My boat is home too !!!!!

[Van]

Worked on her Sunday, still have a few small things to do.
Then I am ready !!! I got the itch so bad I can't stand it...

[Van]

2

[Vectorfisher]

Nice ride, how do you like your rude? I had the itch to get in the boat end of march, have been out 4 x so now the itch is focused on a fish tugging on my line.

[BigBo]

Looking good Van. Did ya get your windlass fixed? When are you putting in? I was going to splash this past weekend but still had things to work on. If things go right and the good weather holds.....this coming weekend.

[missing link]

Lookin' good - Lookin good.

We will be doing a shakedown cruise in the boat this weekend or maby even this week .


Jr Link

[179]

Looks great Van- congrats.

[Van]

Originally posted by BigBo
Looking good Van. Did ya get your windlass fixed? When are you putting in? I was going to splash this past weekend but still had things to work on.

Yup, repaired the windlass over the winter, cost me about 200 to refurb. Still need to get the anchor on, its a pain cause I have to make a tapered splice so it will go through the gypsy. Other than that, I still have to fire up the engine, and get the curtains back, and that will do it. Oh yea a few bottom paint touch-ups.

I hope to run her this weekend.

Vector, I love the rude, this is the 4 season for that power plant, not even a hiccup so far. No smoke and turn-key everytime, even when there was frost on the deck last fall.
I changed to a higher pitch prop (17) this year so I should top off somewhere between 46 and 50mph. She does about 38-40 with last years (15) prop.

Can't wait. Please stay WARM !!!!!

[Fish On]

Nice rig van! Can you give me some vitals? length, width, etc. Amazing you get that kind of speed performace increase, what's the downside of the new prop? I have a 22 ft with 175 Johnson OB. I'd like to look into a new prop. Got to figure out what's on there now first though.

Ever "float" the anchor? Instead of hauling or using a windlass? I bought the setup last year but haven't tried it yet.

[Van]

Fish-on, sure...
Length ~20' 10"
Beam 8'4"
I don't know the weight.

I had an oceanrunner 150 (carburated) on it when it was new, that engine was a POC..,.so I got a great deal to switch to the rude in 2000' and went up to the 175. with the old engine the boat would do only do about 30mph, and would list to one side, I feel it was underpowered, but that was the stock engine in the package. With the same prop, and the new engine, the boat performes amazingly better, and I gets the speed I mentioned. It is still fast enough, its not like I'm trying to race anyone, but I want to see what I'll get with the higher pitch, i still have plenty of RPM to play with, as of now it spins about 5600. The new prop might drop that down 200-300, so I am still OK. I can always put the old prop back on.
The windlass is because I blew my back out few years back (had surgery) and I have no desire to pull an anchor rope again. We have tossed around many posts about anchoring on this board, lots of good input from other boaters. (you can do a search and see the other posts)...
At the end of last season, I hooked into something really BIG, I tried for everyting to free it, NO WAY. It would move and even come up a little, but thats it. Doing that I cooked the brushes in the windlass, and bend a small gear. I ended up cutting the anchor line. and hauling the boat away the next day.
This year I put a small ring in the heel of the "new" anchor and I'm gonna attach a line with a float, (this is for the times I'm anchoring in deeper water), when its time to leave I drive to the float, make sure the anchor is free and let the windlass do the rest..This year I also added a cam cleat, to make anchoring easier, I will post a pic when its done.

My buddy uses the ball and ring, and it does work, but I think he still has lost an anchor.

[quick decision]

Van you know Prolines rule!

[StriperSeeker]

Hey Van,

How do you like that doel-fin/hydra-foil? I keep looking at trim tabs, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[Van]

Seeker,
I had put that fin on when the boat had the 150 on it, because I was hoping it would help the listing and increase the speed, it did help both a bit. So I decided to put it on the new power just incase. It does help when trimming and getting the proper angle at WOT. I don't know much about Trim tabs,
but I would think they would decrease fuel effeciency and top end. DUNNO

[Fish On]

I'mnot an expert either, but actually I'm pretty sure trim tabs increase fuel efficiency and I know they increase top end. This of course depends on how you use them. If you put them down they will drive the bow into the water reducing top end and fuel efficiency but allow you to cut through the waves better or get on plane quicker. But putting them up slightly (or straight out) gets more of the bow out of the water when you are crusing and reduces drag which would increase speed and fuel efficiency.

[schoolie monster]

Alright Van, glad you have your honey home. I started cleaning up and organizing my boat this weekend. I have a couple small projects that will take a couple hours and I'll be ready.

Cleaned and rigged some reels for some schoolies.

It was so nice this weekend, you could just feel its about time to rock 'n roll.

We'll be seein' you out on the water.

[Mr. Sandman]

VAN,

Nice! You should do a fin on fin off performance test and let us know!

[Van]

Originally posted by Mr. Sandman
VAN,

Nice! You should do a fin on fin off performance test and let us know!

Good idea, I may do that too, while trying the different prop.
I'll let you know.

[thefishingfreak]

nice ride van.
trim tabs won't hurt top speed, or decrease fuel efficiancy.
there mostly for getting up on a plane quicker with a full boat{full of fuel, guys, coolers,gear, etc..}
and correcting list when underway.

if my boat is full. i'll put the tabs down, punch it, and as she's getting up on plane retract them all the way up.
then make the list correction.
so basicly when i'm up on plane there all the way up, and one or the other might be down say a 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
helps in choppy water too because you can lower the bow and put more of the "v" in the water instead of taking a pounding on the flat bottom 'cause you gotta raise the bow so you don't get wet.
bow lowered, engine trimed up, actualy lifting the boat. so you can go faster than w/out 'em, in rough/choppy seas.
and if you want to get crazy, you can take turns like a jet ski.

i put them on my 23 w/a and they helped out a ton.
boat held 800#'s of fuel so when it was full it would dog off the line, and if two guys decide to hang on one side of the boat all you got to do is push a button to level out.
that and tell them to stop walking back and forth
mike