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New to the forum and boat ownership. Bought a well-maintained one-owner 1998 Ventura 18' with original 135HP Mercury XL last season. Engine ran great. Had the local Mercury dealer winterize the boat at the end of last season. I first noticed the problem after launching the boat this May. When I crank the engine from cold, the warning horn sounds the normal intermittent short beeps and the engine starts. All the gauges are operable, but the beeping won’t stop until I slightly back off the key, which kills the fuel and volt gauges (but the tach and temp gauges still work). The remote oil tank and engine mounted oil reservoir tank are both full and functioning normally and there is a steady stream of water coming out of the water pump indicator hole. Researched the issue on the forum but found nothing exactly like my problem. Traced wires, checked fuses, etc. without success. Even replaced the ignition switch with a new Mercury OEM switch hoping that would solve the issue. Can still use the boat but have to keep an eye on the fuel. I want to correct the problem but am frustrated and open to any suggestions. Wasn’t sure if I should post to this forum or the ‘engines’ forum due to possible involvement of the rigging but I’ll start here. Thanks in advance.