It’s Friday, Get Out There!!!! Swelltime 2021 – 10 Things To Think About.
Off to Swell
Well, here goes. Swelltime! Are we ready? Is THIS the weekend? Oh and for those of you in Florida, just shut up. We know.. Oh, mr first time of the year, we have been boating all winter down here.. Yada yada.. This story is for the rest of the planet.. Wait, no there is New Zealand, they are just ending their boating season. Okay, maybe its just me?
Slow and steady
I have been working on Sweet Pea all week between Zoom calls and other crap. But I have seen other boats starting to come out of hibernation. Many new boaters. So this year will be an interesting one for sure.
TOW!
But is this the weekend? For you? Gonna go boating? And if you do. For gods sake take photos. Even better if you breakdown, and sink.. Sinking, or almost sinking would be click gold! For those horrified at my insensitiveness, Breaking down and almost sinking are part of the fun here in Woodyboaterville.
It happens to all of us
Soaking, swelling, is all part of the fun. Here are a bunch of things that are normal for the newer classic boaters.
- Drain Plug! Make sure its in. Seems rather obvious, but nerves get a little whacky on the first run.
- Your boat will take on water for a while, even with the plug in, but swell up over the summer. It’s okay. But check the rudder and stuffing box. Those are your leaky areas.
- You are going to have to adjust stuff by hand. For a while.
- BEFORE YOU START THE ENGINE, LIFT AND SNIFF for fuel smells. ALWAYS, EVERY TIME.
- Have a 5 gallon bucket with you. Put tools in it, but have it.
- DO NOT TAKE YOUR WIFE/ PARTNER/ PSSELQ/ WHATEVER OUT ON THE FIRST RIDE! The boat will sputter, smell, breakdown, leak, and they will never get in it again all summer. Work out the bugs. ALL NORMAL.
- Check all the fuel lines for small leaks. Fuel filter? Good battery? CELL PHONE charged.
- If you can head out with another chase boat. It’s okay if its another woody. You both are each others back up boat.
- Start the boat on land and make sure it all works before you head to the ramp. If you have a new engine, remember, break in time on our old engines is part of the life of the engine. Think Blue Jeans.
- Take it easy on the boat, a dried out boat flex’s. Its not tight on the sides and other areas and you will crack some varnish and just twist up stuff. Give her a chance to tighten up. No wake jumping.
Oh ya!
Enjoy yourself, and tell us all about it. And for those of you wondering what a POSSLQ is. HERE. You have now learned something dumb for the day!
Sounds like you are ready.
BTW Mr. high tech in the digital world, Google “no soak bottom”. Most of WoodyBoaterville is already there!
I guess it is all subject to longitude.
Some of those Florida guys are getting ready to put their boats away because it gets to, too, two hot down there in the summer.
Parts of Maine are due to get 6+ inches of snow in the next 24 hours, so no soak time here. Tarps remain on.
Since you have asked for pictures.
You are about a month early. Still cold and rainy, docks are on the beach, and boats are still in storage.
Not milking the step hydro again today ?
At work when someone is milking a task we start assigning levels like fat free to start then 1% all the way up to heavy cream.
I would say you are at light cream now. Next story will be heavy cream.
In Eastern Mass. and just outside Troy’s snow line but still too early to get water in the KL.
Meanwhile in Upstate NY….
I LOVE this pic.
Just shows how big WECATCHEM really is and / or how small Stinky really is.
HAH HA THIS ONE IS KEY!
DO NOT TAKE YOUR WIFE/ PARTNER/ PSSELQ/ WHATEVER OUT ON THE FIRST RIDE! The boat will sputter, smell, breakdown, leak, and they will never get in it again all summer. Work out the bugs. ALL NORMAL.
🤦♂️
SO true! They will talk about the time you broke down, not ALL the times things went well… 🙂
I wish I HAD the $$ to 5200 the bottoms of my boats, but I dont…. so swelling before use is SOP. BTW Toilet ring wax, is a good alternative to Slick Seam, which is no longer available and will squeeze out as the boat swells, but will slow the initial flood.. ..at least for me, your mileage may differ…
Had a little eye candy on the way to Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs Ar.
I guess the driver was wondering why I wouldn’t pass him. Beautiful Chris Craft named “Woodwind”
Wecatchem will not have be towed as often after new CC V-8 installation is complete. I’ve had three of them and only been towed once after late 60’s ignition coil failed.
Take me out for a boat ride
Had a wonderful ride on the way to the yard Tuesday… Time for a bit of maintenance and bottom paint. Once that is complete, the runabouts are next on the list as we’re finally warming up here in the PNW. 🙂
Your story inspired me this morning Matt. All boats are still put away. It will be awhile before I head north again. So I went kayaking this morning. Plastic kayaks are the easiest and simplest way to get out on the water. No it wasn’t a classic wooden boat, but I “got out there”. It was fun😃
I Went Boating…just got back,,,,why?
John in Va
Matt. Couple of things to add to the list for the new boater in Woddyboater-ville ….Signal flair kit.. is it current? Do they know how to use it. Fire extinguisher is fully charged? Good tow line?
Tell a friend or two you are launching and could use a hand and in the world of cellphones (7) fully charged , how about a portable marine radio that is charged?
Lastly…..extra set of shoes that are dry.
Dry shoes! SO DAM TRUE
Another rule is to make sure all riders are sitting down. When I was a kid (1940s), a neighbor of my grandfather (the original owner of Molly-O) took his 22 utility for it’s initial run, on the North Channel of the St. Clair River. This man was not an experienced boater, and he allowed his brother to stand on the engine cover, while he accelerated. Unfortunately, the brother fell overboard and drowned.