Sandy

Consider the golf ball holes were probably giving lift to the clay-covered upper surfaces of the Mythbusters car, whereas a fully dimpled hull may provide negative lift to the bottom of a boat, overcoming the potential benefits of a somewhat rough surface.

Thanks for the clarification , Seahorse. I stand corrected!

Something to keep in mind: As the tach is in the ignition circuit, a bad tach (shorting internally to ground) can also prevent the engine from running. Disconnecting the tach can rule out that possibility .

The plastic piece looks like it may either be a base hinge for canvas bows or perhaps a windshield support-strut base. It's hard to see how the coil is released for use, though, unless that tube can swing away from the plastic piece to come out of it'd tube socket. Doesn't look like a great setup for frequent use.

I believe that is a discontinued product , though you might be able to find a new or refurb one. That one would need add'l marine detail charts. It looks to me the better larger portable preloaded marine G2 chart version unit with weather capability now is GPSMap 478.

...and keep changing direction with a ot of line out. Or put a lower ptich prop on it. Or hang a bucket over the sides.

Navigating in rough seas trying to get useful information from a bouncing 3" screen with my bouncing eyes has no appeal to me, and I question the water-resistance of most of these devices. Can you communicate on the phone and see nav data simultaneously? Are the phones WAAS enabled and the NAV apps work out of cell range and under a metal hardtop? Oops - I see Kamper answered that last. Perhaps nice to have in your pocket as a backup to the backup, but for now it seems silly to even think in terms of these things being used as a primary marine navigation device. Fun toys though!

Unfortunately , that doesn't sound like a sender,filter/ screen, fuel line air or slope or connector issue if the GPH readout remains steady , but just gauge internal. If the needle dropped back from expected normal GPH for a while occasionally that would understandably cause a lower than actual totalizer, but apparently the needle isn't doing that. You might try 1st recording all settings on the back and changing them and back to original a few times, ( and even unplugging replugging the gauge main multiplug), but that may be a long shot. F/S has diagnostic trouble shooting procedures they included with the installation manuals and I believe can also be accessed at F/S online by looking up your particular model, but your best bet may be to contact them and see if they think the gauge is on it's way out or repairable.

Are you using the choke?

Powering on may be effective but it is also the fastest way to undermine and ruin a ramp for everyone else. Many ramps have posted regs against this destructive practice but of course they are ignored by those who have their own way of doing things.

No. Honda does apparently have a plug-in digital multi-function gauge that includes fuel management , but it only lists compatibility with the BF115, 200/225 hp engines 2005 and newer. I'd imagine you could use a Floscan (many models) , Lowrance 400 or 200, or Northstar 310 or 210, or probably others . *Edit: Now Honda does list the 2005 & newer BF135 as among the engines that can use the Honda Fuel Management Gauge . http://marine.honda.com/pdf/accessories/ml.rerap45a.MAC_Gauges.pdf Part # 06373-ZY3-800

Gauge diagnostics provided by Faria: Resistance values: http://faria-instruments.com/site_manuals/IS0085E.pdf Diagnostic flow chart: http://faria-instruments.com/site_manuals/IS0100_ApxVII.pdf Diagnostics: http://faria-instruments.com/site_manuals/..._MiscGauges.pdf Flowmeters are certainly more accurate when dialed in correctly but if the totalizer is not reset at full fillup it will read incorrectly , perhaps by a lot. , so having std fuel gauge as well is highly recommended.

If you don't care what it looks like you might try sail repair tape or Gorilla tape, or might even try vinyl rpeair by a Leather Doctor rep or http://www.drvinyl.com/usa/ or get a suitable piece of vinyl and fashion it as a temp cover. . But you know what really needs to be done.

Nice guy doing that to your friend. Years ago on a geasy calm but a little foggy day, I took my niece and her fiance out on their 1st offshore trip... 60nm from land. Drifting and chunking for quite a while gave no signs of life nearby, but within 60 seconds of her pal's coughing cookies we hooked a 50 lb bluefin. He warfed twice more about 1/2 hr apart and again within 60 seconds of those two add'l events we hooked up the only 2 other similar BFT . He was a great sport about being out there, loved fighting the fish, and swore he hadn't had butterfish for breakfast when asked. I told him he was invited back any day he felt a little queasy. My niece was practically rolling on the deck laughing when the relationship between her, ah, "chum"'s output and the hookups became obvious way beyond coincidence. He got the MVP award of the day.

If maintained the paddlewheel sender will provide more accurate STW data than a pitot and is not going to clog or potentially spray (salt?) water on your dash electricals (not uncommon ). I suggest you reconsider adding the pitot. They rarely work well. Paddlewheel or ultrasonic supplied Speed Thru Water data can be just as helpful as GPS or Loran Speed Over Ground so it's nice to have both. They are just 2 very different boat speed concepts using different points of reference. The difference between their readings of course give wind and current influence for those of us who are interested in that.

The 50 apparently is normally powered by twin 1000 hp MTU's. Any chance those brackets are big enough for 2(or more?!) big outboards each? If not , maybe that one was made for someone who is used to a trawler or wants a couple 350 hp kicker motors.

Cablemaker- I just took a quick look at the side-imaging Hum units in the Cabela's online catalog and wasn't able to find anything about not for use in SW. Certainly a lot of folks do use them in saltwater and have reported great SI results in 100' or less at slow speed.

Are those of you who say it is a federally mandated law that ethanol must be used sure about that? It may be true but I was under the impression the only ethanol mandates were in some states and the federal mandate is to reduce particular emissions by any effective non-toxic means( with use of oxygenates?) and ethanol for this use happens to be the poster child of the beneficently generously-spending grain-state & ethanol distillary lobbyists.

Thanks, Mr.D .

thill- You might 1st want to confirm that, even though the idle speed screw is backed off all the way , the cable adjustment actually allows the carb throttle lever to full spring back to the minimum stop when the helm control lever is pulled back all the way. It should be adjusted so the control lever will definitely go back even farther is the cable is detached from either end.

Curious- For those who have had beans for some time now is there any noticeable difference as the beans eventually compress somewhat with weight and shock? \ Don't the occupants in the aft corner tend to get somewhat salt-encrusted & soggy on the cruise out & back.? Don't the sizeable bags tend to get under foot when in serious fishing mode?

Cole-Hersee, Sierra & Sea Dog all make after market kill switches with lanyard clip. Boatfix carries all those.

No fee and they aren't allowed to accept gratuities of any kind. I always get the VSC though around here the examiners often don't get the decals until mid-July or August whichs seriously counterproductive to the program they promote. The VSC decal seasonally does save me a lot of unnecessary training boardings by the local USCG station crews, though the only thing I mind about that is those dam combat "boat shoes."

Cool- over 180 hrs you averaged 63+ miles per hr.

At just over $6000 for gas last year and around 1.2 NMPG average between fills and guessing maybe average price/gal somewhere around $4.20(?) last summer/fall, that would indicate around 1700 nmnlast season in spite of a bunch of downtime. I'd expect that was considerably lower than the average for the 13 yrs I've had the boat since that was the 1st year I hadn't used that boat for numerous tuna trips.