End of season???

[kyles v221 islander]

The time is near to put our baby to bed. Not for the night, but for some of us 6-7 months. If it's for the first time, like me. All I can say is may the cold keep you warm and that the snow, if any remind you of the water...For next spring I will have you running like the wild child that you are and enjoying the sun. For I will be looking at the horizon waiting for the right time to get back out and do what I do best.
I will see you through out the winter and will check on you and make sure you are protected. I will miss you and will remember the good times that we had.and of course look foreward to the adventures that we will have next year.....wanting to Lock Through on the Ohio River Next year. With Help.
For everyone else...Tell your story...What will you do to get through? WHat advice to help the others....Winters can seem like forever...
Thank you!

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: End of season???

that was realy nice thank you

 

[fshngho]

Re: End of season???

Felt like I needed to salute or place my hand over my heart. I truly feel for you guys up North there in one way. You get the frozen waters & snow. But on the other hand you have an abundance of lakes & rivers you can enjoy during the warm season. I am lucky enough here in Va to enjoy a boat all year though I don't go out when its very cold and I use every safety precaution when I do. I lost a BIL in '88 when he fell from a boat in January. It took his body 33 days to surface. I don't hunt any longer, just fish, when I can and my 'church' is the outdoors and thats where the beauty is. Ya'll are just giving those wally's, muskies, salmon, etc a chance to grow!! Besides, family time is great too

 

[Bob Gilvary]

Re: End of season???

Tell your story...What will you do to get through? WHat advice to help the others....Winters can seem like forever...
Thank you!


The winterization process can be as extensive as you can make it or just a few proceedures.

1. Put your battery indoors and trickle charge it ocasionally.

2. Drain your fuel tanks if you can, or put a more than double dose of stabilizer in your tanks to keep the fuel as fresh as you can, then be sure to run this fuel through the lines and carbs.

3. Drain your carbs of fuel, Running them out of gas eliminates lubrication to internal engine parts. I prefer to drain the carbs from the carb bowl by loosening the bowl plugs. This applies to 2 stroke engines. 4 stroke engines have a bowl drain. Disconnect the gas line from the engine.

4, Change the lower unit oil. Eliminates any possibility of what water might be in there to freeze.

5. Pull your prop and inspect for fishing line, then grease the prop shaft and replace the prop.

6. If the boat and engine are stored outside, be sure the engine is vertical so no water is collected in the lower unit exhaust.

Just a few tips. You can usually find more things to do for winterization that pertain to your specific engine on line.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: End of season???

My new cover just arrived yesterday so it's about time to clean up the boat a bit and get it moved off my property to the storage spot I rented for it. It will be nice to get the other half of the garage back. I may take it out once more but I think that will be about it. I'll drag it back home probably in March to start on the upgrades I want to make for next season. I didn't get to use it as much as I would have liked this year. I hope next year is much better.

Model trains will get me through. In fact tomorrow I'll be attending the bi-annual train meet (world's largest) that just so happens to conveniently occur in my town! The October meet kinda kicks off "train season" for me.

 

[Beezerchris]

Re: End of season???

Nice post. The boating season in Vancouver can go on for another month easily with some great Fall fishing. Then... the grey rains set in and it's time to look the boat over and do some maintenance on her. I'm lucky to have a heated garage to work in. This year, since I'm kinda new to the big water and tides, I'll be taking a Canadian Power Squadron class to polish up my skills and meet some other boaters in the area. General boating, radio, charting by hand or digitally - seems there's always more to learn about the sport. Then on other days I'll be by the fire with a Scotch and some magazines looking over lures and reels, or drooling over other boat pics. Then there's the boat show too. Oh sure it's one day but it usually gets me through a week or more if you bring back a bag of vendor brochures. Early March the rivers open up again. so out my way is really only three months or so.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: End of season???

I wont rub it in...not yet, but I may post some Christmas pics and vids of the boat beached up on some white sand @ sunset for you guys in a few months

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: End of season???

Bwaaaaaa waaaaa I'm a Michigan man and I love winters but the end of boating is soooooo sad.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, I bid thee farewell sweet Starcraft. Until we meet again, when the Snow Crocus opens her dainty petals, when the Rifle river brims with the springtime sucker run, when my beloved Redwings move into the playoffs and the Au Sable River fills with Steelies. When the springtime sun warms your smooth aluminum hull and the Robin perches on thy bow. The last iceberg will be off the St. Clair River and we shall be reunited my love. We will dance upon the waves of the lakes and rivers together, as one again.



