Well, given the string of boating events that has happened to me this season already, I am afraid to turn the key. The guy working on my boat was killed, run over by a truck while coming into work on his bike. This caused some additional delay. I had spoken to the fellow for 45 min the day before this happend. He seemed like a nice guy who was really into his work. He was a fiblerglass guy who was proud to show off all the re-builds he did during the winter. Some of those high end sail boats and hinkley picnic boats he did with alwgrip looked like new...better then new actually. He was just filling up some old engine mounting holes on my boat and was going to match the color of the gel coat the next day...but the next day didn't come for him. I will have to get to that in the fall. Structurally fine, cosmetically weak...painted over for now.... You just never know when it is your time. He was 42 or 43 I think.
Went down yesterday to check it out...New engine on. They were working on installing the gauges and fixing the dash. (I have a lot of holes in the dash from the old twin engine gauges and now I have one engine so even though I got every gauge possible for a single engine, there are still lots of holes. Will have a starboard mounting plate made and mount the gauges and cover the old holes at the same time. Its really dirty at the moment but will look OK once it is cleaned up (not great but ok...I am kinda picky but at this point I just want it in the water!!!!!!)
They say it will get wet and fired up this afternoon and I will have it for the weekend. I think more like Sat afternoon but I'll take it. I plan bringing it home, loading the gear, and getting it in the water on Sun. No bottom paint this season. Bottom looks like hell now but I'll worry about that later...the bass are feeding at middle ground and I couldn't give a damn about the bottom. Maybe in the august lul i'll haul and paint it. Lets just hook up the fishfinder, load the rods and lets go already!!!
The first 10 hours are break in. I figure by next weekend I should be done with that and have the oil changed and be running wide open soon after. IMO the factory should do the breaking and have it ready to go when it is installed.
I'm gonna put some catch-up hours on this engine. I am like a drinker who is about to go off the wagon, I need to get a line wet and feel some spray on my face. When I hear about 13# fluke and 30# bass 5 min from my slip, I can't stay at home...I just can't. I get the shakes just looking at my rods in the garage...maybe I should see someone about this.
I most likely will be selling this rig next spring. I just can't live with a single engine. This boat is just too small for the twin power I want so I will be stepping up to a larger boat with twins. I just gotta have them. And if this new 4 stroke even hic-ups once this season, I'll never touch another outboard again. Which would suck because I really like the 26 regulator but it only comes in outboards...one hicup and I move to inboard diesels for good.
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