Ken_Potts

You need to be careful about tiny, fuzzy rage. We have it here, too, but it manifests as shrill barking and feet biting (my feet, not the dog's). The antidote does seem to be directly related to wife-presence, though, so it's probably good to keep her around. Oh, and the boat is looking great!

I like that you consider the underwater appendages as depth sounders. I always have too. Toughening those things is probably simpler and lighter than adding electronics and batteries and wiring so you can watch the numbers instead of the water. An added benefit of using the board as a depth sounder is you can get a good idea of what the bottom is made of. A "swish" is sand, a "crunch" is oysters (Aak!), a "bang!" is a reef, a "bong!" is a wreck and mud is when there's no sound but the boat just slows and stops. I'm glad to report that I don't know the sound of a diver. I like cheap and goofy too. I don't seem to be here to make history and shape the future so I'm just trying to have a nice time in life. Please don't quit posting altogether because that would reduce the amount of enjoyment I get from life but certainly don't post so much it's a drain on you. I only have fun reading your posts when you're having fun writing them.

Why not just tie the boat to a sled? You might have to hike out a bit to stay upright but you'd be fine if you broke through the ice.

Actually, the way he's holding it shows that it's more of a bowsprit than a mast. Masts point in another direction (when things are going right). If he starts to get too big for his britches cause he can carry that big bowsprit around hand it to him again and pick him up while he's holding it. That'll re-establish the pecking order.

This is why people shouldn't build their own boats. You just end up running afoul of child labor laws.

If it's bouncing around it may not be adjusted properly. A properly adjusted hitch will be tight enough on the ball to not bounce around. I have had good results with a reasonably light load on the tongue of a trailer over many many miles and I didn't need to worry about overloading the jack (or my back).

I think Dave understood me but he posted a picture of something different. Before I go out sailing tomorrow I'll try to remember to take a picture of the bow-winch-pylon-post-stand-thingy that shouldn't be adjusted too close to the tailgate for fear of damage and shouldn't be adjusted too far away for fear of difficulty in handling and storage. I feel certain that now I have confused the maximum number of people possible

Graham is right that I'm talking about the vertical post that sticks up from the trailer frame at the front of the boat. It holds the thing that stops the boat from moving forward when you brake really hard (maybe the bow chock or maybe another word).

I don't know what the post that holds the bow chock is called, but that's what I meant. I wanted to keep the overall length of truck, trailer and boat as short as possible to make it easier to back the trailer into position either at the boat ramp or into a curved driveway (it's also nice to not have to store an extra-long boat/trailer combo). I've seen some trailers set up so that the weight is balanced nicely but there is a long distance between the bow chock and the back of the tow vehicle. That's probably a desirable thing if you have an SUV and need to open the back hatch while the trailer is present, but I had a pickup so I didn't need the clearance. Having a look at the relative positions of the truck and trailer when turning as tightly as possible was just a way to get an idea of how close I could get the bow chock to the tailgate of the truck without worrying too much about having them hit each other when turning in a tight radius. Of course it was still possible to jacknife the trailer when backing up but only if I exceeded the turn radius of the truck. If I'm still not describing it well I can post a drawing that will clear things up.

I bought a new galvanized steel trailer that was surplus to someone else's requirements for my CS17 (Mark I). It cost $800 in 2005ish if I remember correctly. The trailer was built for a 14' powerboat and the major components were bolt-on and the positions were adjustable. The adjustability was the major reason I bought that particular trailer. I think it had 14" wheels on it. The trailer was available in galvanized steel or aluminium construction but the springs were the same regardless of the material. Since I bought the heavier steel frame, the springs were a bit more pre-loaded and the ride was smoother for the boat. I didn't do that on purpose, though, the last aluminium frame trailer sold an hour before I got there. To set the trailer up I first hooked it up to my truck (without the boat) and adjusted the vertical post with the bow chock as close as I could and still allow a good turn radius (go to an empty parking lot and drive forward in a couple of circles with the steering wheel turned all the way - Then stop and adjust the post accordingly). The reason I did that was to minimize the overall length of the rig and make it easy to maneuver around a boat ramp. Then I set up the rollers and bunks to support the boat as per Graham's recommendations. Once the boat was sitting nicely on the trailer I moved the axle (forward) until the tongue weight was positive but light enough to lift fairly easily (30 lbs/13kgs?)*. I added bearing buddies, a jack and a spare tire and I followed Graham's practice of rolling the boat on and off of the trailer. I would only back the trailer until the tires touched the water. I didn't put the axle, bearings, or lights under water. * This may sound light but with a properly adjusted trailer hitch, the trailer never fishtailed even at 70mph (110kph) in varying wind and rain conditions.

Is the 400 a 4-cylinder? I used to have a Honda 350 4 cylinder. It may have been a '73 but I can't remember. Fun bike.

Spirals are much more interesting than circles. Circles always come back to the same point but spirals never do

There isn't really one Southern dialect. Even if you just go over a ridge it changes a little. When I used to live in the Piedmont the phrase might be something like "Ahma gitta Tohatsu 20". If you go a little further South it becomes "Uno Tohatsu veinte por favor" (my apologies to anyone who actually speaks Spanish). In my new home in the Southwestern part of way (WAY) down South it would be more like "Ahl have a Tahatsu 20 mate and throw her on the transom while yer at it."

But there's cold and dry like they've got up North and there's cold and wet like they've got down South. I've driven through Minnesota and Wisconsin during what I would consider a middlin-bad North Carolina ice storm and was amazed at the carnage. I've never seen so many cars in the ditch in my life (hundreds, actually hundreds). I think those people all thought they were driving on snow and were surprised when their tires failed to grip at 60mph. Cold in the south is 31 degrees (F) and raining - And I think that's more uncomfortable than 10 degrees (F) and snowing. And I grew up in the Midwest. Now that I've pontificated properly it's time for one of our Alaskan or Siberian friends to chime in and correct me on the true meaning of cold.

Orange-cle?

There you go being prolific again! Looking good.

Paul, if you read the MSDS for the West System hardener you'll see that they claim that there an issue of absorption through the skin even after curing (if i remember correctly). I'm not singling out West Systems as a particularly dangerous product, I'm just pointing out that data sheet because it is the one I've read. I am assuming that other brands will have the same chemistry. It's really only an issue for prolific builders like you and Robert. Lazy and unproductive people like me don't need to worry so much. I'm busy damaging my liver in other ways.

Wow! Somebody painted their van grey at the border!

I think it's a good idea to read the material safety data sheet for the West Systems hardener. If I remember correctly it says that the hardener remains in an actively hazardous state even after the epoxy cures. It also states that the hardener is absorbed through the skin so in addition to a respirator it may be a good idea to wear a bunny suit when sanding epoxy. That's just an FYI. I'm not any kind of expert (well actually I am, but my expertise has nothing to do with chemistry or biology)

Vinny says that "Staying Alive" works well, too...

36 grit? I think I've got a hacksaw blade that's that coarse! Actually, if you turn a hacksaw blade over and use the flat edge it might be a good enough cabinet scraper to get that paint off. the boat is still looking good and I'm having a nice time following along. Thanks!

I thought the answer was 42.

Or corn. You know how much corn you can buy for the price of a 175hp motor (or the fuel to run it)? Nah, neither do I. I like quiet boats and foam bugs for mountain lakes.

To them it may not be a boat as much as an eagle shield.

Chick, I heard it was the sweet tea that did the saber tooth tigers in - Once the teeth were rotted they became catamounts.