I've never heard anything but good about Tohatsu outboards. That one is cheap, only $21 less than what I paid for my V25. 8) My boat had a first year Honda 4 stroke on it when I got it. It had been sitting in saltwater for years and was worn out. I found a freshwater only used Suzuki 9.9 longshaft 2...

I didn't see him mention using the 12v output for charging. Using a regular 120v battery charger would be the way to go. Only problem I see is that deep cycle batteries should be charged at 2 amps, which will take a long time. But I guess it wouldn't really matter if you charged them faster other th...

I just replaced both spreaders on my V25. I got some 1" aluminum tubing from the local Ace Hardware. It was just a matter of cutting to length and drilling for the mounting bolt. The end fitting is secured with a 3/16" aluminum rivet, also from Ace. I reused the plastic ends that hold the ...

I was talking to my Mom and Dad about sailboats. Their first sailboat was a Venture 22 which had the distinction of being the slowest boat in their yacht club. Once they had a wave come over the side of the boat which pretty much filled up the cockpit and cabin. The gas can floated, tipped over, and...

I made a support out of aluminum angle, mainly so that it was easier to get the mast into the step single handed. It's kinda hard to see in the picture, but there is a rubber bow roller that the mast rolls on. I just tie it down with a piece of rope. It's the same height as the bow pulpit, so I can ...

When I got my boat a couple of years ago I got a 20 watt flexible solar panel and a charge regulator. The nice thing about a flex panel is that you can step on it without harming it. I have mine mounted on my sliding hatch cover. I haven't checked the battery since I got the solar panel. I decided i...

I am an electrician with 37 years experience. If there is a ground point available, then yes you should ground the generator if you are going to use it in the marina. That would be the green grounding conductor. But why would you use your generator when you are connected to shore power? If your elec...

My keel cable broke this weekend. It broke about two feet above the keel. I got some 3/16 stainless cable at Home Depot for 56 cents a foot. The original swage sleeve was zinc plated copper, so that's what I am going back with. To use a stainless sleeve, you need a special tool. I have a swage tool ...

To lock my rudder, I use a 10/32x24 nylon screw and nut. Costs about a dollar at most hardware stores, Lowes, or Home Depot. If you hit something it will shear off. I keep several spares on board. I'm not crazy about the design, but it just takes a minute to setup. I unbolt the tiller and store it i...

I can't say on sound, as I've never listened to any side by side. Here in the Gulf south area, Yamahas are very popular and parts are easy to find. I also owned a 90HP Mercury for many years, I didn't see any big difference in price on parts. I owned the two motors for a couple of decades between th...

I had a 150 Yama for many years on my bass boat. Yamaha makes great motors.

All lines are 5/16" in diameter. I measured all mine and got new lines, but I didn't note the lengths. Probably 200 - 250 feet total should do the halyards and main sheet. Since hopefully the jib sheets stay indoors most of the time, they may not need replacing, I didn't replace mine.

I have an 80 V25. The trailer is a 20 foot fairly standard boat trailer, with bunk boards only, no rollers. Any boat trailer manufacturer could make you one. There are several here in the gulf coast area, one right here in town.

I have about a dozen of those in stainless that came with an inflatable pontoon boat. I used them for a while, but replaced them with shackles I got at http://www.marinepartdepot.com/
They have good prices and quick shipping.

I looked in vain for covers for my Mac25. I took the cushions to a local shop who gave me a great price, but ended up getting them back after three months of waiting and nothing being done. My daughter is coming over next week and we are going to make them ourselves. I bought the Sunbrella fabric on...