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  1. K

    Open Bow Boat Sleeping ideas

    I've also been plotting sleeping in my bowrider this year. I plan to take the snap-on bow and cockpit covers and just attach them overnight. I won't be able to get the cockpit cover completely snapped at the back because I will need to get back under it but it should be good enough.
  2. K

    DuoProp choice ?

    I would also vote for the lower pitched set. I would guess the dealer tested with just a driver, possible a second person. When you operate the boat it sounds like you might have a family or tow on board plus toys, cooler full of drinks, etc. This makes the boat heavier and which could possible...
  3. K

    Looking for first boat

    We're a family of 5 and generally go boating with another family of 3 to 6 people. This is on a 23' bowrider. So we're generally at 4 adults and 4 to 7 kids. It's a little tight but not bad. I used to do the same thing on a 21' bowrider, that was cramped. If you're talking about 8 adults then...
  4. K

    Looking for first boat

    What are you going to use it for? Cruising, water sports, fishing, etc.? At that price it will be a well used boat. In that case the condition of the boat, how it's been maintained, etc. will matter a lot more than the brand. Do you have someone you know who is knowledgeable about boats that can...
  5. K

    Opinions on shop's quoted Bravo 3 maintenance cost

    Thanks everyone. It sounds like it may be a bit high but not too bad. I can live with that. As for doing it myself I just don't have the time to mess with it. I run my own business 50 to 60 hours a week and try to help my wife with our 3 young children when I'm not working. When I manage some...
  6. K

    Opinions on shop's quoted Bravo 3 maintenance cost

    I don't think it's a more expensive area. The shop is at Lake Anna, VA. I live about 100 miles west of their toward the mountains so they're really the "closest" marine mechanic. It's not like I'm near the beach or something where there's a ton of shops to pick from. I don't mind slightly high...
  7. K

    Opinions on shop's quoted Bravo 3 maintenance cost

    I just took my 2004 Rinker to a mechanic for some winter maintenance for next season. The boat has a 350 mag and a B3. i'v never paid for maintneance on a Bravo setup before; my last boat was an Alpha. It's on my trailer in their yard. They are located right on a lake. It's a shop that has been...
  8. K

    Generac Generator 17kw Guardian Series- runs constantly

    You're right, fuses don't just go bad. It's hard to say what may have happened. A mouse or squirrel chewing up some wires, a wiring harness abrading on a vibrating engine edge, a shorted out control board somewhere, etc.
  9. K

    Is my 77 Inline 6, 250 CID, 165 HP a GMC or a GM Chevy

    GMC and Chevy trucks are made in the same factory on the same assembly line with the same parts. They make one "brand" one day and the other "brand" the next. I once worked for a company that had a 90's truck with a Chevy badge on one fender and a GMC badge on the other fender. They said they...
  10. K

    Proper Engine Oil Level

    I chased this same issue a couple years ago on my '04 Mag 350. I could fine sources listing anywhere from 4 to 6 quarts for the same engine. I typically run it about 6 quarts which actually reads to much on the stick. I figure too much is better than too little. I've had no problems in 3 years...
  11. K

    Generac Generator 17kw Guardian Series- runs constantly

    I agree. There are 2 fuses in the transfer switch, one for each phase. If either one is blown the generator thinks there's a power outage. Check for 240v AC leaving the fuse block. You may have 3 fuses, one of them is probably for a block heater or battery charger.
  12. K

    First time buyer

    Back before COVID raised the prices of boats I'd say that's a high price. I sold a 20' 1997 Larsen with a 5.7L V8 back in 2015. It was also in good shape with a trailer, bimini top, and decent stereo. I sold it for $8,500. Now days, who knows on the price. People are paying crazy money for...
  13. K

    Potential Purchase of a Rinker.. Thoughts?

    I wouldn't buy a boat, particularly one that old, with out running it in the water. After you're done just pull the drain plugs out of the engine and tow it home. All the movement of the boat during the trip will help get any trapped water out of the block; it will probably be even more...
  14. K

    Bowrider

    We're a family of 5 and often take another family of from 3 to 6 with us on the boat for the day. This typically gives us 4 adults and from 4 to 7 children. We have a Rinker 232 with a 300 hp Mercruiser 350 mag. It's a crowded boat for sure but we have a good time. The engine is powerful enough...
  15. K

    Should I remove the batteries from the boat when I charge them?

    Why bother charging them? I leave mine in the boat all winter with the battery switch off. It always starts in the spring.
  16. K

    Looking for a bigger boat....

    It's hard to get 10% tongue weight on most boat trailers because the weight of a boat is in the back: engine, drive, widest part of the hull. I seem to end up with around 5% tongue weight and I've had no sway issues at all. Assuming you're towing 6,500 pounds you might have around 600 pounds...
  17. K

    New 205ss crownline-is 200 HP enough?

    I'd get the largest engine offered. I had a 21' Larson bowrider with a 210 HP V8. It did okay, not impressive, just okay. We had a lot of fun with that boat for 10 years. They typical load was 45 gallons of fuel, 4 adults, 6 kids, pulling a tube or two. My current boat is 2 feet longer and has...
  18. K

    Any reason to pull the lower unit of a B3 each year for winterizing or maintenance?

    I read a lot about various winterizing techniques for sterndrives. Many people say to pull the lower unit every year to check and lubricate various things. These seem to be mostly for Alpha drives to service the impeller. My 2004 Rinker has a Mag 350 with a B3 drive so there's no impeller in it...
  19. K

    Mercruiser Mag 350 temporary no start

    I've got a 2004 Rinker bowrider with a Mercruiser Mag 350 and a B3. I've had it 3 seasons now and it's run flawlessly. Today we launched and ran a ways out in the lake then shut the engine down to swim a while. When I tried to restart the boat it would crank but not fire. After 3 or 4 attempts I...
  20. K

    Replacing snaps for the boat cover

    I bought a new to me boat last year; it is 15 years old. It's hard to tell how many times the snaps for the bow and cockpit covers have been on and off in that time. I'm wondering if they are getting weak. I can't trailer this thing down the highway for any distance and the snaps all across the...
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