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As guests on a family boat (lots of chairs, cupholders, cubbies) we enjoyed the contrast to a Tournament Tow Boat (purpose built for skiing). The V Hull design makes for a very smooth ride through chop but allows surprising roll as the hull seeks a flat surface to lay down upon in fast turns. The [...]

It was a pleasant Fall Wx like – end of season – sail on the lake. B.O.U.R.Girl dipped her toe into the water and proclaimed Burrrrrr. After making a final waterski pass for our 7th summer season, we brought the boat home and prepared for storage/hibernation. remove battery stabilize fuel oil and filter change drain [...]

The welder boxed in the frame rail with 1/4 inch plate. A patch of sorts, the repair will postpone the demise of the old trailer. Rust is inevitable and I suppose that it didn’t help matters that I sped the process by dipping the ill protected iron in sea water over the last 3 seasons. [...]

New Bern, NC is located at the Trent and Neuse Rivers. Northward, it is a scenic sail through fresh water. I took a dip into the dark water for refreshment but not long enough to attract gators The river narrows into dense hardwood marsh and becomes very still and unspoiled in areas. A brief rain [...]

a little roadside trouble… A trailer axle bearing disintegrated with much smoke and heat. A passing motorist with beeping horn and waving of arms gave the alert. The hiway exit up yonder was only a mile away but not wishing to risk the hub assembly departing the vehicle or a wheel fire we ground to [...]

[ large ] The challenge is to cross without touching bottom (sans electronic depth finder). You can’t see bottom. You can sometimes see a slight change in the hue and color of the sea surface if the light is right. We used a light mushroom anchor and known length of line dropped over the side, [...]

The last time I had moored a boat and gone ashore for the night I woke up in the morning to find it slipped and no where to be seen. The lake had risen during the night and the dingy had drifted beyond my short horizon. So, with this lesson from years past, I slept [...]

Yah mon, you guessed it. Remind me to check the tide tables next time. Oh, and all of those ‘red right returning’ nun buoys and green daymarkers could be helpful do ya think? Nice shortcut through the spoils area. We were punished. The rudder, prop and keel were firmly mired. We know this because we [...]

The season has not begun quite yet but it’s fun to test the waters. I have a half suit for that purpose and it works really well. Exposed appendages told me -wait a couple more weeks. It was cee oh el dee! And just as I had screwed up my courage and plunged in my [...]

This is the end of the season. Surface water and air are in cool down mode. We did have a narrow – good – weather window today and decided that this was THE opportunity for a final run. Our friend, Giovanni, was in town and it was my chance to show him a nice time. [...]