Search results

  1. Ripfence

    Can I use a non-marine amplifier in my boat safely?

    I have an extra Alpine amp but it isn't specifically rated for marine use, could I safely use it in my boat if I were to mount it where it wouldn't be splashed with water or would the humidity and water vapor be too much for it? Thanks. Ripfence
  2. Ripfence

    lesson learned after a shot and 5 prescriptions

    I had an electrical problem on my boat so I had to spend several hours under the dash on the carpet rewiring several wires while sweating in the hot sun. Well, I guess I had an allergic reaction to either mildew or some chemical in the carpet because I broke out in blisters everywhere my skin...
  3. Ripfence

    Will any wire work?

    I have to replace about 15 feet wire going to a bilge pump and I am wondering if there is any special wire I need to use for freshwater marine use. The pump is small, it draws less than 3 amps at 12VDC. The original wire as 14AWG and I had planned to replace it with the same gage wire. Can...
  4. Ripfence

    Need help with bilge pump

    My bilge pump died and it is in a very tight space, it is hard to get tools to it. It is a Johnson Pumps Mayfair model, allegedly I can replace just the pump cartridge but I can't seem to figure out how to get the pump out. Anyone have any experience with one of these? Thanks.
  5. Ripfence

    is this bad

    I don't know anything about I/O motors but aren't they cooled by a similar means as an outboard engine? If that is the case then a boat I saw today can expect some problems. The pulled up a the ramp, stopped and began prepping the boat (didn't bother to do it in the prep area) they started the...
  6. Ripfence

    How hard is it to add hydraulc steering?

    I have a Optimax 150 and my boat is very hard to steer at times. Up to now i has just been an inconvinence but I've developed a hand problem so I need to do something about it. Is there a way I can make the steering easier? I was thinking about replacing my rack and pinion steering with...
  7. Ripfence

    maybe we aren't as stupid as we think

    OK, I have no life... As such I have been reviewing boating incident and fatality statistics in TN over the last 40 years and came across an amazing revelation. We are getting safer. Here in TN at least In the fatalities in the 70s were as high as 30-something per 100,000 registered boats...
  8. Ripfence

    How high does the tow rope need to be?

    I have a Nitro Fish and ski boat and my son is interested in wakeboarding. On this boat the tow rope attaches about 5 feet above the waterline, would that be high enough to pull a wakeboarder? Thanks.
  9. Ripfence

    don't forget the chicken

    Last year I decided to take the familiy for a late season day on the water. We bought a huge amount of fried chicken for the day on the lake and somehow forgot to throw it away at the end of the day. Well, after our day we put the boat up in the dry dock for the season with the remainder of...
  10. Ripfence

    How to catch bait

    I have a bait net and I am wondering how to attract shad to use as live bait, any suggestions? Thanks
  11. Ripfence

    My first long tow is coming up, any tips?

    I am planning to tow my 20' fish and ski on a single axle tralier from Nashville to Central Florida in a month. The tow vehicle is a Toyota Sequoia and seems to have plenty of power for the job. The boat and trailer are one year old but the trailer probably has maybe 30 miles on it. I was...
  12. Ripfence

    a few aluminum prop questions

    My boat has a three blade stainless steel 21p Mercury Laser II prop on a 19.5' Nitro powered by an 2006 optimax 150hp outboard. My wot is around 5,400 which is a little lower than it should be. Anyway, I can run around 55-57mph with my current setup but I seldom ever do, I would like to trade...
  13. Ripfence

    My boat sank

    Yep, my two month old Nitro Fish and Ski sank due to a SHT.<br /><br />On Friday night I picked up my boat from the dry storage facility and drive it a mile or so to my friend's dock so I can go fishing early in the morning. I arrive at my friend's dock at around 4:45 am ready to fish and...
  14. Ripfence

    Do all boats leak?

    I have a new (one month old) 19.5' Nitro fish and ski. Sometimes I leave it in the water over night and in the morning (when there has been no rain) the boat will have water in the bilge. I usually have to run the pump for a couple of minutes to drain it.<br /><br />Is this normal? Should I...
  15. Ripfence

    Good online Prop dealers

    [No message]
  16. Ripfence

    3 blade vs 4 blade for better hole shot.

    Hi all. I am new to boating and this is my first post. I have a 19' Nitro fish and ski with a 150 optimax engine. The dry weight of the boat is around 2,000 lbs and the current prop is a SS 21p Mercury Laser II. The max recommended RPM for my engine 1s 5,500 (according to the folks at...
Top