fishing lake erie with no alternator/generator

airdvr1227

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
1,666
You lost me at 5 miles out on Erie with a 15' boat. Good on ya mate. If the waves kick up losing your motor will only be the beginning of the problems. Those waves will flip a 15 footer like a toy. And yes, I used to jump out of perfectly good airplanes for fun...but never without a backup parachute. 1500 jumps...needed it 3 times.
 

areoseek

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
49
Now you got me worried. A '57 selectric shift is a failure waiting to happen. I can't believe its run this long. That's why they don't make them any more, and after 2 failures that's why I sold mine.

I agree about telling the boss that its in the best interest of your safety.

Never had a problem with her besideds fouling out the plugs or the fuel pump going. I carry spares of each, along with the normal stuff like a spare drain plug and hand pump. She shifts good and screrams like a demon. i've towed guys in with newer motors. it's all about maintinence.

and as for 5 miles out being "far", it's really not. I've taken the Sundancer to canada. Just need A good compass and radio and plenty of fuel.
I was really more curious on how people who run outboards w/o gennerators keep em charged up on the water.

I am very maticilious when it comes to maintaning my batteries, I load test them at work every other month or so, and charge them EVERY time I get back to the marina. I'm thinking a solar panel might be the way to go, i'll just have to make a "roof" style mount for her. Can be like a little canopy.
i'll be keeping my eye out for a 2.5-5.0 hp to throw on there. Should be enough room, I'll just have to get rid of my transon mount trolling motor. will save me on batteries if I can troll for eyes with gas.
 

southkogs

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I think you sound like you're rigged up pretty well ... I had a 15' that the previous owner used to run out on Lake Huron fishing. Setup was similar, but about 20 years newer :)

... still electric shift though :D
 

Willyclay

Captain
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Sep 8, 2006
Messages
3,239
Electric shift on a 1957 Lark? My old geezer brain doesn't remember electric shift until the 1960's when the Big Twin was rated at 40hp. May have been 1962 for Johnson but not sure of exact year for Evinrude. Doesn't change the main issue of the thread but I get confused easily. Be safe!
 

JimS123

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Jul 27, 2007
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Never had a problem with her besideds fouling out the plugs or the fuel pump going. ........ I'm thinking a solar panel might be the way to go, i'll just have to make a "roof" style mount for her. Can be like a little canopy.......i'll be keeping my eye out for a 2.5-5.0 hp to throw on there.

The shifting is done electrically with electro-magnets. There probably isn't any "maintenance" that should be done on the system. My problems were when the wires eventually burned out, leaving the engine running fine, but no way to shift. It was a catastrophic failure - no way to predict.

The little solar panels don't have much "horsepower". I have a 100 watt 2' x 3' panel on my RV and after moderate usage it takes about 4 hours of sunlight to charge the battery back up. On a boat my feeling is that solar is fine to keep a battery at 100% while the boat is in the water tied to a dock, but not much use for a day boater. When you get home you can plug in a charger.

IMHO the kicker is still the best way to go.

I am reminded of two past trips. Once on Erie on a dead calm glasslike water blue sky day with no weather alerts, the wind started to come up. By the time we pulled anchor the waves were at 3 feet and we rode 5 footers as we passed the breakwall into the marina. That was in a 15 footer with a Lark! Another time on Ontario there was only a slight wind (so no problem) but all of a sudden the lake turened over and the fog was so bad we could hardly see the bow light. We made it back with only a compass.
 

areoseek

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
49
The shifting is done electrically with electro-magnets. There probably isn't any "maintenance" that should be done on the system. My problems were when the wires eventually burned out, leaving the engine running fine, but no way to shift. It was a catastrophic failure - no way to predict.

The little solar panels don't have much "horsepower". I have a 100 watt 2' x 3' panel on my RV and after moderate usage it takes about 4 hours of sunlight to charge the battery back up. On a boat my feeling is that solar is fine to keep a battery at 100% while the boat is in the water tied to a dock, but not much use for a day boater. When you get home you can plug in a charger.

IMHO the kicker is still the best way to go.

I am reminded of two past trips. Once on Erie on a dead calm glasslike water blue sky day with no weather alerts, the wind started to come up. By the time we pulled anchor the waves were at 3 feet and we rode 5 footers as we passed the breakwall into the marina. That was in a 15 footer with a Lark! Another time on Ontario there was only a slight wind (so no problem) but all of a sudden the lake turened over and the fog was so bad we could hardly see the bow light. We made it back with only a compass.

guess i never thought of a failure like that. That's hard to predict.

as far as the solar panel, I have two renogy 100w solar panels on my ambulance, and they do O.K but not great. Like you said it may not be practical. Might just carry more batteries. seems like the easy band-aid fix.
 

southkogs

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Electric shift on a 1957 Lark?
I was assuming someone knew something I didn't ... our '58 35HP Lark was mechanical shift. And had a pull cord on the front. It was electric start but if that failed you could crank her up the hard way.

