Boating season

[Pusher]

Great season - reman 350 longblock finally all good - leaked oil when in went in last season and had to be taken back out to get 'er sealed up.

Memorable no so good - teaching my 17 yr old daughter how to handle the 25 footer in the marina (she's pretty good out in the river/lake). My fault, as I pushed her out of the slip without enough angle, little more wind that I thought, and we're headed for other boats, I jump aboard and begin preparing to fend off, not enough, so I go to jump on docked boat's swim platform, don't land solid, figure I'm going in the drink, then I think my brain told my body not to go in the water here, so now I'm cling on the both boats acting like a fender - stupid. Fortunately I got on the swim platform of the other boat, fended off mine successfully, ran down the dock watching my daughter handle the boat well, picked me up at another dock, went boating. My bruises are about healed, and no damage to any boats - but I think it still gets me excited, judging by how much I just typed...

Sounds like you pulled it off flawlessly! As they say in aviation, any landing is a good landing.

I don't have room to judge since my boating legacy hasn't left dry dock, but my dad's taught me some good lessons. One time his bimini top fell forward and bumped the throttle lever forward launching the boat half-way up on the dock around fellow fishermen. I wasn't there for that one.

 

[NHGuy]

Pretty good boat year for us, just too few outings.
I got my first ever self built engine in the boat, it ran right from the get go. So I'm happy for that
I kept changing carb jets trying to get the spark plug insulators to go brown. Then I read how to check them is to look down near where they touch the metal of the plug, aargh. I have almost every jet and rod there is to fit Weber and Edelbrock carbs now. I'm going to ask Santa for an air fuel ratio meter this winter.

Some of the reasons for too few outings.
I took the boat on vacation. The first 2 days it rained, only rain there was this summer here in NH!
So Monday and Tuesday we put some hours on the boat. Wednesday went home for the wife's doctor appointment, while there my tow vehicle's power steering started to leak. Since I'm a DIY'er that ended my boat week.
Then we day dunked a few times til my 2nd vacation of the summer. What happened then? The wife's Subaru timing belt pulley failed 2 days before vacation. Ordered parts, took a couple days at the lake. Went home, installed the timing set to check whether the valves had been bent when the pulley broke. Yup, no compression. Ordered more parts, started pulling engine. One more lake day that week. Thankfully I had an engine hoist from the boat. I was able to put in new valves and head gaskets. The Soobie came out great, it just took some of my precious time and money.
Then a few more one day trips, and a long weekend.
Now the lake is so low you can only go down the middle, anywhere shallow is dicey. There's a "channel" where two sections connect that's only 2 ft deep!
25 hours on the meter...it's not enough.

If things work out well I MAY attend the Connecticut River Run, which is a meet for go fast boats that's sponsored on another forum (Scream & Fly) where I don't really fit, but they are friendly gearheads. They are doing a meet on October 16th or whatever Sunday happens around that date.
The normal boats in that group are big speed outboards. And I'm kinda middle speed sterndrive, but at least I have a lumpy sounding exhaust!

Then, it's time for the covers,:fatigue:

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Most memorable? Tears and cheers as I finally got the 4.3L on our new to us Chaparral running up to par. We spent much of the summer on my 16' Capri, a solid little boat we just totally out grew. We are going to miss that boat as it's being sold to my brother in law. The 20' Chap fits us well. It was a relief after 6 weeks to finally get her running right. So all in all a really great boating year. A few more trips out, with atleast one to view colorful autumn mountains at Raystown Lake, and that will be the end of the season.

 

[bajaunderground]

Funny post in a way...I was thinking of starting an 'hours' used post to list how many hours each of used this season, for comparison sake. This post does a similar thing...

​I just winterized yesterday, so my season, sadly, is over. Started with 260 hours ended at 345.

​I was blessed with a great summer of boating in landlocked Colorado. Lake Powell the first week in August being at the forefront. My son learning to wakeboard and waterski and my daughter learning to waterski. We had some firsts...hail while returning to marina (ouch)...late night fireworks in the distance at Horsetooth Reservoir in Ft Collins on the 4th of July.

Overall, a great summer!!!

 

[NJ224fs]

My first season owning a boat... Overwhelming for the first 1/2, but got the hang of it during the second 1/2. Just learning to dock in a slip, anchoring, and beaching... It's all been memorable. Best is seeing the kids enjoy swimming off it and having fun

 

[MH Hawker]

well its been sort of slow this year, i have got 41 hours on the clock and its been mostly fishing and thats been a good season 160 pounds of channels on the boat a few strippers and several turtles :laugh:

 

[boatman37]

a few strippers

must be a fun time on that boat:laugh:

 

[brian4321]

Our season is winding down also, but gonna try to get out a few more times before freeze up...last year we had a nice sunny 55 degree day in December so me and a buddy took our boats out just to say we went boating in December my boat stays inside year round so usually this time of the year I'll do the fluid changes and yearly maintenance things but I just drain the block, not fill with antifreeze...so if we get a nice day after I winterize, it's not a big deal to pull the boat out and go boating, then drain the block again when I get home... Highlight of the summer was probably making a 20 mile trip to see the fireworks then the long stressful ride back after dark with a hundred other boats leaving at the same time

 

[brian4321]

a few strippers and several turtles :laugh:

Soooooooo........... Where's this you go boating?

 

[Swoosh3]

Still making memories, clocked 123 problem free hours so far, boat is wet and waiting for more, mostly fishing.
​Some amazing sunsets and late evening cruises.
​One thing stands out (so far) this year.

I went out fishing during the Harvest Full Moon, pretty sure I had our sizable lake to myself.
​Kalmalka Lake, In the Okanagan Region of British Columbia, Canada.

​I never caught anything BUT, what a magnificent night and sight. That big ol moon shining
down on us as we trolled across the glass-like surface, majestic!
​Never hit the dock till the wee hours grabbed a couple zzz's then off to work...

​Weather dependant, hoping for at least another month or so before it gets pulled onto the hard.
Have yet to have to turn on my heater.

 

[pullin]

No Title

This was a memorable year for us, since we upgraded to a larger, more comfortable boat. We're enjoying outings more, now that we have air conditioning and a small galley. Just got her back after two weeks in the shop for bottom paint and outdrive service. We want to use it all year, so had them install an automatic bilge heater as well. No more winterizing now.

I spent Friday night aboard her, enjoying the fall weather and watching the sunrise the next morning (with a hot cup of coffee). It's great to end a day on the water by setting the anchor and going to bed.