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  1. ryno1234

    Replacing twin Bravo IIs

    My father picked up a 33' Formula (not sure the exact model). Powered by twin 7.4L MPI Mercruiser engines. It had Bravo II drives on it, but we no longer have the drives. So - we need two new drives to slap on the back of this and ideally want to do it affordably so I'm looking at all the...
  2. ryno1234

    Bearing Buddy dust cap "bra" coming off 1 hub while trailering

    I have Bearing Buddies on my trailer. 1 of them keeps blowing the dust cap (called a Bearing Buddy Bra) off. This is only happening on 1 of my 4 trailer hubs. This first happened last year and it blew grease all over my wheel. I didn't have a replacement cap so I just cleaned things up and...
  3. ryno1234

    Staying warm on boat in the winter

    I'm planning on being part of an upcoming lighted boat parade, however temps are likely going to be 50 degrees or so, quite cold in my opinion. We have full canvas (not sure of the proper term) where the cockpit area is fully enclosed, but what is the best way to stay warm? We have an...
  4. ryno1234

    Properly handling estuary, gotcha's etc.

    I'll be boating from Sacramento, CA to the Bay Area (Benicia, and possibly further if I feel comfortable). I've done this once before many years ago and recall when exiting the river and entering the estuary the waves became very large (in comparison to our 27ft boat at the time). It's almost...
  5. ryno1234

    Fuel efficiency for long-ish trip

    I'm planning a trip that will be about 80 miles each way (from Sacramento to the Bay Area). I'll be staying overnight and returning the following day. I'm looking to get the most out of my fuel, within reason. How do I find an "optimum" (or at least semi close) combination between speed and...
  6. ryno1234

    Wheel bearing grease "oozing"

    I have a dual axle trailer that I took late last year to have the bearings packed. The hubs have "bearing buddies". I notice on the rim of one of the wheels that there was some grease on it. I pulled off the bearing buddy cover and some grease fell out onto the rim. I also noticed some water in...
  7. ryno1234

    Weight distribution hitch didn't fit trailer rails

    I purchased a weight distribution hitch from Harbor Freight (https://www.harborfreight.com/10000-lb-capacity-weight-distributing-hitch-system-67649.html) After attempting to install it, I now know what I didn't know. I realize now I made a couple of mistakes: Mistake #1: I have surge brakes...
  8. ryno1234

    Swim platform refinishing and anti-slip / skid

    I have a swim deck that looks worn. I want to refinish it during the offseason. In looking at the swim deck closely, it appears that it was coated with some sort of shiny, thicker material. I'm not sure if that's epoxy, polyurethane, some or lacquer or what exactly. It's thick enough to where...
  9. ryno1234

    Winterizing indoor stored boat.

    My boat is stored in boat storage facility indoors. The facility is not heated, however it is closed up from the hours of 6pm - 9am. Additionally, I live in Northern California in the valley where it rarely hits below freezing overnight. My prior boat I never winterized and it was stored at the...
  10. ryno1234

    Using navigation lights with bow lights in unison.

    We've been doing a lot more night boating lately and I've come to really appreciate the need for a bow light so I can spot obstacles, etc. Assuming they give me the amount of light I'd want, they seem like a good option. When it comes to wiring, I imagine I could just splice them into my nav...
  11. ryno1234

    Lifting boat off trailer to repair bunk

    I have a bunk that, as of last night, decided to completely detach itself from the trailer while launching. I had to get in the water and sandwich the bunk between the boat and the trailer as someone pulled the boat out of the water. Needless to say, I need to repair this ASAP. I've picked up...
  12. ryno1234

    A ghost is stealing my anchors...

    Ok guys, I'm sure there is an explanation for this, but I have lost 2 of the exact same type of anchor both times I've used them... It has me in disbelief as both times I pulled up my rope with nothing attached to the other end of it. I've attached pictures of both the anchor and the rope with...
  13. ryno1234

    Bearing grease / water leaked out on rim

    I took the boat out to the lake over the weekend. After our outing, I parked the trailer and boat at the house overnight and the following morning I see that one of the bearings has the cover off of it and it has dripped a somewhat thing water / grease mix on rim and tire. It seemed much thinner...
  14. ryno1234

    One manifold hot (5.0)

    Just one of my manifolds becomes very hot to the touch. You'll definitely burn yourself if you left your hand there for 1-2 seconds. The other manifold is very warm to the touch, but it doesn't seem like it would burn you. The engine is NOT overheating. I did find what I believe was an exhaust...
  15. ryno1234

    Ability to use amenities with inverter

    My new-to-me boat has 3 batteries and a 1,100 watt inverter. The boat comes with a microwave, fridge, stove and outlets around the boat. I'm trying to figure out what is reasonable to use while not hooked up to shore power. I can imagine that the microwave and the stove are a no-go if you're...
  16. ryno1234

    Windlass struggling to pull rope

    I have a windlass that (as far as I know) is made to pull both rope and chain. My anchor is attached to a chain that then attaches to a long line of rope. The windlass will let out the line no problem, but upon pulling it back up the results are inconsistent. Usually it will begin pulling up...
  17. ryno1234

    Drive oil leaking onto new sterndrive / bellhousing gasket

    I'm reinstalling my stern drive after having it off for a bellows replacement. As I mate the drive unit on the mounting studs and wiggle it into place, the drive oil feed that comes out of the bellhousing gets depressed and oil starts to flow from it over my brand new gasket that sits between...
  18. ryno1234

    Keeping boat interior (carpeting / fabric) "nice"

    My new (to me) boat has snap-in carpeting that is lighter in color (light tan). I also have a cabin with fabric seats, headliner, etc. In my old boat, I had indoor / outdoor dark charcoal colored carpeting. Because of the color, you'd never be able to see any discoloration. Additionally, I did...
  19. ryno1234

    Smell from head / cabin area

    My new (to me) cuddy cabin has a smell coming from the cabin area. I cannot pinpoint it but I would guess it is coming from the head. The smell is strong "good" (floral?) fragrance that is overwhelming and somewhat chemical but it seems like it may be masking a bad smell that I can't quite...
  20. ryno1234

    Taking boat into salt / brackish water

    Just purchased a Maxum 2400 SCR. (single engine 5.0 with Mercruiser Alpha 1). I've always stayed within rivers / lakes, but have never traveled out into larger waters. With my new larger boat, I'd like push some limits of what I'm used to. Is there anything I should be concerned about with...
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