BMarkey

Another island is just north of Peanut. It is called Munyon but is not used as much and has a pretty rocky shore. It's part of McArthur Beach State Park. The exact spot where Peanut Island starts needs to be written into the law and disseminated to the public before people are arrested due to poor communication and misunderstanding. The bottom line here is that the law targets the wrong people - the mostly under control island users (people who take the water taxis there). Most of the out-of-control people are the generally young boaters who use the sandbar just off the island. That's where most of the drunkenness occurs. Drinking there is still allowed.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/will-a-new-alcohol-ban-tame-the-boats-2360155.html?876 This story still doesn't answer the question: What constitutes land in terms of the drinking law? If my feet are wet, am I off the island? The law should be consistent, regardless of whether I am a "jerk". Can I only come so many feet from the shore with a drink? What is the actual shore (because it changes greatly with the tides)? Is ankle, knee or waist deep drinking lawful? Who is going to deal with the huge amount of trash that gets dumped on the sandbar (to later float away or cut people walking in the water) by the same irresponsible drinkers who caused this problem in the first place (the young people and under-age partiers)? More people will now stay out in the water and party, make a mess with their grills and trash. Say goodbye to the recently improved starfish and conch populations. I usually bring a trash bag and fill it with other persons' cans and bottles when I go to the sandbar. Will I need three bags now? This is yet another Palm Beach County law (like the double-taxation boat ramp fee) that was not in any way thought out. The police said they needed help. All they had to do was enforce the legal-age drinking and public intoxication laws, as well as common boating regulations, and the problem would have been solved.

So who brought their boat to SunFest? How was your experience? I did not (thanks to having no one willing to go with me) bring my boat, but I was at SunFest for three days and checked out the new boating rules. I liked what I saw. I still believe boaters should be able to use the docks (built for events such as this), but at least now they can drop off and pick up passengers at the far south dock at no charge. Boat/U.S. again ran the water taxi for $5 round trip (not bad), and free for members. Boats now are allowed to anchor very close to the docks and sea wall (almost within jumping distance). I have not noticed them that close for decades. Even during the concerts, some boats were very close to the docks and sea wall, allowing them to clearly hear the concerts from the main north (Bank of America) stage. They probably heard the music better than many landlubbers. Even for the fireworks Sunday night (still miss the Friday night fireworks, when boats would number 1,000 or more), the boats were allow to remain around the docks and sea wall. They were formerly forced out toward the middle of the Intracoastal and on the Palm Beach side of the channel. The way the wind was blowing, had they been out there this time, they would have seen much smoke and few bursts. The fireworks were great, BTW, despite a glitch that digitally garbled and then stopped the feed from The Gator (98.7 FM) on land about one-third of the way through. Did anyone hear the simulcast music from their cars or boats, or was the problem at the station? It was a great event and the music this year (especially Foreigner) was fantastic. http://youtu.be/hC-k34i6xqc

From the SunFest Web site: SunFest is not just for land-bound travelers, boaters are always welcome to anchor in the Intracoastal Waterway in front of the SunFest site and take the water taxi to the festival’s waterfront gate. (FOR ANCHORED BOATERS) Hours of Operation: Wednesday 5 – 11 p.m. Thursday 5 – 11 p.m. Friday 5 – 11:30 p.m. Saturday Noon – 11:30 p.m. *Sunday Noon – 10 p.m. Fee $5.00 round trip. Guest will be provided a ticket that is required for the second leg of the trip. If the guest cannot produce the ticket they will be charged another $5.00. *On Sunday Water Taxi service will be suspended from 8:30pm until the Verizon Wireless Fireworks Show is completed (approximately 9:20pm). Guest will need to hail Towboat U.S. by VHF Channel 10. Vessels will be permitted to drop off and pick up guests Wednesday through Sunday at the designated location only. The loading and un-loading area is located on the South Dock. Vessels will not be permitted to tie up for any other reasons. North and Middle Docks will not be open to any vessels unless previously approved by SunFest. Ticket Sales The gate on the South Dock will be operated in the same manner as all other public gates. We will sell tickets and stamp for re-entry. For more information please visit the TowBoat U.S.-Palm Beach Facebook page.

If you want to fish with it, stick with a center console type boat with an outboard motor. I made the I/O engine mistake and spent countless hours cleaning upholstery and carpet. The I/O was under-powered and required way too much maintenance.

