1st post, celebrating 1st day with boat in hand.

dmhallene

New member
Just got this boat from my Father and brought it up from R.I.
1984 20' Steplift with 1989 Mercury 150 Black Max. Needs lots of TLC but the Marina just finished on the Outboard so I'm launching tomorrow. PS PATS own the division.
 

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Man, that boat looks like it could tell some stories....good luck with it! Welcome to the cult as we like to say around here. Keep us posted with info from your first trip.

PS I'll leave that Pats comment alone but Charlie the Tuna may go ballistic.
 
Congrats onthe boat. Make sure you tell your dad how much you appreciate it. Welcome to the site... Sweet looking boat.. :beer:
 
Have fun with the boat. I am sure it will bring you lots of fun times and memories. Who cares about the division. Colts rule the AFC and will show this year they rule all of football
 
Oil Press Alarm

Had the boat out for 6 hours total this weekend. Got the Oil Press alarm in (comming from throttle assembly) on each cold start. Alarm stayed in until cowl lifted and cover removed from aux oil tank on engine and then replaced. Had over two gallons in main tank (under seat) and aux tank almost full. each cold start this happened and would only clear by the process mentioned above. I suspect a vacum leak but not sure. BOAT RAN GREAT otherwise. Up to Bush Compound (Kennebunk and down to York. Great time.:nice:
 
Should NEVER admit How STUPID I can Be

Along with Trailer lights, Safety Chains, Hitch, Boat Tie Downs, Fuel, Oil, Water (drinking), Fishing Equip, All the standard on Board Safety Equip, Batteries Charged, I should REALLY remember Handle for my winch, and The BILDGE PLUG. Had the boat out last weekend and all was GREAT, in shop this week, Vacum leak on Oil Tank, and did NOT check bildge Plug... Got 10 minutes from DOCK,delayed at dock as I forgot handle for winch, and had over 400 gallons of water in boat. Made it back to dock to discover cause. I am making a check list NOW.
 
We have all forgot the plug at sometime!! Those that say no are telling lie's!!:booty:

Like MJ said, we've all done it....I'm thinking that we could start a thread just about our experiences with that silly little piece of rubber and how costly it can be. I know I've forgotten it... said so in a different thread a while back. It's one of those things you never forget twice.. So welcome to the "forgot the plug club"
It's a great lesson in how important it is to remember the safety things.. (Amazing how much water can come through that little hole in so short a time, isn't it)? :head:

BTW, I've never seen it mentioned, but speaking about the drain hole, a great tip is if you see that there's a lot of water in your bilge from not putting the plug in, and you're out on the water and not at the dock, throw your motor into forward gear and get up on plane in a hurry.. the speed of the boat thru the water creates a vacuum that acts like a syphon and actually pulls the water back out through the drain hole.. It's like a last line of defense bilge pump, but it gets the water out in a hurry. Obviously, once the water's out put the plug in.
 
List

Here's my first shot at a list, any help is welcome
Trailer lights

Safety Chains
Hitch
Boat Tie Downs
Fuel
Oil
Water (drinking)
Fishing Equip
Life Jackets
Horn
Flares
Whistle
Fire Extinguisher
Navigation Lights
Charts
Battery for winch
Batteries Charged
Handle for my winch
BILDGE PLUG.

Port & Starboard Transom Plugs
Anchor
Dock Lines
 
Get a Orange Amo box put all safety equipment in it and leave in boat at all times.

If you don't have the trailer hitch you won't have to worry about the boat!

Any how once you get set up most will be on there all the time any way.

One thing I did not see was a First Aid kit?? Also a nice clean pair of cutting pliers in with that kit. When some one drives a hook thur there hand (and they will) nothing like a nice pair of rust free pliers that can cut the hook for easy removal!

I also add some gauze, tape, and wrap for any large cuts that a band aid will be to small for.
 
Two other things I always have on the boat are sunscreen and a balnket. It always seeems someone is either getting roasted or is suddenly chilled.
 
TWO working VHF radios.. one mounted and the other a handheld, sealed in a waterproof plastic bag. (you can buy them made just for handhelds)
A CB radio isn't a bad idea either.. you'd be surprised at how many people use CB on the water..

