Recent content by captmatt

I purchase 100 hour maintenance kits from SIM. They put everything you need in one box for one price. I also try to buy parts from my local Yamaha dealer to develop a relationship with them. They are the ones I will need help from if my engine ever needs wrenching beyond what I can do myself...

None! Change your prop to a four blade and move the engine mounting height first. What are you trying to accomplish? What hull? What is the current prop? I know that others like their permatrims and will disagree.

I have a Rolls Axle trailer and I highly recommend that brand if you have the money to spend. With a little maintenance, their trailers will last as long as the hull. No matter the brand of trailer, I recommend 16 inch rims on six lug hubs (for 5200 pound axles). That gives you the option to...

I think you will like that new Simrad set up! (y) The Halo 20+ radar has been really nice for me. Having dual screens is also nice as you can use one for a chart with radar overlay and the other for sonar.

For my 2013 23 DVCC I used a 20 degree tilt B175HW. I mounted it on the port side after drilling a hole through the bilge shelf (the batteries are in the console on my boat where they belong). My boat has the livewell and washdown pickup in the port side and I mounted the transducer ahead of...

The water went under the console, between the console pan and the deck. My boat has the step-down console - that step down section protrudes under the deck through a hole cut in the deck. The console pan is supposed to be sealed to the deck. In my boat, the joint between the deck and console pan...

That looks like a spreader light and it is really meant to shine down and illuminate the deck. You have probably heard this, but boats do not have headlights like a car does. This is for several reasons - to keep from blinding those at the helm of other boats, to protect your night vision while...

Attach a string to the old cable when you pull it back through. You could also attach a fish tape to the old cable rather than a string. The transducer was likely installed after the boat was built so it will have some zip ties holding it at the ends, but it is not likely to be secured by zip...

You can take a look at the belt by removing the cowling and then removing the top plastic engine cover held on only by pins that seat into rubber mounts (no tools required). Very easy to do. Again, most probably no emergency to get the belt replaced.

I would worry less about the exact hours to replace the timing belt. If the belt is not cracked, frayed on edge, or making copious dust then it is fine for the near term. Get it replaced when you next get the engine serviced. There are lots of Yamaha timing belts out there with waaay more than...

I see now that is a Suzuki 250. Can it swing an 18" pitch prop with 16" diameter? That is a lot of blade area. My 23 DVCC with a 4.2 L F250 wears a 15" pitch PowerTech OFS four blade that performs well overall and especially at lower speeds in chop.

You need about three feet of water or slightly less, maybe 30 inches, with the motor down. In water that shallow you will be underway at idle speed only and you have no room to clear any objects that stick up, like rocks.

The old tank was not too bad but it had been sitting in water. There was at least 5 gallons in the compartment - you can see the line on the rear of the tank in the picture. Keep in mind that tank is only ten years old. For the new one, it was sanded, and then epoxy paint coated, and then...

I change outboard engine oil after about 100 hours or about one year, whichever comes first. Do the same thing for vehicles. I am strictly DIY for oil changes but $178 for a single engine is a good deal. It costs me about $160 for the oil and filter and gaskets (also including a fuel filter...

You can call them. In prior times, the people who answer the phones would take a message and pass it along to someone like Eric Denton who would reach out with more detailed information. Now that Parker is owned by Correct Craft there is must less support for older boats. The last person I...