Fishing - bear of a day...

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bear of a day...

On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:19:18 -0400, jeff wrote:

wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 20:29:53 -0400, jeff wrote:

wrote:

The boating types
realize it's no real big deal as far as returning to port is concerned,
while the non-boater types start looking for life jackets and have
visions of a CG rescue...I, on the other hand, have visions of my ass
crawling around under the engine to remedy things...

g ...while i'm not a life-jacket paranoid, if ever i was crawling
about any engine, i'd recommend everyone on board immediately don a
lifejacket as i'd undoubtedly pull the wrong shuttlecock or plug in such
a misguided adventure. when my sal****er boat broke down, i looked at
the engine solely for the purpose of assuring there wasn't a flame,
smoke, or spewing liquids that might require an abandon ship response. i
had no idea what was wrong...figured i was simply once again victimized
and ****upon by yet another movement of the cosmic mechanical
sphincters. when i got back to the dock, mel the mechanic got on the
boat, put his hand on something that looked like the rest of the
indistinguishable engine landscape to me, and pronounced the problem as
a bad high pressure fuel pump. mel is an "engine whisperer" and i
consider him worthy of hero worship.

jeff

My (totally unasked-for) advice would be to study up on the basic
workings of your motor(s). A whole lot of what goes wrong can be fixed
or patched on the water if one has some basic info, a few spare parts,
and a relative few well-chosen tools (and no, a "Crescent"/Polish speed
wrench, pump pliers, two screwdrivers, and a Leatherman does not a tool
kit make). Marine drive systems, be the inboard, I/O, or outboard are
not all that complicated, and most problems are either fuel, spark, or
adjustment(s)/cleaning (with the exceptions of things like dip****s
ringing out outdrive cases on I/Os if a cable gets a little hinky).

Obviously, major problems aren't readily fixable on the water, but in my
experience, catastrophic failures don't usually happen too far from
splash/leaving port with reasonably well-maintained engines. I'd
suspect that you take reasonable care of your engines and that you're
more than capable of handling a fair amount of the minor stuff.

And another suggestion - a good (used, older, simpler, IMO) kicker
setup, and if possible, one that can function on more than one boat. I
like something along the lines of a 15-20 hp, and if the boat is
gasoline-powered, the kicker's fuel tank can serve as an emergency
supply for the main(s). If you take that advice, please take this as
well - exercise the kicker regularly.

TC,
R

excellent advice, actually. thanks. i do pay others with ability and
knowledge to maintain and service my engines on a regular basis. ... i
can do simple stuff, but generally don't unless i have no choice or
plenty of spare time to devote.

I don't mean this as an insult, just a statement, but IMO, if you are
gonna own a boat with a motor and take folks out with you, you ought to
know some basics (unless, of course, they are informed before leaving
that you have no intention or ability beyond calling SeaTow). No
reasonable person expects that a skipper whip out a pocketknife and some
bailing wire and fix a blown engine in the time it takes them to drink a
refreshing beverage, but if I were offshore with someone who, for
example, had a fuel/water separation problem (or my recent belt
situation in a single-screw) and no replacement(s) or clues, I'd be
miffed - your nautical mileage may vary G.

i began my tyro studies on inboard/outboards while i was being towed. i
discovered my fuel injected setup has two fuel pumps. however, as i'm
relatively new to the workings of volvo inboard engines (on a gm block),
jackshafts, and i/outboard drive systems, i doubt i'll fiddle around
with it too much until i've served an apprenticeship. each breakdown
yields a new experience and education, albeit with expensive tuition.
don't know if i'm gonna stay in school long enough to get my mechanical
degree though.

There are all sorts of do-it-yourself guidebooks (ala Bentley manuals
for autos). Maybe getting one and doing your next tune-up, power pack
or coil change, etc., might be a start? There's no doubt in my mind
that _anyone_ physically able and of even modest mental abil...oh,
that's right...you're a lawyer...oh, sorry, I suddenly remembered the
coroner/head in a jar/"might have been a lawyer" joke...anyway,
seriously, anyone of even modest mental ability should be able to
successfully understand and work on all marine drives from small
Cats/Detroits to trolling motors. Including lawyers. Very, very few
are all that complicated...the motors...well, or the lawyers, I guess...

kickers aren't too functional on a 17' bay boat (not enough room or
balance) or on an offshore fishing boat trolling 7 lines and
teasers...i've never seen one in this area on an inboard deepsea fishing
boat. i have seen them on lake boats, and some older or bigger boats
with outboards trying to economize on trolling speed fuel consumption.
seatow pulled my cow home at 17 knots. so far, seatow seems much more
economical, faster, and less trouble than a 20 hp outboard would be.

