Carb problem?

[cat30]

We came back from a trip 2 weeks ago- motored 2- 9 hour days with no problems at all, the boat sat for 2 weeks and didn't refill the gas tank. Yesterday we started engine to take boat out of the water for the season and it would only run with choke pulled out, stalled with choke in but then restarted easily with choke out. Tried to motor and the engine started surging. What should i take a look at over the winter?
Thanks

[Don Moyer]

I would clean the carburetor (or at least the main jet), if you haven't done so recently. In most cases where it is necessary to keep the choke pulled to keep the engine running, there is a restriction in the main jet. I'm not sure why a restriction would develop while your boat simply sat for two weeks, but some times a small bit of water settles into the main passage area and creates a little "corrosive muck" that can clog the main jet.

Don

[cat30]

In the spring i switched to an indigo prop on my catalina 30 to try to raise rpms. my cruising rpms this summer were 300-400 higher to get the same cruising speed but it seemed gas mileage was worse. and reverse power was awful. would it be a problem for the engine to go back to the old prop and cruise at 1400-1600 rpm instead of 1700-2000 rpm?

[Don Moyer]

You might want to discuss your data with Tom Stevens at 1 (800) 428-8569, but before I gave up on the Indigo prop, I'd make a full power check of your engine to determine your max available RPM. One of the benefits of gaining RPM is that you have considerably more reserve power to claw your way around the proverbial rocky lee shore at 2500 to 2700 RPM than you do down around 1700 to 1800, and your nice beamy Catalina 30 can use a bit more power than most boats when weather conditions deteriorate.

Don