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Ken_Potts

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Posts posted by Ken_Potts

  1.    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.

     

  2.    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. :)

    • Like 1
  3. 15 hours ago, PAR said:

    If you want to wear out a hitch or ball quickly, let the hitch bounce around on the ball for a few hundred miles, because it's lightly loaded.

     

       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).

  4.    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 :)

    • Like 1
  5. 16 hours ago, Thrillsbe said:

    Ken Potts— how is the bow chock position relevant to turning radius?

     

     

       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. :)

    • Like 1
  6.    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.

  7. 14 hours ago, Thrillsbe said:

    I thought that Proper Southern Dialect would include the phrase “ah-moan”, and the use of The Reflexive Verb.  Such as “Ah-moan get me a Tohatsu 20.”

     

       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."

  8. 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. :)

  9.    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. ;)

  10.    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)  :)

  11. On 2/20/2018 at 12:04 PM, Peter HK said:

    At the last CPR training session I went to, the advice on getting the timing of chest compressions correct was to think of an appropriate song with the right tempo.

    The suggestion was Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust".

     

    Sorry- just a little bit of black medical humour ;)

    Cheers

    Peter HK

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

     

     

     

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