CONTINUOUSWAVE

dtmackey

Since the Whaler rehab, I've had the desire to build a set of cornhole boards with the same look at the Whaler interior. About 2 months ago, my wife came home from a fundraiser planning meeting for the private school my daughter attends and she informed me that she volunteered me to build a set to d...

dtmackey

From Jim's post: "The reversion to an all-white color scheme will be appreciated by many owners of more classic boats who were put off by the dark base gray color in the other E-TEC G2 models. The white color scheme may be migrating to other E-TEC models" The jump to a color other than whi...

dtmackey

The list of variables that would impact a resistance reading on the test you performed are endless and do not merit a conclusion. Just a few: - the usage of the boat in salt, fresh or brackish water (each conducts differently when tested if present in the transom. - is the boat bottom painted? - var...

dtmackey

Awlgrip is not recommended nor designed for continuous water contact (immersion). Some people have no problems when leaving their boat in for relative short periods of time, days up to a week, but there are many variable that could impact the amount of time before paint failure occurs (water temp, s...

dtmackey

dg22 wrote:dtmackey, which model of the water witch did you buy?

I have the model 230 which is rated to 20 amps, but if you run a smaller pump (1500GPH or less) then the model 217 switch is fine.

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dtmackey

In one of my boats I'd get 2 - 3 years out of the Rule float switch before it'd fail. My guess is the banging of the hull in rough seas would bounce the switch around causing premature failure. The concern with that is you didn't know of the failure until you came back to the boat and there was stan...

dtmackey

If your passionate about fiberglass work and restoration, then purchase it, but honestly there are better deals out there if you wait. About 10 years ago I bought a 1976 13' Sport with a galvanized trailer for $400. It looked pretty rough, because someone had painted the inside with latex paint and ...

dtmackey

Re the "4K"--in my professional work we have found that in order to shoot video in 4K resolution very special lenses are needed. A usual high-definition lens cannot be used because its optical quality is not sufficient to stand-up to 4K resolution. Very expensive 4K lenses are needed. I d...

dtmackey

I recently bought a Mavic Pro as well but have not gained the confidence yet to bring it on the boat as they aint cheap to replace if it sinks. I certainly understand the hesitation on flying over water. He started with a Phantom 3 and picked it up quick, as almost any kid these days with electroni...

dtmackey

Very nice motion picture aerial photography. I love seeing that narrow wake off the classic 15-foot hull running on plane at speed. How fast were you going? Hi Jim, Most of the river running was done at full throttle with lots of trimming in/out for the straights and corners. On the straights the b...

dtmackey

This summer my son captured roughly 30 minutes of drone footage of our 15' Supersport and edited it down to just under a 2 min vid. Thought I'd share

https://youtu.be/2hELY0-aRwU

Shot with a 4K Mavic Pro.

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dtmackey

Bob is located in Haverhill MA and I drive through here several times a weeks and hope to visit his shop soon. I build all my own woodwork, but would be happy to validate his work.

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dtmackey

Operate like a car? I can think of several cars that have 1/2" or more play in the system, just drive any SUV with a recirculating ball steering box. Better yet, get into any car without the engine running and I'd bet there's not a car on the road that has less than 1/2 inch of play in the whee...

dtmackey

I used to work for BRANSON--a very well known brand for ultrasonic cleaners--but not in the division that made ultrasonic cleansers. Branson was started by Norm Branson way back in the 1960's in Connecticut. If you can buy other brands for such little cost, I am surprised they are able to stay in b...

dtmackey

I'm happy to hear you are satisfied with the ultrasonic cleaner. I purchased one several years ago and use it for everything. I now plan buy a large capacity unit. I've used the ultrasonic cleaner for carburetors, and it dislodges everything dirt-like and deposits. Parts come out clean and looking l...

dtmackey

Both fittings screw in the same depth into the bottom and I can understand the small bubbles, but since they rise to the top, simply add additional fluid to increase the level in the jug and the bubbles being returned are pushed to the top and bubble free fluid is fed to the helm pump unit. A power ...

dtmackey

Due to then hose routing in some boats with high and low points, it can be difficult to bleed a hydraulic steering system. On one of my boats, I experienced this problem. No matter how many times I used the setup from Teleflex with the two fluid containers and trying to bleed air, I could not get ou...

