airshot

Don't know about cheap, but the rest is right on !! Unfortunately, todays society believes bad things only happen to other people !! Just ask some of these newer boaters and they will tell you " I dont need to wear those because I dont do stupid things".......

Might be cheaper to move to a more user friendly state !!

According to my wife, these " golden" years just means that is the color of our urine !!

My boat is mostly open, a side console model, but did the same with my cuddy cabin model. Just curious why the steps were needed I guess, and whether it is something I should consider...

Last year bought a boat with a MK power drive with remote control..." Awesome"....never will go back to a foot pedal !! Push button control/ steering from anywhere within range of the remote !!

I guess I am lucky as all the ramps I use have docks along side. There are many times I have launched and retrieved without one, but that was in my younger days! At 73, I choose ramps with docks and after latching the winch strap, I just step off onto the dock. Are these steps needed due to a lack of a dock ??

Instead of AAA look at your own ins company, mine has far better coverage, longer towing, even all the way home if needed... Andvthe cost is about 1/4 that of AAA. Had triple A for many years, until I finally needed them one day...great dissapointment!!

Not sure about your particuler model, but a few years back I had a minn kota cable drive foot pedal that acted weird at different speeds. Was told it was the torque feedback thru the steering cable. Pushing on the pedal operated a cable drive mechanism and the torque created by power to the motor fed back thru the cable... No idea if this is your problem, but might be food for thought.

With crime on the rise, these small trackers could be a life saver, small and made for luggage !! Something like these in your boat, tackle box, luggage and truck might save you a headache if you luck turns bad. Hope you have a great trip!!

If you were only charging one battery you might get away with solar, but on multiple batteries it doesn't work well !! These folks that choose to live in there fancy housing editions can keep them, I choose to live out in the country among hard working tax paying citizens that help their neighbors nd work hard to get along !! Being stuck in an apartment really sucks, I remember those days well !! Perhaps you could look at renting a small house or duplex that has a garage. With the criminal element on the rise, I would never trust my boat out in the open in a public place. Paying for a secure storage are might be your best bet, not only for charging batteries but for security as well !! I know that I get a healthy insurance discount for keeping all my toys in my locked barn !! Good luck... I don't care for the appearance of some folks cars either, as they never wash them, choose weird colors or let the rust show thru.. I also believe it is extremely selfish to impose your ideas and beliefs onto to others, if people would learn to mind there own business, we would have far less problems in the world !! In my area, we dont need no fancy HOA or whatever it is called, if someone's yard gets trashy we simply get a few neighbors together and go talk to them, if there is a problem, we help them take care of it, no lawsuits, no courts, no police, no problem !!

The prior post is about right and you need to get a " factory service manual" not an aftermarket manual as the syc service is critical !! The only issue other than that, running on high speed with the throttle closed could be a very lean fuel issue !! Check you fuel supply, hose and fuel pump etc etc. If your fuel supply is not restricted then look carefully at the syc issue..

Many bilge pumps on the market with the float switch built in, no extra wires needed. On my previous boat I used the Sahara model with built in float switch, worked great for all the years I owned it...

Think you made the right call !!! For future reference you might consider looking at aluminum hulls, the only wood is in the transom, easy to see and easy to replace if needed. Outboards can be tricky, find someone with motor experience to go with you...

Glad you are OK and can joke about it...

Well....are you a gambling man ?? Your call, boats can be a very expensive hobby !! Read up and do your own testing for wood rot, you can find anything on the internet nowadays... Good luck !!