The Boat Fanatic Thread

[troph 25092]

Stupid new boat overheated and we had to tow back in. The purpose of a warranty is to not need it. I miss my colbalt. Girlfriend seems unfazed, “don’t care, we surfed” she keeps repeating. :-/

 

[Anastasis 23699]

35 minutes ago, troph said:

Stupid new boat overheated and we had to tow back in. The purpose of a warranty is to not need it. I miss my colbalt. Girlfriend seems unfazed, “don’t care, we surfed” she keeps repeating. :-/

 

Same thing happened to one of the axis club boats.  I didn't catch the details of the problem, but was an easy fix and it was back out the same day. Other problem on that boat is that the quick disconnects for the ballast tank lines are pieces of shit.  

[troph 25092]

Same thing happened to one of the axis club boats.  I didn't catch the details of the problem, but was an easy fix and it was back out the same day. Other problem on that boat is that the quick disconnects for the ballast tank lines are pieces of shit.  

Yeah I hate those effing things, gonna ask them to fix them.

[Brew 3049]

1 hour ago, troph said:

Stupid new boat overheated and we had to tow back in. The purpose of a warranty is to not need it. I miss my colbalt. Girlfriend seems unfazed, “don’t care, we surfed” she keeps repeating. 😕

 

The joys of boat ownership.

We’ve been working on getting my girls and nephews up on all the toys over the last couple of weeks. Both girls are now up on the wakeboard and my nephews are working on surface tricks on the skate. We ran a solid 5 hours yesterday just shutting down a couple of times to let them all swim. I’m pulling for another economic downturn at this point to run all the idiot boat owners off the water. I thought we might get hit a couple different times yesterday trying to block the kids when they fell. We had them cutting across the wake behind riders, running parallel to us less than a ropes length away, cutting across in front of us while we were pulling riders, and all the other stuff most boat owners know better than to do. I’ve always run the opposite side of the lake from someone else pulling and will wait on boats to clear out of the way before going if it’s too busy. 

[utee94 16068]

In completely unrelated news, my Cobalt had zero problems on the water yesterday.  Hooray, Cobalt.

 

 

[G650 14422]

Last time across the finish line for the old girl.

 

[Sbbruin 22082]

Chilling in destin for a bit...contemplating if i want to try my hand at boat living and maybe sailing around Caribbean in a year or so

Seen a 26ft ericson and a S2 8.0 (26ft) in price i can pay right now and sail right away

And a cal40 that would need work...so probably not....any thoughts on those

What's your experience level? Ericsons are solid. But you need a cruising budget and contingency budget. And don't scrimp and not get a survey. Survey, if done by a qualified surveyor, is an absolute must, or you may be in for some expensive surprises. And heading offshore means preparing for the unexpected. I say do it, but don't rush it. Make sure you and the boat are both ready to go.

[Bone3421 716]

Yeah dont plan on rushing it...probably will keep looking around and look into finding good inspector...not to worried about budget...not rich or well off but i have 0 debt and all my $$$ is mine to do as i wish

[Sbbruin 22082]

Good deal. Just keep in mind the purchase price of a boat is just small part of the expense of boat ownership. Are you planning on going solo? I wish I could chuck it all and go. Instead I'll have to settle for jaunts to Catalina. Another week out there starting Saturday. Can't wait.

[Bone3421 716]

Yeah i have been googling things a bit off and on for a few months....came across a list called "good old boats" while googling for smaller vessels that are good cruisers since reading that most new ones arent made under 30ft....only names i have seen on the list is a cal30 and Columbia

[Anastasis 23699]

Bruin, can you describe your set up for soloing.  Do you have an autopilot, charting, sail managment, etc. All my sailing has been in lake travis.  Interested to hear what your set up it when you make an offshore run. 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Anastasis

[Goofyboy 3428]

Always make sure you have some emergency procedures on your boat when you go out. Know where you are, closest ramps, etc.

Buddy exploded his knee landing a raley a month back. He had to direct the guys on the boat on how to help him, as they were newer to wakeboarding

The guys in the boat did a great job and probably saved his leg. They listened to what he wanted them to do and executed. He was lucky he was able to talk them through.

