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  1. JimS123

    New Guy Looking For Advice on Bow Rider Brands

    We are in our 3rd month with our 2019 190 SPX OB. We upgraded to the 150 HP and had the dealer rebuild the trailer into an all roller model. I also added a lot of custom features myself. To say we are delighted would be an understatement. IMHO, what sets the SPX apart from the other...
  2. JimS123

    Battery Not Charging

    2017 Mercury 60 HP 4-stroke Command Thrust. Mercury Vessel View Mobile also installed. The weather has been awful and just got her in the water today. Everything ran fine but on the way home I noticed on my VV readout that the voltage was only 12.2. I assume it should be 14 or so if the engine...
  3. JimS123

    Coupler Problem

    OK, forgive my poor terminology - I never had brakes before. It's a Dexter. The pin I'm talking about keeps the latch from retracting and thus keeps the coupler on the ball. The oem pin is 5/16" OD. The locking pin is 9/32, so its thinner to begin with, plus its strength is compromised with...
  4. JimS123

    Coupler Problem

    Brand new trailer, 3rd time on the highway. First time I ever owned a trailer with brakes. I replaced the oem pin that goes thru the coupler with a locking pin. The oem is solid, the locking pin has grooves every so often to accomodate different coupler widths. When I unhitched today the pin...
  5. JimS123

    Tongue Weight - Insight or Folly?

    My buddy called to tell me his new trailer was fishtailing, so I went over to take a look. The boat was set up perfectly on the bunks and rollers, so we agreed that moving the axle was what was needed. As we were standing there deciding how to proceed, the wife came out and said "why not just...
  6. JimS123

    Tring to find a Hold Open bracket for a walk-through window.

    Yes, dats what were talkin bout. Never saw a boat that didn't have latches to keep her closed. I just took my cover off and snapped a pic of the current style of bracket. It locks in place, and requires a push of the knob to release it. Once again, its a TaylorMade 'Shield, but probably a...
  7. JimS123

    I’m building a boat from scratch

    Awesome endeavor. I'll be following your progress. My venture into boating began the same way, although in a much smaller scale. The pic below shows the near-completed hull just before flipping it. The other pic was the day we launched her. My ribs, keel and keelson were white oak. Hull...
  8. JimS123

    Rod holders turned out?

    They were probably mounted that way because if they stuck outboard they would hit the dock and / or people walking by when you were docked. Regardless, my Stingray had Perko mounts, but they were not mounted directly to the fiberglass gunnels, but rather onto a teak block, which was mounted to...
  9. JimS123

    Buffalonians dont care bout no ice or snow...

    Today was the first day of the local boat show. I guess he bought one this morning and had to start the warranty period. Although my wife said he just HAD to go fishing. The Niagara River has good catches in the winter. A front end loader cleared the ramp. Two guys were on the swim platform...
  10. JimS123

    Additional Items for Kicker motor with Mercury Verado 4 Stroke

    IBoats sells them right here. You need to google "ball joints". https://www.iboats.com/shop/seastar-...all-joint.html Here's my Whaler's setup - the pic does not show great detail, but you should be able to get the idea. In this case, both motors were on the same level. My Searay has quite a...
  11. JimS123

    Optimizing The Prop

    Brand new Mercury 150 4-stroke outboard. Black Max aluminum 14.5x19 prop. 19' Bowrider - 3000 lbs wet. RPMs near max spec, hole shot good, speed good, no complaints. So what's the issue? Nothing - just want a SS prop for betteer durability. (haven't run alum in 40 years) I guess more stern...
  12. JimS123

    Main motor up or down while trolling with kicker

    It has to be down. You need the extra rudder to keep the boat steering correctly. We have been trolling with downriggers for salmon for 25 years. In our case the main was an I/O, so up or down was a moot point. Playing the fish without tangling both outdrives is an art. With 2 downriggers that...
  13. JimS123

    Spare Tire Mount

    The whole trailer can be stolen too if they really want it...LOL. They'll come prepared with a lug wrench. Two trailers sitting side by side they'll pass over the one needing a bolt cutter and first go after the one that only has nuts. This is on IBoats. Only need to add a padlock. It's the...
  14. JimS123

    flooring,vinyl or carpet?

    I've answered these posts before, but now I have new info, so I'll post my new thoughts. A carpet is the LAST thing I would ever have in a boat. Uggghhh. Also, my boat is supposed to look like a boat, not the bed of a pickemup truck, so Rhinoliner is a double uuggghhh. We've had Marideck and...
  15. JimS123

    Sea Star Hydraulic Steering

    We just took delivery of a new outboard SeaRay runabout equipped with a 150 Merc 4-stroke and hydraulic steering. I've had all sorts of systems in the past but this is my first hydraulic. No documentation came with the boat. There is a port on the dash capped with a rubber plug, presumably for...
  16. JimS123

    Winterization Cost

    What's the going rate for a Mercruiser 6.2 liter? That would include draining the water, outdrive service (oil), engine oil, plus check fuel water separator and any other normal annual checks and services.
  17. JimS123

    B.O.A.T - aka, The Cost of Boat Ownership

    You often hear people whine “if you have a boat you must be rich”. Surely, people with 60’ yachts might be well off, but I recently read a statistic that the vast majority of private boats are kept on trailers. I would consider a 19’ I/O Bowrider to be somewhat representative of an “average”...
  18. JimS123

    Worst Captain ever?

    Winch it all the way, no problem. Over the years 2 trailers I bought new had straps that would not reach the back of the trailer, but when I complained to the manufacturer they sent me an extra long replacement. This is the best pic I have. The trailer is backed in so the last roller just...
  19. JimS123

    Prop "Corrosion"?

    Just came back from a 7 day vacation. The boat was in the water the whole time, on floating docks with power and water. Mercury 4-stroke with a Vengeance SS prop. My zincs showed a lot of corrosion. This was the second Summer at the same location. Last year no problems. My issue is the...
  20. JimS123

    SS Prop Recomendation

    Looking at a new 19' bowrider equipped with a 150 HP Mercury 4 stroke. The rig dry weight is about 2750. Std prop is a black max. Don't ever want to run an aluminum prop again. It's been a long time since I upgraded, so prop technology has escaped me. 99% usage is with 2 people, sometimes...
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