I'm beat, need to fish!

[Wizard]

My boat has been out of the water since returning from my last Coral 3 day/2 night run about 3.5 weeks ago. Had a few things that needed to be done, and a few things I wanted to do while it was out. Here is a list of what is finished, or almost finished, in the last 3.5 weeks:

Flushed cooling system (thanks for the help Mike)

Replaced impeller

Tested/calibrated water temp sensor (Mike helped)

Replaced shift cable (thanks again Mike)

Painted all drainage channels around hatches

Installed weatherseal around hatches

Replaced/rebuilt port-side engine wiring harness

Stripped/primered/2-coats Alumaspray bottom paint on outdrive

Same process on trim tabs

Same process to a new set of backup props

Installed different props to test performance

Removed old unused paddlewheel thru-hull sensor in bottom, fiberglassed hole closed.

Fiberglassed fish hold drain closed

Fiberglass 7 feet of keel section, 3 layers glass, umpteen layers resin, 3 days of sanding, to remove all chips/nicks/etc from years of use and probable soft beaching before I bought it.

Replaced teak around deck tackle cabinet, 5 coats Sikkens, 3 coats Epiphanes clear gloss

Scraped 3 inches of growth off bottom, sanded bottom, finishing 2-coats bottom paint/3-coats at waterline of bottom paint (Thanks Phil for idea and brace of how to lift boat off trailer)

5 new galvanized 15" wheels and H78-15D Towmaster tires for trailer.

Repaired trailer tail-light wiring that dog keeps eating.


Put her in the water last Saturday for test, got 200 yards from ramp, opened engine cover and watched the lid blow completely off the sea-water strainer. Boat back on trailer and home again. Strainer on order.

Probably forgot a couple of things. It's been a long 3+ weeks. Gotta love boats huh?

Just thought I'd share.

[NoSlack]

You've got to be careful on how tight you go on those lids. Busted one a few years back and had to make the run back in with a roll of duct tape and one guy standing on the lid to keep the leak to a minimum.

Did the lid crack or was it the basket?

Mike

[Wizard]

Lid cracked all the way around just above the threads. I also think the inlet tube cracked. My Dad had to hold it down while I idled back to the ramp.

I have a couple guesses why it happened, one being new impeller vs. 20 year old plastic? The other being the stuff we use to flush the cooling system may react to plastic?

[NoSlack]

The stuff we flush with comes in a plastic jug. I've busted a couple lids just as you discribed by over tightening them. I use some o-ring lube on the treads now, and when the lid is snug I stop tightening it. I've busted 1 basket when I installed the 4 bolt that hold it to the bracket. The mount on the basket didn't fit flush to the bracket and when the bolts pulled it in, CRACK went the basket. I always chalked it up to the plastic being old and brittle from the heat.

It's been a few years since I busted one now that I don't open and inspect the basket before every trip.

Mike

[Wizard]

The stuff we flush with comes in a plastic jug.

Good point!! I chalk it up to old and overtightening. Should have the part by Friday and boat done and set back on trailer by end of weekend.

[yellowfin1]

Geez Glen,

Do you have a job besides the boat work? That's a hell of a lot to accomplish in 3.5 weeks. Right in the middle of fishing season too? Good luck with the strainer and get backout there soon. All that work will pay off.

Scott

[Wizard]

Got a full time job. Did all this work in the evenings and over 12 hour days every weekend. Had to fix the cooling issue, so took it out of the slip and put her on the trailer. Well that snowballed into several other things I just couldn't, in good concious, not take care of while it was out. Some of the minor things are my way of enjoying boat work -- gotta mix improvements with maintenance.


Oh, one thing I left off the list:

Repaired 19' VHF antenna that Customs broke by fiberglassing a sleeve over the broke section, sanding and painting.

[DOGHOUSE26]

Did they reimburse you yet ? They are long on paperwork and always delayed payment; did your rails and everything else get fixed right?

[Wizard]

Haven't heard a single word from them yet. I only got the paperwork mailed into them about 3-4 weeks ago though. Took me 3 months to get the quotes, plus some procrastination in filling out the forms.

Rails and fiberglass not fixed yet either. When I do those, I can't just do what they broke, I have to do it right which means the whole bow rail comes off and some gelcoat/painting all the way around needs to happen, to do it right.