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Rescue Minor Under Construction


Steve Day

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It has been so hot here that I opted to work in the air conditioned shop with the Rescue Minor rather than out in the afternoon sun on the big boat. It was a good choice because the thermometer on the truck indicated 104 degrees on the way out to Wally's place. Way too hot for Lower Alabama!

A Marine Police officer came by to inspect the boat yesterday and he "passed" it and affixed the Hull ID to the boat. We are one step closer to getting her licensed.

We cut the hole for the rudder shaft today and will fit the rudder later in the week. We also installed the fuel gage and wired it up to the tank. I was able to get the second color coat of paint on the upper decks and it is beginning to look pretty good.

Nothing worth taking pictures of at this point. Hopefully, it will cool down a bit so we can work on the trailer and I can work on the big boat.

Steve

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Didn't get much done on the Rescue Minor this week. I was polishing and waxing the big boat while it is out of the water. I got that done Thursday and it looks really good! Nothing like a job well done and to get compliments from the guys at the boatyard.

I did manage to get two more coats on the deck of the Rescue Minor and she is looking pretty good, too! I was able to get the masking tape off the gunwhales and will start the brightwork treatment on them this weekend. We now are ready to get the deck fittings in place and get the last few things done on the engine connections finished, including mounting the rudder.

Since there was something that can be recorded with the camera today, I took a couple of pictures. Note the reflective tag at the starboard side of the transom. This is the ID tag left by the Marine Police after their inspection.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow! It has been 11 days since I posted. :-(

I have been able to to get over a couple of times to work on the gunwhale varnish and that has been done. However, not much else has. Wally and I have both been very busy - He with work, and me with with the big boat and a Coast Guard inspection on the Delta Explorer. We finally got to both work on the boat this morning.

We were able to get the engine to turn over with the starter after putting oil and a new filter on the engine. Success! That answered one question in the back of our minds with a "used" engine. We need to get coolant and diesel fuel installed to run the engine, but that will happen in the next little while. We also installed the cleats (for mooring lines) and one of the hatches today. We put some fuel in the tank today to make sure the fuel gage works correctly and it does. All of the electrical works on the boat. :-D :-D

Most importantly, we put a serious cleaning on the shop today to get some of the scrap wood and trash out of there.

Pics to come later when I get the camera in here to transfer photos.

Steve

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Not much done this week as the big boat is demanding too much attention while it is out of the water and Wally is very busy at work.

We did get some stuff done during the week and the trailer is almost ready to accept the boat. We had to extend the tongue and put new bunks on to "fit" the Rescue Minor. The trailer should be back at the barn next week and we can get the keel support bunk installed then.

In the meantime, we installed the rudder and steering system today. And, believe it or not, the rudder turns the correct way when we turn the wheel. :shocked!:

We also were able to get fuel into the lines from the fuel tank to the engine. The boat is ready for the trailer - now to get the trailer ready for the boat.

We were talking about the build and discovered that it has almost been a year since we started the boat. Our goal is to get her floating and running before the one-year anniversary of the start of construction. We will see.

We'll have pictures as we transfer onto the trailer.

Steve

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The keel support bunk is installed on the trailer and the glide strips are installed on the bunk. The trailer is positioned just outside the east door (bow end) and ready to roll into the barn under the boat. Wally is lifting the boat tonight and hanging it off on straps, so we should be able to get the boat onto the trailer tomorrow evening. Then we need to put the side stabilizing bunks onto the trailer to secure the boat in position for travel.

Getting her on the trailer will be a major step in the process!

Steve

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As it turned out, Wally didn't get to hang off the boat last night and I ended up jacking it into position. We got the trailer under the bow and slid her on with little difficulty! :grin: :grin: :cool: This is a major milestone as the boat is out of the barn for the first time and we were able to get our first good look at her. She looks pretty good, IMHO. :lol:

Here are a couple of pictures of the operation and the boat on the trailer:

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Today is the day!!!!!!!  :D We are going to take the boat over to one of the local boat ramps and put it in the water to find out whether it will float and move under its own power.

I should have a report, and pictures, this evening. Hopefully we will have success.  :thumbsup:

Steve

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Good day today! :grin: :grin:

We got her over to the ramp and slid her into the water with no problem. When we started the engine, there was no raw water flow, so we shut down to assess the situation. Seems we could prime the system by closing the sea cock and filling the line to the strainer and raw water came through like it should. If we shut down, the water would flow back out the sea cock. We will add a check valve to the raw water intake and that should solve that problem.

A few other minor problems cropped up, but they did not prevent us from running the boat.

Operationally, she needs a little bit of weight up front, but passengers will take care of that. While she steered well, we will add a bit to the rudder to increase the length (and area) of the blade to give the rudder a bit more authority.

All in all, it was a very successful sea trial and a nice afternoon on the water. A few photos to show her off.

Steve

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In the little bit we ran her, there was no need to have spray rail. We have not, however, encountered any seas or wakes to see how they affect the boat. As we use the boat it will become evident whether we need rails. If so, we will add them.

As far as the trim state goes, we were about 1/3 on fuel with one person in her. Fuel is located just under the pilot's seat. There is no weight, other than the hull material, forward of the engine. When Wally and I were both on the boat (with one of us sitting on the foredeck) the trim was better and she seemed to move a little better through the water. We are planning to add coaming around the open deck and bench seating, so that in itself will add some weight forward, but the real weight will be people and/or cargo. There will also be storage under the foredeck and there will be some weight there, such as the anchor. I was initially worried about the trim, but I think we are OK, after thinking about it overnight.

Are we having fun yet?

Steve

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