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Hi all, A buddy of mine is using this method for attaching flexible solar panels to his sunbrella bimini. He through bolted through the fabric, not through the frame, using fender washers on each side. Three years in and it is doing fine, he says he isn't seeing any leaks. He did not...

Hi All, In the process of installing a Gen 3 Starlink Standard and planning on adding solar panels to our bimini to offset its power draw. Starlink says the Gen 3 draw is 75 to 100 Watts AC (it draws mroe power than the Gen 2), but some internet testers are seeing more like 55 watts once it...

Hi All, Sorry for yet another Starlink post, but I haven't seen much on the Gen 3, so I thought it deserved it's own thread. We ordered starlink as our boat's Christmas present. To be honest, when i placed the order with starlink I didn't know the Gen 3 existed and didn't pay a lot of...

Hi All, I'm considering switching over to Lion for our house bank when our current bank dies (likely 12 to 24 months) and wrapping my head around what that would entail. Current setup is 6 6V FLA in series and parallel for a house bank. Start for both motors is a single FLA group 31 start...

Hi All, I've been a bit suspicious of the readings I am getting on my Victropn BMV 700 SOC monitor. I have 6 6V FLA GC batteries for my house bank, wired in series and parallel. They are rated at 220 AH each (660 AH total for the bank), but I set my monitor at 600 AH when I replaced them to...

I have an isotherm drop in box style fridge mounted in the counter of our summer kitchen. We really like it, but would like to make it a bit more efficient, if possible. I have easy access to all 5 sides under the counter. I am considering adding some sort of sheet type insulation to the sides...

Yanmar 4lha-stp Both of my oil pressure gauges have been working intermittently, I had this issue a few years ago on the port side and fixit by replacing the ring terminal on the sender wire, but that didn’t work this time. I think it is time to replace both senders. My question is, is this a...

I replaced the raw water pump belt on my 8KW Kohler genset a couple of months ago with a kohler oem belt. As usual it was so tight I had to take one of bolts out of the pump frame to slip it over the pulleys. Ran the genset for about an hour, then checked it and found it had stretched quite a...

Hi All, I am planning on doing a semi-permanent installation of our AC powered Rainmaker portable watermaker in our lazzerette which will require a pickup at a through hull. The generator is also in the laz, with a through hull and strainer in a perfect spot for the watermaker install. The...

Hi All, The Marine Air 12,000 BTU all in one unit AC in our forward cabin has stopped blowing air. The compressor kicks on but the fan does not. Is there some sort of relay or something for me to check? Burned out fan motor maybe? Thanks, Doug

I'm getting ready to tackle an area of rot next to the fridge in the interior floor of our Mainship 400. When I have defrosted the fridge over the years water drips down under the fridge and caused the rot. Here's the floor setup: Top layer is NuTeak, which is a vinyl/synthetic teak...

Hi All, Just traded in our 2013 Suzuki 20 hp manual start on a 2023 20hp EFI electric start Mercury outboard for our tender and need some advice on battery selection. We pull our tender (Highfield 340) up onto our swim platform cradle for storage, so I am VERY weight conscious and would...

Had a soft grounding a few weeks back and did some minor damage to one prop, here are the diver's notes: "Port propeller felt grinded on the edges of each blade. And a few small dings. Starboard's propeller looks perfectly fine." I'm not due for a haul and bottom job for at least a year...

I’ve been using this system for a few years now. A couple of people asked me to post pics of how I did this, but I kept forgetting to take them. I had the quick release kuma mount from our old grill so I used it here. It works pretty well, it’s nice to be able to take it off easily for...

Hi All, Anyone going to be in the Keys in late March? In addition to my primary job of reading this forum :-), I am also the Keen Footwear rep for Florida and the Caribbean. For a number of years I have sponsored and spearheaded a volunteer clean up in Key West with a great non-profit down...

Hi All, I recently bought a UHD2 94sv with transducer for my flats boat (they are on sale at west for $800, which is a great deal) and installed it over the weekend. This replaces an older 6" garmin fishfinder/gps combo which I swap back and forth between the flats boat and the Mainship. I...

I’ve been meaning to do this project for a while now, but it kept getting pushed down the list by more pressing jobs. Then I had an oil leak which pushed me over the edge. Spent the weekend scrubbing and painting. I wanted to match the oem paint but could not find it. Mainship used a flat...

I'll start by saying in 40 years of boat ownership this is the dumbest thing I've ever done. I was distracted. You can beat me up if you want to, but nothing you can say is going to make me feel any more foolish. Anyway, I decided to clean my water tanks last night, which is something I do...

I need to paint my engine room and bilge. I've used bilgecoat on another boat with good results, but I am concerned about the fumes. Our boat is six hours away from our home, so when I work on it, I stay aboard. It's a multi coat process, not a one day deal, so I am not sure how I would...

On the basis of many recommendations I bought a Weber Q about a year ago for the boat and mounted it on the rail. I like it better than our old magma, but it doesn't get as hot as I expected it would. Nowhere near hot enough to sear a steak, and not as hot as I would like for burgers even...

Just posting this as an informational thread for those who may be reaching this same point with their motors. 2005 Mainship 400, twin Yanmar 4LHA-Stp, 997 hours. Labor: $2,000 flat fee. Services: Replace both raw water pumps, Depco pump. $1,303.72 total for both. I could have had...

So lately I Have been trying to teach myself the dark art of gel coat repair. I'm not planning on big projects, but I would like to be able to do small ones, like screw holes and small gouges myself. I'm getting better at, but I'm still inconsistent and have a way to go. My repairs look...

I'm planning on moving/rewiring our 1100 Watt portable inverter and have a wiring question. I currently have it wired in to a ground post and a positive post, with a dedicated fuse, under the main helm. These posts come from my house bank. It works OK there, but I have to load shed so as not...

About four years ago we installed NUTeak synthetic teak and holly flooring in our main cabin, we love it but they no longer make it. We are ready to do the Fwd and guest cabins now. Anyone have a recommendation? Also, does anyone know an installer in the Stuart, Florida area? Thanks, Doug

Hi All, I love my little Yanmar 4LHA-STP motors, but like the rest of us, they aren't quite perfect. One of their few noticeable flaws is that they are notorious belt chewers. Both of my motors make a lot of belt dust and require belt adjustment every 25 hours or so, which is irritating...