took the plunge........

[shrimpman steve]

engine is not an optimax-it just says saltwater on it. I will be getting seatow for sure, i have heard horror stories about towing prices!

A little birdy told me to call MM Insurance as well for poropery and liability.

the boat came with a little hummingbird fishfinder, i am sure it is crap. Will save up during the winter for a nice color unit.

cant wait to get this thing in the water, probably about two weeks.

[captain george angler]

Good luck Steve, I can only assume that you had no one at home to advise you. Anyway don't forget to follow Ron and enjoy the joys of boating. George Angler

[shrimpman steve]

Originally Posted by captain george angler

Good luck Steve, I can only assume that you had no one at home to advise you. Anyway don't forget to follow Ron and enjoy the joys of boating. George Angler

I'm gonna come down at night and put homing beacons on the Angler and Fishermen

I cant say the Mrs. is ecstatic,

Thanks for the well wishes (everybody)

[codbuster]

Originally Posted by TomKaye

Forget what I said about the Suzuki. I'm sure Capt. Dan ran his Merc
more than I did a Zuke..............35-40 trips annually April--November for me.

Welcome to boat owership. A hole in the ocean into which you pour money.

I'm boatless right now, but ............

Ain't that the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MVP]

best of luck

[dory24]

good luck on the boat, i bought mine 3 months before my second kid was born when i could least afford it. yes big color screens do help but you have been on the water enough from the posts that i've read that you should know what you are looking at, big or little, color or grey scale. i still have the furuno grey that came with the boat and upgraded gps due to the old ones failure. just remember its a boat aka hole in the water, gas alone hurts. always leave wiggle room with funds just in case. your going to love and hate the feeling of being the one calling the shots, left or right, inshore or offshore, and thats with 2 or 3 peeps. just imagine what its like with 100 fares looking up at ya thinking that you know all the answers. your going to have a hoot, safety first and everything else comes in time

[wrktoomuch]

Good luck with your boat. West Marine TCW3 oil is on sale for 14.99 / gal. That's cheap. Stock up.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Some other stuff you should have on the boat. Some required, others not.

Required by Coast Guard
- A life vest for everyone on board. Kids under 13 must wear at all times
- If your boat does not have a horn then a signaling device like a whistle or one of those air horn cans
- A throwable cushion
- A BII fire extinguisher
- Flares and remember they have an expiration date on them

Not Required But Good to Have
- An anchor with 3 times the line of the deepest place you intend to anchor.
- Anchor chain at least 10 feet but the length of your boat is better. Makes it easier to set your anchor
- A Racor fuel filter/water separator. Collects any water in your fuel and allows you to drain the bowl.
- A big net

[MVP]

best of luck

[shrimpman steve]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Some other stuff you should have on the boat. Some required, others not.

Required by Coast Guard
- A life vest for everyone on board. Kids under 13 must wear at all times
- If your boat does not have a horn then a signaling device like a whistle or one of those air horn cans
- A throwable cushion
- A BII fire extinguisher
- Flares and remember they have an expiration date on them

Not Required But Good to Have
- An anchor with 3 times the line of the deepest place you intend to anchor.
- Anchor chain at least 10 feet but the length of your boat is better. Makes it easier to set your anchor
- A Racor fuel filter/water separator. Collects any water in your fuel and allows you to drain the bowl.
- A big net

Thanks for the info Gerry....I'm glad you can't sleep

I asked the mechanic today to change the fuel filter while it is up there. Should I call him monday and ask him to install the racor filter you mentioned? Is this something I can do myself?

PS Good luck tomorrow