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    Lake Winnebago (Wisconsin) Question

    I’m towing my Ranger Tug to Oshkosh for the EAA Convention and Airshow this July. I will slip it at Pioneer Marina. On Wednesday evening of show week, I want to cruise down to TJ’s for dinner and then on the way back, anchor out and watch the night airshow before returning to the marina. My...
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    Actions in Case of Marina Fire

    Here’s a link to the NTSB report on the January 2020 Scottsboro, AL fatal marina fire, a tragedy of epic proportions. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB2032.pdf A couple months ago, there was a similar fire at Green Turtle Bay Marina in Kentucky that, thankfully...
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    Replacing Water Circulating Pump Mercruiser 228R

    Water is dripping from the water circulating pump on the Mercruiser 228R installed in my 1983 Sea Ray SRV210. Time to replace it. It appears to be original. Engine serial #6726322. I’m going to start this project by bathing the mounting bolts with PB Blaster over several days in hopes that...
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    V-P 5.0 GXiB Belt Tensioner Issue

    To release pressure on the serpentine belt for removal, I used a 3/8” ratchet in the square hole on the belt tensioner that’s designed to facilitate rotating the tensioner for belt removal. During that process, the metal flange in which the square hole is stamped broke before I could get the...
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    5.0 GXiB Electric Fuel Pump Not Running

    The electric fuel pump on the Volvo-Penta 5.0 GXiB installed on my 2002 Four Winns 214 deckboat is not running. Of course, the engine will not start. I’ve had the boat 12 years and it has always started instantly and run well. Yesterday was the first time we’ve had the boat on the water this...
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    Tire Temps

    A few weeks back, I towed my 27’ Ranger Tug on a tandem axle trailer to Florida and back, 1,050 miles one way. The boat on the trailer with fuel and equipment is 10,500 pounds. The trailer was level. The front two tires ran about 20° hotter (120° vs 100°) than the rear two. There’s not any...
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    Generator Battery Wiring- Crownline 270CR

    My dock neighbor is a skilled physician, but knows almost nothing about the systems on his neglected boat that he has owned for three seasons. I rarely see him, but the other day he showed up and I attempted to help him understand some basics. He tried starting the Kohler generator, but the...
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    Stolen Boat

    My 2002 Four Winns deckboat was stolen from the locked storage building at our small farm property in western Kentucky. The State Police have all the appropriate numbers. The property hasn?t been touched in the 20 years since my mother-in-law died. We do not live on the property. Neighbors...
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    Securing Trailer Bunk With Lag Screw Instead of Carriage Bolt

    I'm replacing a bunk on a trailer for a 9,000lb boat. The lumber is an odd size, 3"x4", that I couldn't source locally. I called the manufacturer and they had the bunk I needed, all carpeted, but without the carriage bolts installed. If I have to drill the bunk, countersink, and install the...
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    Merc 228R Missing When Hot Under Load

    Engine: 1984 Merc 228R Serial #6726322 Thunderbolt IV Ignition I've owned this boat 11 years and it's never let me down in over 2,000 miles of river and lake cruising. A few nights ago coming in from a Kentucky Lake sunset cruise, the engine started to stumble and miss. The missing was...
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    Gas/Diesel Comparison

    I replaced my 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500, 5.3L 6-speed, 3.42 rear end with a 2014 Silverado 2500 HD 6.6L diesel 6-Speed Allison, 3.73 rear end. Both trucks factory equipped with typical tow package. One of my boats is a 5,000lb on trailer Sea Ray cuddy. The 1500 pulled it just fine, but with...
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    Let's Talk Truck Bed Covers

    I need a cover for the bed of my 2014 Silverado 2500HD. I've had Undercover one-piece hard tonneau covers on two previous Silverados and want try something different. My mission for the cover is to keep dry and out of view what I have in the bed. What cover do you have and what do you like or...
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    Yanmar 4BY2 Survey

    I've put a deposit on a Ranger Tug powered by a 180 hp Yanmar 4BY2. The owner is well-known in the Ranger Tug community for meticulous care of his vessel. None-the-less, I would like to have a technician evaluate the engine. It is five years-old and has about 925 hours. An oil sample is...
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    Air Helper Springs

    Yesterday, I took delivery of a certified pre-owned 2014 Chevy 2500HD diesel. In the glove box, I found documentation for Ride-Rite air helper springs that were installed by the previous owner. To be honest, I didn't notice them when I was looking at the truck and the dealer never mentioned...
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    Need F-250 Feedback

    I'm going to buy a Ranger Tug R27 in the next 3-12 months. To be ready for when I find the right boat and deal, I'm selling my 2011 Silverado 1/2 ton and buying a 3/4 ton diesel. A colleague has a 2014 F-250 Lariet 4-door with 65,000 miles that he may sell. I intend to tow the R27 on trips...
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    Sonic Rodent Repellent While Storing Boat

    For winter storage, I keep my deckboat in a metal storage building with a gravel floor at our small farm property 250 miles from our primary residence. I've never had a problem with mice getting into the boat until last year. They got in with a vengeance. Fortunately, the only real damage was...
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    Great Boating Season Stats

    Today, I finished winterizing my two boats- a 1984 21' Sea Ray cuddy and a 2002 21' Four Winns deckboat. All went smoothly. It was a great season. The weather and water conditions were nice all season. I keep a simple log on my iPhone and here are the numbers: Sea Ray- 63 hours on 29...
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    Corrosion Under Distributor Cap

    I'm replacing the cap and rotor on my 1984 Merc 228R with Thunderbolt 4. When I removed the distributor cap, I was surprised by the amount of surface corrosion on the distributor body (don't know if that's the correct parts term). See photo. How should I deal with it? In the same photo and...
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    Thunderbolt IV Cap & Rotor Change Interval

    How often should Thunderbolt IV cap & rotor be changed? Boat is used 50-75 hours per season on fresh water.
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    1984 Taylor Made Windshield Trim

    To check the integrity of the hardware fastening the bottom of windshield to foredeck, I pulled a piece of black plastic trim about 3/4" wide that runs the width of a section of the windshield on my 1984 Sea Ray cuddy. The trim covered the slot containing the fasteners at the bottom of the...
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