Boat forums?

I just took on a silly project and totally out of my comfort zone. I am now a proud (?) boat owner. 1985 Proline 17' fishing boat with a 115hp Mercury two cycle outboard. It hasn't run in five years. Steering is frozen. OK, that's about all I know about this thing. Where is the best place to go to learn about boat mechanics? Is there a sort of Grassroots Boatersports somewhere?

No real aspirations for this other than a new mechanical challenge, and if it ends up floating and returning to the ramp all by itself, major bonus.

The boatered.com forums have always had good info when I've looked at them.

all the people with boats around here.. maybe we need a new subforum just for waterborne folk?

What year is the Mercury?

i joined iboat.com when i got my boat. it was completely true what they say. the two happiest days of owning the boat were the day i brought it home and the day someone else towed it out of my driveway.

Another popular boat wisdom is that you are likely to own your first boat for 18 months.
In that first year you will find you really like it and want more (bigger/faster/nicer) or you will find you rarely use it or do not like it and will sell it off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nsVNpkk_D8 This nicely combines both boats and why we're here. Upto about half way through, it's "okay fast", then he really gets on it. Be sure to turn up the sound!

And one from the other side of the world - a gearhead is a gearhead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qCLk-SGCoA

iBoats forum is pretty good, has lots of cheap DIY stuff. thehulltruth has a TON of info, but not always as friendly.

Yeah, I've poked around iboats quite a bit. They had lots of good info on my big old Johnson.

Closest equivalent to GRM is ScreamAndFly, for speed boats. There maybe help there, but that boat fits in better at thehulltruth.

For the boat itself / fiberglass repairs (non engine or rigging), I really like bateau.com / boatbuildercentral.

Or take a few pics as you go and use this thread, there are a few boaters here (moved to off-topic).

Enyar wrote: What year is the Mercury?

Haven't figured it out exactly. I'm thinking 1989-1991. It has 4 carbs which seemed to be a limited time configuration. I can't find a info plate yet so I don't know any more than that.

www.thehulltruth.com

www.screamandfly.com is by far the best boat forum, I've been a member on there for nearly a decade. I enjoyed my 18 foot 460ci big block jet boat a lot

scream and fly is great for go fast stuff

1988RedT2 wrote: Yeah, I've poked around iboats quite a bit. They had lots of good info on my big old Johnson.

I'm quoting this because it's funny as hell. and congratulations on having a big Johnson, even if it is old.

kb58 wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nsVNpkk_D8 This nicely combines both boats and why we're here. Upto about half way through, it's "okay fast", then he really gets on it. Be sure to turn up the sound!

In case your wondering, that's a ski race boat, two dudes actually ski behind that thing.....

https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-FzJPJfdks

Different boat, but has speedo...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HZ5sLPcWsDY