Re: Hey, New Boater!! Getting started.
What a great topic. Learning lots of the "little things". As a newbie, the impeller advice would have been the most valuable to me and would have saved me $2000. Too bad I found iBoats after the "meltdown".<br /><br />I have a couple more questions in which the answers may be useful to others as well. <br /><br />My 75 Merc 1150 is now purring like a kitten thanks to 12footer and others (figured out carb problem). The one last thing I worry about is the 45 seconds to 1 minute of cranking the engine takes to fire up after a week of non use. I've heard this is normal for old Mercs, but my question is this: is it better to crank in short spurts (10 seconds or so), stop, and then crank again, or is it better to just let her crank for the full time until it fires up? I've used both techniques and they are both successful, but I'm wondering which is easier on the engine.<br /><br />The last thing is the typical prop pitch issue. I have an old 19 thats been rebuilt 5 times now. It sorta vibrates, and gives the boat a feeling something akin to driving a car with a wheel out of balance. However, it gets the boat on plane in about 2 seconds, pulls a skiier out effortlessly and runs about 5300 WOT. I bought a brand new 21 pitch prop that worked like a dream. The boat now accelerated smooooooth, it handled better in turns, and the top end increased to 45 MPH from 40 MPH. It still got out of the hole great UNTIL I tried to drag a skier out. I almost drowned him. The boat did not want to take off at all. Obviously I had over propped it, but my question now is, was the smoothness and improved handling of the boat with the new 21 pitch prop ONLY a product of the newness? I was told by the people who rebuilt my prop that it has been balanced, so why would a new prop be better than a rebuilt? Also, the old prop was an old one piece with a rubber hub.
What a great topic. Learning lots of the "little things". As a newbie, the impeller advice would have been the most valuable to me and would have saved me $2000. Too bad I found iBoats after the "meltdown".<br /><br />I have a couple more questions in which the answers may be useful to others as well. <br /><br />My 75 Merc 1150 is now purring like a kitten thanks to 12footer and others (figured out carb problem). The one last thing I worry about is the 45 seconds to 1 minute of cranking the engine takes to fire up after a week of non use. I've heard this is normal for old Mercs, but my question is this: is it better to crank in short spurts (10 seconds or so), stop, and then crank again, or is it better to just let her crank for the full time until it fires up? I've used both techniques and they are both successful, but I'm wondering which is easier on the engine.<br /><br />The last thing is the typical prop pitch issue. I have an old 19 thats been rebuilt 5 times now. It sorta vibrates, and gives the boat a feeling something akin to driving a car with a wheel out of balance. However, it gets the boat on plane in about 2 seconds, pulls a skiier out effortlessly and runs about 5300 WOT. I bought a brand new 21 pitch prop that worked like a dream. The boat now accelerated smooooooth, it handled better in turns, and the top end increased to 45 MPH from 40 MPH. It still got out of the hole great UNTIL I tried to drag a skier out. I almost drowned him. The boat did not want to take off at all. Obviously I had over propped it, but my question now is, was the smoothness and improved handling of the boat with the new 21 pitch prop ONLY a product of the newness? I was told by the people who rebuilt my prop that it has been balanced, so why would a new prop be better than a rebuilt? Also, the old prop was an old one piece with a rubber hub.
fortunately no injuries and my homeowners covered damage to the other boat. <br />take baby steps at first and progress when you get used to the different aspects of your boat. don't try to do it all the first time out like i did! <br />finally, a word on PFDs. i ALWAYS wear one. think of where you would be if you were without a PFD and incapacitated somehow, overboard and you are by yourself or worse with your kid who couldn't help you. strange situations like this happen more than you think. plus some of the PFDs are pretty stylish and comfortable now too! <br />thanks to all of those who have helped us newbies!