Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

[jigngrub]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

If the inside of your hull is painted, you're good to go and don't have to worry about the corrosion bug.

You said you planned on gluing the sheet foam to the hull, I don't see any difference in that and the self bonding expanding foam... plus I think the expanding foam would be easier to remove from the hull than a bunch of old glue/adhesive crapola.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

I'm not so sure the paint is a perfect barrier to keep saltwater from going after the aluminum underneath. I can show you a pic of my Chief's stern with massive pitting where a kicker bracket had been located and the transom was painted over. All that stuff has to do s a get a tiny toe hold and it will spread.

Of course the Chief was in Puget Sound WA State so maybe there's a LIBERAL amount of salt in the water?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Of course the Chief was in Puget Sound WA State so maybe there's a LIBERAL amount of salt in the water?

A boat doesn't ever really have time to dry out in the north west, moderate temps and moist environment make for minimal drying conditions.

... and if the bolt holes in the transom were never properly sealed to begin with, it only adds fuel to the corrosion fire.

In south Florida, if you keep the bow of the boat up and the drain plug pulled there shouldn't be any accumulating moisture problems... if the boat is trailer kept when not in use.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

I want to see a picture of this with the casting deck, the 155qt cooler fuel tank batteries and all the stuff you carry.

Photo instructions here http://forums.iboats.com/non-boating-technical-topics/how-posting-pictures-videos-533219.html

I just got rid of my 14' boat this past year and I do not think all that stuff will fit. Oh and not to mention all the water supplies you will need while you are out.

 

[RichBKK]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

JignGrub, I wasn't going to glue the floam to the boat itself.. But to the under sides of the deck that is bolted solid to the frame that supports the deck (the area closest to the gunwales)..

I agree with Waterman---I just don't feel good about glueing anything to the painted hull itself.. "Where there's a will, there's a way" and water always gets into, under or thru--- any and everything..

And I'm not sure anything here in Florida really drys out completely, regardless of how I could store the boat (unless it was kept in an airconditioned garage, which I don't have).. We live on the water, 50 feet from the either the front and back of the house.. Humidity is high here year around, dew 95% of the year..

I do have a new custom made rain cover for it that I've recently gotten but every morning there's moisture under it.. And when on the trailer, it's disconnected from the car, bow up, plug pulled..

Any and all bolt holes drilled thru transom were also filled with 5200.. No sign of any water leakage or damage there..

After 1 1/2 hours of frustration trying to upload on photobucket, "Landlocked Bob" has a few photos to look at..

Photo and image hosting, free photo galleries, photo editing

The photos from the May 2013 "Everglade City" trip I'll try and get up tomarrow.. The boat has had many renovations since these were taken..

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Thanks for the photos. I like photos of boats in "God's waiting room".

Very nice boat and great motor however, it has a casting deck that has raised the center of gravity, it is missing flotation, where is a bilge pump (or do you intend to use a bucket and operated) I do not see evidence of lights, and those hatches are nice. The wood on the deck is not sealed and the water absorption is obvious. You do not have room to add flotation there. You might consider sponsons.

That boat should NEVER be in any situation where there are whitecaps or chop. It is not deep enough with freeboard. I would say that boat is unsafe for any expedition beyond the sight of shore. While that boat may be safe for calm waters it is absolutely not safe with those modifications. How are you going to board the boat if you fall out? Have you tried? I would advise wearing a PFD when traveling with those modifications.

I think it is very nice however for your aspirations of use it is the incorrect vessel. Ask any member of the USCG or local Law Enforcement water patrol for their opinion.

Stick to your bay's and inland water because it just is not safe with your current design.

I am so sorry you have be technology challenged with the picture uploading..........

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Hmmmmmm......

Well, that Etec is pretty awesome!

 

[bakerjw]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

The hull looks great as do the frame structures. I don't know what the wood is coated with, but I'd want to make sure that it is sealed up well. My dad had a 14 foot boat and he put a raised deck on it as well. The thing was like a bobber. Hopefully yours doesn't behave that way.

If I were to go offshore any distance, I personally would want something a little bit larger.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

That is a nice looking boat in the pics, you should take some as she is now and post them.