I'll pull my 3.0 mercruiser and do a full teardown inspection. Then relpace all the bellows and rebuild that 55 johnny ten horse kicker. That will keep me busy. I negotiated with my bro for a spot in his garage.

Thanks for the winterizing tips Bob.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: End of season???

I wont rub it in...not yet, but I may post some Christmas pics and vids of the boat beached up on some white sand @ sunset for you guys in a few months

Oh sure look at this toolbox. Finally has a running boat and he's all smug......

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: End of season???

Oh sure look at this toolbox. Finally has a running boat and he's all smug......

Hell Ez..I probably just jinxed myself across the board, both boats & motors will take a crapola on me now...damn....

 

[fshngho]

Re: End of season???

Dang Don, for a minute there I had a tear in my eye. EZ, give 'em heck..LOL Have fun with the RR
Kev, I envy you, but instead of the beach, send me pics of fish!

 

[jimdd810]

Re: End of season???

Well I am lucky enough to get to continue to work on my boat so that it is ready for spring. My shop pretty much goes dead for the winter with the tourist and summer folks arnt around. I will continue to go on amblance runs and put out fires. I am looking forward to the slow down but will miss getting out and fishing.

 

[barato]

Re: End of season???

and as i was saying, it's so lovely that the heat has broken and boating season is finally here!!

the jet skis have gone home,, and so have the mosquitoes.....

 

[fshngho]

Re: End of season???

Atta Boy Barato. You and Kev are going to be very popular soon. LOL " the jet skis have gone home,, and so have the mosquitoes..... " Yeah, I hate those things. They do nothing but buzz around you, agrivating you, constantly preventing you from enjoying the natural settings. I kinda wish they never existed.

I don't like mosquitoes either.

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: End of season???

Barato & Kev, post all the pics you want. Please include fish pics and details of your fishing trips. It will help me through the winter. I'm fascinated by saltwater fishing and the ocean.

I love Michigan and choose to live here. I wouldn't want to live any other place, my wife tells me we can never leave Michigan because her family is here. It's really my decision though.

If I could move Lake St. Clair to Laramie Wyoming, I'd be gone in a minute. I'd tie Lisa up and throw her in the back of the truck. Me and Zack would untie her, right before we went through Laramie pass.

 

[Deadwood]

Re: End of season???

Yo Bwana, How about Jackson Lake? It's outside of Jackson Hole on the way to Yellowstone. Took this a few years back while visiting family back there.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: End of season???

Used to live in CO and spent nearly 4 straight months living in the mountains of WY. LOVE big mountains!

It's tough. When I am in big mountain country I miss big water country. When I am here in big water country I long for big mountains.

In the end, like my buddy Don, family wins. They are all here and they are the best!

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: End of season???

I am hoping to get out on the SS a few more times this year

I have a launch here on the Grand river that stays open even when all the lakes are ready for ice fishing

Now if only I could convince people to go boating when it's cold out?

I will have the SS back in my tiny garage by rifle season(Nov 15th here) so that I can tear her all apart again and hopefully get the transom done by late March.

I plan on building a portable fish shanty to keep busy over the winter.(possible thread in the freshwater fishing forum for entertainment?)

 

[Deadwood]

Re: End of season???

Here's the 37lb laker Pop's caught on Jackson Lake. You can also float the Snake for Cuts. Dang I love fishing.

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: End of season???

I've never been to to Jackson. I've fished Lake Hattie at the base of the Snowies. Awesome view, fair fishing. I missed the fishing when I was out West. Now that I'm out East I miss the hunting.

I love Cutthroat, I used to catch Cutbows too. Curt Gowdy state park was a fovorite fishing spot for Rainbows in the spring. I caught 14 bazillion trout in Wyoming and 1 walleye.

I was stationed there three years. I moved to Greely, Co after the USAF. hung out there for about 5 months. I love the smell of cow pies in the morning.

That 37 pound Laker is pretty nice, now that's what I'm talking about. Smoke that baby.