Recent content by mr 88

  1. M

    Family of 5, 19ft or 21ft?

    21' is going to be a much better ride in any sort of chop . You'll have room for coolers and gear , not so much in a 19' . Two feet is a huge difference when your talking a 19 vs 21 ' hull . I would be sticking with a 21' , something will show up , be patient.
  2. M

    Questions about sink drainage

    99% of sinks in boats drain overboard . I've never witnessed one that drains into a tank , black or grey .
  3. M

    Long block replacement suggestions

    If money isn't a problem, I would be dropping 502's in . Same footprint, same transmission and prop shaft . Props would be different, that's about it . The 32 Tournament is no speed demon with the 454s , the 502's would be a huge improvement in that department.
  4. M

    Boat purchase during Northern winter

    What exactly are you looking at ? Make, model , drive line ? Are we talking 10K or 100K ? Some boats have a reputation for bad transoms , stringers and gas tanks . I/Os have there issues just like some outboard motors . On the other hand some have great reputations , minimal issues and have a...
  5. M

    Survey

    Should be zero difference. Straight inboards are aligned with engines off . So a 36" boat with twin 502's when taking off is going to develop gobs of torque, the cutlass bearing ( a 6" long plastic sleeve in the prop shaft struts ) takes all torque. If it's off by hundredeth's of a fraction ...
  6. M

    Mid 2000's Sea Ray 320 Ride

    Your in the 1 mpg club ,not to be confused with the mile high club , regardless of tab position. Stuffing the bow in rough water may actually improve your "fuel milage ", by fractions on the dollar at the pump . It's something you don't dwell on when you're in the " club " .
  7. M

    Mid 2000's Sea Ray 320 Ride

    Pretty sure with the V drive , all your weight( engines ) is in the stern . A straight inboard will have engines more midship . So in your case the boat will be stern heavy and bow light . Trim tabs , which are on that boat , will trim the bow down . So we don't know in the video you watched how...
  8. M

    2002 Four Winns 348 Vista

    Have you ever used a moisture meter ? Have you ever taken a hammer and tapped a transom or stringers ? Have you ever removed screws from a transom or stringers and used a pick to see if you have dry shavings . If the boat cost more than 10-15 K , I highly recommend a survey , after you've taken...
  9. M

    2002 Four Winns 348 Vista

    Yes , punched in your info , and a bunch of info came up. Just looked at one " site " and a layout along with the hull lay-up info were shown . Moisture meters for a boat are a crap shoot , unless you absolutely know how to use them . Example, boat recently pulled and bottom paint will affect...
  10. M

    2002 Four Winns 348 Vista

    Googling it , shows bed more of a side berth than V berth . Head ,feet and one side are touching something . Enter from one side that is also shorter than the length of the bed . Hull is cored and bottom is solid , so it will be worth it to have it surveyed for a host of reasons , if insuring...
  11. M

    Considering a 22-25ft cabin cruiser. thoughts?

    Grady Whites are over rated , seems like every one built into the mid to early 2000's has bad stringers/ transom and or fuel tank . None of that is cheap to fix . I/Os are terrible for trolling and more importantly they are the weak link in the drive system , always needing attention $$. A...
  12. M

    Building a fishing boat.

    The prop should be matched to the maximum rated RPMs of the motor. Ex , motor rated for 5,000 rpm and all you get is 4,400 which means the motor is working hard , using more fuel and shortening its life . The prop has too much pitch in this instance. You can buy a cheap tach online that'll do...
  13. M

    Building a fishing boat.

    I'd be looking for a 30-40 mid to late 60's Johnson/Evinrude, easy to work on and parts are available. I have not heard one good thing about a Force engine and 50 is too much for a 14' aluminum hull to begin with , unless you've re-enforced the transom with angle braces .
  14. M

    Should I use a kicker when trolling in a 4.3L Mercruiser?

    Not a problem with using the 4.3 all the time . I can't think of one Charter boat on Lake Ontario, USA side , that uses one , I'm sure there's a few . 95% are 305 ,350 ,454 and 502's . And as noted above by Scott D , 5,000 hours is not uncommon on a motor that is serviced on a regular basis ...
  15. M

    Towing friends boat damage

    Last thing I would do if he offered to pay out of pocket, is go through the Insurance company. They don't care who is at fault, at least in NY , and your premiums will go up
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