dtmackey

My son was moving the lawnmower in the garage and bumped the trailer light and cracked the lens. There's also been a concern of mine that when trailering the lights are very low and not within direct sight of following cars, so I decided that I'd install guide-ons and LED pole lights. https://i.imgu...

dtmackey

When fixing a hose to a barbed fitting, use only one hose clamp. Position the clamp so in presses the hose onto the clean portion of the fitting behind the barbs. Putting a clamp on a hose so it bears onto the barbed portion of the fitting tends to cut into the hose itself, which can lead to proble...

dtmackey

Not all gray fuel line is created the same and over the years it's varied from manufacturers. I've been using the Shields gray fuel line in two boats with no problems. It's not the same as the junk that had the liner that collapsed and caused people to classify all gray fuel line as garbage. The cut...

dtmackey

Unless his Guinness World Record has been beat, Brad Rowland holds title to world's fastest pontoon boat at 114-MPH.

https://youtu.be/j136TTyG_E8

They do serve a purpose and some people seem to love them. Around here on the ocean, I never see them.

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dtmackey

The traditional pontoon boats always seem to have circular tubes for the pontoons. Is there some underlying reason for using circular floats? Are circular floats used because there is a standard aluminum large-diameter tubing being fabricated for some other purpose (such as transporting liquids) an...

dtmackey

DT- thanks for the illustrations. The carburetor I own for a 15-HP engine is presently on an engine so I could not show it. My 15-HP engine is a 1975 or 1976 model. I know it to be the last year of breaker [spark plug] ignition. Q1: Can the later model electronic ignition be swapped onto [engines w...

dtmackey

Thanks for the kind words Guitarfish. Steering is installed and took it for a ride today and this was a very worthwhile upgrade. The dead spot in the steering is gone and there is zero torque steer in the wheel with a noticeable reduction in steering input. Very pleased with the results. Steering wh...

dtmackey

Being on the ocean the idea of fixed docks is foreign to me, especially with a mean average tide of 9.6' and the occasional new new moon 11' tide swing. Nothing compared to the Bay of Fundy 40' tides.

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dtmackey

If the Racor filter uses the clear bowl or tinted blue bowl, be advised a product bulletin was released in 2016 to change these to the newer design that appears to have a yellow tint and it ethanol compliant. The old bowl will fail when E10 fuel is used over time. https://www.parker.com/literature/R...

dtmackey

I have a lot of experience with the OMC....OMC made it very easy to swap the parts around. I did a number of those over the years, and--aside from the difference between the early and late models--the carburetor swap is a good upgrade; but depending on what model year, there can be additional diffe...

dtmackey

Not a 9.9 to 15, but along the same line. Yamaha 60 to 70 conversion and this is a simple conversion since the motors both run the exact same CDI unit, exhuast downtube, intake and reed assemblies and the only difference is the carbs where the throat of the 70 carbs is noticeably larger than the 60 ...

dtmackey

Took the boat for a ride last week and the dead spot in the cable steering drove me nuts and motivated me to start installing the Baystar system. https://i.imgur.com/yaoMrhBl.jpg Fig. 1. Pulled the console and associated wiring and now able to clean up a few things I decided to change. https://i.img...

dtmackey

To increase HP from a motor that uses the same block as a higher powered motor, some people think its carburetor jetting, but jets only add more fuel with no additional air and you need to increase both air and fuel at the key stochiometric 14:1 ratio to make more power, jets alone just dump in more...

dtmackey

On my 15 Whaler with a carb motor I do not run a filter since a carb can take quite a bit of gunk with no problems. I also started with a fresh fuel system last year. On my Mako 21 with an E-TEC 250 I use a water-separator RACOR, and it is changed every other year. The filter on the engine is change...

dtmackey

Is the Mercury Bigfoot the 4 stroke model? If it is, I don't think you'll see much better performance since 4 stroke motors lack the down low torque of a 2 stroke to get the boat on plane and the engine to the upper RPM range where it makes power. I can tell you the difference between a 4 stroke 9.9...

dtmackey

Oldslowandugly wrote:Yes, I saw that Evinrude still offers [XD30 oil]. Perhaps my guy was reluctant to order another 100 gallon drum just for guys like me.

I can't image he's selling much XD30 at all, so not surprising he's no longer buying in bulk.