SunFest (Wednesday through Sunday) makes it easier on boaters The weather is supposed to clear by late week, almost in time for SunFest, which is set for Wednesday through Sunday on the Downtown West Palm Beach Waterfront. http://www.sunfest.com This is the second year SunFest has made the massive event a bit more accessible to boaters. No, we still can't use the nice docks West Palm Beach built just for events like this, but for the second year, captains may drop off their passengers at the southernmost dock at the Waterfront, then anchor in the Intracoastal Waterway and take a water taxi in. Boat/US is handling the water taxi duties, charging a reasonable $5 per person round trip. That fee used to be much higher. Also, "BoatU.S. Members with Unlimited or Unlimited Gold on-the-water towing service will receive free round trip transportation via water taxi courtesy of TowBoatU.S. Palm Beach. Members must present a valid Membership card to the captain to receive free transportation. Only the person listed on the Membership card will receive free water taxi transportation. Members should hail TowBoatU.S. on VHF 10 for pick up and drop off." Founded in 1982, SunFest is Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. Held annually in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida the first week in May, SunFest attracts more than 270,000 visitors. The festival and the patrons that it attracts have a very positive impact on the community. I'm looking forward to seeing The Outlaws, Marshall Tucker, Foreigner, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Creed, All American Rejects, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Snoop Dogg and a bunch of other music. So, who's going? Maybe we can get another flotilla going for the fireworks Sunday.

Thanks, but I have a vented fuel fill. There is no vent outside to the hull. I checked and rechecked all the fuel line clamps on and off the engine. I put a rebuild kit on the VRO pump's gas side and finally, I bought a new primer bulb (old one was a year old). It fired up and kept running. Then my water probem came back again (see other thread). Thanks.

I have no vent. The boat has a self-venting fuel fill. I have some copper tubing that I attached to a plastic hose and the primer bulb last time. Getting the last of the liquid out was a real chore because of having to hold the copper steady in one spot while pumping the bulb.

I thought about the possibility of a neighbor dumping water into the tank, but I do not think she or he could get over the fence and my dogs woud go crazy if she did. I do have a next door neighbor (renter) who sits on her porch just a few feet from where I park the boat. The village forces me to park it there because I am not allowed to put it in the rear yard (only the side of the house).

I have a self-venting cap system. http://www.iboats.com/mall/image/view/2/3/2820540c_1.gif The smaller tube is apparently the vent. It has a hose going into the tank. I don't see how a gallon or more of water could quickly get in through the cap.

I finally got my fuel starvation issue solved (I think), after rebuilding the Johnson year 2000 115 VRO pump, tightening the fuel hose clamps and adding a new primer bulb (probably the problem the whole time). But now my original problem (started last year) is back - water in the gas. It ruined the Fourth of July. The engine ran great, but as the bow rose sharply as I hit the throttle hard, I assume the water build-up went to the lower rear of the gas tank and right up the pick-up tube. The Wellcraft 190 Fisherman was dead in the water. So, I really need to identify the source of water and need your help. Last year, I assumed the water was leaking through a deck plate right above the gas tank behind my captain's chairs. The top of the plastic tank is sunken in a bit where the sending unit is screwed in and I assumed water was pooling on top of the tank and leaking into the tank through the old unit. I replaced the unit, better sealed the deck plate with 5200 and left an old rag wrapped around the new sending unit to check for water. It's a closed transom boat, so water will build up on the deck briefly as it rains and I wash the boat. Two drains in the rear corners allow the water to flow out via through-hulls. I assume water also gets under the deck from the live well area, anchor locker and the storage compartments under the front casting platform and bow area. Possible sources of the water: Deck plate, still? - The rag I left under there on top of the tank is dry. That should indicate the top of the tank is no longer the problem, right? Gas cap? - It's old, a self-venting model that sits on the side of the rear. Water cannot build up around the cap and the cap is tightly screwed on but its O-ring is old and brittle. But could this result in a half-gallon or more of water intrusion? BTW, I can't find a replacement (stainless type) round cap. Tank - Could water, below deck, be entering the gas tank through a crack? I would tend to doubt that because gas does not leak out and I do not smell a gas leak. But if the crack is near the front of the glassed in tank and I rarely fill the tank, maybe water can get in without gas leaking out? Fuel hoses soaking in water inside the transom? - That doesn't seem likely because the water seems to be in the tank. The tank was almost dry yesterday and the engine ran well. I added 10-11 gallons of "cheap" E-10 just before launching. That's it. I hope some of you can enlighten me as to how to solve this excruciatingly frustrating problem. Thanks.

I "like" this idea.

