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  1. J

    Would longer bunks be beneficial?

    17' Whaler on a trailer with bunks. The bunks and the support brackets will have to all be replaced soon. It seems the bunks should be longer. Most of the boat is sitting on the keel on the solid rubber spool rollers. When the time comes to replace them, would longer bunks be worth installing?
  2. J

    Whaler front well question

    1985 17' Boston Whaler. The bottom of the front well has a round "cut out" which appears to be factory stock as its clean and need. It's as if they just didn't fiberglass over this round spot. Anyone know what this would have been for? The base for a seat post? Although not sure why it would be...
  3. J

    Should outboard be sitting on transom top?

    Have a friend who just got a late 80s Whaler with a late 90s Honda 90. The engine is of course bolted to the transom but it sits above the top of the transom. There is a good two inches of clearance between the motor and the transom top. Should this be a source of concern? Or is this normal...
  4. J

    how to remove this coaming pad button

    Trying to remove my coaming pads to fix the vinyl. Thought they were of the button style since that's what is on the lower pads. Tried to pop one off and its not a button. And bent it nicely in the process. with the vinyl "button" removed there is a square piece left with a round piece in the...
  5. J

    Water spots deep in gel coat

    Decided to put some effort into restoring the original color of the hull on my 87 StarCraft. Bought a Porter Cable random orbit polisher, a Chemical Guys medium-heavy cutting pad, and a bottle of Meguiars #67 one step compound. Nice results on the fiberglass except I still have water spots. And...
  6. J

    Hull deflection while on trailer

    Was sitting on the stairs looking at the boat on the trailer and noticed that where the boat sits on one roller in particular the hull seems to have some flex in it. Its not a lot it seems (1/4" over a 15" straightedge maybe) but it made me wonder how much deflection (?) of the hull where it...
  7. J

    Mercruiser shifting - does this sound OK

    After having trouble with the drive going into forward gear, I went through the shift cable adjustment process several times using both the factory manual and a couple of the YouTube videos. I think I've got it as good as I can get it. However, there is a grinding "zing" sound going into...
  8. J

    shift cutout switch roller doesn't return to center when in reverse

    Hello, Mercruiser MCM 230 with Alpha One. Don't know how old the shift cables are. Engine stalls shifting into reverse. Went thorough the cable adjust process very carefully (I think) using both the manual and the excellent YouTube video from Chris. The result I get is the shift cutout switch...
  9. J

    Opinions on ladder placement on swim platform

    Re: Opinions on ladder placement on swim platform To close the loop in this thread, I ended up hanging the ladder off the side of the swim platform. The end of the platform is much sturdier as there is more under platform wood support, and of course the grain of the wood runs that way. Had to...
  10. J

    Opinions on ladder placement on swim platform

    Re: Opinions on ladder placement on swim platform the other challenge I am facing is that if I mount it in the traditional spot, it has to hang pretty far out in order for me to have both holes lined up with wood (1.5"; see photo). And one of the mounts will be into a 3/4" piece of teak (the...
  11. J

    added a swim platform to my 1987 Starcraft 1901S bow rider

    Re: added a swim platform to my 1987 Starcraft 1901S bow rider With the outdrive in the full up position there is about 4" of clearance. I initially thought the platform would be pretty high above the water, but when the kids are hanging out on the stern of the boat and jumping off the...
  12. J

    added a swim platform to my 1987 Starcraft 1901S bow rider

    Re: added a swim platform to my 1987 Starcraft 1901S bow rider Allow me to state here that going into this boat, I knew the model was nothing special and I didn't pay a lot for her, which allows me to be a little more liberal with my modifications. The floor is getting soft in some areas, the...
  13. J

    added a swim platform to my 1987 Starcraft 1901S bow rider

    Last year I purchased a boat for the primary purpose of towing to the local lakes to do some skiing and tubing, with an occasional ride out to Salem Harbor mixed in. The boat did not come with a swim platform, so the way to climb aboard after jumping in was via the outdrive. We all got good at...
  14. J

    Opinions on ladder placement on swim platform

    I just added a swim platform to my 1987 Starcraft fiberglass bow rider. I ordered a 4 step collapsible ladder online which arrived today. The issue now is where to mount the ladder. I'm looking for opinions. Here are the considerations. 1. the mounting supports are long, so the holes are...
  15. J

    how much of my Alpha 1 drive should I see under full power? Can't get proper speed.

    OK, here goes: 1987 Starcraft 19' bow rider with Mercruiser 5.0 230hp and Alpha 1. Tonight out in the harbor we have the throttle set so the motor is running about 2800 RPM and the best we can manage is about 23mph, when I figure we should have been around 30mph (based on past experience)...
  16. J

    Mercrusier 230 GM 305 no starter response, then it works fine

    1987 Mercruiser 230HP GM 305 I/O. New starter late last season. Today I'm on the lake and the motor is turning over but not starting so I pull the shifter out so I can work the throttle with it not in gear and I still can't get it to start. Turns over very well, plenty of battery power. Give...
  17. J

    swim platform width feedback please

    I am going to put a full-width teak swim platform on the back of my 19' 25 year old fiberglass Starcraft bow rider (the boat has an out drive). The transom is 84" wide. I haven't purchased anything yet, and will be picking up something used to match the used appearance of my boat and to keep...
  18. J

    pull engine to replace starter?

    Re: pull engine to replace starter? This is how you pull the starter on an '87 Starcraft 191s with the MerCruiser 230 HP GM 305 motor: lay on top of the engine and reach down under the engine. Thanks to 888 for that suggestion. After reading Don's last post which basically said 'don't be a...
  19. J

    pull engine to replace starter?

    Re: pull engine to replace starter? Scott, thanks for your reply. I would definitely not say there is plenty of room except perhaps for a contortionist! I can get my hand just past my wrist in the space. I had a professional whip up a cross section schematic of the setup. in any case...
  20. J

    pull engine to replace starter?

    Re: pull engine to replace starter? OK, here are the photos, in sequence (sorry you have to click to make large; couldn't figure out how to make the photos appear larger in the post). The biggest access issue is not the exhaust manifold, it is the stringer and the design of the well. I can...
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