You want the MerCruiser 260 oil capacity, not my life story, so here’s the table first. The jokes come after. Every capacity below comes from Mercury’s own Quicksilver parts guide. Mercury publishes different numbers for the inboard and sterndrive versions of the 260, so which one you have matters. Where I couldn’t confirm something from […]
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If you’ve typed how to winterize a boat with inboard motor into Google at 11 p.m. while the forecast threatens frost, welcome. Pull up a bucket. I’m James, I own a free, stripped-down 33-foot Chris-Craft with twin 350 MerCruisers, and until recently I thought “fogging” was something that happened to my glasses. My engines are […]
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A while back I opened the battery compartment on my free 33-foot Chris-Craft and found what I can only describe as an archaeological site: corroded terminals, crusty connections, and wires that had clearly seen things. So I learned how to clean boat battery terminals properly. This post covers what that crust is, the gear you […]
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Confession: the first time I read the required-gear table in Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide, I thought “radar reflector” was a joke about my sunglasses. It isn’t. If you’re looking for a boat safety checklist PDF you can actually use, this post covers two things: the gear Canada legally requires on board, and a pre-departure […]
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Somebody asked me, “Want a free boat?” and I said yes before my brain caught up with my mouth. That’s how I became the owner of a fully stripped-down 33-foot Chris-Craft with twin 350s and zero boating experience (the full origin story is here). This first time boat owner checklist is everything I should have […]
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The outside looks like a giant marshmallow. The inside? Honestly… not bad. Brass clocks, a dinette, a galley with a real fridge, a V-berth and a head with moon-and-stars decor. Somebody loved this boat once. Main cabin: dinette and galley Dinette with the brass clocks Companionway, brass bell and helm panel Galley fridge & microwave […]
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Every boat has a heart. Mine has two: twin 350s. The engine tag says MerCruiser 260, 350 cubic inches — and neither has fired up in years. First step: find the tag and figure out exactly what I’m dealing with. Found it, wedged between hoses, wearing a fine layer of grime. (Pictured: my thumb, also […]
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Today’s dig site: the battery compartment. What I found can only be described as “historical.” Corroded terminals. Crusty connections. Wires that have clearly seen things. If batteries could talk, these ones would just sigh. Lesson one for fellow rookies: before you trust anything electrical on an old boat, look at the terminals. If they’re wearing […]
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It started with a simple question: “Want a free boat?” I said yes before my brain caught up with my mouth. What I got was a 33-foot Chris-Craft cruiser — fully stripped down. The previous owner planned a full rebuild, started taking it apart, and never got to the putting-it-back-together part. So now that’s my […]
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