Update: I let the boat sit for a while, frustrated with my inability to fix the issue and lack of funds to hire a pro. Then I just bought a new Quicksilver primer bulb and decided to see if that could be the problem. I put it on the made sure the clamps were very tight. I then had to reinstall the pulse limiter, fuel bracket and OMS/VRO pump. It's amazing how much you forget after a couple of weeks. Question: How tight should the pulse limiter be screwed into the block? I made it tight but not super tight with a socket wrench, but I could still see some threads where it appeared to have been a bit deeper last time. I also tightened up all the connections I could see around the fuel-water separator, oil tank lines, etc. The engine would crank but not start, so I checked the fuel, and oil connections three times. Nothing. But gas was getting into the carbs. So, remembering that we have had a couple of deluges lately (I am getting water in the gas in some unknown way ... and I have a self-venting cap), I decided to empty the carbs of gas and check the gas. It looked O.K., but I emptied the water-fuel filter anyway, put back on the carb screws and tried again. When I unscrewed the filter, I heard a small whoosh of air, meaning I had a good seal, right? The engine cranked right up. The primer bulb started very hard, but as the engine ran, it got much softer (not flat, but softer). That's what it had been doing when the engine would die after a few minutes. But this time, the engine didn't die of gas starvation as it had in the past. I ran it for around 10 minutes and all seemed well. But then I revved it a bit and the oil alarm light and siren went off (10 seconds). There is oil in the tank, not full, but enough. I also have oil in the gad tank. I restarted the engine a few minutes later and the alarm went off again, but the engine kept running. Maybe, just maybe, the tank is low enough to set off the alarm, but why would it happen just afer I revved the engine? Oh well. I'm not sure what to do next. Thanks all.

Well, I guess I let my imagination get away with something. Today, I ran the engine again in the yard, to make sure all was well before I hauled the boat to the water tomorrow. Yup, the problem returned. The engine ran for 5 to 10 minutes, then started sputtering out, only to be recused by a couple of swift pumps of the primer bulb. A minute or so later, the 10-second beep came again, alerting me of an oil issue. The primer bulb starts hard, then eventually gets to be about half full. The problem repeated when I used the built-in tank (and its own hoses) and the 6-gallon portable tank (separate hose to engine). I checked the hoses to make sure the clamps were tight. Where is that intake hose you mentioned? I wonder if a local shop would be able to test the OMS pump if I brought it to them and how much they would charge for the service. Otherwise, I am stuck buying a $350 to $400 (non-returnable) pump on a guess that the one I have is bad, right?

I used that diagram. Thanks. Update: I replaced the fuel bracket with one that came with the used OMS pump I bought last year. I disassembled and reassembled the fuel side of the OMS pump, finding nothing obviously broken. I let it sit for a couple of days, then reattached the pump to the engine. I made sure to pump the oil primer bulb to get a good flow down the hose. I started the engine and after running rough for a minute or two, it ran fine. It did not stall after several minutes as it had been doing and the oil alarm did not sound. The engine was very smokey, but that's probably because there's oil in the tank and the oil pump is also apparently working. I let it run for 10 minutes or so without any issues. What now? Water test, I guess. Fingers are crossed.

What other diaphragm?

I removed the OMS pump again tonight and took apart the gas side. Nothing seemed to be ripped, cracked or out of place. The O-rings seemed fine and the diaphragm looked good. So, I am still puzzled.

Update: It turns out that I already had that entire fuel bracket, including that vapor separator tank (rectangular thingy). It came with a used OMS pump I bought a year ago from Dunk. So, I replaced the entire bracket, separator tank, etc. The leak is gone. All went well and the engine started right up. It ran decently for 5 minutes, then the same old sputtering, running a bit faster ad dying out returned. The solid alarm went off again (which on my engine has always indicated low oil) and the light stayed on solid. So, I installed a portable fuel tank and ran new premixed fuel to eliminate any continuing water problems. Same thing. Runs fine, then sputters out of gas. So, I then removed the MS pump and took apart the gas side. The parts look clean and in tact. The housing appears solid. I am stumped. I could buy a new OMS pump and probably solve my problem, but that would be an expensive ($350-plus) gamble.

I just went out to pull the pump and realized the photo above is not of the pump but of the fuel bracket above the pump. The part that is allowing gas to shoot out (when the primer bulb is pumped) is, according to the diagram linked below, No. 26, where it is attached to the top of the rectangular thingy (No. 15) near (but not at) the screw hole. http://www.crowleymarine.com/johnson-evinrude/parts/57624.cfm Could this be causing the pump to fail to continue bringing up gas and oil? I see there is a gasket where the cover attached to the rectangular thingy on the fuel bracket. I thought that might be my problem, then noticed the cover (No. 26) is slightly cracked.

