Search results

If you're worried about a dead starter battery, just get a sufficiently sized jump pack. I have a NOCO GB150 and it easily starts my Cat 3208. No need for the old school "combine" banks function.

McMaster-Carr has a lot of sight glass options including Pyrex glass.

For future reference, check out Seaboard Marine (here) as they fabricate struts. If you look through their YouTube videos you can probably see an example of how they do it.

We kept our boat for some years on both Hayden Island and on the Multnomah channel and did most of our boating between Astoria and Beacon Rock. While there is not a lot of places to explore, you will find nice little side channels or other out of the way places to drop the hook and relax. All...

In the Axiom MFD install manual, they say: Drain wire connects to RF ground point, if no ground point is available connect to the battery negative (-) terminal.

If you're up for an experiment, go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheap electric hand planer, then get some carbide blades and then give it a try. I once had to remove some gelcoat from a flat hatch and this worked great. No idea how it would work against sandy non-skid but wouldn't cost much to...

As mentioned above, use a flat head bolt with a fender washer and nylock nut on the bottom. I would use a 1/4" bolt and just drill all the way through then countersink for the head. Any good waterproof glue should work. Here's a bolt example on McMaster Carr: 316 Stainless Steel Hex Drive...

Another factor can be the assumptions we make about motivations and skills of the actors in positions of authority. We often come from countries where pilot boat captains, firemen, police, etc. have all been highly trained and thus it's natural to put some level of trust in their decisions...

I just did my HE caps and used Permatex 80062 High Tack Sealant. I use it all over the place as I have an old engine and most mating surfaces are not pristine. Really terrific stuff!

The pupusa sounds similar to the Mexican gorditas. Lots of food carts selling those with at festivals and parades filled with anything from steak to Nutella!

It will show the effect of wind and current on your boat speed. If, for example, you show 8 kts SOG but 10 kts STW (speed through water) you know you're fighting a 2 kt current. If you don't boat in an area with strong tidal flows that may not be of much interest, but it can be handy for...

I've never liked that my "buyer's broker" can see the sold boat prices and he's incentivized (at whatever level) to keep the price high. At least with real estate you can see sold prices and so get an independent feel for a realistic market value.

It seems like it would result in a significant change in the CG and not for the better in sporty conditions. However, it'd probably be WAY quieter in the salon underway and the idea of a basement does have a certain appeal :)

I'm curious what your thinking is for mounting a hydraulic pump on the engine. Our 3208n doesn't have much room for mounting accessories despite being a gigantic engine.

That 1976 Californian looks interesting and has some signs of love over the years. You don't see many bulbous bows on 38' boats.

Well I found out why the decks are so stout... just removed this plug to install a vent.

The key to the new AP performance magic is the input from the sensor core. In older systems like my Benmar, you simply had a magnetic heading. The new AP sensor cores have 9-axis input (3‑axis gyroscope, 3‑axis accelerometer and 3‑axis compass) that allows the AP to track the boat movement in...

I might be misinterpreting the picture, but it looks like the puller is largely pushing down on the thing you're trying to pull up. Consider getting a deep socket or piece of pipe that will fit down inside the flange/coupler and push against the thing holding onto it. That'll give you all the...

In La Paz, I have heard that the boat work people and chandleries are seeing less business as there aren't as many boats coming in for work. It'll be interesting to see how the community adapts. Certainly, some work could be done in the anchorage but other stuff just needs to be done in a slip.

FWIW, I just replaced the two membranes in our system with Dow Filmtec 2540 membranes and we also get in the mid 350s (located in SoC). The design is DIY but similar to CRO. I don't know if things have changed in the manufacturing process at DOW or what but I'd say your system is working as...

If all else fails, try contacting the Bus Grease Monkey. He seems to have a LOT of experience with those older Detroits.

We loved Mazatlan! So easy to grab the green bus from the marinas to old town. Lots of good food and, as I recall, the old central square was nicely decorated for Christmas. If you find yourself in Centro looking for a coffee and treat, try Totem. You can sit on the rooftop terrace. You...

Sounds like a great adventure! You might want to check out the Panama Posse organization. They've already done a bunch of the logistical legwork for you. As for shipping across Mexico, contact Cabrales Boatyard in Puerto Penasco. It's not uncommon for people to truck their boats from there...

I have a TD 506 on my 1984 3208 natural and it too bangs into gear. There is a momentary drop in hydraulic pressure then back into the green. I’ve been told this is normal.

Just to expand on this a bit, the Victron SmartShunt defaults to automatically determining 100% SOC but also allows manually setting it. Here's their description of how the automatic mode works: 5.7.1. Automatic synchronisation Synchronisation is an automatic process and will occur when the...