On Jul 4, 5:30*am, Little John wrote:
On Fri, 3 Jul 2009 23:07:39 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:



well, boat is cleaned and running, tires and axles in good shape. new
safty cable, cooler ready for soda pop, juices, salads and *water. all
systems working. tow station wagon *in as good of shape as it will
ever be. * Only thing is I didn't find battery operated stern light
for the boat. But I'll stop as Salem tomorrow and they have a goodly
selection of boating accessories because they're 15 mi. from the lake.
If I cant find one there, I'll do the emergency light strapped to a
back hand rail. Oh yeah, the nephew's have "borrowed" Aunt Bridget's
life jacket, so I have to get her another Sterns. She likes the full
padded type, because occasionally the side of the boat can give a
pretty good jar to the back, and they make a good cushion for such.

Daughter just got home from college for the weekend so she's going
too. *Boat is too small to do any tubing. I suppose we could but
there's enough room for just us and some swag without the floaty toys.

Y'know. it seems that no matter how much you can think of, there's
always something you leave that you need. But I'll make sure I have
all the legally *required stuff.

Anything else? eh , I'll think of it when I get out in the middle of
the lake.

Next year I'm going to remind you about May to go out for a boat ride
just to see if everything works. Then you won't have all this last
minute pressure to fix stuff.

Are you running around the house going, "Where's the Zoloft, where's
the Zoloft?"

Good luck on the water. We're on the way. Housesitter arrives soon.
Keep this place clean and friendly!
--
John H

"If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free!"
--Anonymous

Take care, John. Travel. safley.


i would and could have had the boat out earlier int he year if I
wanted to get it and myself filled with rainwater. Seems this is the
wetest spring on record. but don't know that for a fact.


That's why all the last minute stuff.

Hmmm, raining now.

More coming too.


great.

Tim wrote:
Hmmm, raining now.

More coming too.


great.



Speaking of adverse conditions, did your good buddy herring ever find
the source of the gasoline fumes on his high quality boat, or is he
still putting around with his grandchildren aboard, oblivious to the
possibility of a really colorful event?

Tim wrote:
On Jul 1, 10:44 pm, Tim wrote:
I don't really ahve the time to get the big boat ready, so I pulled
the little one out. I'd rather have the 23'r up and going, but too
much stuff to prep for the time allotted. Like not only checking the
baot out, but also I really need to get some new trailer tires because
the old 6 ply jobs are weather cracked really bad, and I'm not really
sure of the validity of the bearings, and go over and replace the
trailer lights.

So I need to pull all that stuff,and at this venture, my time is
really critical. besides, I want to pull the dented bow rail off
because it took a beating when an empty oil drum hit it from a 10 foot
drop. (my fault-GRRRRR!)

I want to replace the railing with cleats, and I need to fix the stern
nav. light, and add some comfort features. Good part time work when I
have the time, but now isn't it.

So I dig the little 18'r out and de-winterizing it 3.0 GM is a snap.
Put some water plugs in the manifold, tighten the hose clamps, put a
battery in it and muff it. all good to go with exception of a fresh
cleaning. Tonight I got it fired up and ran it at a high idle and
made sure the temp guage was looking good, and plenty of water coming
out the righ places in the back ed. Then sprayed the pig tail
connector to the trailer, plugged it in, and checked all lights (new
two years ago) all is going great. I've already done the wheel
bearings last spring. looked for leakage, jacked up the axle and
checked for lash on the rims. good to go, and installed the drain
plug in the stern so It's not forgotten. (been there!)

Whew!

Anyhow, this weekend my band is doing a local gig at the Clay Co.
park, on the 4th from 3-5. I'm going to tow the boat over to the park,
then immediately afterwards, The Mrs and I will head for Lake Carlyle
and do some laps around the place. Maybe chase some ducks. and explore
some coves, beach the boat on a nice sand bar. do some wading, maybe
eat a burger. Somebody's always grilling and handing them out.

Then about dusk, head for the south west end of the lake and enjoy the
fireworks. For a small community, they REALLY have a great display.
Then because the ramp docks are always loaded for a long time, we'll
probably cruise the lake and take it easy till the congestion calms
down. I don't know if the weather will be overcast or not, but last
year there was a great clear sky, calm water and a 3/4 full moon. just
lovely.

Turn the radio on to 88.7 fm WSIUE (S. IL University- Edwardsville)
and listen to the soft jazz (Diana Krall type) while spotlighting
around the lake.

Come to think about it, I just might give my wife's great nephew a
call and see if he would like to meet us out there and splash around a
bit. He hasn't been on a boat in ages.

