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This is yet another reason why I left Illinois for Arizona.:smt021

With all the misery due to Sandy and the latest winter storms I thought some happy boating pictures might be what some might enjoy these days. I moved to Arizona 2 months ago and have been boating on Bartlett Lake since that time. The lake and of course the weather has been fabulous. This...

I have only been boating for 4 seasons now and I find Go Fast boats or perhaps Go Fast boat owners an assault on boating enjoyment. It started with my first boat in a low brow marina that had two of them. The first was a public launch with 3,100 horsepower and over 90 decibels of noise with his...

I just launched my brand new boat Friday into 4 footers on Lake Michigan for a miserable first encounter with my new boat. The good part was the name painting done by an artist used by my dealer. Originally I was going with decals like I had my old 320 but the Jolly Roger graphics on either...

Since there is no EPA mileage requirement for this truck what kind of mileage does a Ford 250 Heavy Duty Powerstroke 6.7L Turbo Diesel truck get? I am looking at used 250 with this engine versus a new F150 with the turbo six. Any of you guys have the 6.7 turbo diesel engine in your truck?

Congratulations are in order for our own Tonka Boater whose Boating Suite was voted App of the Month in the April issue of Boating Magazine (see p. 19). Way to go Tonka!!!

So yet another Illinois crooked politician Rod "The Hair" Blagoyovich ends up in jail. I don't know if inmates in Colorado make license plates like they do here. Can't say I will shed a single tear for the schmuck. I wonder how long it will be before another IL Gov will end up in jail to add...

This looks like a neat device to suck oil compared to the Jabsco units others here have recommended. Anyone have one of these and if so how well does it work? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_390306_390306?cm_ite=33226&cm_mmc=Aggregates-_-Pronto-_-Pronto-_-Pronto&cm_pla=Fuel...

I am looking at buying a boat lift for a 26' sport boat that weighs 5,300 lbs since I am not buying a trailer or bottom painting the boat. It will be wet slipped in fresh water. I know zilch about boat lifts and would appreciate any advise on types, brands and features to look for.

As I have posted before, my 320 was for sale and I wanted to replace it with a smaller sport boat. I went to 7 different dealers to look at various brands including Skipper Bud's, my Sea Ray dealer, and none were willing to trade a higher value boat for a lesser value boat. Finally I went last...

I test drove a Cobalt 242 with a 350 Mag Mercruiser engine with the 4/3 blade combo Bravo 3 and a Crownline 245SS with the same engine but 2 3 blade props yesterday. The performance difference between the two boats was significant which may in part be the hull design but I believe another...

I am planning on moving to Scottsdale, AZ and boat on Bartlett Lake once I sell my house here in Chicago. I would be bringing a boat from IL to AZ. Would I be subject to any type of personal property/vehicle tax like that levied on cars and RVs?

I am in the process of downsizing from a 32' cruiser to a 22' Bowrider. I plan to buy a new boat this time and wanted to know if a dual prop drive and trim tabs would improve performance on a boat this size. I would be using the new boat on a 5 mile long lake compared to Lake Michigan where I...

Since there have been a thread or two recently about the hassels and cost of boat loans these days I thought I would share an option that might be availlable to those of you with some non-IRA/401(k) portfolios. I was talking with my Merrill Lynch broker a month or so ago, who was trying to get...

Just bought this custom engraved at Costco today so now I can enjoy my Manhattan's in style on Board!:smt038

The screw portion of one of my rear curtain canvas snaps came out of the hull. My question is it better to fill the hole with epoxy first then redrill or put the epoxy on the screw portion and then screw it back in and let the epoxy set? Or is there a better method to reattach it?

When I launched the boat 10 days ago and again this past weekend, I had to use the crossover switch to start my starboard engine. The port engine and the generator start with no problem. The PO replaced the port batteries 2 years ago but I believe the starboard batteries are factory, on their...

Launched my boat on Friday into bright sunshine, 60 degrees, and less than 1 footers as the pictures below indicate! Lake Michigan is awesome and special thanks to my expert co-captain, Dan Thomas, who provided much needed help and advice. Another very pleasant surprise was at the Skipper Bud's...

Friday Skipper Bud's brought a hydraulic trailer to haul my 320 from Harborside Marina in Wilmington IL to their facility at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor IL. The distance between these two points would have been a little over 100 miles if they could have haul my boat on the Tri-State...

I am going to be splashing in a few weeks into the big pond and wanted to know what you guys have found is the best source(s) of marine weather for Lake Michigan. Two I have found so far are a Windbuoy app for the iPhone and the following link from NOAA...