I agree with Bob VT, I wouldn't be taking that boat nout of sight of land... about 7 mi. out. Especially laden down with gear and supplies for an extended stay. During the winter when the gulf is rougher I'd stay in closer than that, no further out than you want to swim to shore.

I know how flat the gulf is in so. fla. in the summer, and it's beautiful! I also know how those afternoon thunderstorms can whip up quickly and churn the water to a froth... be careful out there. You should consider investing in one of these to take with you on your voyages:
personal emergency beacon - Google Search

If I was down there in that boat, I'd be chasing the Snook, Mangrove and Mutton Snapper, and 'Cudas are the mangroves in that thing!

 

[Teamster]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

The father of a friend of mine had a boat about like that once many years ago, No foam, Who needs foam????

My friend had to work late one day and couldn't go out fishing on Lake Michigan with his father and brother for the evening,........

He lost he's father and brother that evening,....................................................................................

Bad things happen very, very fast on the water and often times there is little you can control,...

But you can control the amount of floatation you put into your boat,...

Have fun and stay safe,................

 

[RichBKK]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Thanks one and all for the inspiration, support and "guidance and direction" concerning getting floatation into this little "dreamweaver" of mine.. I'll try to answer each and every one of your questions, doubts and fill in blanks..

Jasoutside--- The ETEC as been both a heartbreaker and soultaker.. She's left me paddling on a couple of occasions (what outboard hasn't..??) and a "forced sleep-over aboard" as well.. But on the brightside, her warranty has been rock solid and the factory techs and certified mechanic have been fantastic.. The company itself, BRP/Evinrude has stood by me and this little engine, every step of the way.. If I was to "up grade and repower"---I'd go with another ETEC, no doubt about it.. A great motor, great concepts and great innovation.. Sips, and I mean sips, gas and oil.. From 1/2 mile north of the south Siesta Key Bridge in Sarasota, Fla. to Everglade City (1 way including zig-zagging in the Gulf chasing bait pods along the way)---192 miles.. 13.3 gallons of gas consumed.. Less than 1/2 quart of XD-100 oil.. Comes out to roughly 14.43 gallons per mile.. And the best thing about it----"Made in America, by Americans".. I'm keeping my $$ here at home, in the pockets of other Americans..

Bakerjw--- The deck is 3/4" ply.. I coated her with 2 coats of West System Epoxy Resin (slow cure pot life) and the edges I gave 4 coats..Then 2 coats of Behr oil-based paint on both, deck topside (grey) and underdeck side (white).. Remember, the edges that are unpainted are still coated 4 times with Epoxy Resin..

Aluminum boat manufacture'rs shape all of their hulls a little different compared to other manufacture'rs.. Mine is a 1980 "Deep Fisherman", semi-V hull.. What I found really cool about it was the bow section of the boat, compared to other manufacture's boats, is it's really quite "broad".. Very "chubby" when looking at her from either the bow or stern.. Alot of "beef" up front, so to speak.. When checking her out before buying her, she didn't look "fast" or possessing a "razor sharp" bow entry.. To my eye she looked----- "Chubby".. I don't know how else to put it..

What she did look like to my eye was, a women carrying a few extra inches in her bow beam.. Wider and more "boat-like" in my opinion.. Not a woman that would slice thru waves that I'd be meeting head on offshore but, one that would possibly pound a bit.. But she offered greater stability and most certainly, more storage..

During the "test ride' on the ICW with the Mullet Fisherman (before buying her), I had him go back to the dock and get off the boat.. I then proceeded to "walk her Gun'els', from stern to bow.. I weigh 185lbs.. Never did her gunwales come close enough to flip / swamp the boat.. I also sat on top of the engine cowling then said to him----"Sold, I'll take her.."

Her "raised deck" as you say, is nothing to be afraid of.. She doesn't feel like a "bobber" underfoot to me when casting at bait pods offshore.. Keep in mind, when I'm "off on a long distant adventure", I'm carrying 22+ gallons of fuel, 3 gallons of water, food, tackle and poles, electronics and their batteries, foulies and raingear, tent, poles and mosquitoe net, sleeping bag and pads, etc., etc.. That's all stored underdeck.. "Balast in the bilge", so to speak.. She seems "stable" to me.. Guess that's all that matters---right..??

