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  1. rs2k

    Boating in heavy chop. 28' Cabin Cruiser

    I've always though that you should take waves and heavy chop on at a 45 degree angle. I was boating in about 30 MPH winds and 2 - 2.5 feet breaking waves/chop about a week ago and found that the boats runs pretty darn normal when just taking them on head on or tail on. If I take them at 90...
  2. rs2k

    Trailer doesn't have a title, tag or registration. Opinions?

    The previous owner of my boat and trailer had the trailer for 10 years without ever having it titled. I do not know if the owner before that ever had it titled, but I don't believe that person is still alive so I don't think it really matters. Because of the weight of the boat, this trailer...
  3. rs2k

    Should I replace or fix my trailer brakes?

    One of my trailer's hydraulic drum brakes layed down a smoke screen on the say to the lake. I believe it is a bad brake cylinder. Any idea on if these parts are somewhat universal? I have surge brakes now, but would it be worth changing the system to electric? By the time I replace all the old...
  4. rs2k

    Trailer bunk bolts

    I boat my boat in a slip for the week so I can fix up the trailer. First of all, the bottom bunks on the trailer have broken bolts. They bolt are about 1 inch think, 8 inches tall and end in a plate that the wood bunks attach to. Does anyone know where I can get these?
  5. rs2k

    Fuel filters take about 2 minutes to clog up. Any ideas?

    I took out my 100 gallon aluminum tank to clean it the other day because I noticed fuel filter would clog up after only a few hours of use. I power washed and soaped the inside of the tank and was able to get out a boat load of crud. I kept filling and emptying the tank with soapy water until I...
  6. rs2k

    Does anyone know where I could have a top like this made for my boat?

    My boat looks just like the one in the picture. This top would be great to have on a cool sunny day.... or maybe on a hot sunny day with the A/C on.
  7. rs2k

    Bimini top + convertable top or two bimini tops for my CC? Opinions?

    Any thoughts on how to best cover a 12 x 8 foot deck that will be used for fishing on a cabin cruiser? Right now I have a convertible top that works only covers about 5 feet of the deck right over the cockpit. The problem with this top is that you cannot stand up fully straight under it and...
  8. rs2k

    4 blade prop vs larger diameter 3 blade prop with same pitch.

    What's the difference between using a 4 blade prop and a 3 blade prop with the same pitch assuming both props produce the same WOT RPM on a random engine and boat. On an airplane the 3 blade prop would perform better in nearly every way. The only reason you would want to add a blade on an...
  9. rs2k

    Repropping my cabin cruiser.

    I have a question about re-propping my twin engine cabin cruiser. I have a 28 foot twin Chevy 350 260HP stringer powered cabin cruiser that weighs around 6000 lbs with an RPM limit of 4600 RPM and suggested WOT range of 4200 - 4600 RPM. Right now I can only get 3850 RPM and 44.5 MPH GPS...
  10. rs2k

    RPM vs percentage of engine power for cruise speed.

    This thread was originally a question about re-propping my cabin cruiser, but I turned it into a more general question about percentage of engine power vs cruise RPM I have for a while considered 3500 RPM to be a high speed cruise and 3000 RPM to be a reasonable "long engine life" cruise speed...
  11. rs2k

    What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

    Please take a look at the two diagrams. What's the proper way to approach side 1, side 2, and trailer 3 with the wind indicated in diagram 1? What about diagram number 2? I have a 28' twin engine cabin cruiser and have had some difficulty docking and loading it in high wind. With a high...
  12. rs2k

    Can I use aircraft aluminium to build a fishing arch on a boat?

    If memory serves me right I can choose from 5052 and 6061 alloy aluminum tubing from a local metal scrap yard. I am fairly handing when it comes to working with aluminum tubing. Is it OK to use this alloy on a boat that will see salt water use? I do not have access to anything that can weld...
  13. rs2k

    Smart tabs ST1610 or Bennett trim tabs for 28' twin engine cabin cruiser.

    I have not decided what kind of trim tab system I want to put on my boat. My main goal for using trim tabs are for slower plane speeds and bow drop at higher speed displacement speeds. I also like the idea of automatic trim tabs. My cruiser probably weighs around 6500 lbs or so and is powered by...
  14. rs2k

    Hard and sloppy shifting on OMC 800 stringer.

    This shifting problem has made for some embarrassing moments at the dock. The problem is that it is hard to shift into reverse on the outdrives and neutral tends to move past the correct neutral point on the shift converter. I have to go past the neutral detent on the remote control to put it...
  15. rs2k

    Is there an easier way to load a tri-hull?

    I have always had difficulty loading my tri-hull boats. I took my 28' twin engine cabin cruiser out for the first time this weekend and the thing just glides into the trailer. This is the first time I've loaded a vee-hull, all my other boats have been tri-hulls. With the tri-hulls you have to be...
  16. rs2k

    What size trim tabs do I need for my 28' twin Chevy 350 Cabin Cruiser

    I am guessing the boat weighs between 6000 and 7500 lbs with fuel and people. Boat is 28 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. I have a list while under way and could use more bow trim while on a slow plane.
  17. rs2k

    Is it ok to run a twin engine cruiser on one engine.

    Is there a problem running a sport cruiser on just one engine for extended trolling? The cruiser has OMC stringers, so just about the entire unused out drive will lift out of the water. The only real problem I see is that only the port engine has the only power steering pump.
  18. rs2k

    Marine toilet with storage and masticator. Will a locked (non-y) valve be enough?

    My marine toilet has about a 5 - 10 gallon storage tank built in directly under the toilet, after that is a manual masticator pump that leads directly overboard. By manual I mean that there is no automatic switch. The masticator is operated by a separate switch in the cabin, not in the bathroom...
  19. rs2k

    Does it take much effort to turn a rudder on an inboard engine boat?

    I know how much effort it takes to turn a stern drive, but I can't imagine a rudder being very difficult to turn. I assume the difficulty would increase as speed increased unless the rudder was hydrodynamically counterbalanced. Do inboard boats ever use power steering systems for a rudder?
  20. rs2k

    Twin engine 28' Cabin cruiser with 2 standard rotation I/Os

    MY 28' cabin cruiser has two standard rotation Chevy 350s and two right hand props. How will this boat handle differently than a boat with one standard and one reverse rotation engine?
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