borderline 350

Dear Grey Fox, Who installed the vehicle trailer connection? Test this plug first. Have you used this vehicle before with a trailer? After testing the tow vehicle plug for proper circuit, then examine the trailer wiring and lights. The newer tow vehicle circuits have caused many a grey hair. Respectfully submitted,............Jet Boat Bill

Dear Gill-T, The good performance of thru thru-hull transducers is neccessary for proper screen operation especially at planing speeds...20 mph & faster. JUST mount the thru-hull transducer on a stern bracket as close to the center vee as possible and angle it 3 or 4 degrees forward. The lead edge of the ducer must be as close as possible to the stern. Facing the ducer slightly forward keeps clean undisturbed water against the ducer face and will give you an excellent picture. I did this on my 23' Jet Boat because I do travel thru very shallow water. I also mounted the ducer with nylon screws so they will shear instead of damaging my 10 lb. color $500 transducer. This also allows for easier trailer loading & unloading on rocky bottom. I have never seen a inside hull transducer put out a good "picture" Running at 25 mph and getting a good picture so you can see pods of bait is the smart way to fish. Especially with fuel in the $4.00/gallon! Respectfully submitted....Jet Boat Bill

Dear Cannon users, I have one new in the package Cannon PC shortstop board & kit. $35.00 plus postage. ...P.S. Cannon will not sell you a shortstop kit. This one was purchased by me just before they changed ownership. Respectfully submitted, Jet Boat Bill Webster, NY

Dear Bill, Your brother Tom was a fine man. Very sorry to hear of his passing. Please accept our wishes & condolences to your family. Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Dear Mike, Enclosed is a picture of a 44.6 pound Coyote weighed in at the GCL. this past weekend during the Annual Predator Hunt. Big one of the day! Respectfully submitted, Jet Boat Bill

For Sale: 23 ft. custom built Aluminum hull/1998 by Stanley of Canada, Hamilton Jet drive, closed cooling system 350 SBC, Teleflex Hyd. Steering. Stainless steel T-top, On- board heater, full canvas and electronics package.Ideal boat for Niagara River winter time fishing! Drafts 11 inches of water! Hull is almost indestructible. 557 hrs. Much more. Recent price reduction...$19,500 Original cost $65,000. with Shorelander full roller trailer with spare tire. Boat is ready to splash! Jet Boat Bill....more info available

Dear Fish Hunter, According to my friend that toured the Illion, NY plant in August, The Marlin mfging will start up soon in Illion, NY. What models will be made is unknown at this time. Remington has revitalized the Illion plant and has moved all gun production back to NYS! Greatest revitalization in that area and you won't read it in the Newspapers........1500 workers working 3 shifts....7 days a week. The tours run weekdays all summer long until Labor Day. You get to visit everything but handgun & military areas. And you must be a US citizen to take a tour. (US Government Law) Respectfully Submitted,..........Jet Boat Bill

Dear Tim, The mfger may give you an answer or they may give you smoke & mirrors about this type of problem. After many hours of operation, specific errors can be found in many types of "market targeted sonar equipment" The Great Lakes & the cold dense water produce very interesting problems for the sonar. Operating a particular piece of equipment on someone else's boat is the best way to make a decision on what you want to use! Hummingbird spends millions on sponsorship & advertisements. Direct marketing thru the boat mfgers is their way to promote & sell. Their equipment is seldom bought a second time. (In my experience). I also learned in the 1980's that the sonar logic could be designed & programmed to produce wonderfull screen content that wasn't there!! A good sonar and a good operator can be a powerfull tool to find fish & bait. Getting this equipment to work at cruise speed is very challenging but very rewarding for the educated fisherman. ........Respectfully submitted......Jet Boat Bill

