Last year I had issues with getting my boat on the water.
Lotsa rain, high winds, work and social demands kept me from putting out until this time last year.
By that time, the humidity in the air and the ethanol in my gasoline combined to stop my boat motor from running.
I figured I needed a carb rebuild, and decided I'd do it over the winter.
The bitter cold winter hindered me from heating the garage to work on the boat motor I had put in there.
In the spring, a thaw caused a pipe to burst in my family room.
The insurance hired a company to store my goods during repairs.
The goods came back, before I was done.
They went in my garage, blocking access to the motor.
Now I couldn't even send it out for repair.
A few weeks ago, I finished the room.
Then started to unpack the garage.
Then put the motor on the boat and took it to a repair shop.
I got it back Monday.
I still had stuff to do to get it in the water.
The tongue jack on the trailer had broken, the boat had to be washed, and I wanted to replace the propeller.
I agonized over buying a different style propeller than I normally used. I had over heard the prop shop owner (Proper Propellers) talking to another prospective customer and realized I wanted the four blade over the three blade.
AFTER I make the purchase, he says, if I'm not happy, I can exchange it. That would have saved me a lot of deliberation.
Today we took it out.
We actually had to turn around from the launch when I remembered that I had not replaced the safety bolts that kept the motor from flying off the back of the boat, an event that had occurred to me twenty years ago, after having done a ring job and piston replacement over the winter.
Thank God I was reminded.
So we went back again, put in and my son called.
He and my grandson were out on that lake!
We met them on the water and watched while they tubed.
That new prop was worth it.
Seems impossible, but I gained power taking off AND top end!
All in all, it was an enjoyable experience.
I hope we can do it again a few more times this year.
I'm very glad you finally got to boat again.
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad for the reminder that I am not now agonizing over yet another item in my life (a boat) I don't adequately use.
I've told you of my excitement on Ford Lake 55 years ago with an over-rigged sailboat. That was enough. :)
yikes. I'm not THAT old. 45 years.
DeleteI'm not sure I recall that one.
DeleteI'm embarrassed if you told me, and intrigued if you did not.
We went out on Belleville (formerly Edison Lake). State permit gets me on that and all DNR lakes for $10 annual, but Ford costs a resident $35!
Shortly after I was moving in at Cliff's Drive, another couple while moving out offered me their Snark (an early version essentially made of one piece injected mold, like a thick Styrofoam cup), with a sail twice the size of regular Snark, only reefed a bit.
DeleteAfter I crossed the lake to the Western side, I naturally tacked from starboard to port. As the wind filled the sail it ripped the port gunwale right up to the boom's base. As I hiked out to aright her as one normally does, the torn gunwale became a big scoop to bring water into the boat.
So I carefully fell off the pinch and moved more South than East which let her sail more upright and let the gunwale tear close mostly.
It was nothing short of a miracle I was able to make some tacks back to Starboard (where the break in the gunwale actually let the water out of the boat). I then learned to quickly pass through irons back to a flat port tack. And made it back to the Eastern shore. After that, I only sailed on other peoples boats. But haven't done any sailing now for about 40 years. It was definitely fun. And I'm sure glad I learned to single-hand well BEFORE this happened. But, like I said about, that was enough thrills.
(Don't you recall this now? I even pulled up a google map to pinpoint where on the lake I was. Not very far from where the Washtenaw dumps into the Lake under I94.)
Wow. I always liked snarks and sunfish.
DeleteTook one out in Majorca (rental) and got becalmed.
But I don't remember that story.
I can sure envision it as you told it though.
I've never been on a real sailboat.
A friend has one and keeps promising, but we both get so busy.
Hmmm. That's the Huron River, not the Washtenaw. Can't recall how I forgot that. The mascot for Ypsi once was the Hurons too IIRC. Both named after the tribe.
DeleteI figured you meant that.
DeleteAs for the team name, ow they're the Eagles.
The Hurons were actually offended at the name change that was to save them offense.
Congrats!!! :-) Time on the water is almost always relaxing...
ReplyDeleteIn my boat it seems it's a challenge. 1963 aluminum cuddy, and if the bilge pump fails, I get stressed.
DeleteBut it was good today. Thanks.
i love water and boats as a pisces girl!! enjoy!!!
ReplyDeleteYears ago, while fishing the mouth of small bayou, I had the luck of catching a huge flounder, as my brother found a submerged piling. He was trying to maneuver in the strong outgoing tide. when the stern swung near the shore.
ReplyDeleteMy catch was an afterthought, when we realized his propeller lost a blade. We limped back to the launch in a boat that violently vibrated from the unbalanced prop.
From that point on, he always carried a spare.
Yep.
DeleteBTW, you haven't eaten at the Pelican Lodge have you?
No, and if it's a place, I never heard of it. If it's metaphor for an unfortunate occurrence, I've probably endured the event.
DeleteNaw, with your Cajun background, I wondered. OldNFO has, and coincidentally I have. It's out of the way, but I was hooing for a trifecta.
DeleteEnjoy. Blink and that snow blower will be getting the maiden voyage.
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a Michigander!
DeleteMan, is this post in ENGLISH? This big city LA girl doesn't get much of this except the ":enjoyable" part, for which I'm so grateful and happy for your family!
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks for slogging through it, Z.
DeleteEnjoyable is right.
I owned a boat for a couple of years when I lived near Lake Eire. Irish Wake. Like an old horse I once sort of inherited with a spot of land some years back, it spent most of its time trying to die and I spent all of my money trying to keep it from dying On the few days it seemed I was free to take it out, the winds were up, which on a shallow lake (compared to other such large lakes) it was like being in a paint shaker all day. I finally sold it. I miss boating, but I don't miss the boat. :-)
ReplyDelete