Good luck on this next chapter of your life. It sounds interesting and exciting.

 

He's a happy man when he's piloting a vessel!

 

Wishing you all the best Rich. I spent a lot of time around small boats, nothing over 18 feet that I personally owned and a 21 foot Catalina day sailer that we rented once. Motored and sailed both. But alas living in the desert isn't conducive to boating on a large scale so I'm getting that from books. Coincidentally last night I just finished reading Sig Hansen's North by Northwestern from right up there where you're at and to the Bering Sea.

 

@Tugly I'm just happy that Linda is around to enjoy life on the water. I recall the time several years ago when prospects for the current change in direction appeared dire.

@cleatus12r Dang bro! Very sorry to read your news about your second trip around that block. Hoping that at the end of the day, you will be free to be you, and happy yourself.

 

Seems suspect this project needed the 7.3 for the easy part of the task haha

 

I repair B.O.A.T.$. for a living (largish commercial types along with largish Navy types.) ... I wish you the best of luck, please do all of the maintenance on the engines and marine drives and double check all the electronics before you set out the first time.

 

Ah 5hi+... sorry to hear about that.

I'll let you know when we're ready to clean shop and send it your way - plus you can put your eye on the new boat if you don't mind another 3 hours to the West. I know you're not a boat fan, so we can schedule your visit while the boat is on the hard if you like (I have seals and bearings to address before it goes back in the water).

 

We're in the process of round two on that front. 6 years of quiet, coupled with two years of "Once more, unto the breach". Things are about to reach a truce for a while, but permanent solution is out of the question now.

 

Our fridge needs work, but I think it fits in the back of the Prius. Just gotta think smaller all around. We looked at boats 10 feet longer and we liked the concept, but the cost of moorage exploded (while the availability dramatically shrank), along with the cost of fuel to move another 5000 pounds of hull. Also, if you exceed 45 feet, you can't use the state park docks an mooring buoys - deal breaker there.

I won't be selling the truck until I have moved all our remaining belongings to the other side of the state. We are debating on how much stuff we need to support our lifestyle (mostly my tools), and if we need storage on land. I hate renting the stuff I own, but I'm just not sure I can fit all my tools below deck.

 

We had a very thorough marine and engine survey done - best to spend money up front to avoid sea mines in the bilge. I think those two days (with vacation time taken off that I could have cashed in when I retire next week) cost me about $3000 - just to find out if I want to buy the boat. Welcome to yachting.

Those are twin Cummins 4BTAs (250 hp each) - they are aftercooled with a seawater heat exchanger. I am absolutely going to pull the heat exchangers in the beginning, get them inspected and pressure tested, repeat every two years. And yes... we got up to 3000 RPM at WOT during the sea trial - we also got on plane. What a freaking rush - I want the boat. Master plan is to putt-putt (1200 RPM) at displacement speed, then punch it to 2400 RPM for a few minutes at last once on every cruise to clear the pipes.

Radio, radar, nav maps, AIS, and horn all work... so we have electronic safety. Need to tighten the packing on the rudder shafts, replace the cutlass bearings, repair/replace the engine coolant intake seac0cks, and clean the bottom paint from all the bronze intakes before it goes in the water. Then, the real work begins - it's a 22 year old boat and it needs some electrical attention. That's all me.

 

I have lived in the desert most of my life, usually with a trailerable boat that I use as a divining rod - which is the whole reason I got into the 7.3L.

 

you siad the magic words... tool storage. take your truck put a box on the back vice a bed and pay for parking at your primary marina home port. think of all the tool you will not have to rent in the future..... buy a drunks scooter for shopping small stuff.

 

/\ This right here, on both points! @Tugly, if I read your other post correctly, it sounds like Linda is in round two. Sorry to hear that, but thrilled you're in a position to retire and enjoy life together. @cleatus12r , hang in there. You're a good man.

Live, love, laugh, learn, and be thankful for the many blessings that surround us.

Mark

 

Do you SCUBA dive? This sounds like the perfect platform to indulge in that hobby from.

 

Do you need any level of a captain's license to pilot this boat? Or is it a ship? Or a vessel? I know that some captains can get kind of mad at misgendering their vessel.