And if you really want to spend money on something that hopefully you'll never use, buy an EPIRB. If you think back a month or so ago about that 16 year old girl that was sailing around the world and got into trouble.. the way they found her was by her EPIRB. They are a pretty good thing to have in case the unthinkable happens.
 
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I second the drop the hammer and siphon the water out cure for forgetting the plug. It happened to a friend and myself not to long ago (his boat) and while he was on plane I put a plug in on the inside of the boat. We laugh now about it but when your boat is filling with water it can be a hairy situation. I personally carry a plug in my transom compartment, cabin, tackle box and the center console of my truck(cheap insurance)....
 
As god is my witness, I can honestly say I have NEVER forgotten the drain plug. However, I have forgotten to undo the transom straps, I have forgotten to undo the winch strap, I have forgotten to unplug the trailer lights prior to dipping the hot bulbs into cool/cold water (blown bulbs, anyone?), and who knows how many other things. All those little, but important, tasks that make boating fun.

Walmart carries a little plastic orange temporary use garboard drain plug for about $2.98 if I remember correctly. I have one on my set of car keys and the boat keys. Good visual reminder and there in case of emergency.

Glad to hear MJ pipe up right away about the First Aid kit. That was the first thing I thought of after reading your initial post. YOU WILL USE IT FOR YOURSELF OR SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT ENOUGH TO HAVE OUT ON YOUR BOAT!!! Get a good one, with scissors, tweezers, etc. and keep it updated. I broke mine out today for a small cut on a 13 year old's foot.
 
please repeat after me............



AFC-EAST CHAMPION NEW YORK JETS!!!!

stick that in your black max and smoke it.

Charlie, I totally and completely agree with you, the Jets will do it.......except........ well..........you have the name wrong. It's the New JERSEY Jets. Other than that, you're right on the money!!! I mean.. come on... you wouldn't call the SF 49'ers the Arizonia 49'ers.. They live and play in SF.. You call the team the name of the city or state they play in.. (with the exception ot the NE Pats, who can't make up their minds where they are).

(And before you start disagreeing with me... consider this: They play in New Jersey as their home stadium. That stadium complex is home to both the New Jersey Jets and the New Jersey Giants, and until the new arena was built in Newark the complex also housed the New Jersey Devils and the New Jersey Nets. The stadium is located in the meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. More season ticket holders to the New JERSEY Jets live in New Jersey than in New York. More non-season customers live in ..... you guessed it... New Jersey, than New York. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not putting down New York.. it's a great place to visit and I have several friends that live there... It's just that New Yorkers seem to live under this misconception that looking westward there is Manhatten, an ultra tiny strip of land not worth mentioning, and then the Pacific ocean. There's a whole country west of Manhatten Charlie... Honest there is... Cross one of the tunnels or bridges and come visit... New Jersey and you... Perfect together!!) :beer:
 
Rough night last night

Not so good a time last night, Hoping the Boat comes off OK.
NOT the most desired way to make news. This was us last night. EVERYONE is OK, Boat not sure about. Overconfidence in visual landmarks after dark, God took care of us. Ran onto the rocks about 1045pm Off Island by 2:45am.
My Daughter and her friend were airlifted to Portsmouth and released.
Working out details on boat rescue.



US Coast Guard, Maine officials rescue 6 from sea
By Associated Press | Monday, August 9, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Northeast
CAPE PORPOISE, Maine — The U.S. Coast Guard’s search and rescue chief for northern New England is praising the cooperation that led to the rescue of six people from an island off Cape Porpoise, Maine.
Officials say the operator of a 20-foot motorboat called the Coast Guard’s Portsmouth, N.H., station at about 11 p.m. Sunday to report they were taking on water after hitting a rock near Folly Island.
The Coast Guard and rescue crews from the Maine towns of Wells and Kennebunk were unable to reach the vessel because of rough weather and shallow water. The local fire departments used an inflatable boat to reach the vessel.
Two passengers were taken by Coast Guard helicopter to a Portsmouth hospital with minor injuries.