JignGrub----You of all people, agreeing with a "River and Lake Man"..!! You oughtta be ashamed of yourself.. Your from Alabama, a Gulf-side State.. You know firsthand what goes on in the Gulf.. How you gonna tell another fisherman to stop and turn around when the pods are goin' off..?? You wouldn't (and probably don't do it yourself either..)..

This past winter I went out Big Pass here in Sarasota (no GPS), mid-morning, easy seas, light winds from the north.. 3, 4 miles offshore, hit the bait pods exploding.. Kept chasing them out, hookin' into Spanish Mackeral, King Mackeral and Bonito.. Next thing I know (during a lull in the action), I look around and don't see land.. The winds switched (I could tell that), then the pods went off again.. I kept fishing, kept goin' after'em.. Havin' the time of my life.. Well, I kept an eye on the sun (it rises in the east, sets in the west), tracked it across the sky for several hours while fishing and then turned 180 degrees, heading for the Florida penninsula.. Roughly 14 miles south of where I started out at, I hit Florida and got home 45 minutes before dark.. A great day on the water, a great day fishing and a great day witnessing all of God's wonders..

Thank you for suggesting the Emergency Beacons.. I've looked into them.. They're about 1/2 of the price of cold water immersion suits.. !/3rd or so for the price of a coastal 3/4 man life raft.. I think I'd go for the immersion suit or life raft first.. I'm carrying a waterproof VHF with DSC capabilities---good enough, I think.. If "she" is going down for sure---give me something to climb into (life raft) or something to climb into (immersion suit) and preferably--- both.. At that stage, "The heck with rescue, just get my a_ _ out of the food chain..!!"

As far as snook, redfish, trout, snapper----yeah... Fun and all, but----.. Nothing like the "offshore fish"----watchin' your line disappear and hearing your reel scream..!! I was raised off the ICW and fished it all my life.. Not taking anything away from it but----2 to 20lbs. fish.. I'm over that.. I'm into the Gulf fish now..

Teamster--- I'm sorry for your friend's (and your) loss.. There is no words I can say to ease any sorrow you must have felt.. I can say thank you for being concerned enough to post here and to give me a "heads up" on bad things that happen when one isn't properly prepared for the extremes that Mother Nature can throw at us while enjoying the joys of boating..

Please keep in mind that from my very 1st question, "Why not flotation in the gunwales..??", I have been searching for the proper foam, how much, how to do it in and where to put it in my little boat, from the very start.. I do very much appreciate your concern.. Heck yeah I'm trying to "stay safe" and give myself and my boat the most chanches of staying afloat.. Obviously, I more than everyone posting, is trying to stay out of the food chain, if, disaster should strike..

And that brings us to "Landlocked Bob".. Jeez---late Sunday night here.. I work tomarrow, early a.m.. Gotta save the "Burn him to the Gunwales" until tomarrow evening..

Stay tuned in Forum Fans--- this 23,000 post jag-off is about to be cooked in his 9 months of frozen Vermont tundra..

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Stay tuned in Forum Fans--- this 23,000 post .....

Disagree if you see fit, but you might reconsider how you address a veteran moderator of the free forum we all enjoy..........

BTW: Inverted the #'s a tad:

A great motor, great concepts and great innovation.. Sips, and I mean sips, gas and oil.. From 1/2 mile north of the south Siesta Key Bridge in Sarasota, Fla. to Everglade City (1 way including zig-zagging in the Gulf chasing bait pods along the way)---192 miles.. 13.3 gallons of gas consumed.. Less than 1/2 quart of XD-100 oil.. Comes out to roughly 14.43 gallons per mile..

14.44 MPG, correct? Pretty good #'s, really good actually

Might consider one of these instead of the personal beacon Jig suggested, much less up front$.

Not sure what brand, or it's cost, but my cousin has 1. I do know that it has a monthly fee to keep it active. His family LOVES it!

He's hiking the Appalachian Trail, 100mi +/- per 7-10day solo treks. It keeps them up to date on his progress & he's used it 3 times for early pickup:
Once when a bear happened on his camp & shredded 1/2 his gear (while he was in his camp)
Again when the winter weather took a drastic turn & he couldn't hike thru massive drifts, even on snow shoes
And last year when he became sick & spent 2 extra days in the same location w/ complications leading to severe dehydration

Boat safe

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Man, I'd be pretty frustrated with a "brand new" Etec that needed a bunch of work.

