Way too quiet on here, so a question....

[Shorefun]

What spares should I carry with my Hunter in the car and on the boat?

How many and what kind of lines should I have on board? (It came with some, I need to inventory it)

Which life vest are most economical to buy and still comfortable? I was looking at kayak type vests.

In NJ I believe I can use just an orange flag instead of flares? Can anyone comment on this? Keep in mind I will be 100% on water that will be back bays around Ocean City to Somers Point NJ, lots of summer traffic.

I now have a Nissan 2.5 outboard 2 cycle (older). I got cheap and the guys says it cuts out. Not sure really if there is a problem, he put a new carb on it. I found the screw turned all the way in on the carb (slide type carb not butterfly). The oil seems to have settled some in the tank. First order of business is fresh new gas and high quality synthetic oil and a plug. My brother is pretty handy with engines of any sort. The body and prop do not look like they have much use. I will be setting up a test stand in a can to see what happens.

I have put the brackets back on the boat. On any warm days coming up I plan on practicing stepping the mast and putting things together.

 

[Gene Neill]

I think I may have that same motor. NS2.5A, serial number 62655. I called Nissan and they said it is early/mid 90's. No neutral, no reverse, but it starts faithfully and runs great on non-ethanol fuel. I love it. Just this week, I have been toying with buying a new carburetor for it, which would make it a 3.5 HP.

Is this yours?

 

[Shorefun]

Mine has the grey housing. SN 95257

Not sure about the 3.5 HP. Maybe just a bigger carb throttle piston.

 

[Gene Neill]

If I'm not mistaken, I think the gray housing makes yours a little older than mine. Same deal with the carb though. It's all that separates 2.5's from 3.5's. Heck, if you're already dorking with your carb, why not.

 

[Ron20324]

Can you use synthetic oil in the fuel mixture???

 

[Shorefun]

Lots of choices, https://lucasoil.com/products/2-cycle-oil/synthetic-blend-2-cycle-marine-oil

My brother worked at a shop that did dirt bikes. He found that the synthetic oils burned clean and did not cause a build up in the exhaust port.

As for the carb, I am putting the motor on a sailboat. My goal is to rarely ever use the motor, but I see it as a safety piece. If I get into trouble it can help me out. Keep in mind I have very little experience sailing.

 

[DayDreamer41]

As for life vests, the auto inflate are the most comfortable that I have found, this is a good time of year to shop for them as much of this kind of stuff is on sale. I purchased the ones with the safety "D" rings and a couple of safety lanyards. As for, "Red Flags" that is only one of the thing to carry, boat safety equipment is regulated the USCG which is national.
https://www.uscgboating.org/images/420.PDF

 

[Hydro Therapy]

Daydreamer is correct on the auto inflate life vests. I just purchased one on sale with the D rings.

Shorefun, I see were from the same area and sail the same grounds. A good running engine is essential. A day will probably come that you need it to come to life in a hurry. The area you sail has a few bridges and strong tidal flow. I always crank it up when I’m sailing against the tide and going under a bridge. If I head to backwater that includes the 9th St bridge and Beasley Point Parkway bridge. If heading to the ocean I go under the Ocean Drive bridge.

 

[Shorefun]

I wanted to avoid auto inflate for this sailboat. My kids are 8 and 14 and they like to go into the water. I think it is more practical to have a floatation type (for lack of a better way to describe the non inflate kind).

If I get into doing more and I step up then autoinflate looks like the way to go.

 

[DayDreamer41]

@Shorefun, yes for the kids agreed and they need to wear them at all times on the boat, so a kiddie vest is a good way to go for them. I don't sail in tidal waters but if I did I would certainly have a motor which I could rely on that is for sure, and one with enough power to over come tidal currents.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Hope you are using ethonal free gas as ethanol will clog the fine jets in the carb. Suggest taking the carb apart and clean t out with a good carb cleaner such as 2 plus 2 carb cleaner which comes with a small tube to use. tohatsu built the Nissan, small mercury and mariner engines.

 

[Shorefun]

Ethanol free is not an option in NJ. On the other hand, they are doing better with the mix. My brother is a high end mechanic (Mercedes, BMW and such) and found a couple of years ago some issues with ethanol fuel went away. I have switched to using Gulf gas (local station) and found the cars run better with the name brand gas. It has to do with the additive packages being used. You can look up online to find which stations are better.

One experience is with my 6 cylinder 1965 Mustang Convertible. It would have this rolling idle in parades. I switched to Gulf and it is running smoother and starting faster. Plus I noticed the fuel smells good after sitting the winter and the car starts just as easy. So something good is going on with that gas.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Still if fuel is left in the carb with ethanol will affect the carburetor. Suggest also to run the motor till it runs out of fuel

 

[Shorefun]

Correct, the alcohol laced gas tends to leave thin layers of deposites that foul up the jets. It is worse on these small motors because the jets are often only a few hairs wide. Sometimes the better way to clear a jet is to use a thin wire and gently run it back an forth in the jet. I have a stock of thin spring wire, but pulling a strand of wire from a wire can work too.

I have to run 2+2 through my 65 Mustang carb once in a while when the idle starts getting rough. Idle passages are smaller and will feel the effects quicker. Since I have been using the gas from the Gulf station I have not needed to clean the jets in my Mustang.

 

[Captain Wind Song]

With the life vest for kids (or adults who don't want inflatables) the kayak vest usually work pretty well. I have a West Marine one that is 6 or 7 years old and is super comfortable. Some of the kayak ones have all the foam on the back up high right behind your head to make it more comfortable to wear sitting down. I find those tend to get caught on stuff and make it harder to move around. Make sure the life vest won't come off over their head when you pull on the shoulders! If it does it will come right off when you fall in the water.