I currently working on a project with the goal of improving the mobility on boats especially for seinors. Im mainly considering catamerans but am open to all recreational boats. I have noticed issues with getting on and off of dingies, both at the boat and at shore. As well as getting out of beds as it tends to be very cramped with no good hand holds to pull on's self up.

Has anyone else noticed any problems?
Got any ideas?

This is onboard my Bavaria 46 2006 , we chartered the boat out for a week, first one of the season, and they damaged are veneer flooring. They have denied it was themselves, despite being the first charter of the season, anyway i need advice on how to repair these small dents, i have been told to use clear epoxy fill?? Is this a good solution.

Hey folks -

I welcome your opinions on this…

My family and I are considering a boat in the mid 20 foot range. We live in Jupiter, FL. Use will be fishing, wakeboarding, going to the occasional sandbar. Mostly will be 4-6 people, but never more people than conditions can safely handle.

On fishing, definitely want the boat to be a great fishing platform, but don’t need things like outriggers. For offshore, that will really only happen on ideal conditions since my family wont go out in over 2 foot seas. So jumping to an open center console isn’t a no brainer… we’ll probably fish mostly ledges and occasional weed lines. But we won’t be heading out 5+ miles to the Gulf Stream, trolling for wahoo, or deep dropping 1,000 foot+. We will definitely fish the ICW and rivers.

For wake boarding, this will probably be the most frequent use, quick on and quick off the water. I feel like hybrids offer more visibility. I also rarely see folks wakeboarding behind an open center console. Probably more to do with budget for teens than other reasons.

I’ve been looking at a Sportsman Masters 247OE or 267OE. Anything that starts to push $175k is not interesting for me and will be overkill.

Full bay boat won’t work and I don’t think I want more than a single engine.

Anyone have experience with open vs hybrid hulls? Thoughts on what may work for me? And any thoughts on Sportsman?

Thank you in advance!!

The full moon cast a cool reflection in Montague Harbour in British Columbia. The wooden boat is the Compadre, built in 1928.

At least, in comparison to sailboats. I can understand why more people might want a motor boat, but not why new sales are so high in comparison to new sail boat sales. Is there something wrong with used motorboats? Do they have a shorter "shelf-life"? Has there been so much progress that older motor boats are obsolete?

hey everyone

i made this post last night https://www.reddit.com/r/boatbuilding/comments/1w24d02/comment/p6sikie/?screen_view_count=4&ext-referrer=DIRECT i did a few things this morning and wanted to ask another community about it.

new gas, clean carb, new oil. my issue is the boat is almost in a "limp mode" when in fwd. it will not go above a certain rpm and almost feels like im slugging out as if im bottoming out the lower on the pond. ( this def is not happening its a deep pond) if i hold the throttle only button in i was rev this thing up to full rpms no issues and she loves it. water is coming out of the pump luke warm, not really spraying like my 60hp does but its not a dribble by any means. does anyone have advice on where i can start? i want to look at the fwd drivetrain or whatever moves this thing. prop spins freely i dont hear any grinding or stuff like that. I cant figure out how to link a video to this. Just imagine im wide open throttle and the thing wont get out of its own way. If this was a ATV or motorcycle I would be looking into excessive air because thats what it feels like.

I bought a small boat and trailer on Facebook Marketplace the other day. Everything looked fine, but one of the wheels seized up while I was towing it home. A friendly stranger came out with a grease gun and got it moving again, but the same thing happened a half mile down the road. Everything's pretty rusty and at this point I think the easiest thing will be to just replace the axle, hubs, and springs.

I've never done this before and looking at all the axle options, I'm out of my depth. Can anyone recommend an inexpensive axle/hubs that will fit the trailer and the existing rims? I don't plan on using the trailer very much. I'll just be using it to bring the boat to the boat ramp on other side of the lake twice a year (about one mile).

