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I always went with PLBs because they were portable and cheaper than EPIRBs. But I recently realized that EPIRBs were actually cheaper. The battery on a PLB lasts for 5 years and they cost so much to replace that most people just buy a new unit. An EPIRB battery is good for 10 years. Comparing...

It has a lot more to do with age rather than hours. I saw a 2005 with only 300 or so hours that was pretty rotted. They had an alloy problem with certain sourced midsections. Not all engines were affected. They never came straight about the issue so nobody really knows what is going on...

I see pitting. It should be replaced.

If the midsection looks like this one, it should be replaced. Notice the pitting. This is a dry part of the exhaust system so flushing does nothing to prevent the problem. It only seems to occur on engines used in saltwater.

This is a picture of what I would call "normal" corrosion in a 200-250 hp Yamaha midsection. No deep pitting. The spots look like salt deposites.

I assumed he had a battery switch since he mentioned an isolator. Somehow my mind told me that connecting to the battery terminal meant connecting through the switch. As stated, the bilge pump should be connected directly to the battery with everything else connected through the switch.

You should have 2 batteries. But everything that is hooked to the battery terminal now belongs there except for the fish finder. The directions for most fish finders say to connect directly to the battery. But that is not necessary. Most people power their fish finders off the fuse terminal...

If you have enough chain on your anchor it won't swing. The chain won't move if it's sitting on top of the anchor rode.

"disconnect steering bar and turn motor by hand. If its difficult, you may have dried grease in the swivel bracket," Absolutely the first thing to test. This is very common, even with engines that aren't too old and have been serviced regularly. Often a zerk will become clogged and no grease...

All of the DFF3D transducers require the DFF3D black box to get Furuno's long-range 3D display. This is like an order of magnitude beyond what anybody else has available. It is a commercial-level product that is likely overkill for a 208 unless he plans to do a lot of deep-dropping or canyon...

You are going to need a good glass guy if you want to install a pocket mount transducer on a 208. They are designed for boats that already have a pocket installed in the hull that allows the transducer to be glassed in. That leaves you with either a through-hull transducer installed at the...

You realize that the auxiliary charge cables have diodes that only allow current to flow in one direction, right? They are in effect battery isolators. It would be helpful if you could post a diagram showing how all 3 batteries are wired including any switches.

The most common source of ignition coil failure is a bad sparkplug wire. As these wires age, the resistance goes up and the coil overheats. Did your mechanic replace all of the sparkplug wires?

The older Seafarers had a hinged splash well panel the dropped down to the cockpit floor. It worked very well in the up position and made getting in and out of the boat a lot easier for diving when in the down position. What year Seafarer are you thinking about modifying?

Sticky pump switches drive me crazy. This is the best mod I ever did on my Grady: https://www.ultratef-gel.com/product/ultra-bilge-pumpswitch-mini-2432volt/ You can get these for ~$130 if you shop around online.

$5,000 for controls and rigging is way too high for an F150. People thinking about re-powering should look into Tohatsu. Their prices include controls and rigging. All of their engines from 150 hp on up are rebadged Hondas. They are more available than most of the other brands and nobody can...

For the first time, I just read this thread and recall all the finicky carbed 2-stroke engines I've had to deal with over the years. I've never been able to figure out the source of the vapor lock that was so common during the summer. It's either in the fuel system or the carburetor bowls...

Grady used the same manual for almost all of their models in 1991. Unfortunately, it doesn't list capacities for specific models. https://www.gradywhite.com/explore/grady-owners/owners-manuals/ The 1991 204 had a 65-gallon tank. I would assume that the 209 used the same tank. If you search...

The alarm goes off well before 248 degrees. Each cylinder bank has its own thermoswitch that establishes continuity at 183-194 degrees and turns on the alarm. Depending on the rpm, the engine can go into limp mode controlled by the ECM. The alarm will stay on until the temperature drops below...

I once gaffed a 42 lb that was absolutely green. The fish was hooked boat side on light tackle and it refused to run or fight at all. After a couple of minutes of boredom, I stuck it with the gaff and dropped it into an open 200-quart cooler. Even with me sitting on the lid, the thing ripped...