Anyhow,I know that situations can change with no given notice, but
that's the plan for now.

Ah! Great advice from a friend who's knowledge I'd trust deeply. I
noticed the safety chains on my trailer were getting really ratty
looking. Rust to be exact and noticed they had drug on the pavement
and had been skinned really well. so I asked him if I should go back
with chain or use cable.

Cable was the obvious choice, because it's stronger than chain and it
won't kink up. he said he has never used chain and wont. Sounds good
to me. So off to NAPA I go. Chain it up and get ready to head to the
small lake for a while. This time I'm going to use a bungee cord to
tie the slack of the chains to the tongue so they won't drag the
ground but yet will have flexibility to turn corners etc.

About time for some water.


On our trailer we just twist the chain a few times to take up extra
slack. We leave it hanging about as deep as the sand foot on the
trailer, but that does drag once in a while in bad camp lots and such...

On Jul 6, 8:51*am, JustWait wrote:
Tim wrote:
On Jul 1, 10:44 pm, Tim wrote:
I don't really ahve the time to get the big boat ready, so I pulled
the little one out. I'd rather have the 23'r up and going, but too
much stuff to prep for the time allotted. Like not only checking the
baot out, but also I really need to get some new trailer tires because
the old 6 ply jobs are weather cracked really bad, and I'm not really
sure of the validity of the bearings, *and go over and replace the
trailer lights.

So I need to pull all that stuff,and at this venture, my time is
really critical. besides, I want to pull the dented bow rail off
because it took a beating when an empty oil drum hit it from a 10 foot
drop. (my fault-GRRRRR!)

I want to replace the railing with cleats, and I need to fix the stern
nav. light, and add some comfort features. Good part time work when I
have the time, but now isn't it.

So I dig the little 18'r out and de-winterizing it 3.0 GM is a snap.
Put some water plugs in the manifold, tighten the hose clamps, put a
battery in it and muff it. all good to go with exception of a fresh
cleaning. Tonight I *got it fired up and ran it at a high idle and
made sure the temp guage was looking good, and plenty of water coming
out the righ places in the back ed. Then sprayed the pig tail
connector to the trailer, plugged it in, and checked all lights (new
two years ago) all is going great. I've already done the wheel
bearings last spring. looked for leakage, jacked up the axle and
checked for lash on the rims. good to go, *and installed the drain
plug in the stern *so It's not forgotten. *(been there!)

Whew!

*Anyhow, *this weekend my band is doing a local gig at the Clay Co..
park, on the 4th from 3-5. I'm going to tow the boat over to the park,
then immediately afterwards, The Mrs and I will head for Lake Carlyle
and do some laps around the place. Maybe chase some ducks. and explore
some coves, beach the boat on a nice sand bar. do some wading, maybe
eat a burger. Somebody's always grilling and handing them out.

Then about dusk, head for the south west end of the lake and enjoy the
fireworks. For a small community, they REALLY have a great display.
Then because the ramp docks are always loaded for a long time, we'll
probably cruise the lake and take it easy till the congestion calms
down. I don't know if the weather will be overcast or not, but last
year there was a great clear sky, calm water and a 3/4 full moon. just
lovely.

Turn the radio on to 88.7 fm WSIUE (S. IL University- Edwardsville)
and listen to the soft jazz *(Diana Krall type) while spotlighting
around the lake.

Come to think about it, I just might give my wife's great nephew a
call and see if he would like to meet us out there and splash around a
bit. He hasn't been on a boat in ages.

Anyhow,I know that situations can change with no given notice, but
that's the plan for now.

Ah! Great advice from a friend who's knowledge I'd trust deeply. *I
noticed the safety chains on my trailer were getting really ratty
looking. Rust to be exact and noticed they had drug on the pavement
and had been skinned really well. so I asked him if I should go back
with chain or use cable.

Cable was the obvious choice, because it's stronger than chain and it
won't kink up. he said he has never used chain and wont. Sounds good
to me. So off to NAPA I go. Chain it up and get ready to head to the
small lake for a while. This time I'm going to use a bungee cord to
tie the slack of the chains to the tongue so they won't drag the
ground but yet will have flexibility to turn corners etc.

About time for some water.

On our trailer we just twist the chain a few times to take up extra
slack. We leave it hanging about as deep as the sand foot on the
trailer, but that does drag once in a while in bad camp lots and such...

Well, the cables I have are just long enough to be too long when
hooked straight, and about too short for cornering if cris-crossed. So
I hooked them in straight then took a bungee and wrapped them up to
the traller tongue, but still with enough forward slack so they
wouldn't be pulling stuff like wires etc in a tight corner.