kfa4303
Banned
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2010
- Messages
- 6,094
Well today was one of "those days" on the water. After over a month straight of non-stop rain, the sun finally decided to come out and play, and for the first time in ages I was able to take my little nephew out. His folks are going through the "Big D" and while he's been holding up pretty well, everyone could tell he needed a little guy time with his Uncle Karl (that's me). Needless to say everyone and their grandmother had the same idea of getting in the boat. So I finally, get the little man rounded up and we set off for the river. About 3/4 of the way there we hear a crunchy metallic sound, never good, but everything felt fine. Eventually, the sound stopped and we made it to the ramp. I backed the boat in the water unloaded her and as I was pulling out, my left wheel fell off!!! The whole bloody thing was just laying there on the ramp :/ Obviously, I was not happy, but I was more dumbfounded than anything. I've never seen that before. After coming to grips with what was going on, I realized how lucky we were that it didn't happen on the road. However, I wasn't gonna let my first mate down. We decided to hit the water and deal with the trailer when we got back. So off we go. All is well, at first. My new marine cooler seat/storage/poling platform worked like a charm and made piloting the boat 100 times more comfortable. Sweet! We find a nice spot on the side of the river and tied off to a cypress knee and swam around for and hour or so no problemo. He's getting really good at using his mask and snorkel. Way better than I was when I was 6. Any who, we load back up and head back down the river. Only this time I noticed the motor wasn't pumping any water, never a good sign :/ I had recently added a tell tale to my '66 20 hp Johnson and while it "works" and pumps water very well, I think it starved the rest of the system of much need cooling water, which lead to a near overheat. After several unsuccessful pulls on what is usually a one-two pull motor, I knew something was up. I removed the cowl and felt the head, and while hot it wasn't unbearable. Whew! So then I pull the spark plugs and they look fine. I then confirmed spark and pulled motor over a few times to get any excess fuel out of the cylinders. I then replaced the plugs, but no go. The only thing left to check was my tell tale mod. So I pull the t-stat cover that I had tapped into, and the t-stat housing was hot, dry and the t-stat itself was open...gulp :/ Thankfully, I had the original t-stat cover and gasket with me 
. I dunked the t-stat itself in the water and it closed nice;y, so it still worked. I then replaced the t-stat and grommet and installed the old t-stat cover and she fired right up and purred like a kitten and pumped water like a champ all the way home at idle-WOT !!! So while the tell tale mod "worked", inasmuch as it made a visible tell tale stream, I don't think it's worth keeping and risking a permanent overheat. Oh well, live and learn. Eventually, we get back to the ramp, after helping a few bikini clad damsels in distress along the way and now we have to deal with the trailer. I though I could just call AAA and have them send a flatbed, but you need "boat coverage" for that :/ Live and learn, again. So now what? Just as I get back to the trailer to kick the tire (singular) and scratch my head, a stranger approaches me and offers to help!!!! He was loading up his pontoon, but said he'd be back in 30-35 with his brother and a trailer. Without much else to do, we waited. We had a good time watching the highlights and low lights of folks at the ramp in the interim. Sure enough, 45 min later the guy cam back with his big diesel truck pulling a flatbed trailer and his brother who was also driving a big diesel. We eventually loaded my dead trailer on his flatbed trailer and ratcheted it down, we then put my boat in his brothers truck bed and ratcheted it down. I then put my two motors in the bed of my truck and we all caravaned 40 min back to my house. They then help me unload my truck and trailer in the front yard where they now sit without asking, or taking a dime for their troubles!!! They even offered to help me replace the old bearings later this week! Good ol' Southern hospitality at it's finest Shoot, I didn't even get their names until we got back to my place!!! I realize it could've all gone horribly wrong. They could've driven off in different directions with my boat and trailer and rendezvoused at their evil lair, but I could tell they wouldn't. They just saw a fellow boater in need and helped them out. No ifs, and, or buts about it. You could tell they'd been there at some time or another. I don't think there's another hobby/obsession/lifestyle with folks that generous, or giving. BOATERS RULE!!!!! Even though everything went "wrong", it feels alright. Aside from the obvious wheel falling off part, motor almost blowing up, and the normally crystal clear river being murky from all the rain, it was a great day on the water Did I mention the bikini clad damsels in distress ? The little man was a trooper the whole time, and didn't complain a bit.
As I sit here typing, I'm hot, stinky, covered in old bearing grease and boat funk, but I couldn't be happier to be a boat guy/gal. Sure I've got some dirty work ahead of me, but I met a some amazing folks today, had a good time on the water, such as it was, averted two major calamities and managed to entertain my nephew for a few hours. Doesn't get much better than that. I could've never done it without all I've learned here at iboats. Instead of freaking out, I was able to approach each problem, analyze the issue and more or less fix it on the fly. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To one and all on the iboats crew!
........I think I'll stop rambling now, and go scrape off some of that boat funk Cheers!
. I dunked the t-stat itself in the water and it closed nice;y, so it still worked. I then replaced the t-stat and grommet and installed the old t-stat cover and she fired right up and purred like a kitten and pumped water like a champ all the way home at idle-WOT !!! So while the tell tale mod "worked", inasmuch as it made a visible tell tale stream, I don't think it's worth keeping and risking a permanent overheat. Oh well, live and learn. Eventually, we get back to the ramp, after helping a few bikini clad damsels in distress along the way and now we have to deal with the trailer. I though I could just call AAA and have them send a flatbed, but you need "boat coverage" for that :/ Live and learn, again. So now what? Just as I get back to the trailer to kick the tire (singular) and scratch my head, a stranger approaches me and offers to help!!!! He was loading up his pontoon, but said he'd be back in 30-35 with his brother and a trailer. Without much else to do, we waited. We had a good time watching the highlights and low lights of folks at the ramp in the interim. Sure enough, 45 min later the guy cam back with his big diesel truck pulling a flatbed trailer and his brother who was also driving a big diesel. We eventually loaded my dead trailer on his flatbed trailer and ratcheted it down, we then put my boat in his brothers truck bed and ratcheted it down. I then put my two motors in the bed of my truck and we all caravaned 40 min back to my house. They then help me unload my truck and trailer in the front yard where they now sit without asking, or taking a dime for their troubles!!! They even offered to help me replace the old bearings later this week! Good ol' Southern hospitality at it's finest Shoot, I didn't even get their names until we got back to my place!!! I realize it could've all gone horribly wrong. They could've driven off in different directions with my boat and trailer and rendezvoused at their evil lair, but I could tell they wouldn't. They just saw a fellow boater in need and helped them out. No ifs, and, or buts about it. You could tell they'd been there at some time or another. I don't think there's another hobby/obsession/lifestyle with folks that generous, or giving. BOATERS RULE!!!!! Even though everything went "wrong", it feels alright. Aside from the obvious wheel falling off part, motor almost blowing up, and the normally crystal clear river being murky from all the rain, it was a great day on the water Did I mention the bikini clad damsels in distress ? The little man was a trooper the whole time, and didn't complain a bit. As I sit here typing, I'm hot, stinky, covered in old bearing grease and boat funk, but I couldn't be happier to be a boat guy/gal. Sure I've got some dirty work ahead of me, but I met a some amazing folks today, had a good time on the water, such as it was, averted two major calamities and managed to entertain my nephew for a few hours. Doesn't get much better than that. I could've never done it without all I've learned here at iboats. Instead of freaking out, I was able to approach each problem, analyze the issue and more or less fix it on the fly. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To one and all on the iboats crew!
........I think I'll stop rambling now, and go scrape off some of that boat funk
Cheers!
