Well, today was it, I took my 17.5 foot 38 year old Glastron V173 bayflight project out on the water today. I wanted to see if she was worth sinking anymore cash into, and I wanted to check out my 1978 115 Johnson. This was my first time launching a boat and my second time driving a boat..... Where to start?
I had been driving about ten minutes on my way to the ramp and I get a guy in the car next to me frantically pointing at the boat, I'm thinking ohh crap, what did I do, not even on the water yet and already problems. Doing about 40at the time I slow down and pull over, start looking at the boat and then I hear it, my cat Grumpy's distinctive howling. He likes to sleep in the boat and must've hopped in right before I pulled away. I saw him just minutes before I left in the garage so I thought he was still in the garage. Alright so My terrified cat is going boating with me today.
Launch went well, I remembered the plug and straps so no funniest home video moments. Boat seems fine, one small leak where the speedo tube comes thru the transom. Now my motor. That ol' Jonnie pushed that boat to 43 MPH on my GPS, I'm ecstatic, I was hoping for 35 to 37. Reverse worked fine and she steered ok, no real problems. I took it out up tide and up wind just in case I had problems, well I did. The Johnson quit on me about a mile up when I throttled down to make my return to the dock. I had to float back to the dock, the wind pushed me towards the bank and the tide took me back at .8 miles per hour. An electronic part gave out, maybe an ignition mod. I had tools with me and a voltage tester, the battery was fine but the starter wouldn't fire. It did not overheat or anything like that, just an old electronic part got hot and crapped out, not worried even a little bit. I've run the motor probably a total of 45 minute at home and today on the water before she quit. It's ok, that motor had been sitting in the Nevada desert for 12 years before I went and got it. Over all, I couldn't be more stoked, what a blast I had today.
I also had to cut my Anchor free, at one point I anchored to set my Idle and I couldn't free the anchor, I tried every direction several times, finally I just gave up and cut the line.
Pulled the boat up to the ramp with a rope and trailored it, tied it down. pulled the plug and me and Grumpy went home. That was my first day as a boat skipper, could have been worse, maybe could have been a little better but I'll take it just the way it went.
And thanks to you guys and gals for all of the help over the last few months, could not have done it without YOU.
Edit... I just went out and jumped the starter and it turned over with spark. So I tried the key again and it fired right up...Loose wire???
I had been driving about ten minutes on my way to the ramp and I get a guy in the car next to me frantically pointing at the boat, I'm thinking ohh crap, what did I do, not even on the water yet and already problems. Doing about 40at the time I slow down and pull over, start looking at the boat and then I hear it, my cat Grumpy's distinctive howling. He likes to sleep in the boat and must've hopped in right before I pulled away. I saw him just minutes before I left in the garage so I thought he was still in the garage. Alright so My terrified cat is going boating with me today.
Launch went well, I remembered the plug and straps so no funniest home video moments. Boat seems fine, one small leak where the speedo tube comes thru the transom. Now my motor. That ol' Jonnie pushed that boat to 43 MPH on my GPS, I'm ecstatic, I was hoping for 35 to 37. Reverse worked fine and she steered ok, no real problems. I took it out up tide and up wind just in case I had problems, well I did. The Johnson quit on me about a mile up when I throttled down to make my return to the dock. I had to float back to the dock, the wind pushed me towards the bank and the tide took me back at .8 miles per hour. An electronic part gave out, maybe an ignition mod. I had tools with me and a voltage tester, the battery was fine but the starter wouldn't fire. It did not overheat or anything like that, just an old electronic part got hot and crapped out, not worried even a little bit. I've run the motor probably a total of 45 minute at home and today on the water before she quit. It's ok, that motor had been sitting in the Nevada desert for 12 years before I went and got it. Over all, I couldn't be more stoked, what a blast I had today.
I also had to cut my Anchor free, at one point I anchored to set my Idle and I couldn't free the anchor, I tried every direction several times, finally I just gave up and cut the line.
Pulled the boat up to the ramp with a rope and trailored it, tied it down. pulled the plug and me and Grumpy went home. That was my first day as a boat skipper, could have been worse, maybe could have been a little better but I'll take it just the way it went.
And thanks to you guys and gals for all of the help over the last few months, could not have done it without YOU.
Edit... I just went out and jumped the starter and it turned over with spark. So I tried the key again and it fired right up...Loose wire???
