle]

I'm the dad in my story. I bought a used Bass boat my 41 year old son and I and 2 grandkids danced all over a local lake while using the bow mounted trolling motor. I just assumed that it was the sensitivity of the foot controlled motor. It would track pretty straight when we fired up the outboard engine. But, all three generations had fun trying out my boat that day.😊

[@larrygilbert7273]

Wonder why you didn't pull out the shaft, gland, and all it's bearings and supports and glass over the hole? Besides the extra work, of course. Glassing strakes on the pontoons should help with tracking, too.

[@micahsdad5388]

Could have but this was faster and it leaves all that in place for some future crazy mod maybe. Agree on the strakes. Next set of upgrades !!

[@kevinhwcrabbe-mr3dy]

Look like you and your dad look like you’re having a good time on the water with that boat of yours be the best time you ever had for a long time

[@Waltkat]

Great upgrade! Now your little boat is actually functional. May I suggest making a waterproof fabric canopy to fit over the boat so it doesn't fill up with rain water and dirt when it's not being used?

[@allangibson8494]

A bilge pump would be a good idea…

[@TheTexasDuke]

I miss laughing with my Dad glad y’all had a blast doing this

[@carlosdelvalle3729]

Glad you guys had so much fun with this mod, I was laughing too!!

[@micahsdad5388]

Yep - if you can't have fun doing it, it ain't worth doing !!

[@shanefraser7764]

Hahahaha just spat my drink out as u were drifting across the lake laughing 😂😂😂😂 big energy boyzzz watching from New Zealand 👑🇳🇿☝️

[@echobeefpv8530]

Great video, had some laughs for sure. The upgrades were very well done, now you have a usable little boat, at a decent price !

[@Superliegebeest0]

With projects like this. Its not the destination but its the trip. That you need to enjoy.

[@Ragesauce]

Been looking forward to this followup video, hope its good!

[@davidalder6558]

Excellent experiment with your solar boat upgrades. You learned a lot and had a few laughs with your Dad (about my age). I will stick to my sea kayak as it burns 500ml of water per hour and I get 5 knots as well and a great workout. By the way, I want to turn my hybrid Specialized bicycle with 29 inch tires into a e-bike. What kit do you recommend and how can I buy your book "Ultimate do it yourself ebike guide"? Keep up the great work and good on you for giving bikes to needy riders and books to commenters. Dave from Nova Scotia, Canada

[@comfortablynumb9342]

There are motor kits for kayaks that would probably be a lot easier to attach to the boat. I'm pretty sure one kind just bolts on the bottom. Judging by your laughter y'all had a great time. That looks like a hoot. If I could get a rig like that working reliably I'd use it around the Chesapeake Bay.

[@robertsmart5600]

Put a skeg on the stern of both hulls so the boat follows a straight course unless you change the direction of the prop. Take the rudder off the prop shaft and replace it with an anti-cavitation plate above the prop. You have a Sun powered cruise liner with an Azipod :)

[@NANDOFFDataRecovery]

That was good fun to watch. Thank you for sharing

[@pedrobedoy9574]

The laughing makes it all Worth it 😂🎉

[@richardmoye2569]

Looks like you need a front guide fin like they have on hydroplanes... And a fin on the motor for more control authority

[@jayv9779]

Bullnose rudder will help the steering. I use one on my 10' boat that had the same issue.

[@brockedwards5896]

Those were awesome upgrades! The first test run was hilarious!

[@fryingsquirrelXNA]

Loving the UCA sweater your dad is rocking. Go Bears!

[@bin.s.s.]

Glad that it brought you so much fun. Cheers from Beijing.

[@shredderhater]

Boat $1,000 Laughing your ass off with your Dad … priceless!

[@micahsdad5388]

Absolutely !!

[@vetrakr]

I run night shift in the shop that put those boards together. But, I don't recognize the model, so it was likely manufactured before I started working there. Might dig up the specs because I'm curious.

[@GalenGreenlaw]

Great upgrades on the boat love it would love to have one similar… love the solar panels

[@cmdrglass5096]

what about getting 50cm depth twin keel that goes down the twin hulls to give more control

[@Nickrioblanco1]

Glad you guys had fun polishing a turd. You have confirmed the Mythbusters conclusion that it can be done.

[@micahsdad5388]

We considered it a diamond in the rough.

[@RBickersjr]

Would putting a fixed rudder in the front of the boat make it easier to control when turning? I'm not experienced in nautical design so I'm wondering what kind of effect would that have on the handling of The Sunny Side Up.🤔

[@andrewmena3118]

I could definitely use those books. I just purchased a few 100ah lithium batteries, a good inverter, and a solar panel kit. I plan on doing some camping as a new hobby. I wanna make sure I wire things correctly lol

[@LostLeftyLimb]

I didn’t notice the bench seat being off I noticed all the water in the boat. You got a bilge pump on that thing?