Just remember wakeboarding is an extreme sport and accidents happen.

This is his x-ray.

[Anastasis 23699]

holy fuck. 

[Bone3421 716]

Ouch...im good with just kayaking and hiking

[Sbbruin 22082]

4 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Bruin, can you describe your set up for soloing.  Do you have an autopilot, charting, sail managment, etc. All my sailing has been in lake travis.  Interested to hear what your set up it when you make an offshore run. 

Yes I have a Raymarine Evo100 autopilot, which is essential.  But equally essential is a pfd, personal epirb, harness and tether, and waterproof vhf.  If really going deep offshore, run what are called jack lines, which allow a continuous move from bow to stern without disconnecting.  But I do disconnect and reconnect as I move forward.  If you go overboard solo, you are very likely dead without all of the above.  But you just have to be self aware.  I’ve never come close to going over, and I’ve done at least 3,000 nm solo.  Maybe more.  

[Sbbruin 22082]

4 hours ago, Bone3421 said:

Yeah i have been googling things a bit off and on for a few months....came across a list called "good old boats" while googling for smaller vessels that are good cruisers since reading that most new ones arent made under 30ft....only names i have seen on the list is a cal30 and Columbia

IF you are thinking solo, think 35 and smaller.  30 would be perfect.  Cals were made in Costa Mesa back in the day and were beefy for what they were.  Not particularly roomy for length, but fantastic sailing vessels.  .  Columbias were similarly built. But make sure your diesel is in really good shape, because you will use it more than you think.  If you do this, I will be eagerly following.  I had a good thread on the old site of our family’s adventure to the South Pacific in the early 80’s where we covered 10,000+ nm over 15 months and was the best experience of my life.

 

[Bone3421 716]

IF you are thinking solo, think 35 and smaller.  30 would be perfect.  Cals were made in Costa Mesa back in the day and were beefy for what they were.  Not particularly roomy for length, but fantastic sailing vessels.  .  Columbias were similarly built. But make sure your diesel is in really good shape, because you will use it more than you think.  If you do this, I will be eagerly following.  I had a good thread on the old site of our family’s adventure to the South Pacific in the early 80’s where we covered 10,000+ nm over 15 months and was the best experience of my life.
 

Yeah most will be solo unless i can find a good travel buddy...most of my friends dont have my freedom so done most of traveling solo ...europe vietnam hiking etc

And yeah i have been looking at 30 and under ... But i am a year atleast away after/if i buy while i learn

Only done some hobby boats on lake in texas

[Sbbruin 22082]

You can do it. And don’t shy away. But do your homework .  And have the time of your life.

[Lat22 4070]

The canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see. 

[G650 14422]

9 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

  But you just have to be self aware.  I’ve never come close to going over, and I’ve done at least 3,000 nm solo.  Maybe more.  

There's always that one time.

 

After all the specifics and techniques I go over when speaking about MOB situations, the one thing I stress more than all is "Stay on the fucking boat". That really is the most important part of it all. Once you are in the water, it's literally a lottery.

[G650 14422]

https://www.proptalk.com/glen-burnie-man-charged-attempted-murder-after-striking-swimmers-jet-ski

[Sbbruin 22082]

.22 BAC two hours after the incident.  Alcohol may have been involved.

[HOOKEM4 5152]

On 7/29/2018 at 11:02 PM, Sbbruin said:

IF you are thinking solo, think 35 and smaller.  30 would be perfect.  Cals were made in Costa Mesa back in the day and were beefy for what they were.  Not particularly roomy for length, but fantastic sailing vessels.  .  Columbias were similarly built. But make sure your diesel is in really good shape, because you will use it more than you think.  If you do this, I will be eagerly following.  I had a good thread on the old site of our family’s adventure to the South Pacific in the early 80’s where we covered 10,000+ nm over 15 months and was the best experience of my life.

 

@Bone3421  I grew up sailing the Caribbean with my family on a Cal 39. Very solid boat. One other thing to think about is draft. There are a lot of places you cannot get into with over 6' draft.  Ours was a shoal keel version which was at 5.5' I believe. At times it was even a bit much. Just something to keep in mind. 

