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  1. Captain Caveman

    Author with research question about boats

    I have a 12ft 1979 Starcraft without any floatation....just wooden bench seats. If I pull the plug or forget to put it in, that boat is sinking to the bottom. I suppose that it probably had floatation in a rear bench seat at one point but a previous owner must have ripped it out. Old boats are...
  2. Captain Caveman

    Sell Electronics With Boat or Separately?

    I haven't sold much boating stuff, but when I upgraded from my old Minnkota 40lb trolling motor with the footpedal, I put it on C-list. This was three years ago and that trolling motor was already 10+yrs old. I was going to list it for $50, saw others listed for more and put it up for $150. I...
  3. Captain Caveman

    2 cycle stored for 20 years

    Pour some fresh 2-stroke gas in the tank and fire it up! It will burn off the oil in the cylinders. The only thing that I would do prior to firing it up is drop the lower unit and replace the impeller. The rubber has probably dried by now.
  4. Captain Caveman

    Bow plowing at high speed.

    Keep the trim all the way in when getting on plane. Once the boat is on plane, trim the motor out/up until you can hear the prop breaking the surface, then trim it back in a little. The steering will be swirly and a just of wind can blow you off course, but it should pull the bow up. My 2008...
  5. Captain Caveman

    Lower Unit Question

    It could be several things: 1. Muffs not on correctly 2. Not enough water coming out of the muffs 3. Tell tale (pee hole) plugged with debris 4. Impeller / water pump not working correctly I listed them in order of easy to hard to check and correct. Good luck.
  6. Captain Caveman

    Great time to sell a used boat.

    We bought our 1950s rambler in 2009 when the market bottomed out for $175k, it had been originally listed for $240k pre-Great Recession. My wife has "the bug" again and we just looked at a 1970s house in a nice neighborhood. We figured it was in the $400k-$500k range. Nope, she hasn't even...
  7. Captain Caveman

    Two year old fuel

    I'm with Scott. If it is still fuel then run it. I don't use Seafoam for anything anymore. If it smells like varnish, pump it all out and find a proper way of disposing of it that does not involve dumping it into the water or ground. To be perfectly honest, I would certainly be concerned about...
  8. Captain Caveman

    Two year old fuel

    Wow! 237 gallons of gas is a lot. Did you purchase a freighter?? Siphon some out into a gas can and give it the sniff test. If it smells like gas, then follow your plan to run it out. If it is iffy you can certainly add some fresh gas to dilute it.
  9. Captain Caveman

    Why do deep cycle batteries seem to lose charge so quick?

    I used to pull the batteries and store them in my basement. Now I just disconnect all three batteries and leave them in the boat for the winter. My starter battery is 12 years old and going strong. The two deep cycles are about 3 years old, so the originals lasted 9 years.
  10. Captain Caveman

    Buying a boat that’s sat for 5 years

    Congrats and good luck. It sounds like you found a decent one. My first and only house came the same way. It had the contract from Sears when it was built in the 1950s, and every receipt from all of the work the lady had done on it ever since. Enjoy your new ride.
  11. Captain Caveman

    Buying a boat that’s sat for 5 years

    It sounds like were are all telling you that it's a money pit. You are trying to convince us why you should buy it. You are going to win this argument. I am with everyone else, having bought enough boats, that this boat is going to cost you a lot more than you think and is not anywhere close to...
  12. Captain Caveman

    Anyone use synthetic nylon winch cable? Or anything besides steel?

    I am another strap guy. You can't really go wrong with them for a boat your size, and they are easier to deal with than steel cables. I have a mining winch at my cabin and a winch on my ATV both still using steel cables. I wish that they were straps too!
  13. Captain Caveman

    RPMs too high?

    Race car engines don't last more than a couple of races either!
  14. Captain Caveman

    Minimum MPH Boat/Motor?

    I'm sure that a trolling motor would work well as well. I have a 90hp on my 16' Alumacraft. If I can't troll down slow enough, I drop in the trolling motor. When I'm fishing spring lakers in the BWCA out of a canoe, I don't have any electronics. I just have my pole between my legs and a paddle...
  15. Captain Caveman

    RPMs too high?

    Exactly! I have two props for my boat. It's good to have a spare on the rocky lakes that I boat. More importantly, the stock prop is perfectly matched for the boat & motor and maxes out top-end speed right at the top of my RPM band. My other prop steps down so that I can pop water skiers /...
  16. Captain Caveman

    Bought a new boat..loooads of questions LOL

    It sounds like you haven't completed the sale yet (pending sea trial), so best advice is to just ask the seller how some of these things work. Some people couldn't be bothered to give you the time of day. Others like myself are happy to answer any questions and generally start you out on the...
  17. Captain Caveman

    Best Way to get a title

    I feel for you, but the fact remains that the second owner (friend, family, or foe) needs to either do the work or give your money back. His laziness (both at the first sale and now the second...is your pain. We haven't even touched the money pit aspect of third-hand houseboats, but that is a...
  18. Captain Caveman

    Open Bow Boat Sleeping ideas

    I don't know what equipment you've got or the money at your disposal, but a small 1-man or 2-man tent would probably fit in your bow. That would keep the spray and or rain off of you. Just make sure to tie it down so that a gust of wind doesn't blow it away. This tent is only $80 and has a...
  19. Captain Caveman

    Best Way to get a title

    I would give the boat back to second owner, get money back, and tell him to notify you when he/she actually owns the boat and has the legal right to sell it. If you don't have the legal title, you don't own it. You just gave money to somebody without any security. My first "big" boat for me was...
  20. Captain Caveman

    Battery Straps?

    It could be that he's crashing through the big waves a lot more than you and me. I've never even thought about the straps holding down my three batteries, and have flown from wavetop-to-wavetop quite a few times.
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