Strombotne.com » boats

run what you brung

cs — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:56:52 +0000

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 I/O engine placement creates terrific efficiency for interior design space maximization but is less than adequate for deck angle control. (sterndrive trim and tab accessories – bandaids – mandatory) Finally, with a prop pitched for 50+ mph top speed (good for advertising hype in a glossy brochure), there is very poor initial acceleration. Lots of engine sounds, commotion, slippage, and churning but slow getaway. What this means to a skier is a draaagging, never ending face (eyes, nose, and mouth) full of water while the boat fights to get going. A learner on a slalom trying a deepwater start will find it difficutl to stay stable and maintain directional control long enough, and all on one lung full, to pop-up on a plane. Too bad. It sure was sleek and comfortable from the inside.

Winterization Check List

cs — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 14:19:50 +0000

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 all water from engine block
loosen v-belts

buying time

cs — Tue, 16 May 2006 00:52:08 +0000

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. A new trailer is a significant piece of change however, and thus the incentive to slow the cancer is on going. In a chain reaction this fix was precipitated by a faulty brake system with a seized (rusted) wheel cylinder. The neighbor, from the other side backed her minivan into a fender crushing it. Actually, the rust had mostly done its work – the careless driver only finished the job. Mounting new fenders, I discovered the structural weakness on the frame. Then heat from the welder’s gun did a number on electrical wiring for the running lights. Hopefully stringing new ones won’t turn up any more jobs.

up the river

cs — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 19:16:28 +0000

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 squall halted our journey as we tried to eliminate the horizontal flow of precip into our dry cockpit. Once upstream, the current accelerates (est. 2-3 mph) and buffets the hull. The edgewater property is private rural land and in some places evokes images from the movie – Deliverance. At 23 miles we marked a GPS waypoint and turned tail.

Google Earth Placemark

down hard

cs — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 18:03:50 +0000

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 a halt. Inglorious end of voyage.