I'm not as afraid of electric shift as many folks are. I ran 'em a long time in outboard and I/O and really don't feel as though I had any more problems than anyone mentions with mechanical shifts ... of course, I liked my OMC Stringer and tri-hulls too ... :D
 

areoseek

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Jun 27, 2015
Messages
49
I was assuming someone knew something I didn't ... our '58 35HP Lark was mechanical shift. And had a pull cord on the front. It was electric start but if that failed you could crank her up the hard way.

I'm not as afraid of electric shift as many folks are. I ran 'em a long time in outboard and I/O and really don't feel as though I had any more problems than anyone mentions with mechanical shifts ... of course, I liked my OMC Stringer and tri-hulls too ... :D


I may be mistaken on thye year. It's a 40hp Lark 6, pull start and electric start, with seletric shift (hydro not magnetic), it has a generator and a good belt, but it doesn't put out any power for some reason.
 

Willyclay

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Sep 8, 2006
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3,239
Thanks for that update. It may be as simple a fix as the brushes in the generator need replacing. Good luck!
 

JimS123

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I may be mistaken on thye year. It's a 40hp Lark 6, pull start and electric start, with seletric shift (hydro not magnetic), it has a generator and a good belt, but it doesn't put out any power for some reason.
A Lark 6 is a 1967. If it says Selectric and it has push buttons F-N-R, then its electro magnetic with solenoids. If it has 2 levers (one throttle and one gearshift) then its mechanical.

Now you say it DOES have a genny but it doesn't work. That's a whole new aspect to the story. Before you do anything get the motor fixed.
 

fishin98

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
521
A..HA!! The plot thickens...could be a simple fix...I'm willing to bet that there is a IBOATS member that has what you need stashed away somewhere.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
I would think that motor would have a mechanical voltage regulator, as part of the charging system. You might consult one of the experts here at iBoats, and see if you can get it working. You absolutely need enough juice to stay in gear..
 

Old Ironmaker

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Dec 28, 2015
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My first post here on iboats. If there is somewhere to introduce myself I would be more than happy to give you my W5.

Now my opinion on contingencies for your boat going out on Erie. In a 15 foot anything don't venture two far from shore. We have had this place on the North shore of Erie (I'm Canadian) for 25 years and have lived here full time for going on 16 years and have fished Erie for 35 years. In a 15 foot boat I would not venture more than a mile or so out on this lake. I have when I was young and brave that was then this now. This lake can turn on a dime and they wouldn't have put up a thousand or more Wind Turbines if it wasn't windy. You can have all the mechanical and electrical back ups available and when this lake turns you will be fighting 4 foot to who knows how many foot high breakers. More than on 1 occasion I have had to tow in a family in a 14 foot tinny, and bigger, because of the weather not mechanical issues. In the past there have been many boaters here on this lake that never came home for supper and you know they wouldn't have ventured out knowing they were going to die.

I have a 1995 StarCraft Superfisherman 190 and many days without warning it is woefully too small, some days buddies 28 foot Grew is too small. We may be in a different position where wind conditions go on the North side of Erie with predominate SW winds. We generally head out into the waves in the morning and come back to shore with the wind. When we have to make he 10 mile run into a NE or NW wind we can get in trouble. I constantly monitor wind conditions and when I see a shift from south we are going home, now. Picking your days is more important than a spare battery. There are wind and wave prediction sites out the wazoo available.

If you insist on going out buy a small portable battery booster of a minimum of 700 AMP cranking power. I don't leave home without mine. From the truck to the boat and to the truck each and every trip. Mine was about 100 bucks from Canadian Tire. Maybe more important than that is a VHF radio and channel 16.

Just an opinion and some facts
 

airshot

Rear Admiral
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Jul 22, 2008
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It all boils down to risk, and what risks people are willing to take. As stated in a previous post, I am a life long lake erie boater ( more than 50 yrs) so I have learned to watch carefully the weather and know when to go and when to stay home. I have never been "caught" unprepared out on the lake because I do my homework. I had a neighbor that used to think I was a fool for going 6-8 miles out in my 14' tinny which was the widest and deepest on the market. I never had an issue, however, that same neighbor thought nothing of going out in a snow blizzard with his one wheel drive subcompact with only 4 inches of ground clearance when there is already a foot of snow on the ground. I had to pull him out of the ditch on many occasions with my 4 wheel drive. So.....what might seem like a risk to some is nothing compared to the risks other take without thinking about it. It all come down to how prepared you are willing to be for the task at hand and what risks you are willing to take.. Well that s my two cents anyhow............
 

Old Ironmaker

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Dec 28, 2015
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It all boils down to risk, and what risks people are willing to take. As stated in a previous post, I am a life long lake erie boater ( more than 50 yrs) so I have learned to watch carefully the weather and know when to go and when to stay home. I have never been "caught" unprepared out on the lake because I do my homework. I had a neighbor that used to think I was a fool for going 6-8 miles out in my 14' tinny which was the widest and deepest on the market. I never had an issue, however, that same neighbor thought nothing of going out in a snow blizzard with his one wheel drive subcompact with only 4 inches of ground clearance when there is already a foot of snow on the ground. I had to pull him out of the ditch on many occasions with my 4 wheel drive. So.....what might seem like a risk to some is nothing compared to the risks other take without thinking about it. It all come down to how prepared you are willing to be for the task at hand and what risks you are willing to take.. Well that s my two cents anyhow............