Hey Rich, kinda sounds like you are prepping for a flame job. Kinda frowned on around here. If you must, I'm sure ol Bob would love to hear from you through PM though.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

JignGrub----You of all people, agreeing with a "River and Lake Man"..!! You oughtta be ashamed of yourself.. Your from Alabama, a Gulf-side State.. You know firsthand what goes on in the Gulf.. How you gonna tell another fisherman to stop and turn around when the pods are goin' off..?? You wouldn't (and probably don't do it yourself either..)..

This past winter I went out Big Pass here in Sarasota (no GPS), mid-morning, easy seas, light winds from the north.. 3, 4 miles offshore, hit the bait pods exploding.. Kept chasing them out, hookin' into Spanish Mackeral, King Mackeral and Bonito.. Next thing I know (during a lull in the action), I look around and don't see land.. The winds switched (I could tell that), then the pods went off again.. I kept fishing, kept goin' after'em.. Havin' the time of my life.. Well, I kept an eye on the sun (it rises in the east, sets in the west), tracked it across the sky for several hours while fishing and then turned 180 degrees, heading for the Florida penninsula.. Roughly 14 miles south of where I started out at, I hit Florida and got home 45 minutes before dark.. A great day on the water, a great day fishing and a great day witnessing all of God's wonders..

Thank you for suggesting the Emergency Beacons.. I've looked into them.. They're about 1/2 of the price of cold water immersion suits.. !/3rd or so for the price of a coastal 3/4 man life raft.. I think I'd go for the immersion suit or life raft first.. I'm carrying a waterproof VHF with DSC capabilities---good enough, I think.. If "she" is going down for sure---give me something to climb into (life raft) or something to climb into (immersion suit) and preferably--- both.. At that stage, "The heck with rescue, just get my a_ _ out of the food chain..!!"

As far as snook, redfish, trout, snapper----yeah... Fun and all, but----.. Nothing like the "offshore fish"----watchin' your line disappear and hearing your reel scream..!! I was raised off the ICW and fished it all my life.. Not taking anything away from it but----2 to 20lbs. fish.. I'm over that.. I'm into the Gulf fish now..

Stay tuned in Forum Fans--- this 23,000 post jag-off is about to be cooked in his 9 months of frozen Vermont tundra..

Uh... yeah, I don't care how hard and fast the fish are hitting and the bait pods could look like Nagasaki on the 9th of August 1945... but if my floatation wasn't up to snuff I wouldn't be more than 100 yds from shore.

Here's an important test you should do with your boat:
Take your boat to 3' deep water and pull the drain plug at the transom and let your boat fill with water to the point where the floatation takes over and floats the boat and you quit taking on water... or to the point that you decide that the foam isn't going to float your boat and you abort the test and put the plug back in and fire up the bilge to remove the water.

There's lots of things that can and will go wrong out there on the water and there's always the chance of hitting kind of debris that'll open up your hull below the waterline.

Remember this vid from post #3 in this thread?:
Lund Boat Floatation Video - YouTube
It isn't BS and it isn't malarky, a boat that floats like that can save your life! I know my boat floats better than that because I've launched without the drain plug in several times and not even noticed it and fished all day and water never even came up through the deck drain. Boats that float like this are highly derirable in the Gulf and that's why you see so many Boston Whalers, Key Wests, and others of similar construction that float that way. You can make your boat float that way too, you just have to decide if you want to be safe or maybe very sorry you didn't.

Immersion/floatation suits are great and as a matter of fact that's one I'm wearing in my avatar pic, it's the IDI Arctic Armor suit:
Arctic Armor Ice Fishing Suit Video: Watch it float!
... but flopping around on the top of the water in the Gulf in one wouldn't be what I want to do, especially if I didn't have a boat to get back into. I imagine you'd be like a big buzzbait lure for sharks in one of those.


Crab bait... uh, er Spanish Mackeral?... are you serious???


Bob VT is a pretty good guy (when he's asleep) and he's just trying to look out for your safety as many of us do here for the newbs that don't realize/understand what kind of danger they may be putting themselves into by not rigging/repairing/restoring their boat properly.

