Motor Oil | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 30

Hazel Creek

If you’re willing to expend a bit of your bulk outboard motor oil, then you can ride across Lake Fontana to Hazel Creek. At one point, the area surrounding the creek was home to Cherokee and pioneer Appalachian communities which turned into logging towns. The area was not heavily populated, which made it easier to force out the locals in order to incorporate the land into the Great Smoky Mountains National park.

Today, Hazel Creek is now a back country campsite and historical area. Historical sites within the Hazel Creek area are: Calhoun house, Hall Cabin, Ritter Mill site, Adams-Westfeldt Mine site, Proctor Cemetery, and Bone Valley Cemetery. The Proctor Cemetery is of particular note because it is the site where the cabin of Moses and Patience Proctor, the first white settlers, stood.

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Grayling, Michigan

Trout Unlimited, the biggest conservation organization, was founded in Grayling, Michigan. This top trout spot is also home to the Au Sable River, home of the largest mayfly in the world, the Hexagenia. The river runs straight through town, so it’s no wonder that the locals care so much.

Nearby is Manistee another river that is closer to a spring or creek. Fox and Two Hearted rivers are nearby as well. It’s easy to feel like a world class angler when you’re in Grayling and the surrounding areas. When you’re through fishing, I recommend cruising the waterways with your boat, provided it has plenty of the best outboard motor oil on the inside.

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State College, PA

State College, PA is best known for being home to Penn State, and more importantly, Penn State football. I’m no Penn State fan (they’re a rival to my alma mater when it comes to football recruitment), but they do have some impressive trout fishing. The spring fed streams are referred to as “limestoners” and are home to brown trout all year round.

Spring Creek is my favorite spot, although Little Juniata is pretty good, too. The Green Drake mayfly hatch is world renowned. State College is definitely on my list of places to travel to in the next few years. I just have to figure out how to get my outboard, amalie oil, and other necessities across the country at an affordable rate.

 

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Lake St. Clair

It should come as no surprise that Michigan is a renowned fishing destination. After all, the state borders the great Lakes. Nestled between Lake Erie and Lake Huron is Lake St. Clair. In my opinion, Lake St. Clair is one of Michigan’s best kept secrets.

St. Clair boasts a fishery stock full of muskie, walleye, perch, crappie, and smallmouth bass. What is most incredible about the lake is that it’s only 11 feet deep on average. Muskies in this lake are frequently over 15 pounds – a rarity – and have been known to weigh over 30 pounds and measure 50 inches in length. If that doesn’t make you want to take your outboard motor with Yamalube 2W oil on an adventure to Lake St. Clair, then I don’t know what will.

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Tarpon Fishing in Boca Grande, FL

Tarpons are among the most desirable saltwater game fish. They can grow quite large and they put up a huge fight when hooked. If you’ve ever seen a leaping tarpon then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

One of the best destinations in the U.S. to bag a tarpon is in Boca Grande, Florida. The town boasts plenty of guides, charters, and rental equipment for out of town guests looking for a piece of the tarpon action. I hope one day to take my own boat down there, lubed up with Yamalube 2-M, and give tarpon fishing a go.

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Repairing WaveRunner Scratches

Scratches on a new vehicle, whether it’s a car or a boat, really irritate me. I recently found some scratches on my brand new WaveRunner which absolutely drove me nuts. Fortunately, I have plenty of experience fixing scratches to look brand new.

Using epoxy fillers, toothpicks, sandpaper, sealant, touch up paint, and polyurethane clear coat, I can fix just about any scratch. It is very time consuming to apply and let the different fillers dry, and then sand them down and paint, but the results are completely worth it. I do need to go to the store to pick up some matching paint, so I suppose while I’m there I’ll also purchase some WaveRunner oil.

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MerCruiser Piloting Systems

MerCruiser has been hyping its Axius and Axius Premier piloting system. According to the company the piloting systems “turn the most stressful part of boating into something you’ll enjoy.” Apparently, the company has made control and handling easier with an intuitive joystick.

The Axius system works well with boat packages from 27 to 46 feet that utilize a dual sterndrive. Docking is supposed to be easier and more “worry-free.” I’ll admit, the SmartCraft digital throttle and shift does sound enticing. I may need to look more into these systems the next type I pick up some synthetic oil outboard motor.

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Boat Controls

I know I spend a lot of time on this blog writing about outboard oil, but today I’d like to focus on controls. Why controls? They are the primary contact point for most boat drivers, but I doubt most boat owners know much about them.

For example, did you know that while controls come in different shapes and styles, most have a dual-function in that they control both the throttle and shift. Single-engine controls typically have one handle, while dual installations have two. Boats with multiple engines are often accompanied by controls that have more handles.

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Additional Serial Number Information

There was some clamoring about the post from yesterday that I didn’t give enough cipher information. Let me back track and explain a bit more about the driveshaft length letters in an Evinrude motor’s serial number. The letter L corresponds to a 17-inch driveshaft, Y to a 19-inch driveshaft, X to a 20-inch driveshaft, and Z to a 22-inch driveshaft.

To know what year your motor was produced, remember the word “introduces.” The letter I=1, N=2, T=3, R=4, O=5, D=6, U=7, C=8, E=9, and S=0. Therefore if that part of the motor’s serial number says CE, which means the motor was made in 1989. Maybe you can use this information to enlighten your mechanic next time you pick up Johnson outboard oil.

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Practical Gift Giving

Have you ever opened a present and said, “Oh, no, you shouldn’t have!” and inside your head thought, “No, really, you shouldn’t have.” I’ve never understood why people give knick-knacks, tchokes, and other random items that will likely never be used. Those items may have been given with love, but they end up wasting space. I much prefer giving and receiving practical gifts.

For example, instead of giving each other subpar $10 gifts this season, by buddies and I decided to go in on bulk motor oil. We all enjoy fishing fall through summer, so this gift will definitely be used. I’ll take this kind of gift over another reindeer tie any day.

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Winterizing an Inboard/Outboard Motor

Unless you live in Miami, you need to winterize your inboard/outboard motor. It’s already December, so chances are if you haven’t already scheduled an appointment at the marina, you’ll need to do the job yourself. Removing the water from the engine is a fairly simple task that you should be able to complete on your own.

Start by lowering the engine into the down position and then allow the water in the unit to drain away. Next, remove the drain plugs so the water can drain into the bilge. Newer drain plugs are made of plastic and can easily be turned by hand. Once the draining is complete, reattach the plugs, and then drain the bilge. While you’re winterizing your machine, make sure that you are stocked up on boat motor oil for next season.

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Transporting an Outboard Motor

Today we’re going to touch on proper transportation. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised by the number of boat owners who cause damage to their outboard motors by not transporting them correctly. Driving with the outboard motor loaded to the transom is fine, but if the outboard is in the “up” position with an unsupported lower unit, every bump in the road is concentrated on the bolts of the fiberglass transom.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, “I always transport my motorboat the way you described. If I don’t, the motor will scrape the lake bottom when landing.” True, a tilt may be necessary, but there is no good reason to not right the motor once the boat has been loaded onto the trailer. Once the boat has been loaded, the motor lowered, and the hull cleaned, take the opportunity to check to see if the motor needs to be topped off with the best outboard motor oil.

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