After your tank is filled and in regular use, use tank water for daily showers, making ice, etc. It will stay fresh. If our usage was low we would use tank water to wash the back of the boat and cockpit while doing the weekly boat wash. When the boat was clean, the hose water was pretty cold and...
Saltwater makes a big difference. Fresh water boaters have fewer issues. There were written maintenance routines included in the equipment manuals for the mechanicals installed on my boat when it was built.
Suggest you search the website of the company that manufactured your windlass. There...
It might be secured with doubled faced tape. The mirror repair can be done by a glass shop with a new mirror made of thin plastic adhered over the old broken glass. I did that with my 30 foot weekender and the repair was invisible.
I sold a boat to a private buyer and the buyer wanted me to lie about the selling price so he could avoid some sales tax. I refused to do that. I did give him the title when his check cleared and did not put the selling price on the old registration. He must have perjured himself to the...
There are lots more practical ways to get to a mooring and back. You could for example buy an old 13’ Boston Whaler for around $4,500 as a to and from that would have a lot of utility beyond that simple task. You wouldn’t even have to do any hull or brightwork maintenance on it if you used it...
Not a repair you can handle unless you are a pro. You need an expert without a conflict of interest (insurance company surveyor). Without be being alarmist, this could cost more than the boat is worth. Could be simple but not likely.
Make sure you check the limber holes or you may be very disappointed if they were not glassed and the stringers are rotten. Stringer repairs cost more than you paid for the boat.
Also Crusaders are blue. The engines have non-original valve covers. I wonder what engines are installed. Crusader...
I owned one new. It was a very nice boat. Nice beam and quality was consistent with the competition. You do need to glass the limber holes to prevent stringer rot. The straight inboards were wonderful for handling and trim. It's an old boat now so likely needs work.
Insurance can be resolved by working with a captain for a short period of time. I have a friend who bought a 60 foot Hatt as his first big boat coming from smal MC sailboats. Needed a captain aboard until he was trained to handle the big boat. Went onto cruise the power boat all over the Great...
You need a more comfortable boat. Most transient marinas have dirty public washrooms. I can’t tell you how many I have seen and the Great Lakes have have pretty good facilities. Nothing better than your own clean boat.
Who in their right mind would want to use the boat head when there is a perfectly fine, filthy, smelly, public facility at the end of a long walk down the dock in inclement weather. Maybe someone who was severely toilet trained?
40 feet is a good size for comfort, usable space and the availability of slips at transient marinas. If you end up becoming a serious cruising couple you will end up wanting a boat about that size. You might as well start with the size you will eventually need. A big boat with twin engines and a...
It would be good if you could add the places to get a good breakfast, lunch and dinner in each port. Also you skipped Leland, Charlevoix and Harbor Springs going north out of GH. Ludington too. Those are all great ports. More emphasis on the towns and less on going through the water unless the...
Good full service marinas in West Michigan. Also good independent mechanics service boats in Spring Lake/Grand Haven. Not seen an issue that could not be fixed in a reasonable time period.