Oh, hey, a tow service membership is the "go-to" method, but on a busy
weekend, they might not be as available as one might wish. And FWIW, a
kicker will work with any drive system, even twin OBs, plus a kicker can
come in handy even when all is well - for example, for lolly-gagging
around in shallows. I've used one to putter around iffy/tideout island
areas in a twin inboard, as rudder and screw truing isn't cheap, and
replacement is even worse. And you don't need to leave it mounted, just
have it, and if fuel runouts are the least of your worries (I know a guy
with a larger center console that has 300 gals of tankage...and twins
and a kicker), you don't need a tank for the kicker, just a tap for it
on the main tank(s)

TC,
R
jeff

bear of a day...

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 22:12:06 -0400, jeff wrote:

wrote:

I don't mean this as an insult, just a statement, but IMO, if you are
gonna own a boat with a motor and take folks out with you, you ought to
know some basics (unless, of course, they are informed before leaving
that you have no intention or ability beyond calling SeaTow). No
reasonable person expects that a skipper whip out a pocketknife and some
bailing wire and fix a blown engine in the time it takes them to drink a
refreshing beverage, but if I were offshore with someone who, for
example, had a fuel/water separation problem (or my recent belt
situation in a single-screw) and no replacement(s) or clues, I'd be
miffed - your nautical mileage may vary G.

not taken as an insult...and it's a well-founded, sound, and perhaps
deserved comment. i've no problem with those who don't want to go out
with me because i'm not adept at engine repair. most who go fishing with
me are well aware of my limitations, and probably think i'm much more
limited than i really am (which suits me fine). of course, i'm not
looking to be a charter service and i make no assurances to anyone
traveling offshore or across a lake with me in any of my boats. if my
boat breaks down, it won't be because of misuse or lack of routine
maintenance. but it won't be fixed by me either. i'll leave it to those
with experience and competence gained from years i simply don't and
won't have. come along at your own risk or stay behind, i make no
guarantees... others can be miffed or not, i'm gonna try to have a good
time with my hobbies and not sweat the small things. i won't be
reckless, i won't be negligent, and i'll do my best to plan a safe
trip...but, if the engine breaks down, we'll all be miffed.

All reasonable and valid. If the passengers know what they are getting
into, as it were, then IMO, you owe them nothing more than what they
expected.

There are all sorts of do-it-yourself guidebooks (ala Bentley manuals
for autos). Maybe getting one and doing your next tune-up, power pack
or coil change, etc., might be a start? There's no doubt in my mind
that _anyone_ physically able and of even modest mental abil...oh,
that's right...you're a lawyer...oh, sorry, I suddenly remembered the
coroner/head in a jar/"might have been a lawyer" joke...anyway,
seriously, anyone of even modest mental ability should be able to
successfully understand and work on all marine drives from small
Cats/Detroits to trolling motors. Including lawyers. Very, very few
are all that complicated...the motors...well, or the lawyers, I guess...

i suspect with a bit of instruction and time to do the simple stuff,
even i'd get by as well as the next neophyte. frankly, i don't have the
time, facilities, or tools to do much in self-help boat or engine
repair. i live 90 miles from the coast where i keep the boat in a dry
stack at a marina. the marina has certified mechanics, facilities,
tools, and parts.

I guess it's just differing points of view. Maybe it's sorta like tying
flies - sure, you can buy flies, and for many, buying them is probably
cheaper and easier in both the long and short runs when time is
calculated in with materials/tools/supplies. Sorta the old "that's why
there's chocolate and vanilla." I also guess that it probably has a lot
to do with the fact that I learned such things from an early age, and as
such, perhaps what I see as stuff that everyone should know is really
just a bunch of stuff that normal people don't really care about. And
also, being "at the mercy of others" is not something I do well at all -
I might let someone else fix something, but I'll damn sure know (or
learn) what I'm paying for.

Oh, hey, a tow service membership is the "go-to" method, but on a busy
weekend, they might not be as available as one might wish. And FWIW, a
kicker will work with any drive system, even twin OBs, plus a kicker can
come in handy even when all is well - for example, for lolly-gagging
around in shallows. I've used one to putter around iffy/tideout island
areas in a twin inboard, as rudder and screw truing isn't cheap, and
replacement is even worse. And you don't need to leave it mounted, just
have it, and if fuel runouts are the least of your worries (I know a guy
with a larger center console that has 300 gals of tankage...and twins
and a kicker), you don't need a tank for the kicker, just a tap for it
on the main tank(s)

no doubt kickers *can* be added to many boats, and they have their
place, but it's neither functional nor necessary equipment on anything i
own right now.

Fair enough. If I may, beside the 17', what else is in, er, "Miller's
Navy," powerboat-wise - IIRC, it's a larger sportfish? I think, given
the above, I know the answer to this question, but do y'all sail at all?

TC,
R

bear of a day...