Yeah, I know about the Gulf... and the Atlantic too, and I know how quickly they can change. I also know I wouldn't be out offshore in a flats boat like yours if it wasn't properly rigged... like yours.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Your boat does not have gunwales to fit or fill with flotation.

 

[RichBKK]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Let's start off by "clearing the table so the menfolk can talk".. Many here feel I should apologize.. Perhaps I should.. My apologies brother Bob for the printed language I spoke in the last post.. I hope all of us involved, witnessing my rude behavior, can put it behind us, find room in their hearts for forgiveness and move forward.. Again brother Bob, my apologies..

That said, here goes---if I may, gentlemen.. I'll begin with where I left off last night..

Casting deck raising the center of gravity..?? If one is standing up in a boat, does that not also "raise the center of gravity"..?? I don't know many fisherman (nor have I ever seen one), that crawled along the bottom of their boat to keep the "center of gravity" down when fishing, or just boating for that matter.. But----- Bob, Bob, Bob, lets stop right here.. You don't know what your looking at or what the vessel is intended for.. Before we go any farther, lets take a look at history and where we've come from..

* Sir Edmund Hillary was told it's impossible to climb Mount Everest--that he'll die, that it can't be conquered, that he'll never make it to the summit and return to tell the story.. Hummm---history shows differently.. And why did he do it..?? "Because it's there.."

* Ferdinand Magellan was told that it's impossible to "circumnavigate the Earth---it's flat.." Granted he died in the Phillipines, but his expedition completed voyage..

* Capt. James Cook mapped lands from New Zealand to Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean in greater detail and on a scale not previously achieved.. Yep---discovered the South Pacific Islands..

* Charles Lindbergh's solo non-stop flight from New York's Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France.. (Six well-known aviators had already lost their lives trying to accomplish the U.S. to Europe, Trans Atlantic flight---prior to him going..)

* Colin Fletcher.. Walked the length within the 1963 boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park.. Although his route spans only a little more than 1/3 the length of the Grand Canyon, Fletcher was the first to accomplish the feat, "in one go".. Before his attempt, he was told by several "Grand Canyon Experts" that his attempt was foolish and suicidal, due to the desert-like conditions and no "charted waterholes" along the uncharted route he was taking.. That if attempted, he'd more than likely "Never be seen again.."

My point being: Alot of people thruout the pages of history have said, "It can't be done, it's not safe, you'll die trying, you don't know what your doing..".. But, 95% of those people have never tried, never followed their dreams, never left the E-Z-Boy lounge chair next to the natural gas fire place, or turned off their computer monitor screen to give it a try.. They've always been too scared, too afraid of truly "seeing what's out there", too afraid of defeat.. I'm not.. And all I've inquired about is simply---floatation.. Will I be able to "insert" enough aboard to "please" all of the iboat doomsayers..?? Surely not.. But there will be educated suggestions that I'll pick and choose from.. That's all this adventurer is seeking..

2/3rd's of the manufacturers floatation on my boat is still aboard.. Installed under the front and back seat.. I just need to "replace" 1/3rd folotation but---I'm going for more.. Along the gunwales.. (Bob, read: interior sides of the boat..)..

And bilge pump.. Huhh..?? That means the weight and install of such, as well as another 40 to 60lbs. for a battery.. Why..?? I'm going as "minimal and light" as possible.. I'm physically able to "pump", bail water over the side---aren't you Bob..?? I just have a SeaChoice, 8GPM hand operated manual pump.. i bet I could make it pump 10 GPM if need be..

And lights..?? Got'em.. LED's, USCG approved.. They take 4, AAA batteries.. Bow and Stern / Anchor lights..I burn the Stern / Anchor lights from sun down to sun up for 3 nights in a row, then change'em out for another 3 nights.. Much cheaper (and lighter) than the marine battery, engine wiring harness, blah, blah, blah..

Zoom Bob, use your zoom----the deck is sealed.. Maybe what your seeing is the edges of the deck that shows the wood.. It was left unpainted on purpose, Bob.. Good looking ply, came up really nice with the epoxy resin on it.. The wood deck has 2coats of West System Epoxy Resin, around the edges, 4 coats.. Just zoom Bob, you can see it..

