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I have a pair of 2005 Yamaha F250 4-stroke engines that have been almost trouble free. I always have them serviced by a professional mechanic each fall. Since the last service, I noticed a very short puff of white smoke at start up after they sat for about a week. After the puff they ran fine...

I run my boat out of Palm Harbor and agree with Doc. The scallop beds from Hudson to New Port Richey can be shallow at low tides. If you plan to take the Intercoastal south, just stay within the markers. If you go outside of the barrier islands, you should not have any problems as long as...

I might be able to give a close comparison. I live, boat and charter on the Gulf and in the Keys. A few years ago, I narrowed my choices down to a Grady 283 center console and a Pursuit 280 center console. With equal power, the performance tests were almost dead even. I had access to both...

This is a question discussed at length by a lot of engineers and others. Yamaha products are clearly the most highly recommended by the engine manufacturer. They meet or exceed all specifications. However, they are more expensive and in reality, are supplied by some oil company with the...

Most general dishwashing soaps do a good job of cleaning but they are made for cutting hard grease and food. They are pretty harsh and will cut through any wax or polish quickly. You might want to consider cleaners specifically formulated for fiberglass. There are several on the market.

I have an 2005 283 with the 250's and am in full agreement with Lundinroof. The valves are a pain to get to. However, compared to faults with other boats, this is relatively minor. Another problem I ran into was for the rods that open/close the valves to operate the head. Carbon steel ball...

The drink holders on my 05 283 all have drains into the cockpit. The plastic fittings through the cockpit side wall (believe called mushroom heads) have gotten brittle and are disintegrating. I checked West Marine and other marine suppliers and all they carry are much larger sizes. Also...

In 2008, I shipped a 28 Release from Baltimore to the Tampa Bay area. Boat weighed about 8500 #'s and has a 9'-6" beam. The cost was about $2200 and from load to unload, was only 2 days. Hope this helps. John Beach

I was scheduled to take the 6-pack license test in June but had a conflict and finally took it in early Oct. I passed but was well prepared. I went over the Mariners Learning System material in all sections several times and also answered all practice test questions several times. I would...

Simple answer to your Q is No. I have an 05 283 and have never seen anything like this. Have there ever been any special circumstances like impact, excessive overhang while supporting, etc? Just because the manufacturer says the warranty is expired, it isn't always the last word. In my...

I ordered the materials for my 6 pack license and am just getting started. It's pretty basic printed and on-line material but appears to have everything I'll need. Looks like 30-40 hours of study time, more if I drag it out. The kit included everything including pencils and a little sharpner...

Have to agree with Grouper Duper. Apollo Beach has lots of water but it's a long ride to the fishing grounds and all the beaches you see on all the postcards. It's also industrialized with a very large coal fired electric generating station right there. It's not as bad as it was when a...

Can any other Release owners (mine's an 05) tell me how much usable fuel is left when the boat is level and the last bar on the gauge starts flashing? Wanted to check for myself and ran about12 gallons with it flashing before I chickened out and transferred 25 gallons from cans. This gave me 1...

I was using a hand screw drive also.

I feel your pain. I have an 05 283. I wanted to remove the panel, broke the first 2 screws and quit. Don't know what the story is but that's the last time I'll try that. John B.

We're going down to Marathon the last week of July and staying for 2 weeks. Looking forward to lotsa fishing and a little lobstering.

Looks we'll just miss you. We're heading down to Marathon in mid July. Have a great trip. John and Pam B.

Magicabill Sorry for the delay. To answer your Q, No, I have not gone on the Bay side any further north than the Long Key Viaduct. According to the charts, it can be done but I'd recommend taking your time w/ all the banks along the way. Hawk Channel gives you a clear shot on the Ocean...

I routinely run my boat to the Keys from further north (Palm Harbor) to Marathon. From Big Marco Pass, the heading is 155 magnetic to the Vaca Cut. This is unobstructed. Once in the Keys waters, you could run in the Bay side but make sure you have current charts. There are lots of shallow...

Mouring lines When I keep my boat in a wet slip, I use 8 lines, 2 bow, 2 stern and fore and aft spring lines on both sides. They should be as long as possible to account for tidal changes and/or wave action. If bad weather is coming, I'll double up. I've never heard bad stories about using...