This makes no sense to me. The vehicle drive train and body are grounded. When you hook the trailer to the hitch the trailer becomes grounded too. A rusty hitch may cause a poor ground to the trailer or cause the trailer not to be grounded at all. . If that’s the case your trailer lights should...
Very bizarre post. Never heard of anyone complaining about a single safety chain getting hot. Don’t know what a rusty hitch or a ground problem would have to do with a warm safety chain. There ain’t no electricity going to the chains and if there was and they were heating up you’d blow a fuse in...
Most don’t realize this but cracks in heavy gauge aluminum boats are not that uncommon. I had a leaking 2 inch long crack in the bottom of my 19’ Alumaweld. The hull was guaranteed for life. I talked to the factory engineers and was told they tig weld the cracks and that it’s important to weld...
This^^^^. That is not a free boat, rather it will be a very very very expensive boat. And that’s even if it can be salvaged. And although it would absolutely have to be surveyed, that in itself is expensive. I am not familiar with that particular boat I can tell you in a 1969 era boat there is...
Lot of scammers out there and a lot of bad boy criminals out there. If at all possible meet the buyer at a police station in the parking lot or in front. Especially if it’s an item of value like electronics, jewelry and other items. I know of and have heard of numerous instances of people who...
Handling waves and rough water has a lot to do with the skill and experience of the boat operator/captain. Knowing what your boat can and can’t do is important too. A knowledgeable skilled operator knows how to adjust speed and throttle in rough water. Direction and how to approach waves. How...
I’ve been all over the world and I know that to a large extent it is treated as a giant toilet. That still doesn’t make it right or acceptable for anyone to dump sewage into bodies of water. However the shipping industry for the most part has very high standards. The cruise industry has the...
Even if it is legal is it the right thing to do to dump human feces and other waste into any body of water? I certainly would feel uncomfortable doing so. , and wouldn’t do it. I guess each individual to make that decision.
One other thing. A 4.5 hp on your boat is too small. It will run your boat 2 to 3 mph but only in perfect calm water. Most any breeze or wind will blow off course and blow you all over. Depending on wind velocity the kicker may not be able to correct your course. You’ll have the use the main...
I don’t really think a kicker is going to work on your boat. The “swim platform” on your boat sit pretty high. Too high for a kicker to work. You’ll need to fabricate a bracket that puts the motor closer to the water. Then steering is going to be a problem. You can’t tiller steer it due to...
Was there water in the oil you drained or was it just around the oil filter? If the oil you drained was milky then you may have a cracked block or blown head gasket. If only around the oil filter it may just be condensation.
What did the spark plugs look like? Were they clean burning? We’re...
Aint no reason to get physical. Just go to his house , tell him you’ve been wanting to finish a project but cant without the tools you loaned him and go from there. If he says he can’t find them , tell him you’ll just go out and buy replacement tools and you’ll bring the receipt by so he can...
I don’t get what the hesitancy is to simply go over to his house and get the tools. What’s the big deal in that? This modern tendency to text about everything rather than call on the phone or see someone in person boggles my mind. Just man up and go over to his house and tell him you need your...
The boat is 34 years old, repeat 34 years old. I assume it was inexpensive to purchase but it will end up being a very expensive to restore. I hope you have the knowledge, skills and expertise to do the work your self. Also hope you have the hundreds of hours of time to invest in the project.
Check for loose, broken or detached wire in the dash. Check that the connections are tight. Check any inline fuses not just the fuses in the fuse box. Check all the grounds. I find 50% plus of the time it’s a ground problem. Use a multimeter to determine where you have or don’t have current.
I’ve had similar experiences. One time I plowed into a sand bar and made it about 50 yards before the boat came to a stop. The tide was about 3/4 out. Was stuck and had to wait almost 8 hours for high tide to float the boat.
In addition to gps/ depth finder I suggest you get a marine vhf radio...
I live in Elk Grove next to Sacramento. I’ve been boating the delta for 50 plus years including San Francisco Bay and the surrounding bays. You should have no problems going from the fresh water delta into the salt water bays and back. The water starts getting brackish around the Carquinez...
I cut the grass and trimmed shrubbery for 50+ years starting as a young kid. I now have a gardener that comes by every 2 weeks To do that stuff. Now I have more time to do the things I love , hunt, fish, boat, travel, read, sleep…….
I’m in California and regular 87 octane cheapest is about $5.50/gallon and up. My truck was at about a quarter tank this morning. Cost me over $120 to fill it . At marinas regular currently is between $7 and $8 per gallon. Its insane.
