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Doug, Just some general comments on battery charging/treatment. Most house bank batteries (FLA, AGM, etc.) don't die on their own, they are "murdered" by their owners (the way they are actually used). While these battery types are great for house banks and are probably? the most cost effective...

Pilitak had a dry bilge over 95% of the time. Occasionally there was a very small amount of fresh water that leaked from the hot water tank OPV into the bilge, but not a regular occurence. The PSS dripless was dry, and I placed oil pads (kept clean if any small leaks were detected so as to...

Chris, I am not trying to be negative, I only want you to have the best possible experience. Look for permanent moorage well before you make a purchase, but after you determine the approx. size of boat you will be considering. For boats much above 40 feet (some marinas allow a small "overhang"...

Wow, is all I can say. Definitely a brand (and factory) I would avoid!!! You have to ask, how can such terrible workmanship leave the production line??? No inspections, no quality control, no pride in workmanship?? Finding similar issues in other boats from the same manufacturer leads one to...

Caveat..... I did not watch the attached video from kthoennes so this "trick" may have been covered in it. After the thru hull is closed and the pump cover is removed, spray (reasonably liberally) the inside of the pump and the old impeller with WD 40, and then bump the engine with the starter...

Check with your insurance carrier......... they may require that the gas fitting be done by a certified installer, and that the whole installation is signed off by a "professional" to insure coverage??? Don't know for sure, but if it were me, I would want to know for sure that I had not...

Received one from Emerald Harbor Explorers, as well. Agree with the others...... ban them...... and all their accounts. Probably some kind of "bot"

Scot and Laura, Terry and I wish you both much fun, great adventures, and safe travels!! It sounds like a blast! I hope that the Eartec's are still working well for you guys. We will follow your posts and hopefully live a bit through your adventures. Best, Tom

SaltDaddy, I also recommend the Wolverine oil pan heaters. I installed one on my Cummins 6BTA on the bottom of the oil pan. Just roughed up the paint with a gritty sand paper and applied using the supplied adhesive and edge sealant. It was a simple install, but if the oil pan lacks space under...

Some good ideas so far. See also the photos from Tony Athens showing suggested monitoring locations. https://www.sbmar.com/articles/ir-gun-temperature-check/ I checked my engine several times per year, as well as while we were running WOT for a few minutes. If temps rise too much (above your...

Dave, One last word of caution. My old exhaust elbow looked great (almost new looking) on the outside. It was an original Cummins stock (installed when the boat was built) SS elbow that was then about 16 years old with approx. 2000 hours on the engine. When it came back from the radiator shop...

I agree with Sunchaser......quiz Seaboard as to their recommendations and why that recommendation. Unless there has been a major overheat, I would not expect a problem with the exhaust manifold, and I have not heard of a need for "routine" replacement of that part? As to the exhaust elbow, check...

Here's a couple of thoughts.... For me, I would not buy a boat that has screwed down teak decks. Too many deck penetrations (screws - literally hundreds) that either require periodic (intensive) maintenance, or there will be leaks (if not already happening). I do like the look and feel of teak...

Like Hippo, I worried about ensuring enough load on our Nordic Tug's genset. We had large enough solar capacity that almost everyday we would reach 100% charge without any assistance. We would only run the genset to heat water (mainly for showers), or, if recharging was needed due to fog or...

Doug, +1 to what Hippo stated. Also, I followed your post on Tony's site (sbmar.com), and advise you give him all of the info and photos he requests. He is very knowledgeable and experienced with Cummins, and will most likely be able to provide good suggestions on how to go about determining...

Simi, It sounds like the MAJOR difference between your set up (aftercooler cooled with coolant instead of seawater) is the avoidance of exposure to salt water! Therefore, alot of what has been said in this thread does not apply (at least not completely) to your engine. However, I would be very...

All raw water cooling components require regular (every 3-5 years depending on a number of factors) servicing "off engine" where they are disassembled, properly cleaned, "seals" replaced, and pressure tested before being re-installed, especially the aftercooler. Tony Athens on sbmar.com has...

To the OP, In my opinion, it is important to know how much rode (total) you have on board and the various lengths if it a "combo" rode (rope and chain). Also, having a means to know how much rode you have deployed (chain counter, markings, etc.), the water depth now, the change in depth to high...

https://www.sbmar.com/ There is a wealth of free info on the sbmar.com website under "Tony's Tips", and on the various forums. You can join the forum and ask questions, and receive answers. Sometimes from Tony himself. :thumb:

I was a follower of many of Tony Athens suggestions, especially the freshwater flush. It literally took me an extra 10 minutes to complete the task, from getting the hose out to putting it away. I connected the "garden" hose (5/8 inch) to the attachment on my strainer lid, and flushed for...

Sorry Tom..... but the fact that you have been lucky for all that time does not make it safe nor a "good idea". :dance: Based on my many years in the Fire Service (at a large, busy Fire Department), I can tell you refilling (especially multiple times) bottles that were not designed for doing so...

When boat shopping (and finally deciding on our NT 37 Pilitak), we looked at Helmsman, AT, NT, and a few others (others being irrelevant to this discussion). Personally, I liked all three brands in comparable sizes. We looked at one Helmsman 37 (only one on the market locally at the time), but...

Propane safety is covered under several regulations and NFPA standards for good reason. Under the wrong circumstances, even the 1lb bottles are basically "bombs" and are capable of incredible damage! Comodave (and the US Department of Transportation) are right!! Even the 1 lb bottles require...

We used Eartec, single ear headsets and were very happy with them and the performance! Good advice about removing the batteries when not in use, and having a spare set of batteries as well. Pretty simple actually. There are work arounds or prevention measures that can all but eliminate the sets...

Shawn, This is meant as constructive criticism not a personal attack, but if your intent was just to state your opinion (or actually how you would operate your boat during a sea trial) then maybe starting with the "this is such bu....." is not helpful or gives a bad first impression?? Just a...