Recent content by thataway

Check and clean all grounds as well as positive terminals. Often when we change batteries, itis some minor "glitch" like this.

Just to be clear: is the port tilt and trim leaking to allow the engine to go from all of the way up at trailering position, and then dropping down, which pulls the steering cylinder "out", and when you raise it up, then the engines. are out of alignment? The "ideal" trim of the catamaran...

Another factor I have seen, is with ethanol laced gasoline leaking out of the bottom of the tank over a peroid of time, it will eventualy disolve the polyester resin. I am aware of several boats where this has occured. Concurr with the difficulty of scoping the tank. Even with the later...

Colby: Ssobol: Colby's initial post seemed to infer some type of Nyloc nut. If used more than once, or heated, then they are not as good as a regular nut, especially on a trailer, subject to lots of miles, as Colby's trailers are. Many Nyloc type nuts have fewer threads in the nut. The...

I used a "Mighty Dry" (no longer made--similar units for marine use are expensive) which had a compressor and coils dehumidifier, all Stainless Steel and bronze etc--Expenisve, and I sold both of the units we had (RV and Boat) when the last of those were sold. They drained overboard via the...

If you connect the "auto" to the battery, it has to be properly fused, and I prefer some type of "on/off" switch. Usually on the C Dory all three wires for each bilge pump to to the switch at the console. I wonder why people insist on calling a "Bilge Pump" "the bilge"? It is a very common...

The majority of the chain gypsy's of the 700 are 1/4" G4--commonly known as "Hi Test" or "High Tensile" The gypsy is calibrated for a specific chain link length and diameter. It should have "G4" stamped on the links.

There is a pretty good chance that the original wiring was only two wires to the helm. I would hook up the wiring as you have it to one side of the 3 way switch. Then run a new wire from the manual wire on the pump. You will wire tie these new wires to the current bundle. Always leave a...

We did the inland passage to AK 4x in 4 years in the Cal 46. We sailed over 50% of the distance. We had rollerfuringon the 150% genoa and a sock on the cruising spinaker. All sail controls led to the center cockpit, so hoisting or dousing sail was easy and fast. One finds that the the...

You always want to isolate your electronics from the engine starting battery to avoid spikes, low voltages etc during the starting phase from damaging (or having to reset the the auto pilot or worse. You want the house battery to be isolated from the engine start during loads, and the ACR...

The problem with all chain is the weight. In the PNW, there are reasonably high tides. As you go further North, the tides become very large (25')--so you have to account of the depth, up to 100 feet. Even in my large boats (up to 62' LOA), I only carried 200 feet of HT chain on each of the...

Excellent. Much better than when the boat was new.

The covers I have pruchased from Angola are better finished than those from King that I have owned. I have aso seen some good covers from King. It depends on the Seamster/tress. If you have basic canvas working skils it can help in the design and effectiveness of the cover. There is another...

John has some good advice, but I would disagree with the "dangers" in the two areas noted. Tombigbee Waterway to Gulf Coast Waterway: All of this is very relative to experience and tolerance for marine traffic, currents etc. We don't consider Mobile, its Bay, or even the ICW both around...

I have handled the insurance, by either getting a rider on my policy--and charging the renter, or telling the rentor to show proof my item was covered by their insurance, or a separate policy. I used this on the RV I was renting as a business, and the couple of times I let trusted people use my...