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I just purchased a 2000 Outrage 18' and have a bunch of simple questions. This is my first whaler and have only owner sailing / ski boats so don't laugh too loud please! It has a Mercury Saltwater 200 hp. and a Mercury 9.9 kicker. Operated in Puget Sound and will be on a buoy this summer.
1) Having a heck of a time getting the trim right. Is there some general rules of thumb, advice on trim from the start to high speed?
2) Is there a way to get it out of the hole quickly to pull a wakeboarder / skier? How would I get the trim right quickly?
3) Seems scary going over boat wakes at speed. Can this boat pitch pole? Will it just deal with the wakes if I stop worrying so much?
4) Seems hard to get it to just cruise at 5 knots without the bow up???
5) How do I keep the otters off the boat? This will be a major problem as it was just out on the buoy for 1 day = flounder head, pooh, etc.
6) Are the boats ok in the sun without a cover? What to use for protectant / wax etc. I don't really want to deal with a cover at all as there is no place to put it on the boat really.
7) After being out for a day I pulled the rear plug and a lot of water came out. Is this normal? I assume the bilge pump works automatically even if off at the console.
8) Is it possible for water to get into the deck? When powerwashing the otter mess, it sure looked like water could get into the deck through the seat screws, cooler mounts, bridge mounts, etc. etc. Is the deck fiberglass over wood so it can delaminate, swell, etc.?
9) Anchor looks tiny. How big of an anchor is appropriate for this boat?
10) Steering system seems a bit sticky. What is the standard steering for this boat? Does it take grease fittings? Is it cable to cylinder with zert at the cylinder?
11) The 200 h.p motor motorized lift "clicks" like it is slipping a gear sometimes when I am trying to adjust the trim???
I'll probably think of a lot more, but sincerely appreciate any help with the above or anything else you think of which would be helpful to get started right.
Welcome to "W/C", my model (15') is smaller than your's, so handling is different, Just wanted to say that "NOBODY" will laugh at you here, It's a great site, welcome aboard !
mw
