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I've not found it necessary to charge the single Interstate battery on our boat at all, the battery stores more than enough charge to start the Honda 50 and the alternator quickly replentishes any amp hours used. Unless you're in the tropics, dry cells is a sign of overcharging the battery. I...

Gary -- Thanks for the notes on the C70 vs 435i. I've not as yet seen either of these units side by side and was unaware of the slower refresh, etc., on the 435. The DS550 is mounted where it is so more than just the wheelsman can see the display. My driveway doesn't have 50 feed of water in...

Hutch -- Since I never intend to fit radar to our 16 Cruiser I'm looking at the Raymarine 435i GPS/chart plotter. These run ~$800 street price ready to place on the dashboard and run. Plus chart chips, of course! The 435i has a 6" diagonal screens (portrait oriented) (vs 6.5 landscape for...

I've been running a pair of GPS receivers in the cabin with NO external antenna. Non is needed. One less cable to run. One less hole in the ceiling. -- Chuck

The Raymarine A and C series plotters I've looked at over the past year and a half use the Navionics CF chart chips exclusively. -- Chuck

I'll be sure to post photos and notes, but we don't even come out of the barn until early April :( . Doubtful I'll be able to get in the water to determine just where that grab rail should until a month or so after that. Falling in is one thing. Jumping is is something else! -- Chuck

Lets just say I strongly disagree with putting weight in the bow to counterbalance motor weight in the stern. Weight in the bow adds momentum creating a motion called hobby horsing. This may be my over-reaction from decades of sailboats where keeping out of the ends of the boat (and top of...

My gut feeling is all chain is severely over anchorlined (new word) and certainly overweight on a lightweight boat like this. Plus it's going to put a lot of weight in the tip of the bow which coupled the the weight of the engines at the stern will cause the boat to hobbyhorse. The Hondas...

I've been planning to install a grab bar on the step or in the splash well to provide a handhold. The grab bar on each side of the cabin bulkhead appear to be just the right size and are a stock item. Exactly where to put the bar(s) I've not yet worked out. -- Chuck

The Raymarine plotters use Navionic CF cards storing an astounding amount of data. They also cover regions, like the Ohio River, that no other product covers. -- Chuck

Other than the peak torque and peak HP points there are no "curves" available for these two engines. I've written Honda to get this data and they refer me to "my dealer" who, of course, doesn't have the data either! The 40 develops it's maximum torque at a lower rpm than the 50's maximum...

I'm not telling the Fair Board! :wink -- Chuck

The fairgrounds measures mine every year for inside winter storage charges. 19' is the figure they use. Boat on the trailer, motor down. Length isn't the issue, it's height. At least at home. My 19' pop up camper has been in the garage several times, but she's much lower. -- Chuck

Nick -- Look at the Raymarine 435 GPS Plotter rather than the Garmin units. The 435 uses Navionics charts on Compact Flash (CF) cards. Two of these cards cover all of the Great Lakes and one covers the part near us. In addition the Navionics CFs are the only charts I can find which cover the...

Listen to Daddy, boys: If the deal seems too good to be true it probably is. -- Chuck

I'm the guy who justified the single engine by saying he'd flown single engine planes for 20 years without problems. 8) Few twins can fly on only one engine with less than a super pilot on board, the extra engine isn't a spare. A set of twin 25s on my 16 Cruiser would look very yachtie...

Twin engines are not always a better idea as they have twice the potential to break down leaving you with only one. Unless you strike something just under the water and you'll probably scrap both wheels as they're so close together. Then you have none. Larger engines usually experience less...

Nick -- I finally found Sill's Motor Sales in the phone book and know exactly where they are. They're not listed as a marine engine dealer on the Honda Marine website, but I'm gonna drive by and check. Amelia Anne almost came from Cutter Marine, but Door County Boat Works was almost $2000...

Nick -- Does Cutter have the boat in stock, or are you going to order it from them? I'm just trying to get an idea how soon to drive down to Norton to see the "new baby!" -- Chuck

Line of sight isn't going to vary much mounting the antenna anywhere on the boat, there's not much height available. A shorter 3dB antenna has a very wide power radiation pattern, a 6dB (or greater) has a very narrow band and will direct most of its power into the sea or sky with any angle of...