Prepping For The Reedville Show Next Weekend!
The Barn is full of boats being fixed
They say when you write you should tap into your true feelings at this moment. Well…. I have learned to be patient, or become a patient. And when it comes to boats, its all fun. The second I start being mad, its time to walk away. I am getting close. Which is why I suppose the boat gods say its time and lets all eat Pumpkin spiced crap. Ugh. Well, I aint ready, and I don’t hear any fat lady’s sing.
Mmm Sausage!
But. I swear to the boat god above. Stinky, after finally having her engine issues a month ago, she has a very sweet used Pre war same year H in her. This one runs like a champ, thanks to Dave VanNess.
Working on Stinky
Vroom
But we had a couple little hick ups. My manifold wouldn’t fit. The early H manifold is different than a later one. Slightly, so Dave had one and we put it on. LOT’s and LOT’s of help over the phone and from Jimmy of course.
Jimmy and Clif trying to thread those bolts. I swear the bilge pump came on with all the sweat in the bilge.. And just when the stink was calming down.. EWWWWWA!
So we got her running yesterday. Oh we could smell that flat water ready to go.
great oil presure
So I drove down to the ramp, lowered her in, went to start. Dead battery. WTF! So back to the house and switch batteries. Its nice to have several boats. Dead battery. What the hell is going on. I buy all new batteries each year. But all the cranking and messing with the engines over the summer. DEAD. And it was around 5, so guess what? It’s Sunday now. Who in the hell has a marine battery on a Sunday? And yes I charged the battery over night. But? So like some sort of Missed love British love story, I am always one small detail away from going out and seeing if the new well running engine will perform better than the old tired H. I know she will, but for gods sake let me try.
I need a stiff drink. Gas on the left, Water on the right. Which one?
So, I say, F this, I am going on a boat ride, on a boat that runs. WECATCHEM, half way out on the flat perfect water. WATER! What the hell, water in the bilge? Lots of looking around, while the entire family is just riding along. Its always a confidence builder in a boat when Dad is fishing around the bilge and saying things like. Run the Bilge… again… again.. And slow down, speed up.. All my nerves are kicking in. I am wondering whats going on. Now I have a 5200 bottom and its perfect. So.. Yes, Stuffing Box. Like the battery thing. An annoying little detail that can cause time. And so we limped home.
The Reedville Show at the Reedville Fishermens Museum
THe entire town is a museum
We would love to see you!
So what does this have to do with the Reedville Show next Saturday? Its a show and a deadline. I am bringing all three boats to the show. Hell or High water or trailer! Then off to Port Huron. We hope if you are in the Mid Atlantic area, to motor on down to Reedville, on the Mouth of the Potomac and Chesapeake bay! Its a fun small show. Last year around 50 boats.
This years poster.
Looking for a place to stay in Reedville?
The Gables Bed and Breakfast in town. Walk to the show and restaurants
Crazy Crab is right next door.
Stroll down to Chitterchats hand made Ice Cream. It’s insane good.
The waters around this area are amazing and this is the time of year to enjoy them… Oh wait. I will be in the barn starring at a dead battery today.. UGH! Maybe a scoop of Strawberry Ice Cream will wash all the hell away!
A boat ride in anything will help! Photo Scott Sawyer
Ice cream cures all. Good luck Matt! Give theses the what for.
Well I may be envious of the Reedville setting but on Long Island there are at least 5 places within 10 minutes of me to buy a new marine battery on a Sunday. No auto stores near you with marine batteries?
It’s not only woodies with problems. Last week I took delivery of a 2019 Chlorox bottle pocket cruiser, for when I get tired of breaking down in my woody, and 5 days after splashing the bilge had water up to the floorboards. Needless to say using Panther today.
Must have challenged “Worse”! When are you going to learn?
As long as you don’t have to get the “tow of shame” from a glass boat all is OK………………….
Boats are like a reflection of life. There’s always something that’s not quite right. Then you’ll get that one perfect boating day that makes it all worth while. Hell, if it was always perfect it’d be pretty damn boring.
Comment of the day right here! You nailed Dan.
Multiple dead batteries can be a bad charger. I learned that lesson the hard way.
This is this reason I got out of WOODY boating and went to modern ClassicGlass. 1980’s Coronado styling, but built in 1995, with a 1995 Mercruiser 454/330hp. Modern trans, steering, shift/throttle cables, and a “Dripless” stuffing box option.
Oh, and a battery switch, to solve those problems, Matt…
Bring your girlfriend to Reedville and kiss her where it stinks
B reak
O ut
A nother
T housand
Problems and problems.
Is Paul H spending the weekend with you guys or something?
Tried to sink the Riva St Tropia yesterday out on lake mead. The thru hull fitting for the shitter broke off and was laying in the bilge.
Stuffed a beer cuzzie in the whole and went on about our day.
Hey Matt
For over 40 years of keeping these old girls running smooth you need to stop by Diamond Boat Works while your in Port Huron and I’ll give you some pointers and insight. Keep the faith
That Ice cream parlor sounds great but ice cream is not on my Keto Diet, but, maybe mahogany is. Unfortunately, I’m also on a low-salary diet, and mahogany would be considered a grain, so that’s out. Maybe fiberglass would be ok, ugh. Bacon, though, is definitely on it, so its got to be right. And so is that tasty crab which would make the trip worth the time and money. Nice quaint little town.
Dan, you are right! Old boats ARE a reflection of life. Some days all good, some days hot and sweaty on the bilge. We need to work learn, have patience for the wonderful! Be a good steward to all boats, family and friends. Ducraft
Ain’t not way all those batts, no older than you say, are going dead??? Like bacon buddy I suspect your charger….but will be there in Reedville in a Whilwind if you need a jump….or want to jump…or whatever….
Y’all come.
John in Va. Been Boating all weekend…..!!!
Fixin was part of my week as well. In fact about 40 hours. I first had a float switch go out that had to be replaced. Then. An impromptu race with a friends new 54 ft diesel Sea Ray ( I won at about 40 mph) resulted in a bad leak developing in the bottom; so out she came to check to hull after the second float switch went out and noticed a heavy stream of water coming in after the race.
I checked the bottom, no cracked planks. The seam compound had been forced out. So, I spent two days under the boat replacing and checking screws, and filling the seams. Back she went in on Saturday.
The switch went out again. So, I replaced all of the connectors and sealed them; three times. Still, the intermittent issue persisted with the float switch. It would only work if I jiggled it 5-6 times, it would work, then stop. I was stumped and very sweaty.
Back I went to all of the connectors. If the wires were just twisted together, everything worked. I had crimped them with the connectors using pliers. They were held tightly, I could not full them apart….
Finally, I put new ones on again and used vice grips to crush them. Everything worked.
Such a small thing……lesson learned. Tight connectors do not mean good electrical connections. Could have been a new boat with the same issues.
Oh, and I fixed the leaks.