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I know quite a bit about batteries in boats. Ever since I had one blow up in my old 204c when I hit the ignition key, I've paid a lot of attention to the issues. 1. Sealed flooded cell batteries: The older "maintenance free" flooded cell batteries from back in the '70s and '80 were...

You will find that you need to use a swivel mount on your Grady if you use Scotty downriggers. The simple ones that allow you to tilt straight up will not allow the riggers to clear the bolster. I used a 1/8" aluminum backing plate inside the gunwales to provide a secure mount. There is...

I did a lot of editing in my former career. Here is the advice I used to give: 1. Do an outline including each point you want to make. 2. Have a drink in order to release writer's block or other inhibitions. 3. Write with abandon without considering the length restrictions. 4. Wait a day. 5...

I've owned both hulls and what everyone is saying is spot on. Except for the fuel economy thing. The older hull is more fuel-efficient since it is lighter and has less wetted surface area when on plane. Yes, it will pound. Both hulls are dry for their size. The handling is very different...

You can get lucky and only have partial phase separation with E10 as long as the fuel and water are not agitated. Such as with a boat sitting at a mooring. But you can't get around the chemistry and you have no way of knowing the octane rating of the fuel phase. Phase Separation Crap! I...

If you were using E10 fuel, dump the gas. Once phase separation has occurred, most of the ethanol will be in the water phase. The octane rating of the remaining fuel will be below that required for proper combustion and knocking will occur that will eventually damage your pistons. If you are...

Your AP will hold a compass heading when a chartplotter is not detected. Garmin makes a couple of bare wire to 8-pin junction boxes that will work with most existing transducers. Here is one: Garmin Adaptor Box

I posted on how to get rid of those spots years ago. Remove the entire armrest (with the metal bracket attached) and put each arm into a separate dish pan containing 50% fresh bleach with a few drops of Dawn dish detergent. Soak for several days. The spots will eventually disappear. You can...

I put Seadeck on my skiff and was very happy with the result. It worked great under the helm station where it took some of the shock out of running in a chop. It's easy on the feet all around. The only issue is that it is harder to clean than gelcoat. I found that the best way to clean it was...

Go for it, Bob. :cool:

I learned that my beef valve is not actually made from a heart valve. Rather, it is made from the cardiac sheath. This is the connective tissue that surrounds the heart. I'm glad wasn't made from the penile sheath. I would have trouble living with that in me. ;)

They moved up my TAVR procedure at Mayo to last Monday. Everything went well and I ended up with a bovine valve. We flew home on Friday and I'm feeling much better than I have for years. My legs are still a little weak from doing nothing for a couple of months, but I should be ready to get...

Thanks for the kind thoughts, guys! You all are a good group of people. Good luck with the procedure. Hopefully the less invasive procedure works out Did you choose the artificial or the ovine valve? I ask because it may tell me what bait choices you make when fishing:) I'm going with the...

Admiral has the best reputation for prop repairs and replacing hubs in my area.

I wouldn't try replacing a pressed-in hub unless I had someone from a prop shop to show me exactly how they do it. Replaceable hubs like Rubex, Flo Torq, or XHS are easy to do yourself. But the old pressed-in style hubs require special equipment and know-how. We have several prop shops...

Not my engine, my heart. I'm going to Mayo Clinic on Wednesday for an aortic valve replacement. They won't know whether it will be open heart or via catheter until they finish 5 days of workup that starts on Thursday. The procedure is scheduled for Sept. 3. We will have to stay in MN the...

Almost certainly you will be able to use your B60, but you will need a Garmin adaptor cable. If you have the mix and match transducer cable, it will just be a matter of replacing the short connection to the Garmin head unit. If you don't have a mix and match cable, you can do the job by...

She was great! You guys missed out. ;)

I've had some problems with solderless connectors over the years. But I found that crimping them carefully with a channel lock so that the pins don't bend along with a drop of solder in the holes provided a bulletproof connection.

No, but in general highly cupped 4-bladed props give better performance with engines raised as high as practical. They do better than standard 3-blade props in aerated water. The downside is a decrease in fuel economy. You have a pre-SV2 hull that is not too hard to prop correctly. You'll...