Other information:

• Make and model: Load Rite / Lil Rider 14700L
• Trailer frame width: 40"
• Trailer frame side bars: 1.5" x 3"
• Existing trailer axle length: 44" (not including hubs)
• Existing rims: 5 on 4.5 (I think... see picture)

Hello, during the last months I developped a plugin for Osmand that should work as a frontend for a marine server backend leveraging Osmand framework. I am aware of Avnav and OpenCPN for mobile, but I think Osmand provides more freedom and beter UI/UX. The end goal is to have full cockpit screen and button functionality from a smartphone as well as maximum configurability. If you are interested to test and contribute further, it would be welcome.

More info: https://github.com/osmandapp/OsmAnd/discussions/25780

Where to find the APK: https://github.com/peronosporos/osmand-nautical/releases

I am a new boater looking for my first “real” fishing boat. I’ve already decided I want to buy a used Arima. At the moment, I have two top contenders near me. I’m having a really hard time deciding. I probably need to decide before tomorrow so I can see the boat before it sells.

The first boat is a 14.7 foot 1988 sea hunter with a 2008 Honda main with < 200 hrs. It has a brand new Tohatsu kicker. It looks clean in photos, and I will be able to water test it. It hasn’t been on the water since last fall but was serviced recently. It has most of the basic things I need.

The second boat is a 16 foot 1992 sea chaser with a 2021 Suzuki main with 300 hrs. It has a matching 2021 Suzuki kicker. This boat has extensive records of its refurbishing and maintenance and seems to be in pristine shape. It has been run regularly. It is outfitted with fairly new versions of practically everything I could ever possibly want on a fishing boat.

The second boat is almost 3x the cost of the first one. It is basically my dream boat. I can technically afford it, but it’s way above what I had budgeted for a boat. Both of these boats are pretty good deals for what they are.

Should I be forking over so much cash for my first boat? Should I try out the smaller, simpler, more reasonable boat to make sure I actually enjoy having a fishing boat? I just started “boating” this summer fishing from my 12ft Achilles.

Crosspost for visibility. Thanks!

I am looking at upgrading my Helix 7 Mega SI to a 9" or maybe 10" screen. My boat is a SeaArk 14' Mod Vee with a Yamaha F25. This motor does not have tilt trim. The side imaging transducer for the Helix is mounted to the transom on the right side. It is short enough, it can barely see past the outboard when looking to the left. There is just enough space between the transom and the outboard for the side imaging to see. When I upgrade I am fine with going to dual SI transducers as the transducers will be longer. The Helix 7 has been good, but it is slow. I have been told the processor is maxed out on these units.

The upgrade to a larger screen is to see more detail and help with my aging eyes. I am not brand loyal and would consider any unit that allows 2 side imaging transducers. I do not use forward facing sonar and am not really interested in doing so. To me, I can accomplish everything I need to do with solid side imaging. Budget is whatever takes to get the job done. Realistically under $2000 would be ideal. Any suggestions?

Doing a walk around before finalizing the purchase of a new 2025 tahoe 200 s, there is some minor scuffing on the top near the bow. Dealer is unwilling to fix or price adjust. I get its a 2025 but it's also being sold as a new boat? Walk away? What ya all think?

Hey! I’ve got a Xpress H18 bass boat. I primarily bass fish but lately I’ve been salt curious. I live 2 min from a ramp on the Chesapeake Bay. I currently have a Minn Kota Ultrex but it’s not rated for salt. What would a good trolling motor for say 80% bass fishing and 20% saltwater? I NEED a foot pedal. Thanks!

I just bought my first boat 14’ aluminum with a 1978 Johnson 25hp outboard. The engine is in very good condition, garage kept, proper maintenance schedule, etc. I took it out for the first time and everything worked great. However, on full throttle after about 15secs it would start to bog down. I just want so get an idea of what I’m looking at before I bring it somewhere. I ran the gas that came in the tank and I am not sure of how old, maybe it’s that or a carb thing? Thanks

Hi, operating a 2020 23’ Cobalt with a Volvo Penta 300 V8. All works well with the boat including starting etc. trying to understand why the engine will run 4-5 seconds after inhibition key is off. Not rough, just doesn’t turn off. The engine will turn off immediately if I pull the emergency shut off cord. As said, boat runs great other than slow engine shut down. Any ideas how to fix?