Overall, it is one of the greatest things my parents did for me. Don't rush anything, make sure you have redundant safety systems and do your homework. I look forward to reading about your travels.

[Gil Bang 26177]

On 7/29/2018 at 8:50 PM, Sbbruin said:

Yes I have a Raymarine Evo100 autopilot, which is essential.  But equally essential is a pfd, personal epirb, harness and tether, and waterproof vhf.  If really going deep offshore, run what are called jack lines, which allow a continuous move from bow to stern without disconnecting.  But I do disconnect and reconnect as I move forward.  If you go overboard solo, you are very likely dead without all of the above.  But you just have to be self aware.  I’ve never come close to going over, and I’ve done at least 3,000 nm solo.  Maybe more.  

"Jack lines".  

[G650 14422]

The yellow webbing running from the pulpit aft are jack lines.

 

[davidg 4057]

How tight would your tether be to those jacklines?  Seems like if you were forward and fell over, there wouldn't be any way you are getting back on board by yourself.   Are they more to help keep you in the boat or keeping you attached to the boat if you fell in?

[G650 14422]

13 minutes ago, davidg said:

How tight would your tether be to those jacklines?  Seems like if you were forward and fell over, there wouldn't be any way you are getting back on board by yourself.   Are they more to help keep you in the boat or keeping you attached to the boat if you fell in?

 

They are to keep you attached to the boat. There are certain techniques you follow like always be clipped on the high side jack line, which would keep you in the boat better, but overall they are for keeping you from getting separated.

 

 

[troph 25092]

Isla Mujeres boat pron ....

[utee94 16068]

You posted this just to let us know where you currently are,didn't you? icwudt

[troph 25092]

I love big boats and I cannot lie and honestly I have no one to share them with. Everyone here “likes” them but no one obsesses like I do. I know y’all do.

[utee94 16068]

I like all kinds of boats.  I have a friend who is a longtime Austin lake rat, like me, but even moreso.  His dad was a mechanical engineer who worked at the Austin Glastron plant for years, and he grew up in and around the Austin lake scene from the late 60s onward.  He also lived in Hawaii for many years and that gave him a pretty zen-like approach to it all.

I can recall, back in my early 20s which was the early 90s, some of us sort of making fun of a guy who had a beat up old boat on Lake Austin, and he was just running it up and down the water, happy as can be.  My friend said, "you know, I'm fortunate enough to have the means to have a nice boat, but I respect anyone that wants to be on the water."  That really resonated with me and fundamentally changed my perspective.

We came up with a theory, that there are 3 basic groups of people out there on the lake.  There are the "lake people" that just love the water, no matter what.  And then there are the "boat people" that are into the mechanics, the technical aspects, much like gearheads in the car world.  And there are the "ski people" which would now extend to wakeboarding and surfing-- they love the sporting and physical aspect of it all.  And it's certainly possible to be a member of more than one group, but at a bare minimum, you belonged to at least one of them.

Me, I'm a lake person first and foremost.  I just love being on the water.  But as a boat owner I can't help but be a boat person, because I'm also an engineer and I can't help but want to know the intimate details of the mechanics.  In my younger days I was also very much a ski person but that part is fading with the years.  Now that my kids are getting up to skiing (wakeboarding, surfing, etc.) age, I'm getting back into it, but I'll never be as into it as I was in my high school, college, and early professional years, that's for sure.

[troph 25092]

I’m a lake person first and a water sport person now also. Not much into the mechanics of it all so much. I do enjoy seeing all of them though. Saw a sweet Chris craft at lakeway last week and wanted to try it out so bad.

[utee94 16068]

Further ruminating--

I also think we missed a group back then.  Perhaps partly because that part of the lake culture wasn't that strong in the late 80s/early 90s Austin lake scene when we developed our theory, but came on very much in the dot com boom in the late 90s and early 2000s-- they're what I (not very kindly) called the "lake flakes" who were out in Devil's Cove on the cigarette boats, or close to the same time they were  in Bull Creek and Dinosaur on the "new" generation of wakeboard tower boats.   They were mostly there for the party-- to see and be seen-- and didn't necessarily care about the lake, or the boats, or the sports, except where those interests might get them more into the party.  It was exclusive to be able to party in the coves on Lake Travis or Lake Austin, you absolutely had to have a boat to get there, and you had to have the "right boat" to impress the hottest girls.

