Fishing Rhino

Not sure about the performance, but doubt it will have much impact. The main purpose of the skeg is to protect the propeller. You can buy products which will repair broken, or protect a skeg from damage. A skeg may help a bit with boat control, by helping the motor "track" and steer. But most of that comes from the thrust of the motor. Here is one from BPS. http://www.basspro.com/SkegShield-Skeg-Guard/product/10200068/#desc-tab

Too much weight aft can make it difficult for a boat to get up on plane. Incorrect motor trim, motor too low, too much tilt. Visualize a motor with a very long lower unit. It provides leverage for the prop to lift the bow out of the water. Long enough and the boat would flip over on its back. You need forward thrust on a hull to get it on plane. A motor set too deep will tend to lift the bow. Too shallow and cavitation, today, I think it's called ventilation, will result. No matter what it's called, the prop will draw air and lose thrust. A boat is like a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces have to be assembled properly for it to be solved. Steering input can help a boat get on plane quicker, but finding the sweet spot takes some trial and error. It helps to lift the stern of the boat because you have a larger surface exerting lift on the stern. If you can, try moving gear from the aft lockers to the forward storage compartments. But it's a compromise. As you add weight to the bow, you will lose top end speed. It will result in more "wetted area" on the hull which increases drag. Did they try a four bladed prop?

My Mercury owners manual clearly states that you should not trailer the rig with the tilt lock holding the motor in the up position. It is not designed for that purpose. They recommend towing a boat with the motor in the vertical position. Of course that could easily net you a damaged lower unit. While I think the transom of a boat, in most cases, is up to the rigors of trailering, I would never knowingly tow my boat with the motor in the vertical position. Mercury does not like having pressure on the hydraulics. I understand that makes no sense since it has more force on it under power. Methinks Merc is trying to absolve themselves of any and all responsibility when damage does occur during travel. Since the owner's manual says not to use the tilt lock when towing, what's a boater to do? I use a spring loaded transom saver which will reduce shock somewhat on a rough stretch of road, or the occasional pothole.

Flat bottom. Put a raised deck on a small round bottom boat, and you're looking to take an unscheduled swim should you stray too far from the centerline. I've had to fish a couple of folks from the pond when one tried to take a leak over the side of the boat, and it did not have a raised deck. Your best bet once you get a boat is to do a temporary install of a raised deck. Doesn't have to be pretty, just steady. Then float the boat in shallow water, and move around on the deck to get an idea of its stability. If it's satisfactory to you, then proceed with the project. If it's not satisfactory, you've saved yourself a lot of work, and money.

It depends on how much you will need to haul in the back, and does "new" mean new to you, or a new truck? If you mean a new truck, you have only two options on the half ton, the short bed, and the medium length bed. You are correct about the handling of the longer truck. It is less nimble. I have a crew cab Silverado with the short bed, but I also have a cap on it. It would not be suitable for contractors. But for towing and traveling, we have adequate room for luggage, gear, some tools, etc. I like the cap. It provides a dry, secure, area for anything we want to transport. There have been times when I could have used a longer bed, but not enough to justify it.

If the holes are enlarged, you need to think about bushing them. I'd suggest a flanged bushing. It will raise your trolling motor about a sixteenth of an inch, but you won't have to worry about them falling through the holes when you reinstall your trolling motor. The holes are not only bigger. They are also out of round. You'll need to make them round by drilling them as little as possible. You'll need to get a bushing with the proper inside diameter for your existing bolts. The outside diameter of the bushing (not the flange) will determine the size drill you'll need to use.

The tighter you clamp a battery will increase the vibrations transmitted to the battery. It will however reduce the shock when batteries thump up and down due to the slack. Here's what I'd suggest. Get a silicone mat to place under the batteries. You can find silicone hot mats at home goods stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond. You will probably need two for each battery. Get the mats with ribs. or honeycomb. They will do the best job of dampening shocks and vibrations. Silicone is impervious to oil, gasoline, and the fumes that batteries emit when they are being charged. It is difficult to get the snap together straps snug. So, get a nylon cutting board, cut it into three or four inch wide pieces and bevel one end. Then, insert the wedge between the strap and the battery. Make it long enough to span three or four cells. You do not want the pressure concentrated in one small area. Cutting boards are available in various thicknesses. Adjust the strap so that when you insert the spacer it's good and snug. You should be able to insert the wedge easily. If you have to force it, adjust the strap to have a little more slack before inserting the wedge. Too loose, and the spacer will not stay in place. It will take a bit of trial and error to get it right.

That you would use the line, "Needless to say his brake service was interestingly expensive ." and then dismiss it as "just kidding" makes me wonder why you said it in the first place, or why you would consider even suggesting such a thing. I will admit that I stopped reading after interestingly expensive. It turned me off to anything else you had to say. I've been around a while, and in my journey through life, I have come across folks who would adjust their billing to compensate for aggravating customers. Not many, but some. Glad to hear you did not overcharge the fellow.

It wasn't until I got to your second post that I realized your "showroom" was part of an automobile dealership, or repair service. When I finished reading your first post, I thought you sold plumbing fixtures, and that the toilet the fellow used was part of a display. Hence my comment about Jackass the Movie. As an older person (72 years), this is the first time that I have gotten the impression that someone who runs a business seems to expect a customer to unclog a toilet, regardless of who or what is to blame. If you provide a rest room for your customers, then you should keep it clean and well stocked with TP. Since it's your toilet, it is also your responsibility to maintain it, and to clear it should a customer's deposit exceed the toilet's capacity. Overcharging a customer to make up for having to clear the toilet is not a good business practice. Bragging about it makes it all the worse.

Are you sure you weren't watching Jackass, the Movie?

