My boat ROCKS!! updates, random questions, opinions...

[luvitt]

Man I'm havin' fun!!

The boat is really coming together. I get many compliments. I stopped telling people she sank, they can't even tell anyway!

I had a little 4th of July get-together, and it ended up as a 50+ peep party! There were younger guys here that i know from the boating scene, and they just wouldn't shut up about how they loved the boat and that I was living their dream, and they worship me, etc, etc. They were all begging to come work for me in exchange for sailing. One of them tows J-22's past me everyday, he works at the sailing school, and he is itchin to come hang out. im not sure i want a bunch of buddies just yet though.

It's kinda hot onboard, still havent hooked up my A/C system. We've been pretty sick

Gotta move the boat tomorrow. they are moving our dock away to facilitate the removal of the two battleships here (floating museums). they cant get out and need to leave for a refit. so, i will be in a crowded section of the marina for 2-4 weeks. sux.

couple questions: I still need to rig my jib on my Harken MKIII furler. I guess its pretty straightforward, but anybody got a quick rundown on what to do, so i get it right the first time?

Also, rib, inflatable keel, or flat w/ inflatable floor? I've been seeing a lot of good deals on craigslist, but the ones i can afford seem to be AVON 9-10' models with pretty much flat bottoms and inflatable floors. Im thinking some form of keel is a good idea in this choppy harbor. and I want to use it as regular transportation to scoot across the harbor for dinner, drinks, go fishing, maybe pull a tube if i can get a big enough engine. I found a 2002 avon rover 250, no keel, with a 2002 honda long shaft 5 hp for $1k. offered the guy $700 and he accepted! but I'm backing out. its small. and i don't think it will be comfortable in the harbor. sounds like a good deal though. i have noticed lots of deals lately though. maybe i should hold out for a rib? my neighbor works at West Marine and has their brand similar to the Avon, and says he loves it. but i think my intended purpose might not fit. I think i want it as a runabout/second boat. how big is too big on a 40'? I have a big arch with all the tackle to hoist a dinghy. I would even take a small 9' Boston Whaler if i could ever find one. Any suggestions for my intentions?

Good day at the marina! beautiful sunset, awesome dinner! Caught 2 nice Flounder just before sunset and grilled them up for dinner. I don't think i have ever had a better piece of fish!

I hope you are all having as much fun as me!!!!!!!!! thanks everybody.

 

[Hermit Scott]

It's cool you are enjoying your boat now. Tell that guy I will take the avon 250. I will fly out and motor it back on the ICW to Texas.
What did you use to catch those flounder?

 

[sailingdog]

brobins—

If I were you, I'd buy the Avon and keep the motor and re-sell the dinghy. Chances are likely that you'd break even or come close and have a nice little outboard to boot.

Given the size of your boat, I'd recommend going with a fiberglass hulled inflatable. AB makes some nice ones. One about 9-10' LOA would be good.

As for food on a boat....doesn't really matter what it is...it all tastes better than when on land. Hope you and the missus feel better.

 

[seadaddler]

Sounds like

Sounds like you really want a faster little power boat to zoom around when not sailing,a play boat around the harbor.
I doubt you will be happy with the small dinghy and 5 HP,I had a 8ft inflatable
with 4HP and did OK with two people,but I want with more room and now have a 9'6 with aluminum floor it is heavier than the air floor and the 4 was ok with just me in it but now have a 8hp and much better speed and can put more people in it and the 8hp does very well.
Listen to what you want tells me you should get a rib maybe 10' and at least 10hp with davits on your 40 ft boat.
Nick

 

[luvitt]

It's cool you are enjoying your boat now. Tell that guy I will take the avon 250. I will fly out and motor it back on the ICW to Texas.
What did you use to catch those flounder?

I threw the cast net and caught a huge ball of mullet. only kept about 10 of them to fish with.

 

[luvitt]

Sounds like you really want a faster little power boat to zoom around when not sailing,a play boat around the harbor.
I doubt you will be happy with the small dinghy and 5 HP,I had a 8ft inflatable
with 4HP and did OK with two people,but I want with more room and now have a 9'6 with aluminum floor it is heavier than the air floor and the 4 was ok with just me in it but now have a 8hp and much better speed and can put more people in it and the 8hp does very well.
Listen to what you want tells me you should get a rib maybe 10' and at least 10hp with davits on your 40 ft boat.
Nick

im definitely thinking along these lines.

 

[John Nantz]

Furler comment

Check the owners manual for swivel to halyard angle requirements. There may be a requirement to have the jib halyard meet within a certain angle range to prevent halyard wrapping. If so, then this is critical.

One can adjust the pendant length for the furler drum or put a pad eye on the mast under the forestay to achieve the necessary angle. If the mechanical dimensions aren't correct there will be problems like chafe on the furler line or wrapping of the halyard.

Make sure there are cotter pins in the forestay turnbuckle! Surprisingly, these little critters can be forgotten.

With regard to the inflatable dingy, if you plan on making a boat a lifestyle, I wouldn't get anything except something made out of Hypalon, such as the Avon, for example. The other materials just don't hold up to UV. Talk to long-distance cruisers and you'll find most of them will prefer Hypalon. The downside is they are more expensive and heavier.

As for dingy size, for one that is onboard, a short one is nice. Once it is in the water they tend to shrink so a long one is nice.

Horsepower: There are a couple approaches to this. In an anchorage nobody likes it when someone goes by and throws a big wake so either go slow or really fast. A two or three hp outboard will do the slow part, a bigger one, 8 to 9.9 or 15, will do the fast part but the 8 is fairly marginal with the inflatable keel and two people with stuff.

The bigger motors are a pain to handle because of their weight and you don't want the prop or sharp corners dinging the gel coat or chipping the paint on the motor on solid boat metal parts. The big motors also suck a lot of gas which has to be carried on board in containers - another pain not to mention the hazard. If fuel is easily accessible (in my criusing area it isn't) then maybe that's not a problem. If you anchor way out and have long runs to make with the dingy then planing is a nice convenience.

After having a large outboard for many years I'm getting really tired of launching and shipping it and I'm seriously looking for a 2 or 3hp short shaft to replace it.

As for the Avon with the longshaft, if it is a 2.85 "roll-up" with inflatable keel I'd keep the dingy and sell the longshaft outboard. A 3.15 roll-up will be drier going into a chop because everybody can get back in the middle or stern and keep the bow up in the air. The 3.15 weighs around 115 lbs dry and has a 15hp max capacity.

By the way, the Avon foot pumps are the best in the business.

 

[48dodge]

What marina are you anchored at? We've just started catching decent flounders in Hobcaw creek. Still haven't caught any trout larger than about 12", mainly spot tails (red drum), but I can't get too upset about having to eat those.

 

[luvitt]

charleston harbor marina at patriots point. just down the river from you. caught them right off the dock, casting into the weeds w live mullet just before sunset.

i love hobcaw.