Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.
Flashback, I think you have the right Jason. I was going to build a pilot house, and at the last minute decided not to, mainly due to wanting the openness of the center console. I may get a T-Top, but in all honesty, I don't go out in bad weather, and I don't want a top in good weather, so it is at the bottom of my list. <br /><br />Last night was the final test for the Beast. We went to watch the fireworks last night on the water, it was fine. Cruising with at least a hundred other boats in the same direction at night to get back to the house was not so fine. The wakes of all those boats multiplied and grew to epic proportions, but the boat handled it fine. I quickly figured out that if I went about 30 mph or so, it stayed ahead and topped the crests just fine. Sometimes the prop would lose bite cresting the big swells but the momentum carried us over, and of course the crashing into the next swell was fun, but there was no intrusive spray, no excessive roll, and following water never made in into my modified splashell, let alone come through the much lower inner splashwell wall, so it has exceeded all expectations. My adjustment of the tab on the motor was spot on, the first try, I can go no hands on the wheel at any speed now, and it is a bit faster as well.<br /><br />And on a final note of good fortune, I was given two small outboards at a home foreclosure I was serviceing. One is a ten hp Wizard, from the 50s, and the other is a 1954 Goodyear Sea Bee 5 hp. I put plugs and gas in the 5 horse, primed it, and it fired on the first pull. The water pump is shot, but since it was made by Gale, a division of OMC, I should be able to get a pump no problem. So now I have the kicker I have been needing, this ancient little motor has awesome compression and runs perfect. Yeah, life has been good....