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dtmackey

I was at my local boatyard today making a work list for one of my boats, and the yard has a bunch of 13-foot Boston Whaler boats from various years scattered about. I checked and found three that had at least one compromised drain tube where the brass was corroded to the point of allowing saltwater ...

dtmackey

Check your bailing plug brass tube. Based on the pic you provided, it doesn't appear to be sitting square against the gelcoat and they are a point of failure in Whalers. They can be replaced and if your's is compromised, then it could allow water into the transom area foam and transom core. I've rep...

dtmackey

There is nothing wrong with a few inches of water sitting on the deck of the boat. I'm not sure I agree with you Phil. If I were to pull the plug on many of my previous Whalers and current (all self bailing) and leave on the mooring over the summer months I use it, algae and growth would occur insi...

dtmackey

dtmakey, where did you find stainless steal tools? I purchased them at a marine store that was going out of business years ago, so I got a great deal. I also have a set of bronze tools that my dad purchased as a kit back in the 70s, which has the common adjustable wrench, pliers, hammer, screw driv...

dtmackey

I grabbed a set of basic stainless tools years ago that were reasonable in price. They do discolor a little after use and getting salt water on them, but wipe clean with a rag. Look into buying some stainless tools and it won't be a problem.

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dtmackey

Whaler has made the self bailing claim for a long time and it will self bail after reaching an equilibrium between weight and buoyancy. The concern I have with this claim is self bailing to me means the scuppers are above the water and any water entering the deck area then exits through scuppers or ...

dtmackey

Have you considered getting the hull soda blasted to get a smooth surface and drop some of the extra paint? I blasted one of my boats and considering doing another since it makes painting so much easier on a smooth surface and I'm sure there's an added hydrodynamic benefit.

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dtmackey

Look around and you can save a bundle. In the past I've seen them for $5 - $10 per hinge in 316 stainless. Most stainless hardware comes out of China and the markup some companies put on it for the privilege of buying it in their spiffy packaging is insane.

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dtmackey

Maybe the iceberg was a conspiracy theory and it was the 4 bladed center prop that doomed the Titanic. https://i.imgur.com/uDLd0vVl.jpg On a more serious note, a 4 bladed prop is not ideal for every boat and functions better on certain applications. I would never even think of switching the bow thru...

dtmackey

What are “stickers”? I think he meant decal. Many people use the terms interchangeably. It's like people who refer to soft drinks as soda, tonic or pop. I know what they mean and there seems to be a generational and regional preferred name. I will say, if Whaler did use turquoise decals on any boat...

dtmackey

Haven't seen much Honda advertising in these parts and Honda is not a popular motor in these parts - probably due to local dealer support, or lack of dealers.

dtmackey

I dug back though my 3 to 4 blade notes and found some information that I will offer. I can attest that Ken at Prop Gods nailed it with the suggestion of a single prop being spot on. Boat is a 1990 Mako 21 with an Evinrude 250. Hull is a Florida Marine Patrol boat built to military and marine patrol...

dtmackey

I've used Garzon Studios on several outboard engine cowlings, and I been very pleased with the quality. He's also done custom work for me in the past. There others I've used and been happy with, but can't remember the names.

https://garzonstudio.com/outboard/johnson.html

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dtmackey

What seems most odd: all four Diesel engines turning the alternators lost oil simultaneously. You’d expect the engines would have separate oil reservoirs, and not to be supplied lubricating oil from a common reservoir. Or at least 2 systems, 1 for port and 1 for starboard engines. I would think red...

dtmackey

I removed a small piece of the deck from my 1989 Outrage 18' and had a quart of Dupont Imron (I believe it is now Axalta Imron) matched. It was pretty darn close. I can't guarantee my Desert Tan will match your Desert Tan, but I can upload a picture of the formula if you want it. Did the same thing...

dtmackey

Saltwater is said to not induce wood rot. Freshwater makes wood rot. A use history for saltwater is a plus in this case. Rot and soft, I have found the same over the years. But wet and soft wood is not a lot different then rotten wood. Salt water intrusion is still bad. Fully agree with salt or fre...

dtmackey

I have a 21 Mako that was a previous Florida Marine Patrol boat and Mako built them with bigger stringers and lots of extra glass adding lots of weight. After I restored the boat and mounted a 250-HP engine, I tested many three-bladed propellers. I was not happy with the performance, but once I trie...

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