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  1. JASinIL2006

    Bottom up restoration! MY FIRST BOAT

    Personally, I'd be hesitant to put any more work or money into the boat until you have registered/licensed it under your name. Your best resource is whoever registers and/or titles boats in your state. In some places, it's the Department of Natural Resources. That would be my #1 priority...
  2. JASinIL2006

    Bulge pump

    Is this your only bilge pump or a backup for another that's already installed. If it is the primary (or only) bilge pump, I would think you want a manual switch as well as the auto switch. If the auto switch fails, you need a way to activate the pump if your bilge is full of water. If it's a...
  3. JASinIL2006

    Can you guess how much I paid for all this?

    Even better, start a topic in the Restoration section and post about your progress. Lots of us here have restored our boats and you'll likely get a lot more help that way. Good luck!
  4. JASinIL2006

    Re coating wood/fiberglass decking

    Absolutely true. Glassing the deck makes it waterproof; anything else is just a topcoat for looks, traction, etc.
  5. JASinIL2006

    Re coating wood/fiberglass decking

    I don’t see any point in the rubber if the deck is intact and fiberglassed. Why put a top coat on only to cover it with faux teak?
  6. JASinIL2006

    Looking for $200-500 Chart Plotter Fish Finder Thoughts

    just keep in mind that river levels can change, so if the water level is down 6 inches, all your measurements will be off by half a foot.
  7. JASinIL2006

    Looking for $200-500 Chart Plotter Fish Finder Thoughts

    We boat and ski in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers regularly. I do have the card with the detailed maps that @airshot mentioned, but even with those charts we still have to survey the section of river before putting anyone behind the boat. Too may obstacles - floaters, entire trees lodged in...
  8. JASinIL2006

    Re coating wood/fiberglass decking

    I used a product called Durabak (which is a rubberized coating) on the deck when I restored my boat. It was a mistake. That stuff does not wear well, and if you ever need to remove it (e.g., because it does last), good luck getting it all off. There are many better options than bedliner/liquid...
  9. JASinIL2006

    Anchor Rope

    Hard to imagine an 18.5' jon boat would need 1/2" rode... unless you're regularly out fishing in gales or in really swift current directly upstream of a dam.
  10. JASinIL2006

    Re coating wood/fiberglass decking

    Why would someone do a deckover if the original deck was intact? That doesn’t make sense.
  11. JASinIL2006

    Bad Upholstery a Deal Killer?

    I think you're wise to pass on this; it's less like new paint over bondo than it is is a nice coat of wax on a car whose frame and suspension is rotted out and is one hard turn away from killing you and all the occupants. Bad upholstery by itself doesn't HAVE to be a deal stopper, but very...
  12. JASinIL2006

    Bad Upholstery a Deal Killer?

    Yeah, that looks a lot like they just slapped some new wood over the old deck. That is generally not a good sign... Everything about those pictures screams "Run, Forest, run!"
  13. JASinIL2006

    Mercruiser Alpha One will not trim up, no sound

    Agreed. When the trim limit switch on the outdrive failed on my boat, the trailer tilt function worked fine, but the trim buttons did not work. The trim limit switch is a round puck-like fixture on the port side of the outdrive.
  14. JASinIL2006

    Deck Repair - Fiberglassing Question (Newbie)

    How old is your boat? Any idea why you have a spot that's rotten? Soft/rotten spots - unless caused by some penetration, like a screw - often are symptoms of greater problems below the decking. Boats often rot from the bottom up, which means the structure of the boat may be seriously compromised...
  15. JASinIL2006

    Boat trailer brakes

    No problem at all with electric brakes and water. Since most electrics are drum brakes, they probably are not so great in salt water, but that's an issue with the drum brakes, not the electric part.
  16. JASinIL2006

    Leaking boat

    I've used Gluvit to stop those kind of seeping leaks and it works very well. In my boat, it has lasted years without any problem. I don't believe Gluvit is resistant to UV light, though, so if it's going to see sunlight, make sure you paint over the Gluvit after it has cured.
  17. JASinIL2006

    Boat trailer brakes

    I would for sure go with electric brakes on both axles. More stopping power is better than less...
  18. JASinIL2006

    Maybe my turn for new boat time

    That does not seem like much truck for all that boat!
  19. JASinIL2006

    Mercruiser 120 G1 A1 - Transom Seal

    Unless Alpha One Gen 1 switched fail at a dramatically different rate than Gen 2 switches, I think the one year life span may a bit of exaggeration. I'm starting my 12th season with the same boat and I've only replace the limit switch once. It probably depend a bit on the environment in which...
  20. JASinIL2006

    Crack found in the block

    Can your brother help you pull this an replace the block? Lots of cheaper options than buying a whole new engine, and if the boat is well loved by the fam, well worth the work and expense...
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