I feel like it's deja vu all over again. I'm having the same problem with my year 2000 Johnson 115 I experienced a year ago. After I did my best to get all the water out of the fuel (annual occurrence after letting the boat sit for seven months), the motor runs fine for several minutes but then starts revving a bit faster and then sputters out. I can keep it running by squeezing the primer bulb a couple of times, but then the same thing happens again a minute or two later. The bulb and fuel lines seem to be fine. And, now the "No Oil" light and beep are on. I have oil in the gas tank, so I am not worried about running the motor. The oil is in the tank because I replaced the OMS (VRO) pump with a used model last year and wanted to make sure the oil side of the pump was working. Everything seemed to be fine after the replacement, but I only used the bat a few times (the oil tank volume seemed to be slightly decreasing). Today I noticed that when I squeeze the primer bulb, gas shoots out of the rectangular section of the VRO pump on the rear corner (see photo). My guess is this is not supposed to happen and the integrity of the housing is compromised - as is in cracked and not keeping a vacuum? I suppose that means I need another pump? Would a repair kit fix this (probably not because I need the housing, right)? Or maybe new diaphragms could stop the leak? I do not see any obvious crack in the plastic. Folks, do you agree with my diagnosis. If so, can you recommend a source for a new pump, or a fix?

Apparently a lot of boaters skipped the event entirely or came by car (as I did due to an engine issue). I saw fewer boaters out there Sunday than ever before. Maybe the wind and sometimes overcast sky had something to do with it. But it was generally nice and sunny. The bands and fireworks were great and wind kept it comfortable. I walked over to the city's south dock and talked to the SunFest people handling the boaters. Here's what I learned. The south dock was set aide just for the dropping off and picking up of people by private boaters and the Town Boat/US water taxis. It seemed to work very well. But very few private boats used the dock, probably because most boaters don't read forums like this, the news of the positive changes to the boating policy was not publicized well and newspapers, radio ad TV really didn't mention it. It was a darn shame to see that dock wide open. Useless. The SunFest official was there with two other ticket takers. Those without tickets could buy them on the spot. Those with tickets had them scanned before entering. Those leaving could be stamped for return later. It worked smoothly and efficiently. None of that would have changed if boaters were allowed to park there. The expenses would have been the same. The only issue discovered was, some people paid the reasonable $5 round trip charge for the water taxi under the assumption they could just walk into SunFest without a ticket. When they discovered the $34 price, they had to turn around and take the water taxi back to their boats. How could people have assumed admission was free?

Here is the video. http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_c_palm_beach_county/riviera_beach/fellow-boaters-save-family-after-vessel-capsizes Should eight people, plus tents, coolers, etc., have been in this boat? The only way the bow went under is because the boat was overloaded! I don't think there are too many rogue waves by Phil Foster Park! Yet, the story does not have any comment from law enforcement as to charges and/or mistakes.

Between Phil Foster Park and Peanut Island on a weekend, numerous police agencies can be found patrolling. That boat was seen by a cop before it capsized.

Two kids, 7 adults thrown in water after overloaded boat capsizes http://www.palmbeach...er-1389081.html I've been pulled over numerous times by Coast Guard and local police authorities while boating for random safety checks (once just after passing a guy vomiting from his Waverunner; he wasn't checked). I was never cited. But every damn time I go to the ramp, I see severely overloaded boats. Once recently, I counted 15-plus men, women and even infant children disembarking a cuddy cabin boat that was 22 feet long at the most. Never once have I witnessed a police agency try to strop one of these accidents waiting to happen from proceeding. The boat police need to stop wasting their time with major holiday, media-serving holiday saturations and enforce safety laws every day.

What a bunch of .... Permitting? What permitting? Fourth on Flagler is permitted, the boat show is permitted, every other freaking day of the year is permitted on those docks. This is the same baloney explanation as in years past. Former Mayor Lois Frankel said the "permitting" issues were resolved. Not feasible? Allowing docking would be as feasible as it is at these other large events. Charter craft and water taxis dock there during SunFest. People are on the docks taking tickets and screening entrants. Police are there. Already. Additional costs would be minimal (maybe a few extra ticket takers and an officer or two). So what if the number of boats would be "extremely small." The docks were put there for reasons such as this. Who is SunFest to decide that because not all boaters could be accommodated, no one should be accommodated? By that argument, no cars should be able to park at the event either. because, not all people who want to come will find a parking spot on/near site. By that argument, most boat ramps should be shut down because they can't accommodate all boaters who want to use the ramps and parking spaces on a given weekend day. If 30 or so boats can be accommodated on the docks and they stay for a few hours each, that means maybe 500 boats can be served throughout the event. That's fine. It's the best that can be expected. It's funny that she says they have spoken to boaters. I have written and called them every year and they didn't ask my opinion. They didn't even respond to my comments on the SunFest Facebook page.