I’m in the process of changing a dash panel on my 380DA. The boat is 23 years old and many of the switches are gummed up. I would like to clean both the case and the contacts on the switches. I was thinking to lightly rough up the contacts with emery paper and spray with a contact cleaner.
What...
I have a repair needed. Looking for proper way to repair. It is just a nick in the gel coat although you can see the fiberglass layer. My proposed method would be to delicately grind out the remaining chips of gel coat, sand even and then use a gel coat repair kit from Spectrum. Am I on the...
After long awaited approvals and lawsuits the new Navy Pier Marina in Chicago will be constructed and possibly opened in time or the 2025 season.
See attached link;
https://www.navypiermarina.com/
Filled both tanks with fresh fuel for a 55 mile run last weekend. So yesterday was out for a short cruise and stopped and threw out the hook for a swim to cool off. Stayed about an hour and when I went to start engines, both would crank and crank and crank and then fire and bogg down and quit...
It was a beautiful moonlit night in Chicago. The summer is upon us with lots of activities especially around Burnham Harbor. This weekend Taylor Swift is in town for 3 nights at Soldier Field. Heard nose bleed tickets were going for $1,600 a piece. Sure am glad I don’t have any young girls...
I have a 2001 Sea Ray 380DA. It has two factory installed co detectors. One is in the galley high on the wall above the cabinets. The other is in the stateroom. I was in the process of upgrading to the current model and now have no power to the unit in the stateroom. I think a fuse may have...
If you’re looking for something to do this summer and enjoy watching fast boats, you may want to head over to the annual American Power Boat Association series Aug. 2-6 at Washington Park in Michigan City, IN. These racing boats can reach 200 mph as they zoom across Lake Michigan. The complete...
My 2001 380 DA has the original Ray VHF220. It has failed finally and I am looking to replace. As I understand it, the model 220 and the dinosaur that it is, were much larger in physical size than current models out there. Once I decide on a radio, I will need an adapter plate to mount. I was...
Polestar has struck a multi-year deal to provide batteries and charging systems to Swedish hydrofoil electric boat company Candela. The company has become known for its computer-guided hydrofoils that allow its small boats to fly above the surface of the water, thereby using up to 80% less...
STORY NUMBER ONE
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a...
These high performance cutting edge wingsailed catamarans were racing in Chicago this weekend between Navy Pier and the planetarium just outside Monroe Harbor. Not a big blow boat fan obviously, but I will say pretty cool to watch. All ten international teams use exact same cat and compete for...
I’m sure most of you have seen or heard about the new USCG Fire Extinguisher Regulation, however if not, here is a link to BOATUS’ release on the change.
https://www.boatus.com/news-room/release/boatus-new-us-coast-guard-fire-extinguisher-r
Effective April 20th.
Looking for a recommendation for a marina in Kewaukee, Wisconsin off Lake Michigan for a one night visit in August. Preferably a deep water marina. I think there are 2-3, but which one is best? Easy access, docks, access to town etc? Thanks in advance.
Your birthday is next month and your significant other asks “what do you want for your birthday?”
What is your reply?
I’ll start…….
“Something for the boat, the truck or the hotrod so I can finish it.”
I have a 2001 380 DA with twin mercruiser 7.4 Gen VI engines with 550 hours. Last summer port engine was not running correctly. Reputable marine shop ran short test on engine found cylinder 2 and 5 were not firing, traced problem to a bad pick up coil in the distributor. In diagnosing the...
FYI...for those of you who have your vessels documented with the USCG, they have adopted a new technology for the annual renewal process. The good is it appears it will not take several months to receive your papers after applying....we shall see. See below taken from their website...