Dear GT, I use Dexron ATF pumped in with a hand pump oil can. Restart in spring is more difficult!! But a lot cheaper than a carb. rebuild. I pump raw gasoline with a squirt can and try and flush the oil out.....CAUTION HERE!! Fire & spill problems can occur! Exercise extreme caution!! No, I do not take the carb. off......Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill.............P.S. I see your looking for early MAG 10 parts. I have one new in the package Cannon Short Stop board with wires. $50.00 shipped

Dear GT, This may help a little....but it does not get to the air bleeds that need to be open for the idle circuits to function properly. The small clear soft gel deposits that I saw this year INSIDE the float bowls of marine Q-jets was the result of long term storage. And these had fuel preservatives added to the tank upon intial storage. I believe you need to add preservative directly into the carb bowl vents to protect the carb. during long term storage. The Holley carbs are especialy prone to storage problems because of their metal alloy composition. I now fill the Holley bowls with ATF fluid to prevent severe internal corrosion. Long term storage is getting to be a big headache for everyone!....Respectfully submitted....Jet Boat Bill

Dear Ray, As far as using a sailboat for going up or down the intercoastal to Florida.....you had better be prepared for some extended time on the water. A long, long time!!! Your food costs will soar because of all the time waiting to get by weather! The Alligator River in the Carolina's(intercoastal route) has all kinds of "good old boys" ready to fleece your wallet when you strike underwater objects in the middle of the channel. Running the "outside" route in order to avoid these unsavory areas will put you in extreme danger because of your inability to run from weather fronts. I have several friends who have done this trip and longer ones too.....Maine to Florida. Been invited several times to pilot a 56' on lonnnnnnngggggg trips. I have declined in order to keep my sanity...evidently you must be insane or close to it. Overnite dock fees alone will buy you a nice airline ticket. Dream about it, but read about or talk to long haul boaters and then you may realize how tough & expensive these trips can be!!! Sincerely,......Jet Boat Bill

Dear Ray, If you can find one, The old B & L stereo-zoom models are excellent. You will need 60 to 100 X mag eyepiece lenses for bacteria. But the zoom feature gets you an extra three to 10 times the eyepiece magnification. They do come up for sale....if you look long enough. Stay away from the flat field student junk. Most colleges and ball bearing companys bought hundreds of these B & L instruments in the 60's and 70's. try E-Bay, Craigs List etc. ........Respectfully submitted.....Jet Boat Bill P.S. At 60X you can see the little ball of nickel plating on the end of a fish hook point!!! I file every hook before it goes in the water too!

Congrats are in order for Mr Beers & Capt. Walters for a great catch! A true catch of a lifetime! Especially in the St. Lawrence River. I do hope they get the fish aged etc. I believe this one will be older than 30!! I am sure that they gave their best in trying to revive this big guy also. Again, Congratulations for a fine catch. Respectfully submitted,....Jet Boat Bill P.S. Muskies like this still exist, Their was the Ed Barbosa Monster released on the Ottawa, a few years ago for starters....and Muskies/Canada used to give out an award for the most released in a year....Met the fellow in Ontario....one year.....100+ big muskies released and he lost his boat and almost his life at a power dam on the Ottawa.....fishing for Muskies!!

Dear Hank, Sorry to hear of Charlie's passing. He was very good friends with my father. And he always stopped to say hello to me, when we would stop at his restaurant. A fine man who will be missed. He was a fine fisherman and one of the "Good Guys". Enjoy life while you can, Hank, In fact "toast to Charlie"and I will stop by and buy you a cool one this winter. That's a promise. Sincerely, ........Jet Boat Bill

