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Stupid Tax


ScooterM

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Paid another installment of new boat stupid tax (new to me). Ran last weekend with the battery switch on "both" to get a good even charge. Forgot and parked the boat without turning my switch to "off". Since I am parked outside till i find some inside storage, we had a monsoon that rained hard enough friday, saturday and sunday enough to were it pooled in my cover and kicked the auto bilge on (no it didn't come with the tent poles to prevent pooling).

So today (Monday) we drove 40 miles to boat storage, pickesd it up, and then another 20 miles to to the boat launch just to find out both batteries were dead. Blew our one day at the lake this weekend so we came home and I hooked up the charger. Soon I could hear a faint hum coming from the front (fore?) bilge. Got there, tapped on it... nothing. Disconnected it it took it out, cleaned it. Still running for no reason. Took it apart and took the magnetic float completely out of it (rule mate 750) STILL running. No amount of tapping, coaxing or otherwise will get this thing to shut off. Anyone else had this happen? Since these things are sealed, not much else to be done I guess. By the way, I won't forget to switch my batteries off again.

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If you are going to keep paying the "stupid tax" at least carry a set of jumper cables with you. :biggrin:

Have you seen people jump their boat at the ramp? I've done it & it doesn't get you out of the stupid tax. A portable jumper pack will however. ;)

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Have you seen people jump their boat at the ramp? I've done it & it doesn't get you out of the stupid tax. A portable jumper pack will however. ;)

I had cables, but when I pulled the top off the battery case I noticed they weren't deep-cycle marine batteries, they were 30 month "kirkland" from costco I assume(we don't have costco here in OK). I was afraid they weren't going to charge up good enough and possibly strand me on the water. A potentially much bigger disaster to try to get jumped on the water somewhere. I have a portable jumper at the house that I lost the DC adapter for. Going to have to find it and carry that with me as well.

Yes, hopefully stupid taxes only get paid once =P.

Nobody had experiences with bilges getting stuck on? BTW no manual switch "off", only a manual switch "on" on the dash, and it was off.

Speaking of jumping off your boat... can you run an inboard safely on the trailer? if so for how long? Im assuming as long as the temperatures stay in range you are fine, but I was worried about burning up an impeller possibly.

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Speaking of jumping off your boat... can you run an inboard safely on the trailer? if so for how long? Im assuming as long as the temperatures stay in range you are fine, but I was worried about burning up an impeller possibly.

No. By the time your engine overheats, your impeller will be long gone, and you will have some very hot (possibly damaged) exhaust tubes.

It takes mere seconds for the impeller housing to get very hot to the touch when it's spinning and not being fed cooling water.

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I had cables, but when I pulled the top off the battery case I noticed they weren't deep-cycle marine batteries, they were 30 month "kirkland" from costco I assume(we don't have costco here in OK). I was afraid they weren't going to charge up good enough and possibly strand me on the water. A potentially much bigger disaster to try to get jumped on the water somewhere. I have a portable jumper at the house that I lost the DC adapter for. Going to have to find it and carry that with me as well.

Yes, hopefully stupid taxes only get paid once =P.

Nobody had experiences with bilges getting stuck on? BTW no manual switch "off", only a manual switch "on" on the dash, and it was off.

Speaking of jumping off your boat... can you run an inboard safely on the trailer? if so for how long? Im assuming as long as the temperatures stay in range you are fine, but I was worried about burning up an impeller possibly.

you cannot run an inboard without water or the stupid tax will turn into the asylum tax.

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No. By the time your engine overheats, your impeller will be long gone, and you will have some very hot (possibly damaged) exhaust tubes.

It takes mere seconds for the impeller housing to get very hot to the touch when it's spinning and not being fed cooling water.

Thanks. Good to know.

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I've owned this for about 10 yrs. and always have it on the boat. That price is great considering free ship.

Just this weekend, I bought it's bigger brother. I'll have both with me every time I camp. (back up for my back up)

I would think that you would want to leave your battery switch on. Aside from one bilge pump failing and sticking on, what would have happened if the bilge pumps didn't turn on when the boat was taking on water?

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I would think that you would want to leave your battery switch on. Aside from one bilge pump failing and sticking on, what would have happened if the bilge pumps didn't turn on when the boat was taking on water?

I meant disconnect the batteries when I put in storage on the trailer during the week.

But yeah, if on the water I wouldn't consider getting disconnected from both batteries.

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Get yourself a fake a lake to hook up, & you'll be fine to run it on the trailer. Just remember, neutral at idle - DO NOT put it in gear or you'll pay more Stoopid Tax.

Do any of the brick and mortar stores carry something like the "fake-a-lake" or is this strictly an oreder off the internet item?

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Do any of the brick and mortar stores carry something like the "fake-a-lake" or is this strictly an oreder off the internet item?

west marine or your local boat shop should have one. otherwise, order one off the world wide internet web when it opens.

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Do any of the brick and mortar stores carry something like the "fake-a-lake" or is this strictly an oreder off the internet item?

I picked up a variation of the Fake a Lake locally, & if it can be had here it can be had darn near anywhere.

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Stupid Tax? Sounds like another Dave Ramsey listener.

Yes, started 10 years ago, been debt free for 8 years until this year. Dave would not have approved, I financed about half of my recent boat purchase. I still have 6 months of emergency fund though and enough savings outside of my retirement to clean it up (boat loan) if necessary. My daughter would just have to come up with a little extra on her own to go to college if that happened =P.

Edited by ScooterM
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I bought a toilet plunger and put a hose fitting in it. :blush: All cost $5.00 and works just fine. You can get everything at a hardware store or save big time get the plunger at the local dollar store. :lol:

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My big brother battery jumper arrived today. Thanks FedEx. Only 2 business days and it was at my door at 10:30. Not to mention I didn't even pay to have it shipped.

Charging it right now. Maybe it can run C-pap for 2 nights.

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If you are going to keep paying the "stupid tax" at least carry a set of jumper cables with you. Biggrin.gif

get a booster pack... about hundred dollars for really good one.....will jump about anything. funning thing is out of the 8 times I have used it, not once has been on my boat :-)

think i will start charging a "stupid rental fee" of $20 to increase my personal ROI...........

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