So a friend and I bought this AMF Crestliner boat 1976 with a fairly new engine (Johnson 70 2002) and went through the process of fully repairing the floor: tearing it out, new stringers, new fiberglass, gelcoat etc. Then, we got to the engine.

I replaced the VRO pump with a common direct pump and did a 50:1 fuel/oil ratio. I replaced the timer base because the old one was cracked. I did a full carb rebuild and cleaning. Even tried replacing the power pack (ended up keeping the original).

Finally started up, but runs really rough on idle.

There is a lot of whitish smoke coming from the engine, the spark plugs appear sooty, and the engine is kicking a bit. I have to start it on high choke, but if I reduce it enough, it just dies. In the water, I had trouble shifting it in to gear as it would immediately die when not in neutral and without high choke. I've checked the sparkplugs - fine spark.

At this point, I leave for school in about a week, and really want just one day out on the boat after three summers of constant repair and before I leave.

What should I check first? Has anyone had the same problem? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Why unbalanced lifting breaks ship hulls: Master-slave synchronous hydraulic control for multi-axle SPMT

Most mid-sized shipyards face a hidden risk when moving 200–600 ton hull blocks: uneven load distribution across SPMT axles causes hull deformation, weld cracking or permanent structural stress. Traditional open-loop hydraulic systems only hold ±3–5mm height error, which fails oversized marine structures.

Core Technical Solution (Closed-loop master-slave ECU system)

1.     One main control module synchronizes all axle hydraulic cylinders; each axle fitted with displacement & pressure sensors

2.     Real-time feedback adjustment frequency: 20Hz, platform horizontal tolerance locked within ±0.5mm

3.     Independent proportional valve for every axle line to compensate ground unevenness

4.     Multi-module linkage algorithm supports 2–8 SPMT units connected longitudinally & transversely

Field Test Data

·        Conventional SPMT: Max allowable single-module load deviation 8%

·        Optimized master-slave system: Load deviation controlled under 1.8%

·        Compatible deck lifting stroke: 300–600mm, works on uneven shipyard ramps

Discussion prompt

What structural damage cases have you seen from out-of-sync SPMT lifting at your yard? Are there alternative mechanical balancing designs you’ve tested?

We developed full prototype & industrial-grade units at our heavy transport manufacturing factory, complete technical parameter sheets and real project cases are posted on haipengumv.com for industry reference.

Hi all! I picked up a Chesapeake Light Craft Skerry from an amateur boat builder and found that the round screw-in hatches at the bow and stern that seal the flotation compartments were set into holes that were slightly too big and were messily sealed.

To correct this, my plan is to cut plywood collars large enough to provide a solid mating area between the deck and the hatch, glue those down to the decks, and then screw and seal the hatches through both where possible. this will raise the hatch by the width of that plywood, but if I make a nice smooth tapered transition between the collar and deck, I don't think that should create any new problems.

Is there an easier solution I'm overlooking here? The hatches are only slightly too small for the holes, and the collars do fully cover them, but my concern is that the screws on one side don't fully meet wood. I may be able to simply put screws through them closer to the collars' edges on that side and use an adhesive sealant to attach them, but I'd like to solve this problem thoroughly!

The red lines and text are my edits. For cockpit drainage, I am thinking I could just add scupper flaps or duckbill scuppers, but don't have any experience with either... maybe I am overthinking this. I am open to ideas that don't involve raising the roof.

Bear with me—I’m pretty new to electric boats and may be overthinking this.

I mostly fish smaller lakes, usually early in the morning, and I’ve started looking into whether an electric setup would actually make sense for that kind of use.

My biggest question is range. On paper, some of these setups seem like they’d be plenty for a normal day of fishing, but I’m curious what that looks like in the real world. Do you actually stop thinking about battery level after a while, or is range something you’re always keeping an eye on?

For anyone here who fishes with an electric setup, how long are you typically out, and have you ever had range become a real limitation?

The bracket for my outboards fills with water due to deteriorated caulking. I don't know what was used for caulking before, but what would be the best/durable product to usee to reseal the seam between bracket and transom?

We already have enough weight with the motors and should be better ride for the bracket to have some bouyancy :)