Coast Guard, Fire Dept. Rescue 6
Rough Waters, Low Depths Require Desperate Rescue Methods
POSTED: 10:56 am EDT August 9, 2010
UPDATED: 11:26 am EDT August 9, 2010

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BOSTON --
Desperate measures were taken Sunday when a 20-foot motorboat struck a rock near Cape Porpoise, Maine leaving six passengers in need of rescue, Coast Guard officials said.
U.S. Coast Guard and Wells and Kennebunk Fire Department officials reported to the scene after the boat hit a rock near Folly Island around 11 p.m.
The 47-foot Coast Guard motor life boat crew and fire department vessels were unable to reach the stranded boat due to rough waters and shallow depths, according to Coast Guard officials.
In order to reach the passengers, fire department officials used inflatable floats to reach the island and then waded on waist-high water to rescue the passengers and bring them to shore.
Officials said a Coast Guard rescue helicopter took two passengers to Portsmouth Medical Hospital with minor injuries. All six passengers were reported to be in stable condition.
Copyright 2010 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
10:22 AM

Six rescued from foundering boat off Cape Porpoise
The Associated Press
CAPE PORPOISE — The U.S. Coast Guard's search and rescue chief for northern New England is praising the cooperation that led to the rescue of six people from an island off Cape Porpoise.
Officials say the operator of a 20-foot motorboat called the Coast Guard's Portsmouth, N.H., station at about 11 p.m. Sunday to report they were taking on water after hitting a rock near Folly Island.
The Coast Guard and rescue crews from the Maine towns of Wells and Kennebunk were unable to reach the vessel because of rough weather and shallow water. The local fire departments used an inflatable boat to reach the vessel.
Two passengers were taken by Coast Guard helicopter to a Portsmouth hospital with minor injuries.

2 injured in late night boat grounding in Cape Porpoise

By Laura Dolce
ldolce@seacoastonline.com
August 09, 2010 9:49 AM
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — A Wells family returning in their 20-foot boat from the York fireworks Sunday night, Aug. 8, overshot their destination and ran aground on Folly Island near Cape Porpoise, rescue officials said the following morning.
Kennebunkport Deputy Police Chief Kurt Moses said an emergency call came in just after 11 p.m. Sunday.
Residents had seen red flares over the water.
“We called the Coast Guard and they said they were aware of it,” Moses said.
Lt. Nick Barrow of the U.S. Coast Guard in South Portland said the Coast Guard received a call from the boat's operator, who informed them that there were six people on board, three adults and three teenagers, and that the boat was stuck on rocks with the tide going out.
Barrow said a call went out to the Coast Guard station in Portsmouth, N.H., which sent a 47-foot motor life boat.
A Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter was dispatched from Cape Cod, Mass.
“We threw everything we could at it,” he said.
The first responders on the scene were members of the Kennebunkport Fire Department.
Chief Allan Moir said since the call first came saying the boat was off-island, the department launched seven firefighters on boats as quickly as possible.
“One of the firefighters is a lobsterman, so we put five people on his boat,” Moir said.
Another two firefighters went out on a pleasure boat owned by one of the members.
As they got to the island, Moir said, it was clear the stranded boat was actually on the island and that the firefighters' boats couldn't get close enough.
By then, the department had launched their two inflatable Zodiac boats off Cape Porpoise Pier and were able to transfer the firefighters from the other boats and get them and an emergency medical technician to the scene.
Moir said rescuers determined that one of the people on the boat, a teenage girl, had hit her head and developed a bump, and her friend was suffering from hypothermia.
“Four folks were OK, other than being cold and wet,” Moir said.
Officials said the boat's GPS system was apparently not working properly.
When the Coast Guard helicopter arrived on the scene a rescue swimmer was lowered down to the site and the two girls were airlifted to the copter.
The helicopter then flew to Pease International Tradeport, where the girls were taken by ambulance to Portsmouth Memorial Hospital, Barrow said.
Their injuries were non-life threatening.
Moir said the other four passengers on the boat were able to walk to the rescue boats and were brought ashore in Cape Porpoise.
He said it was the first boat rescue call the department had all year.
Barrow said the Coast Guard was grateful for the support they received from the Kennebunkport Fire Department.
“They were a huge help,” he said. “And at the end of the day, we saved six folks.”
 
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