Dear PK.... Post a message and use the history search (on Speed Talk) for Zinc additives. There are several camshaft & engine Guru's on there. Including Dart, Iskenderian, Comp Cams and many excellent people directly involved in the aftermarket business. If you do the homework and read carefully, the zinc problem will be very evident. ....Dear JCR, Yes we were told & sold by GM that it was a soft cam and lifter problem.....only their is more to the story. A LOT MORE! When the aftermarket & NASCAR people did the inspection on lifter bore angles....they found that the angles were off several degrees on some lifter bores in SBC production engines (GM wouldn't admit this because then they would have to replace short blocks$$$$$). And so special tooling & lifter bore bushings were developed by the engine guru's. NASCAR and other racing demanded better quality parts then GM could produce....so the aftermarket people now have the majority of all the replacement & new business. And GM has taken all their engine manufacturing (SBC & BBC) to Mexico with parts sourced from all over the world!!!This happened several years ago. More headaches....Mexico SBC parts are not the same quality as US Produced parts (Tonawanda/Flint etc) Read some of the posts on Speed Talk about variations in head castings, intake manifolds etc. from Hencho in Mexico parts. In closing....Change the oil often and keep your equipment in good condition and hope that it gets you out and back......Repectfully submitted....Jet Boat Bill

Dear PK & JCRIDGE, Go to Speed Talk and read in their pages about the tremendous number of camshaft & lifter failures in the past 7 years or so. The removal of zinc additives from conventional motor oils (by request of the EPA & done by all lube oil producers) IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF CAMSHAFT & LIFTER FAILURE. I have seen several marine engine failures even with roller lifters! Took apart a 28K mile 1 ton van motor (5.7 SBC) with two scuffed roller lifters! Internal engine parts had no signs of sludge . Each one of the owners were convinced to add Zinc additive at oil change time in the applications w/o a cat. converter. I use Mobil Syn. in my tow vehicle (has an eng. oil cooler)....but not in marine engines w/o engine oil coolers. ...As age and time on the marine engines increases, more failures occur and the repair costs are going thru the roof!!! The long hours of trolling is very hard on the valve train. CHANGE THE OIL @ regular intervals (60 hours) and you get a long engine life unless the unleaded gasoline & ethanol eat your valves and seats first!! .......Sincerely, .........Jet Boat Bill

Dear Misty 4, Did you ask Mercruiser people how long the warranty period is for pleasure boat operation....or commercial operation?? 30 Days on the people using their boats for Charter Operation.....The local Rep can make a warranty decision and you will be stuck with it......As to using synthetics in marine/trolling applications, I do not see a benefit .Extending the change interval will be a detriment. Internal Condensation & long periods of sitting unused are your problems. No engine oil cooler on the majority of the I/O boats causes more problems with heavily loaded trolling boats. Change the oil often is better than all the paper warranties. 20W50 will work fine in most trolling boats, but Straight 30W will have slightly higher oil pressure (hot) at Idle! Approx 3 to 5# more. That's where you need it! The biggest positive change would be to use a specific additive at change time. Like Comp Cams Break-in additive and others that are based on the zinc compounds. NOT GM EOS...They took the Zinc out!. The EPA requested the removal of all zinc additives to protect cat. converters after 60K. This was done several years ago and we HAVE BEEN seeing roller lifter failures since then....etc. .....Respectfully Submitted....Jet Boat Bill......Jasper Engines honors their warranties ....after you send the engine back and they have time to inspect it.....Days turn into weeks & more while you sit on the dock. Take good care of your equipment and it will perform properly.

Dear DF, FIRST, Please be specific as to the year, make and model of the engine/IO. THEN, I can give some solid advice. Certain models especially the newer ones have internal cavities that cannot be drained. If you make a mistake, and the engine develops a freeze crack....Repair costs can easily exceed the value of the boat! Please provide some data please! Respectfully....Jet Boat Bill

Dear Ray K. Yes, I have two CO detectors, one by the heating units and one in the living area. I keep my furnaces clean & the chimmney. Last Winter was a brutal if not record heating season. Furnaces should not be taken for granted and annual cleaning will keep breakdowns and worse from happening. Have had friends that died from CO and/or had bad fires from malfunctioning heating units. (Boat Live-in people have to be very carefull too!) ..........Respectfully submitted.........Jet Boat Bill

