Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days :o)

[Expidia]

Weather permitting ice out on lakes where I live is around April 15th.

I think last season my first shakedown cruise was around mid April.

Outboard is 3 seasons old now so I think since rig is empty of all gear while stored in my driveway I think I'll bring it into the dealer as soon as they reopen for a new impeller.

I change the fluids at seasons end so I can be good to go as soon as ice is out. Hitting an iceberg on the Hudson River in an aluminum boat could result in the iceberg winning

Watching the calendar as each day flips by is like watching paint dry

Cabin fever starting to set in now . . . Anyone getting a little antsy yet to get back on the water???

This area below "left empty" so the Southern boaters can brag about how they've never gotten off the water

 

[Bondo]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

This area below "left empty" so the Southern boaters can brag about how they've never gotten off the water

Ayuh,... What da ya Mean,..?? I'm still fishin' On the water....

'course, I'm walkin' insteada Boatin'....

 

[JoLin]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

Expidia - I take it from your pics that you trailer your boat? Once your outboard is out of the water and the water drains out of it you have nothing to worry about if temps dip back below freezing.

April 15 is too early for my I/O, unfortunately. I'm hoping by that time it'll at least be warm enough to do the stuff I gotta do before launch. I'll likely be running about 30 days behind you. I had a major service (preventive) done on the outdrive soon as it came out of the water last Fall, so at least that's set to go. I'll be doing a full engine tune-up, and have a new water heater waiting to go in. A thousand or so other little operations to do, too.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

Expidia - I take it from your pics that you trailer your boat? Once your outboard is out of the water and the water drains out of it you have nothing to worry about if temps dip back below freezing.

April 15 is too early for my I/O, unfortunately. I'm hoping by that time it'll at least be warm enough to do the stuff I gotta do before launch. I'll likely be running about 30 days behind you. I had a major service (preventive) done on the outdrive soon as it came out of the water last Fall, so at least that's set to go. I'll be doing a full engine tune-up, and have a new water heater waiting to go in. A thousand or so other little operations to do, too.

Here's a litttle teaser from last year's 1st splashdown . . . not alot of boat traffic on 4/10/09 (or leaves)

Click on the pic!

 

[Subliminal]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

Don't you guys even go there. My boat is going to make its first debut mid-april...I don't care if it's 38 degrees...it's going out!

 

[gt]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

Expidia,
Where's a good ramp in the Albany area, and what's the parking like? Picking up a new boat next month (central CT), and have a kid at RPI in Troy. Thought it'd be a hoot to pull up to the Troy town dock and take her and her friends for a ride, hopefully late April/early May. Probably wet a line at the same time, will the stripers be in by then?

Thanks,
gt

 

[Expidia]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

That would be cool to pull up to the Troy docks as a surprise. Weather permitting, by mid April the Hudson should be running Ice free.

There is a huge double ramp that's open all year right smack in Downtown Albany. Free parking there too. It's only about 2 miles South of Troy.

Lotsa debris though floating down the river at that time of year. Don't want to take out a prop. Watch for partially submerged logs.

Strippers start running mid April but they are running upstream from the ocean at NYC. So it's not until May where they really start to build up in the Troy area because they can't go any farther than the Troy dam.

In May you can see 100 boats floating between Albany and Troy.

There was a local bait store right across the river from Troy on the other side of the river. That side is called the town of Watervliet and the shop was Conroy's bait. The owner is a wealth of knowledge for any type of fishing on the Hudson. I think he is still there. I've been going there for like 25 years for bait.

The best thing about the Hudson River besides the fact that it's become a pristine waterway is that every few miles on both sides of the river there are free New York State boat launches with free parking pretty much from Troy NY down to the Tappan Zee bridge.

Many restaurants (on season) along the way with great food and free docking while you eat.

Check out this album of NYC pics I took last year. Put in at the Newburgh town launch and traveled down by West point, thru the Haverstaw Bay area and under the Tappan Zee bridge and South to NYC. Not bad on a 15 foot Aluminum

Click on a pic to view it larger. Trip was probably 2-4 hours each way. I was only cruising around 25 mph to enjoy the amazing scenery along the way.

http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa2/expidia/NYC 7-5-09/

PM me anytime for more Hudson River info, Lake George, Mohawk River or Lake Champlain. I clock about 150 hours a season on those waters.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

Don't you guys even go there. My boat is going to make its first debut mid-april...I don't care if it's 38 degrees...it's going out!

I hear ya! That's why after I bought my rig I had a local canvas shop make up an enclosure. Cost me an extra $750 but it extends my season from April thru Oct.

I get a kick out of cruising by each week properties along the shoreline on lake Champlain and Lake George and their boats are always still in dry dock until early June. Around here, most wait until their kids are out of school before they go up to their camps/summer lake houses. Amazing to see multi million dollar houses on those lakes that are only used for 2 or 3 months of the season. Must be nice to have money to burn like that.

But we really enjoy trailering and hitting a different waterway each weekend. With the enclosure I can usually squeeze out 7 months on the water. Not bad for the Northeast. Helps to have a Wife that loves boating as much as I do too

P.s. cute doggy

 

[gt]

Re: Northeast Alert: Splashdown -81 days )

Thanks for the tips. I'll be going back up to Troy in a few weeks, I plan on checking out the ramp.and stop in at Conroy's. Last May I saw a lot of boats on the river in Troy, got me thinking... But I was on a mission to bring my baby home, with a FULL truckload of dorm room stuff....