So true about that we all feel is safe and what isn't. Just talk to ice fishermen that think they can walk on water, same as sledders on the ice . I have been caught while prepared here on Erie. Making the 20 mile run back from a local Bass Derby a mile off shore to the Marina at Nanticoke Ont. on glass water and come around the point we live on and get hit in the face with a 35 KPH wind and 5 footers. No way I'm going to shore my boat will be scrap from smashing on the rocky shoreline in hindsight I should have gone back to the Bay, but I didn't, what I really should have done is call home and ask what the water looked like there. The bilge was pumping steady keeping up with water from a few rogue waves coming over the bow gunnels. We hit one nice rouge wave after another and buddy went flying out of the seat that came off the post. I still can't believe he didn't go over. A few guys in a 25 foot Ohio registered Go Fast boat waved us over in distressed they hit a rock and the prop was gone. I couldn't help them but to call the Coast Guard station, they declined, I wonder till today what was up with that crew. Stopping and tying off in those conditions may have sunk me and killed us all. I never did see them pull into the closest Marina, the next Marina is 20 miles further.

We got back safely, wet but safe. I thought I knew how to handle rough water and knowing when to boat out here, there is rough water but then there's water where you see a funnel cloud go by. I really watch Windfinder.com now, like a Haldimand Hawk. I wonder how a 14 footer will handle a funnel cloud storm? About as well as 25 footer. I still say small boats don't belong out on this lake. There is provincial legislation here on the table in Toronto that will limit the size of a vessel in CDN water on the Great lakes as well as larger lakes like Nippising and Simcoe.
 

areoseek

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
49
So true about that we all feel is safe and what isn't. Just talk to ice fishermen that think they can walk on water, same as sledders on the ice . I have been caught while prepared here on Erie. Making the 20 mile run back from a local Bass Derby a mile off shore to the Marina at Nanticoke Ont. on glass water and come around the point we live on and get hit in the face with a 35 KPH wind and 5 footers. No way I'm going to shore my boat will be scrap from smashing on the rocky shoreline in hindsight I should have gone back to the Bay, but I didn't, what I really should have done is call home and ask what the water looked like there. The bilge was pumping steady keeping up with water from a few rogue waves coming over the bow gunnels. We hit one nice rouge wave after another and buddy went flying out of the seat that came off the post. I still can't believe he didn't go over. A few guys in a 25 foot Ohio registered Go Fast boat waved us over in distressed they hit a rock and the prop was gone. I couldn't help them but to call the Coast Guard station, they declined, I wonder till today what was up with that crew. Stopping and tying off in those conditions may have sunk me and killed us all. I never did see them pull into the closest Marina, the next Marina is 20 miles further.

We got back safely, wet but safe. I thought I knew how to handle rough water and knowing when to boat out here, there is rough water but then there's water where you see a funnel cloud go by. I really watch Windfinder.com now, like a Haldimand Hawk. I wonder how a 14 footer will handle a funnel cloud storm? About as well as 25 footer. I still say small boats don't belong out on this lake. There is provincial legislation here on the table in Toronto that will limit the size of a vessel in CDN water on the Great lakes as well as larger lakes like Nippising and Simcoe.



Like i've said previously, I'm in no way shape or form new to lake erie. I take the 28 footer if I know it might get nasty. However, The 15' little tri-hull is a hell of a lot better on gas than the twin v8 sundancer, and MUCH better for trolling. I've had that sundancer out in 9 footers all day. not fun, but dooable.
On a side note while we're all here, Is there any particular trick to keeping the boat pointed into the waves without a stern anchor? I always end up flippin swingin back and fourth and it'll eventually rip the damn anchor outta the bottom. Might have to get something other than a regualr danforth.


I do my homework on the weather and have only been taken off-guard once. coming back in 6 footers in an open bow boat is a genuine religious expericence when they're crashing over the bow and transom when you're caught in a crest.
Went out that day and installed a bilge pump. Never again will I have a boat without one.
(just another thing that eats at my batteries.)

After heeding the advice given on this post, I will make a sperate post about my generator issue, and I will invest in a small 3.5hp kicker. Found one in my area that the Woman O.K'd.

I appreciate the feedback gentelman.
 
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Old Ironmaker

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Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
A 15' boat in 9 foot waves? I don't know about that one. You are one amazing Pilot man or you pushed the wrong key typing.

Edit: sorry I misread, 28 footer in 9' waves. That's still an adventure I'll pass on.
 
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areoseek

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
49
A 15' boat in 9 foot waves? I don't know about that one. You are one amazing Pilot man or you pushed the wrong key typing.

Edit: sorry I misread, 28 footer in 9' waves. That's still an adventure I'll pass on.

having experienced it before, I'd prefer to stay home as well, however sometimes the perch call me.
 
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