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GFC - you are right, as I had not thought of the logistics and the bureaucracy.

Although I don't need to get my card until 2025, I believe this regulation is long overdue. Whether in the Sacramento Delta or in the SF Bay, I have seen plenty of idiots on both sailboats and power boats that clearly do not appear to have the required skills. I agree that more emphasis should...

I agree with those who would not buy that boat. We fortunately have two forward doors opposite each other in the salon. I can't imagine having to dock the boat without having easy access particularly when single-handling. Also, on windy days having the option to open either door to keep...

Leaking Fuel Tanks I woke up one morning in the boat and smelled the distinct odor of diesel fuel. A disaster to contemplate but, indeed, the bilge was full of diesel fuel and I had to get it pumped out. The starboard steel fuel tank had sprung a small leak so it also had to be pumped out. In...

I purchased a Winplus 12v Car Jump Starter at Costco the size of a very thick smartphone. It starts up my Audi A8 or our Volvos without hesitation. I believe the technology is Lithium Ion. Probably won't work for a house bank but should start up my boat's Perkins engine. I can charge the pack...

The beauty of most trawlers is that the salon windows are low providing clear views to the outside from your seat. The Carvers that we looked at have a sunk salon and the windows are too high up that made my wife seasick. Something to consider if you want to use the boat as a live-aboard.

Interesting discussions but as a native of the Netherlands it would be wise to check the websites in Holland for steel boats that are on sale (Marktplaats, something like EBay). What I gather from the discussions in Dutch is that frequent haul outs are routine for painting, fixing dents, leaking...

I agree with Alaskan et al. In the Sacramento Delta one sees wakeboarders, bass boaters and larger trawlers and cruisers. The 18 to 26 foot Bayliners and such are slowly deteriorating in their slips and are never taken out. It is a depressing sight. On many beautiful days on the Delta we seem to...

Totally agree with SeeVee - we leveraged the considerable equity in our home to finance our boat and then paid it off (about $90K) before I retired. Nobody asked what we were using the money for and if they had asked it would have been MYOB.

Those of you who have been to Europe, may have noticed grey, silvery roofing material made of zinc. Those were sheets of 225 x 100 cm. As a roofer apprentice in Amsterdam, the Netherlands back in 1962, I used such a torch to heat the soldering irons as stated above. And yes, it had to be...

FF - it takes energy to keep the flywheel spinning when not in use. Data centers use flywheel storage but they only last minutes, sometimes only seconds, not hours, just enough time to switch over to other backup systems without power interruption. Data center managers also are more concerned...

But we are all happy idiots. I have 120 HP Perkins diesel in our 35 foot Fu Hwa, probably similar to the boat you are buying. We use at most 1.5 gallons per hour at cruising speed, an ear-flapping 7 knots. With respect to cost, you can't take with you anyway, so what else would you spend your...

The bearing was likely installed by the previous owner. He had the boat in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico for a while. Who knows what they did over there. I have had our boat for 13 years so it finally caught up. I will send some pictures of the shaft, the corroded chute and bearing housing when...

I am going through this very expensive process right now. The chute in which the shaft rotates needs to be replaced as it was severely corroded and was leaking water into the keel. Then, when they removed the shaft it turns out it was scored by the cutlass bearing and will need to be replaced as...

This entire posting was quite timely for me and the boat yard where I had to take it to repair a small leak that was filling up the keel. It turned out to be a leaking shaft chute that was embedded in the fiber glassed member that mounts the stuffing box. The boat yard manager reviewed this...

Lots of excellent advice. Would say that your wife must like the choice at first glance. if she doesn't, walk away or you will be 'enjoying' your boat by yourself. We went through this process years ago and I listened to my wife (now of 46 years) so she could never complain about the layout and...

We have a 1988 35 foot FuHwa tri-cabin which was advertised as a Golden Star. It was imported and commissioned by British Marine of Alameda, CA. We are the third owners since 2005.