2 general boating questions

[mercerfisherman]

I have two general boating questions: 1. Is it ok to leave your wires hooked up to your battery if storing your boat for only a couple of weeks? 2. The black rubber on my tilt and trim hoses are getting old, cracked and brittle. The white mesh underneath appears to be fine. I have wound and wrapped all suspect hoses lightly in friction tape. My tilt and trim continue to work great. Exactly what purpose do those outer black rubber hoses serve? To maintain a certain amount of pressure in the line? To protect against the elements? To keep the white mesh from bursting? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: 2 general boating questions

As long as you don't have any amperage draw on your battery, leaving the wires connected will be fine. A battery switch is a great thing to have though. The outer rubber on your pressure lines is basically the outer layer of the hose, the white mesh you describe is the fiber winding that keeps the inner hose stable, the outer layer protects the middle layer from wear and the elements. Your hose will eventually develop a leak. You can use them as they are for a while, but it is time to start searching for replacements.