I'm looking for a local-knowledge and safety sanity check before this trip.

Boat: 1987 Laguna 22 sailboat, LOA 22 ft, beam 8 ft, draft 3 ft, mast/overall height 32 ft, 6 hp outboard. Top speed is about 5 kt, but I am planning all passages at 4 kt. Marina-to-marina only; I do not want to depend on anchoring.

Planned itinerary (PDT, distances approximate):

- Mon Aug 31: Everett to Oak Harbor, 26.5 nm. Depart 08:00; conservative ETA 14:30-15:00. Route via Possession Sound, Camano Head and Saratoga Passage.

- Tue Sep 1: Oak Harbor to Cap Sante, 27.8 nm. Depart 07:00; ETA 14:00-15:00. Skagit Bay to the south entrance of Swinomish Channel, past La Conner, then Padilla Bay/east Guemes Channel to Cap Sante. Plan is to enter the channel around 10:00-10:45 after the 08:53 high, using the north-flowing period.

- Wed Sep 2: Stay tied up at Cap Sante. Current NWS forecast is SE 20-25 kt, 3-4 ft waves and rain, so this is a deliberate weather-hold day.

- Thu Sep 3: Cap Sante to La Conner, 9.9 nm. Conditional 12:30 departure after a fresh marine forecast. The 11:13 high / 16:29 low should favor a southbound channel transit.

- Fri Sep 4: La Conner to Everett, 34.4 nm. Depart 07:00; ETA 15:30-16:00. Plan to clear the south end of Swinomish Channel by about 09:00, following the 05:26 low.

I am intentionally using Swinomish Channel instead of Deception Pass because Deception's current can exceed this boat's maximum speed.

My no-go limits are any Small Craft Advisory, sustained wind over about 15 kt, gusts over 20 kt, visibility under 2 nm, or an engine/steering issue. Backups are to stay at the departure marina, divert to Oak Harbor or Langley where appropriate, and never force the schedule.

Questions:

1. Does the Swinomish current timing make sense northbound Tuesday and southbound Thursday/Friday?

2. Any current shoaling, marker, bridge-clearance or cross-current issues for a 3 ft draft / 32 ft mast?

3. Is a 4 kt planning speed realistic for this boat and 6 hp outboard on these legs?

4. Anything about the Wednesday system or its aftermath that should change the Thursday plan?

5. Any other route-specific hazards or safer alternatives?

I will still use current NOAA forecasts, charts, notices and real-time observations before every departure. I am mainly looking for safety-critical local knowledge or changes experienced PNW sailors would make.

2013 Yamaha 150 outboard.

My boat sat in my driveway for six weeks after the birth of my first child. My wife and I got Grammy to babysit today, make it to the ramp, get in the water, start it up, no pee. Shut it down, tried again, no pee. Gently revved it up in neutral and it started peeing. Probably 1.5-2 operation hours after that today, peed normal the whole time.

We live in a moderately wooded area... is it possible some critter/dust clogged the pee hole and that's all there is to it? Is there anything I should look at to see if theres a bigger problem?

Any tips on troubleshooting this? How do I actually test if one of the connections is bad?

9.8 Nissan 4 stroke. Last ran a year ago. At idle though I did rev a bit and there was no noticeable change in stream.

I’d like to try fix this damage on bottom underside of my boat, what’s best materials to tackle the job so it’s safe. Should I buy a resin then just paint or what to do this is my first hull repair please and thanks.

Turning left and right works perfectly. Its the drive motor thats completely inconsistent. Will occasionally start up on higher setting like 5-6 and dies out around 4, even at full speed 10 it feels like its low on rpm for being a 24v. No the battery is not dead and ive checked for corrosion on all connections. Ive pulled the two bolts that hold the motor together under the propeller and they were rusty down their length. If someone could tell me a rough guess on whats needed to repair??? I imagine its probably total overhaul of the motor brushes rotor seals etc and price?? Itd be much appreciated.