I'm quite sure-- now-- that I was overly judgmental of them-- then-- when ultimately they were just getting their piece of the lake lifestyle however they could.  

But in my defense I'll say that there's only so many times you can take a douchebeg in a Fountain forcing his way to tie off in the middle of the line, never throwing an anchor and so consequently dragging the boats around him all over the place, constantly revving his overwater exhaust, hanging out for a half-hour, then casting off all lines without letting anyone know, setting numerous boats adrift, and tossing his cig butts in the water as he takes off.  Ain't nobody got time for that kind of BS, IMO.

Edited August 2, 2018 by utee94

[troph 25092]

Yeah my crowd is the Monday through thurs late afternoon and evening crowd and the sat and sun morning crowd. Sometimes we see the same boats too. The party scene isn’t for us. We go for sunsets and smooth water. Not to be seen. I don’t get the see and be seen crowd when it comes to boating.

[utee94 16068]

9 minutes ago, troph said:

Yeah my crowd is the Monday through thurs late afternoon and evening crowd and the sat and sun morning crowd. Sometimes we see the same boats too. The party scene isn’t for us. We go for sunsets and smooth water. Not to be seen. I don’t get the see and be seen crowd when it comes to boating.

For many years my crowd was the Monday through Thursday 6 AM water skiing on glass crowd and the Sat and Sun dusk-skiing in the coves at Volente and Jonestown crowd.  Alas, real jobs and family ruined all that.

 

[troph 25092]

For many years my crowd was the Monday through Thursday 6 AM water skiing on glass crowd and the Sat and Sun dusk-skiing in the coves at Volente and Jonestown crowd.  Alas, real jobs and family ruined all that.
 

Divorce and running your own gig can get you back there, not all smiley positives but if the water is your priority. :-)

[utee94 16068]

Ha!  I wouldn't do that to my body at this point, but it was a great run while it lasted.

[G650 14422]

10 hours ago, troph said:

I love big boats and I cannot lie and honestly I have no one to share them with. Everyone here “likes” them but no one obsesses like I do. I know y’all do.

Here you go.

[troph 25092]

That’s unobtainium. Can’t even imagine owning that! The others seem at least rentable.

[G650 14422]

5 minutes ago, troph said:

That’s unobtainium. Can’t even imagine owning that! The others seem at least rentable.

Yeah, but the one you posted is floating Rubbermaid.  Check out a Viking 75 for big yacht hotness. And call me when you charter it, I'll bring the booze.

[PvilleStang 2974]

Anyone want to place bets on what show @troph is watching on Tuesday nights?

[G650 14422]

Here you go @troph, let's go in halves on Roman's boat for a week.

 

[bigshark88 388]

Boat barn is done and electrified. Finally. Electricity put it over budget by a mile. YOLO

[utee94 16068]

18 minutes ago, G650 said:

Here you go @troph, let's go in halves on Roman's boat for a week.

 

That's no yacht...

...that's a space station.

Edited August 2, 2018 by utee94

[BearSchlong 8233]

Wow bigshark that looks amazing.

 

Is it weird that my first reaction to that ship with the underwater lighting is to want to grab a rod and reel?

 

 

[G650 14422]

13 minutes ago, bigshark88 said:

over budget by a mile.

It's tradition. Like the Rose Bowl.

[troph 25092]

Man I can only post a what I see. Actually I think most of these are rinse and repeat charters. They leave anchor just after sun goes down and they have like 30 people on them.

We will probably charter a nice big boat soon. We’ve got the disposable income older gay men that like us hanging around which would make it easy.

[G650 14422]

Sounds like a party.

 

Edit: Keep us up to date on the debauchery.

Edited August 2, 2018 by G650

[Sbbruin 22082]

Magic Johnson rents this baby out for like a month at $700k/week.

[Sbbruin 22082]

I am watching the clock like a hawk.  3 more hours until I head for San Pedro.  Cast the lines off tomorrow for a week at Catalina.  Very stoked.  First 3 days just me and a HS buddy, then ship him home and the fam comes Wednesday.