Cool. Which McDonalds near you is missing one of their arches?

There are electric fuel pumps for engines with carburetors and fuel pumps for engines with fuel injection. You have carburetors. Pumps for fuel injectors put out more pressure than those for engines with carburetors. I doubt you should use a pump for fuel injection on an engine with carbs. The pressure may be more than the needle and seat in the fuel chamber can handle, thus the leaking. I didn't think you needed to "prime" fuel systems with electric pumps, at least not those with "fuel senders" mounted in the fuel tank. In the tank, or out of the tank, the pump is activated when the ignition switch is in the "Run" position. They will have a pressure relief valve which limits the fuel pressure. Sometimes, it's less expensive to have an engine serviced by a competent tech, than it is to do it yourself if you are not sure of what you are doing. You may be stuck with a fuel pump that will not work in your application. I quit working on my vehicles several years ago when they became computerized. Back in the day you could pull things apart and find a problem where some part was broken or worn out. But without all the electronic testing equipment there is no way to determine if the problem is a bad sensor, and there are many on today's engines, or some other electronic component such as an engine control module. Change plugs, change a water pump, replace fuel lines, or tackle any other relatively straight forward job, fine. But beyond that, I'd leave it to the pros.

Any concerns that adventure has died vanish when you have kids.

Congratulations. You may be the only member that has me beat in the marriage department. We celebrated our 49th on June 18th. However, unlike yours, my wife does not have the slightest interest in fishing.

Adventure is any new experience through which one acquires personal knowledge. If it's new to you, it's an adventure. A perfect example is bucket lists. These are things individuals would like to do/experience before they pass away into eternity. I agree with A-Jay. Life is an adventure. If you truly think adventure is dead, I feel badly for you.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

My age can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, and four other numbers with the result being a whole number, no fractions. Without looking at my profile, what is my age?

Don't take such an infection lightly. What you are describing can get serious in a hurry, as in septic, which can be fatal. My sister-in-law had her legs turn red and swell. It was spreading rapidly, and burning, so she finally asked my wife, an RN to take a look at it. My wife immediately took her to the ER. She was admitted and antibiotics were administered intravenously. They dosed her up with three different meds to get it under control. It took almost a week in the hospital before she was discharged. Another day might have been too late. By the way, your boots are too tight. You need to be able to kick them off, even with your pants tucked in. I learned that from my decades of being a commercial lobsterman.

Sometimes, but not always.

As an aside, you can protect all electrical connectors, light bulbs etc. from corrosion and seizing by applying a coat of dielectric grease to the connections. Can also be used on bayonet or regular type fuses.

The washers are fine, but the best protection is the combination of washers and the spray. It's the battery fumes that cause the corrosion. The washers will only protect the bottom of the post and the clamp. The spray will cover the sides and top. Any unprotected part of the clamp is subject to corrosion. It's important to clamp the terminal tightly against the impregnated felt washers for the best results. You do not want the spray getting between the post and the clamp. That's why the spray is applied AFTER all connections are tight. If I'm not mistaken, the felt washers fit either the battery post, or the threaded stud on some batteries. They come with a hole for the threaded studs, but the section around the stud hole is partially cut. Press it out and it will fit a battery post.

Every brand has its devotees and detractors. Some prefer Nitro, others Ranger. A Ranger is generally considered to be a better boat, and it should be for the price difference. You don't buy a Cadillac at Chevrolet prices. But, a Chevy will get you from point A to point B as well as a Caddy. Maybe not as nice a ride, with fewer amenities, but it will do the job. You will not catch one fish more or less from a Ranger than you will from a Nitro. Fish do not know, nor do they care what brand of boat a fisherman is in. You are getting into a Ford vs. Chevy vs. Ram discussion. Some will say brand X is a pos. If any brand was as bad as they say it would have gone out of business long ago. It's a matter of what you prefer. Look at both of them. Which layout do you prefer? There is an expression about buying vehicles, "Kick the tires". It simply means to look it over. If necessary have a knowledgeable person look it over. They can check the wiring, equipment, and typical trouble areas. If you find some boats that have potential, have the owners take you for a shakedown cruise. See how they run, how they ride, how they handle, etc. Factor that in with the prices, and pick one you like. Others can make suggestions, offer advice, or promote one brand over the other. In the end, it's you who has to be satisfied. For the record, I have a Nitro Z-8, and I am well satisfied with it. I'm sure I would be as happy in a Ranger, maybe happier, as long as I didn't have to pay for it.

The boat looks like it would provide a stable platform. But when you add decks and other "improvements", you will be adding weight, and need more thrust to move it along. I don't know your budget, but I'd start with a digital 24 volt trolling motor. It should provide propulsion for a long day on the water. A digital is more efficient, and will use less battery power to do the same "work" as a non-digital. I have a 24 volt Motorguide on my Z-8, non-digital. I can fish all day and still have plenty of battery power in reserve. Most days the power control is set on "1". If it's breezy, I may need to up the setting to "2". To move a short distance, I may run it on "5", but that's rare. Something similar should provide you with enough "juice" for you to put in a long day's fishing, unless you do a lot of traveling on the higher speed settings.

When you get right down to it life is never fair. Never will be.

Here you go. Clean your terminals, place a washer on each post, tighten, and spray with the CRC marine battery terminal protector. I used something similar when I was a commercial lobsterman. The stuff worked great. Keep in mind, this was in a salt water environment, on a boat with all manner of electronic gear, not to mention the lighting, etc. Never had a problem with corrosion. http://www.westmarine.com/corrosion-grounding/the-noco-company--ncp-2-battery-terminal-protectors--14995898 http://www.westmarine.com/wiring-tools/crc-marine--marine-battery-terminal-protector--3732286