My vessel should NEVER be in white caps or chop..?? Huhh.?? What do you classify as white caps or chop, brother Bob..?? If a fat kid throws a "cannon ball" off the diving board at the public swimming pool---does that classify as white caps or chop..?? Just trying to figure out what your definition is of a white cap or chop.. I think it's quite a bit different.. (Vermont, Florida..).. My Gunwales are 15 1/2" high from the waterline when my vessel is fully loaded.. .. $60,000 flat boats are 4" to 9" high.. Who's safer and why do I never see them when I'm in the Gulf..?? Surely those fiberglass boats are loaded with foam----right..??

And getting into the boat is super easy when snorkeling or just jumping overboard to cool off.. 2 hands on the gunwale, kick your feet and your up and on the deck.. Weither wearing flippers or not.. That's just 1 foot and 3 1/2 inches one has to get over to get aboard.. Surely ALL of us at iboats can do that, right..??!!

One area we do agree on is that I do always throw my PFD on, right at the mouths of any pass I'm heading out of.. When in the Gulf, it's always worn.. In the ICW, I'll be honest, never..

Speaking of USCG and local law enforcement----I've met'em all.. 1st hand while far offshore or enroute on long distant travels.. U.S.Department of the Interior officers, too.. All have pulled alongside and asked if I needed assistance.. "Thanks.. No, I'm fine.. Do you guys need any help..??" They laugh, hang out with me for 30 minutes or so, check my boat out, think it's the coolest, tell me to be careful and all of us agree to "see you again..!!"..

And sticking to bays and inland waterways.. Not really an option.. As you know Bob, the ICW ends at south Captiva Island / north Ft. Meyers.. To get to Marco Island, 10,000 Islands, Everglades, Cape Sable, Flamingo Bay-----one has to "Man Up" and take the Gulf..

"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.." Sir Winston Churchill..

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Being raised on ocean waters in New York and Florida and having boated in the ocean offshore Maine,NH,MA,NY,NJ FL, Alaska, Panama, my family's former dive shop in Islamorada have given me the experience to include Lake Champlain and Lake Eire have given me quite a bit of water condition experience. Lake Champlain has significant weather/wave chages and a simple 40 mph wind can devastate to conditions.

The intent of iboats is to have people enjoy the boating pastime/experience without being injured or killed. We have a section here on iboats titled Stupid Human Tricks While Boating/Fishing

Yes, I am in Vermont and my family is in Florida. I retired in this beautiful state and have been blessed by having my grandchildren 3 miles from me.

I do not endorse or encourage people to take risks. Your alleged trips with your boat should not inspire others to participate in being reckless.

Now I have done allot of boat work. When I seal a deck with epoxy and water gets on the deck it does not appear to be soaking in/penetrating the top layer. Mine beads up and remains on the surface. Anyone can just "zoom in" but it's not necessary to see the water penetrating on your decks.

 

[RichBKK]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Maybe what your seeing on the deck (thinking water penetration) is what I call "Poor Mans Non-Skid".. When I applied the 2nd and last coat of oil-based paint I rolled it on a touch thicker, then sprinkled very fine beach sand onto the deck before the paint dried.. Put it in the sun for 8 hours till it was dry, then knocked off the loose sand that didn't adhere.. Came out great, have gotten alot of complements on it and seems to be wearing very well.. One drawback to it though is for the first several months I'd be getting a very small amount of sand in the bottom of the boat.. But after hosing the boat down after every use and walking / sleeping on the deck, I haven't noticed any in quite a while..

JBcurt00---If we carry it out far enough, I think the milage is actually 14.43609 MPG.. (or so the cheapie calculator that I used says).. The "SPOT" is a great option.. I've asked around about them and those that have one are pleased.. And your cousin sounds like "Tha Man"..!! See there, a guy going after his dream.. Alot of risk involved there and I'm sure he thought things thru before getting on the trail.. Now he's out there taking calculated risks.. But, he's going after his dream.. Sure, he could've been eaten by a bear, but so far he hasn't been.. The stories he'll be able to tell and the memories he'll carry all his life.. You can't put a price on that.. He's living his dream..

