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  1. jayhanig

    What are the odds? Two bad batteries in a row?

    My boat sits out in the driveway under a cover most of the year. I keep the battery healthy by keeping it on a Schumacher 1.5 amp battery maintainer any time it's not actually in the water. I got many years of use out of last year's battery using this procedure until it finally died last...
  2. jayhanig

    Upgrading trailer tires and rims - need advice

    I have a 17' stern drive runabout that lives out in my driveway. I had to have the trailer repaired recently and it was pointed out to me my boat sat awfully close to the road and that my tires were dry rotting. Well, the dry rot wasn't that obvious to me but the tires do have 10 years on...
  3. jayhanig

    Supporting a boat cover so water doesn't pool

    I just got a new boat cover and this is the perfect time to address the pooling of water that occurs on the cover when it's installed on the boat. In the past I'd made a makeshift frame out of PVC but it was always a major PITA to position. I'm looking for ideas for a better way.
  4. jayhanig

    It worked before the hurricane

    The outdrive on my 1985 Galaxy worked fine right before Hurricane Florence came to town. I've had the boat stored at a friend's house on the mainland since mid-September to weather the storm and wasn't able to get it until yesterday due to higher priorities (house repairs, etc). So it sat out...
  5. jayhanig

    I can't remember how to fix my weathered wood trim

    Please bear with me. I haven't worked on my boat doing any of this sort of work for many years as I always had protected the boat enough that it wasn't ever necessary before. But now it is. I live on a barrier island in North Carolina, only a few miles from Ground Zero for Hurricane Florence...
  6. jayhanig

    What to do for Hurricane Matthew?

    I live on one of the barrier islands just to the north of Wilmington, NC. My house is about 100 yards from the sound and 300 yards from the beach. I find myself at a loss as to what I should do about preparing for Hurricane Matthew if it decides to come for a visit next weekend. My boat lives...
  7. jayhanig

    Adding Power Steering to 85 Galaxy I/O Bowrider with 3 Liter GM Mercruiser?

    I've had pretty stiff steering on my 85 Galaxy ever since I bought it in 2010. I've had the steering rack replaced during the winter of 2010 but frankly, an afternoon on the water leaves my arms and shoulders aching. What would be involved in adding some sort of power steering to my boat, cash...
  8. jayhanig

    Old Ranks Still Show

    Now that I've become a venerable Master Chief, I note that my old rank still displays as a Senior CPO, with the new rank displaying immediately underneath. Can this be corrected? <--------------
  9. jayhanig

    Speedometer pitot tubing came off gauge; a lot of water ended up in the bilge

    I've got one of the common pitot tube speedometers with a pickup mounted to the transom and the gauge on the dash with a plastic tube that runs between the two. Today as I was running down the ICW, I noticed immediately that my speedometer wasn't working. Some time after that I became aware...
  10. jayhanig

    Tilt Gauge

    I recently had to have the hydraulic lines replaced on my I/O Mercruiser Galaxy because the outdrive no longer would reliably go up or down. The work involved pulling the engine and the outdrive so I had some additional work done while they had them out. I went out yesterday for the first time...
  11. jayhanig

    Read and Learn: No title? No sale!

    I was wandering through the local craigslist and came across this listing just now. It is a perfect example of a deal you should run from! "***** SOLD ***** ALUMINUM ***** SOLD ***** TANDEM/DUAL AXEL BOAT TRAILER THAT NEEDS SOME WORK, BUT IS IN GOOD CONDITION OVERALL! NO PAPERWORK ON THE...
  12. jayhanig

    General Thermostat Question

    I have a bad tendency to convert working equipment into expensive paperweights. Before I pull the thermostat cover off, I'd like to have at least a replacement gasket available. Identifying what I've got without opening it up has been a challenge. The service manual says to use a 140 degree...
  13. jayhanig

    How Many Drain Points Should There Be?

    I have what I believe to be a 1998 GM Mercruiser 3.0 liter engine, serial number 1M07188RX, which is a straight 4 cylinder built in Mexico. I bought it as a long block and my engine guy assembled it with a combination of new and almost new parts from a boat with a known history. One of the...
  14. jayhanig

    How heavy a wire do I need?

    I've got an intermittent problem with my Mercruiser 3.0 not wanting to crank when I turn the key. (I've read the sticky). To cut to the chase, I hear a click at the engine but I have to keep cycling the key a few times until it decides it wants to turn over. Once it does start cranking, it...
  15. jayhanig

    While we're on the subject, where can I get one of these cheap?

    I have one of these winch post caps on my trailer... one of those rubber things guys step on when dismounting from the bow of their boat onto their trailer to avoid getting their feet wet... supposed to keep you from busting your butt. Anyway, my rubber one has broken down from sun and heat and...
  16. jayhanig

    Need ideas on how to thread velcro cinch strap on hurricane accordian shutters

    Hurricane Arthur came by yesterday and I got to use my hurricane shutters for the first time. The windows are what Andersen refers to as "gliders" where you have two panels side by side; the right hand side slides over to the left when you open it. The hurricane shutters are the accordion...
  17. jayhanig

    Glory Be!!! It's working again.

    I'm delighted to note that things appear to be back to normal again this afternoon. I still can't see my boat's photo on my signature but that's a very minor thing compared to not being able to even read the forum. A pat on the back to whoever has been working on it!
  18. jayhanig

    Yesterday at the boat ramp...

    I try not to boat on weekends now that I'm retired but I'm always up for a trip to the ramp on Saturday or Sunday purely for the entertainment value. Yesterday I went and I wasn't disappointed. I watched a guy with a very nice looking Grady White 230 center console load up onto his not so nice...
  19. jayhanig

    Installing a flush mount rod holder with a Forstner bit?

    I intend to install a pair of flush mount Perko stainless steel rod holders on my boat but am worried about screwing up the job. Every description I've read so far has suggested I use a 2" hole saw vertically and then ream it out to the appropriate 25° angle so it will lay flat on the top of...
  20. jayhanig

    How to keep a hammock stand from tipping over

    I've got a hammock stand very much like the one in the photo sitting on the back porch. Unfortunately, the stand has a bad tendency to want to tip over if I concentrate my weight over any particular area, as in when mounting or dismounting the hammock. The tubing in the frame measures 2"...
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