Quote:
Originally Posted by Erin
Did the shakedown cruise go ok?
|
Well it could have been worse I spose!
To start with I had to wait about 1/2 hr for some fool to launch his 4m speedboat, took him longer to do than my 8.5m! Then when I did get it off the trailer I had to fend him off as apparantly he couldn't drive it either! 8 months of hard work nearly wiped out within 30 seconds of touching water
Quickly followed up by fool number 2 who thinks that we drive on the left with boats as well as cars
A quick trip around the bay soon highlighted a few problems so I didnt get any further than that:
The main problem, oils not getting to the engines from the remote tanks. Worse case scenario is the lines are kinked under the floor somewhere (please God no!!) but as its on both engines I think the opti's auto priming function isnt up to the job. I might fit a bulb inline to help prime it, once its circulated right thru and bled it should carry on by itself.
House battery isn't charging, looks like something to do with the automatic charging relays I fitted so I had no instruments except smartcraft today.
Engines are too high. I had to keep them trimmed right in, as soon as I started bringing them up the props started to slip.
Need to make an extendable draw bar on the trailer. The other day I got a length of 5/8" round bar and formed an eye at each end to go between the car and trailer. The problem is when recovering this doesnt stop the trailer from slewing round when I'm driving the boat up on it. I ended up using the ratchet straps to pull the boat on the last bit. Unfortunately when connecting the strap to the back of the boat I temporarily exceeded the maximum permitted depth of my chest waders
About the only pic of the boat in the water as I was to busy checking my coolant tell tales and the water level in the bilge! Took the bung out on the slip after recovery, not a single drop
ps mines the one on the left!