Yes, it is sad that we have lost a fine man. Many great memories with Sam from Ludington to Toronto and the Niagara Spring Chinook fishery! He was always a straight shooter and fished with the best in the tourney's too. He introduced me to the "Searays" and much more. He was responsible for naming my boat.....Jet Boat Bill............RIP Captain Sam............Respectfully, ............Jet Boat Bill

Dear S.T. Be aware that GMPP no longer manufacturers big block chev or 1st Design small blocks in the USA. All this tooling went to the Mexico Engine Plant several years ago. The quality and construction of these "engines" has been questioned and confirmed that the original specifications, materials & drawing requirements have been altered for the sake of cost and delivery. Hencho in Mexico blocks, cranks, rods, heads etc. even look different to the trained eye. Porosity, inferior materials etc. have been found. Most qualified reputable engine shops will not work on this Hencho stuff. Obtaining warranty replacements is also a big hassle. I would be extremely carefull where you spend your money and be extremely carefull installing these engines......Good Luck....Sincerely.....Jet Boat Bill

Dear Rick C, Congrats on selling your "One of a kind PY". That boat is very unique and very "Trick" with the big Hamilton Pump and the split reverse deflector bucket. If you properly instruct the new owner in Jet Drive operation, He will soon be amazed how easy he can dock the boat. People who have driven a boat with a Hamilton Pump and the hydraulic reverse bucket are completely convinced that the naysayers have never driven one! Let alone docked against wind and current. ....from Another Hamilton Pump owner.....Jet Boat Bill

Dear ....42, Boat handling in rough seas requires EXPERIENCE and practice with your own boat. Knowing what your hull does when the wave height reachs 4 to 6 ft. is important. I would check as others have mentioned about entrapped water in the bilge areas. Where you store your rigger weights is important!! And adding weight to the stern would help in your situation. BUT EXERCISE caution!! in how and where!! Even the weight of the fuel and WHERE the tank or tanks are located dramactically effects boat handling in rough seas. Is this a hardtop boat? The weight of the H.T. changes the balance of the boat and how the hull handles. I fish with a friend on a 31 Baha Cruiser H.T. with twin inboards and it handles fine in a following sea. Throw in a cross chop and wind gusts and trolling becomes a handfull!! .....I was on a 34 Silverton once at St Catherines....heading west...entering the pier heads with a 30 MPH East wind..8 ft following seas and a 4 MPH HEAD current coming OUT! My friend took the power off to avoid a collision with a small boat and the boat did an instant 360 and almost thru his customers OVERBOARD!! Rough water handling is difficult. We all want to fish in spite of the wind......look at the bright side of rough days...Enjoy the tackle shops!! .........Respectfully Submitted......Jet Boat Bill

Dear LandShark, Thank you for posting this story. Anyone who has fished this areas below controlled dams understands the hazards of fast water. My heart goes out to the family members who have lost a loved one. Western River boaters understand the hazards of swift water and do wear PFD's when operating in swift water. Yes, the jacket is clumsy and restricts body motion, so I have bought an inflatable PFD belt and wear it!! It's better then nothing IF you take a plunge. And if you spend a lot of time on the water....sooner or later you will take a plunge or pull someone else out! Be prepared and spend some money on a PFD! Respectfully submitted.....Jet Boat Bill

Dear Gator, I completely DISAGREE on the your idea that METALLIC LEAD is a danger. LEAD COMPOUNDS ARE THE DANGER....TETRA EHTYL LEAD IN GASOLINE, NOW BANNED! LEAD COMPOUNDS in PAINT now banned. For good reasons!!! Grinding lead or creating lead dust is BANNED for GOOD REASONS!. .....Fishing sinkers & lead in ammunition has propertities and values that are neccessary for excellent performance. Any attempts to BAN them should be met with maximum resistance. The lead ban proposals are nothing but scams from ANTI GUNNERS, Green Peacers, National Audobon lovers, and Federal Tax Lovers. Is that CLEAR enough for you! JET BOAT BILL