Received my spin-on fuel filter adapter today. Just what I was
looking for. Interestingly, it is not any sort of custom unit. It is
a standard part made by Parker and fits any CAV filter mount
on a number of different engines (Perkins, Ford, Volvo, SAAB,
etc). Thanks to all that offered advise!

Doug
s/v Callista

Help, my boat speedometer has quit working.  I can keep track of my
speed with my GPS, but I’d like to get the speedometer to work.  It is
operated by a pitot tube.  I have checked behind the instrument panel
and everything appears to be fine.  I believe that the pitot tube is
plugged somewhere, but I don’t know where to look.  I have followed
the tube to my outboard motor, a Yamaha F115, but I don’t know which
opening is for the tube.  Any suggestions short of taking the motor
apart?

So, thanks to the descriptions you all gave me of having to remount a
new toilet and thanks to the chance of saving money, I’m enquiring on if
I can repair the toilet I have. It’s a Groco Type K, I can’t find any
other numbers or model name other parts numbers on the handle and such.
Anyway, I took off the little backing plate on the back of the toilet
near the bottom with the water intake nipple. Under it is a flat piece
of rubber about 2"X3." It has a flap cut into the middle it with square
piece of flat metal attached to it. Is this the joker valve? The metal
piece contacts the internal portion of the foot pedal.

Just above the metal piece attached to the flat rubber is a tear in the
rubber. Should I fix this? How do I do so? Can I get a replacement part?
Does this make enough sense for anyone to have any ideas about what I
should do?

Thanks,

Stephen

This ’79 Hunter I just bought has a big metal water tank in the bow.
This boat has sat unused for a few years, I understand. My buddy told me
I should by no means drink the water out of it, and should somehow clean
  the tank, etc. I’ve drained the tank and refilled it. I was thinking I
should dump some swimming pool chlorine in it and let it set for a few
days. Bad idea? How should I clean it?

Thanks,

Stephen

I need to replace the 4 – 68" teak handrails on the cabintop of our boat. I
need to make them myself as the size is not a stock size.
Does anyone have any sugestioins for a teak alternative?
I would like ideas of wood for painting as well as for  varnish, cetol, etc.  I
was thinking of Epi. Not sure how my router would like cutting them out. I hear
it’s hard wood.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Cliff

Does anyone out there know which year the EPA [or whatever the
bureaucracy was] made the boat builders change from the old "good"
fiberglass to the new "environmentally friendly" glass?  I seem to
remember it being about 1972 [?].

T. Sanders
S/V Cimba

What books or guides do you recommend? I am in Newport, RI.

–

Bill

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Scott,

Did you get the engine booklet that came with the boat?  If so, its got annual maintenance
instructions in it.  If not, I’d suggest going to a dealer and buying a manual, because it will be
well worth the $30 investment over the time you own the boat.  The basics are:

0) Charge or replace the battery!  Its likely to be flat after sitting over the winter.

1) Change engine oil and oil filter
2) Check belts and hoses (My 1996 has the originals, and they are still going strong)
3) Change fuel filters (my rig has two–A spin on, and a small filter in the carburetor)
4) Check battery water level (if possible)
5) Check and clean battery terminals
6) Check the propellor for nicks, dings, corrosion

If it is an I/O instead of a true inboard, add the following:

7) Drain and replace lower unit lube oil.  Note–The main reason to do this every year is to check
for a water leak in the lower unit.  If you bump something with your prop, its not uncommon to put a
   small bend in the prop shaft, which quickly destroys the prop shaft seal.  Water then leaks into
your lower unit, and the gears and bearings rust eventually destroying the lower unit.  This is a >=
$1K repair.  If the lower unit oil is a grey-whiteish (milky) color, you’ve got water in the lower unit.

Check and refill the tilt/trim pump hydraulic oil as needed
9) Grease the outdrive swivel points.

Also note that your gas tank probably has stale gas in it from sitting over the winter.  Its a good
idea to add as much fresh gas as your tank will allow, to dilute the stale gas.

Good luck with it,

Don W.

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Scott Shirley wrote:
> I am new to boating and purchased a 1996 model with an 5.7L inboard last
> spring. What maintenance do I need to perform after de-winterizing the boat?

> Oil Change ( I have no idea if/when the previous owner had it changed)
> Belts?
> Hoses?
> Any other fluids, filters, or things that need to be changed/adjusted?

I’m in the SF Bay area and I’m looking to buy a share in a cabin
cruiser between 30 and 40 feet. Something to sleep 4-6 for weekends.
Redwood City to Sausalito, or Alameda slip.

If interested please contact me at korfiat…@yahoo.com

thank you

k1

Granted the Mac26 is not an offshore boat, but what can she do?  One
poster said he would not take one out of sight of land so lets
consider this.
First, most boat accidents happen within sight of land because thats
where the boats hit stuff, like land.
So, out of sight of land, aside from an occasional collision, weather
is the major hazard so let’s examine the possible hazards.

Hurricanes:  Any Mac owner who finds himself in a hurricane is the
victim of his own stupidity.  I cannot envision any possible excuse to
find oneself in such a situation.

Unexpected storm, like the Storm of the Century:  Actually, most
mariners should have expected it.  I was due to leave that day for a
sailing trip but two days before had noticed an odd low in the Western
Gulf.  CG posted small craft warnings.  I put off my trip.  Within 24
hours there were local gale warnings.  I know of no small craft
operator on any reasonable (for a Mac26) passage of say 48 hours that
got caught in this and injured who can honestly say they had no
warning.

NorEaster:  I have no experience with them.

Pacific storms:  No experience

Thunderstorms and line squalls:  These are legit hazards because they
are fairly unpredictable and isolated.  Winds can go from 0 to 70 kts
to 0 in an hour and be dead calm 5 miles away.  All Florida sailors
will eventually find themselves in one and probably several.
On my S2, my technique is: First recognize them by hearing thunder
(duh), then look to see if I can go around it.  This is sometimes
possible because they are local but since a sailboat moves slow and
sometimes its (the storm) direction of movement is uncertain, this
only works about 30% of the time.  make sure anchor is ready for
possible deployment if near shallow water.  Look for the slight
coolness of the wind that signals it is near and approaching.  TAKE
DOWN SAILS NOW if you feel it. Evaluate searoom and try to get into
deeper water with engine.  As wind gets strong, try to power into it
to keep bow pointed toward it.  It I cannot keep bow pointed toward
the wind, execute a very fast turn and run with wind on the stern
quarter.  Try to stay out of shallow water.  If necessary, deploy
anchor.
A Mac26 can do all of this and better since it has more power and
speed.  If the storms direction can be ascertained, it can easily
power around it.  Since most such storms occur near the ocean/land
interface, safe harbor is probably close for powering too at 17 kts.
I have noticed that such isolated storms do not greatly enhance the
wave height because they are so local and short lived.  Storms
imbedded in a front can be associated with big waves but these are
obvious on a weather map and avoided.  This means that a Mac26 can
power away from such a storm at speeds greatly in excess of the speed
of a REAL sailboat.

Another point about going out of sight of land:  Why go out there if
you can avoid it?  After a few minutes, all the waves look the same
(ok, so theres an occasional crazy one).  The interesting stuff is
near land.  All teh times I have gone out of sight of land was because
it was the fastest way to get somewhere or the only way for my 4′
draft.  With the Mac26 very shallow draft, it is not limited in this
way so should spend far less time on such unnecessary passages.