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Hi Jim, We had enough clear roof space that a $149 100W Renogy panel, Victron MPPT controller and Blue Seas circuit breaker gives us unlimited nights for under $250 grand total if there is some sun during the daytime. The typical marine fridge uses no 12v power (other than the LED door...

Hi Michael, We’ve been trailering our TC255 for 13 years now (is that a record?). We didn’t plan on much distance towing at purchase, but over the past 10 years typically trailer over 1,300 miles one-way to our next cruising grounds. We were never happy with the real life on the road...

Hi Colby, I don’t see any significant difference between the Mantus photo and your photo. https://www.mantusmarine.com/mantus-swivel/ But then, I’m an old fart with glaucoma. I’ll get a picture soon of my connection. I agree Mantus engineers have the oblong SS pin as the strongest link...

Mine is placed like your original ducer and does well at displacement speeds. None of our 13 trailer boats in 40 years reliably read the bottom at planing speeds…but by then I’m looking at the charted depths on the MFD display. I always just considered it a fact of life. All my current...

Hi Larkin, We have let many couples over the past 12 years check out Cat O’ Mine in it’s dry slip (mostly Loop Planners), and had 175 folks board our boat at the Jan 2022 AGLCA Rendezvous Looper Boat Crawl here in Ft Myers (including the now Gold CD26 Full Circle crew), and we wrote the only...

Schuster, If I wanted to run my generator off the boat fuel tanks, I would start with a 3 way valve in the fuel line to the engine AFTER the filter and primer bulb at the transom (you’d cut the hose to install it). Once the primer bulb is full, the gas is right there and doesn’t have to be...

Great Job, Mark! I think multimediasmith managed to plumb a three way fuel valve after his fuel filter into a plumbed Honda Extended Run gas tank cap to make a semi-permanent system that never requires pouring gas into the Honda. https://www.amazon.com/Extended-Compati ... 6146&psc=1 Get...

Agree, great choice. Trailer boat #12 was a 9K Regal on a Sport Trail trailer. As good as Float On. You always get heavier with cruising. That said, trailer with min gas and water, it all adds to your stopping distance. Safe Travels, John

Hi Friends, We just made marina reservations at Hontoon Landing Resort, which is 2 blocks west of the Hontoon State Park Ferry pickup point, for $35 per night + $5 shore power. It’s a clean and well run family river resort/marina with fair prices. (However, we are paying $33.80 per night here...

Hi Larkin, We like the Manson Supreme 25# which self launches off the TC255 with 120 feet of HT grade 43 (Bob meant HT 43) ¼ US made galvanized chain then 200 ft of 8 plait ½ Lewmar line. That much chain prevents any sawing of rope on some bottom sharp cement block or rebar etc during the...

Hi friends, Yesterday we breezed through the Franklin lock on our OWW cruise, our 226th lock in this boat. Like 99% it was ‘Cat O’ Mine secure, lifejackets on, engines and radar off, standing by on 13 for exiting permission.’ We learned from our Infamous Joe Wheeler Locking Incident of 2018...

Hi Don, In our experience, both mosquitoes and no-see-ums are lazy fliers and deterred by any steady breeze over 3-5 MPH. As Steve notes, we’ve used a Wall of Fans (three 12” Fan-Tastic 12v super efficient fans mainly used by RV’ers that Bob discovered. I can’t find them anymore; the company...

For those newcomers to Florida: The Florida Interstates and toll (Turnpike) roads offer free Road Ranger roadside assistance for motorists. Call *FHP (*347) on your cell phone to summon one. They have trucks with a huge flashing <<<<MOVE OVER sign and more red pylons than you can carry...

Hi folks, We are on an Out and Back Adventure down the Okeechobee Waterway. Then we dock at the Pink Shell Resort and Marina for six weeks before the Hontoon Hoot on this link: https://findpenguins.com/ancient-isles/ ... ll-hontoon If you request to ‘Follow’ you’ll get an email...

Before we left the Elliot’s place Jan 16 2025, Ken armed me with printouts of the correspondence and policy changes regarding this issue at the OWW. The lockmaster was sullen, slow, and took an hour to turn around the lock. We had no comment from the lockmaster when I positioned the cockpit by...

Colby, Congrats on Roseanne’s retirement! The very best marina deal for a C-Dory is the Pink Shell 5 star resort in Ft. Myers Beach. We’ll be heading down there on Thursday Jan 10 and stay until the Hontoon Hoot. It was wiped out in Ian (Sept 2022) and re- opened in 2024. The discounted...

Randy, We just replaced 2010 Yamaha F150’s with new ones with digital throttle and shift as well as integrated electric steering. The replacement CR engine was about $1,300 more than the other. 90 HP should be much less. Prorated over 10-20 years of ownership, $70-$130/year is a small...

Yesterday we pressure-washed the exterior, including the brown stains above the waterline that we collected on the Down The Tenn-Tom cruise in Oct-Nov. Today it’s 76 degrees and sunny, and 90 degrees in the boat even with a full open door and all windows. We grew some moldy hairs on the mouse...

We seem to favor doing one-way segments more than most. All our 5,300 Loop segment miles since 2017 have been one-way except for the Triangle Loop into Canada, so we’ve done a lot of empty-trailer rig shuttling. The 2,000 pound trailer alone tows smooth as silk for 1,000 or 100 miles. The...

Don, Don’t worry, you’ll be able to eat EXACTLY as you do at home. These Dorm Room fridges (with small freezers) can hold more than you’d think. When ours died we replaced it with a Norcold 751, which is 2.7 vs the avg 1.7 CF (had to sawz-all out a larger opening for it)...