Jasonoutside--- I bought the engine and boat together.. The ETEC had 22 hours on her.. Her 5 year warranty was transfered to me.. Her water pump and impellor went out, her wiring harness went down, head gasket began to drip a touch and 1 cylinder sucked the intake reeds thru the entire engine.. Frustrated..?? Man, no kidding..!! But, the factory replaced everything, no charge.. They also replaced the EMM computer not because it needed it but, "Just to be safe..".. They also replaced the rope start assembly just to "up date it".. Then threw in 3 gallons of XD-100 oil and a "His and Her" Evinrude baseball caps.. Currently, she runs like a wild mustang on the Great Plains of Kansas but---she always did before she broke down, so what can I say..??!! I do think that the smaller horse powered ETEC's are a bit over-engineered for as small as they are, hopefully they have the bugs worked out.. But, I'd buy another one..

The flame job you mention is a phrase new to me, I don't know what it means so I can't comment on that..

JignGrub---a buddy of mine said the same thing when I said I wanted to get more flotation into her.. Take it to the sandbar at Big Pass and pull the plug.. Good idea, it's on the to-do list..

Life's a calculated risk.. We can just try to narrow the odds in our favor.. That's all one can do.. Be prepared.. Do the best you can.. No one or boat can be prepared for every emergency 100% of the time.. Ask any Vendee Globe participant.. I'm doing the best I can here, thanks one and all for flotation suggestions..

I'm a "catch and release" fisherman.. Throw everything back.. But where there's bait pods, there's spanish mackeral, kings, bonito, tarpon, shark, etc.. I've cast, on more than one occasion, off the edge of a bait pod, hooked a fair size mackeral, got it to the side of the boat and had a kingfish cut it right in half.. Had shark hit bonito like that, too.. Had several tarpon hit spanish mackeral I was fighting as well.. Spanish Mackeral are just big bait fish.. I'm not trying to catch them on purpose, I'm just fishing catching anything.. But, wherever the spanish mackeral are, there's "big boys" there, too..

Oh----See the front page of USA Today..?? After 35 years of training and numerous attempts, Diana Nyad fulfilled her life long dream of swimming from Havana, Cuba to Key West.. She's 64 years old and get this-----didn't use a shark cage.. ..

Dream big and big dreams happen if you only apply yourself and believe..

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Really I was only pointing out that there was a typo in your gas consumption data, listing 14+/- GALLONS per mile, that you might want to edit, or re-state it in another post:

192 miles.. 13.3 gallons of gas consumed.. Less than 1/2 quart of XD-100 oil.. Comes out to roughly 14.43 gallons per mile..

Not miles per gallon. Which at 14+/- MPG, you're getting really great distance w/ that motor.

Not that there was a rounding error, sorry for the misunderstanding.

I actually think my cousin Jason is foolish for pursuing his dream, w/ 4 kids aged 2-17 and a wife at home. Although, IMHO, he does go above & beyond what I think most hiker's would to prep & be ready for 99% of what might get thrown at him. I still think it unwise.

But that 1%, including bears, the weather, his health & perhaps the biggest unknown, other people, is still enough for concern.

Someone else reading or listening to either of you talk about the pursuit of your dream, which you'll both likely do w/ great vigor & passion, might think: Hey, they did it, so can I. But perhaps they are not really up to the challenge, and not prepared for the 1% to catch up to them.

This is one of my primary factors when I respond to questions of 'Should I overpower my boat?'. There is no way for me to know their complete situation, background, competence, their boat's condition (and all that entails) or how they will respond when that 1% catches them off guard. And that ^^^^ is also something I will strongly recommend to not attempt.

Boat safely.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: Flotation under floorboards----why there..??

Rich The foam floatation is floatation because it is closed cell meaning it has air pockets that are sealed. It's those air pockets are the main source of floatation. You could get some large air cells mounted around the gunwhales that can be carried either inboard or outboard the boat this would give you room as you need it and plenty of floatation. There was a pic posted on here a while ago of something like I am speaking of that would work. They were basically extra large and long bumpers.
When removing engines and outdrives from an old Steel hull Riverqueen we used barrels which we tied together let fill with water so we could put them under the stern then pumped air into them forcing out the water. It was a bit elaborate but it served it's purpose and kept use from having to pull the boat out of the water with no means of moving it easily. My point to that is that air is a major point to buoyancy and sealed compartments can create a great amount of buoyancy.