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    How often should I charge battery?

    Previously I posted that I was going to take the dual battery charger from the two trolling batteries (which I've removed from the boat and will be selling on Craigslist) in our Bayliner, and hook it up to our main battery. Some of you on the forum gave me advice on how to hook it up. The...
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    throttle down but no movement?

    We took the boat out on a small lake near our house today; the goal was to get a little more practice launching/retrieving (went well!), but we also cruised around the lake a few times. We mostly just motored around doing about 7-10 mph. The first time I wanted to speed up, we had an issue. As I...
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    mirror: need help finding one that fits my boat

    Boat details below. I need help finding a reasonably priced mirror (for skiing/tubing, etc.) to go on our boat. Ideally I'd like to mount it to the top of the window frame near the driver's side of the boat. I purchased one mirror from West Marine ($60!) but their little clamp area wasn't wide...
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    Starting procedure for Mercruiser 4.3L I/O

    Boat details below; we're new boaters. Went to ramp tonight and attempted to start boat. I followed the procedure noted in the manual and in the Bayliner video. Their info said I should push the button in at the base of the throttle stick, push the throttle stick all the way forward, and then...
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    How do I properly wire dual battery charger to starting battery?

    My boat details are below. The guy I bought this boat from in 12/08 originally had it set up with a trolling motor (which he kept). In addition to the starting battery he had two extra batteries that he used to power the trolling motor. Additionally he had the marina install a Cabela's dual...
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    Major mistake at ramp - need advice

    Ok, my wife and I get a babysitter tonight and decide to go practice launching/retrieving our boat (see below for details) at Lake Waconia in the southwestern Minneapolis suburbs. We're new to boating. I had launched two times previously in the last few weeks; once with my Dad who is a former...
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    replace battery???

    If this message is in the wrong forum, please feel free to move it. I couldn't figure out how to post a new message in "marine electronics". We have a 2005 Bayliner 185 with an I/O 4.3L Mercruiser. This boat is new to us (and we're new to boating), and we trailer it to a few local lakes. I'm...
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    engine cover about to blow off???

    We recently purchased a slightly used Bayliner 185 with an I/O engine. The first two times we trailered the boat to a lake about a mile away from our house. Today we trailered it to a lake about five miles away. Since it's such a short ride we don't put a cover on the boat. While we're driving...
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    Where would you go? (Western Mpls suburbs)

    We're new to boating and live out in the southwestern Minneapolis suburbs, out in the Chaska/Victoria/Waconia area. We have a Bayliner 185, two kids (9 and 10) and hope to do a little water-skiing, tubing, hanging out on sandbars, catching lunch at a waterfront restaurant, etc. Ideally we...
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    Trailer brakes question...and a few others

    Hi everyone, we're new boaters w/a 18.5' Bayliner runabout near the many inland lakes around the Minneapolis 'burbs. My son and I took the boat across the street to a small all-sports lake to practice backing the boat/trailer into the water. Well, I practiced...my nine year old son helped guide...
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    Dumb questions (?) re: starting boat and VHF radios

    1) I'm a first-time boater with an '05 Bayliner 185 4.3L I/O. I finally watched the Bayliner-provided DVD. In that video they showed the proper launch and engine starting procedure. They showed the boat operator positioning the throttle (?) about 1/4 of the way forward, and then starting the...
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    inland lake ice - when is it safe?

    We're new to boating and live amidst a whole bunch of inland MN lakes. The ice is disappearing rapidly from some of the smaller all-sports lakes nearby. The closest one (about five-tenths of a mile from our home) is about 70% ice-free. Once we see that the lake is 100% ice-free, are we safe to...
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    Voice over internet phone service - thoughts?

    I'm getting tired of seeing my phone bill. My wife and I are considering switching over to Vonage, or a "Vonage-like" phone service. We're not big techies and we have a four year old Windows based computer. We tried Vonage several years ago but there were some technical glitches in the line. I...
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    Two trailer questions: rust and location of spare

    1) Please take a look at the two "rust" pictures (hope I posted these correctly; it's my first time using PhotoBucket). What's the best way to stop the rust from spreading any further? 2) Take a look at the location and angle of the spare tire. Our driveway is somewhat short and a little steep...
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    Need a new warm-weather vacation spot

    Wife and I have been taking the kids (now 10 and 9) to Myrtle Beach, SC for spring break most of the last 10 years. We live in MN. We're tiring of Myrtle Beach and want to find a new destination. I travel frequently but when I travel for business I rarely get out to enjoy much of the tourist...
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    Investments: how are you taking advantage of low prices?

    Hypothetical situation: you're in your late 30's/early 40's and doing ok. You've got a wife, a couple kids, a decent job that pays the bills and allows you to sock a little away for college and the nursing home down the road. Your only debt is a mortgage. You come into a little money...
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    summerizing the boat

    See below for our boat info. We're new boat owners - just bought it several weeks ago. After reading up on the forum I saw some "summerizing" info, to help me understand how to get the boat ready for summer. Frankly, it was pretty intimidating. I'm not a mechanic. The extent of my mechanical...
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    insurance

    My agent is asking me to estimate the individual value of our boat, the trailer and the motor. I know I can look up the NADA boat value, but how would I break out the value of the motor? And how much is a trailer typically worth? The boat is a 2005 Bayliner 185 with a 4.3L Merc. I don't know...
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    new boat owner prop questions

    We just purchased a 2005 Bayliner 185 runabout. We are first-time boat owners and plan on using it for general inland lake fun w/our two young kids. While at the MN boat show today I talked with some "prop folks" and have a couple questions for the forum: 1) A lady from pirahana.com was telling...
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    seat

    We purchased a 2005 Bayliner 185 runabout recently. And we went to the MN boat show today. I have to say that I really like the driver seats that "flip up" so the driver is sitting about 4" - 5" higher than if there were no "flip up" seat. Our Bayliner doesn't have the flip up seat. 1) Do the...
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