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View Full Version : You're forgiven, Mr Waters



Owen
10-20-2000, 01:54 AM
My apologies for not remembering who, but who ever suggested that I take an extra Hub to the trailer for my little 3900 mile trek - bringing back the Jr - I OWE YOU A BEER.
Actually a lot of beer. The story will be better told when I shake off the road and get the photos back, but here's an outline.

I replaced the hubs to the trailer prior to leaving MD. Remembering the LIST suggested by the donzi gang I also got an extra hub. I tightened up the castle nuts pretty good - knowing they would get loose on the way. Every 100 miles, I dutifully placed foot to the trailer and pushed back and forth to check for looseness. After about 500 miles the hubs started to cool down as the bearings set in the runners. All was well - or so I thought. So I got complacient. Going 75 and listening to the stereo, cheetos flying, pepsi spilling, singing along to the radio.

I had also installed bearing buddies as per suggested by the donzi gang and lubed the crap out of the bearings every stop.

Now somewhere outside of somewhere in Iowa at about 3AM, I'm oblivious after a 14 hour stint at 75 mph. The road surface changes to that scalloped concrete stuff that you bounce around on. Also at this time a Pink Floyd Song come on from The Wall Album - you know the one with the helicopter sounds in the background. So of course I crank the tune up and stomp the gas. So I'm grooven, the cab is shaken with tunes and I'm goin way too fast. Well, the song ends, and I think I halucinating because the cab is still shaken and the helicopter noise is still there. Somethin aint right, I think, as I slow down and another convoy of dexed out truckers start passing. Out of gas, so I take the next exit - helicopter noise is now LOUD. I pull into a little gas station and look back at the trailer. All the studs but one - one.............had been ripped out on the Port Wheel. One little stub on that mangled wheel kept my life, a few other lives and the boat from certain disaster.

Four Days later I'm still thinking about it and other things spiritual.

Anyway, without that extra hub I would have been ^(&^$($ed.

I picked the other wheel off the ground with the 2 and 1/2 ton floor jack I had brought and sure enough, the bearing was loose and ready to fail also.

So I don't know what the moral of this story is except that there is something looking over my shoulder that I don't entirely understand.

This story could have been real different.

GEOO
10-20-2000, 08:00 AM
Owen, Glad to hear you avoided total disaster. When traveling long distance one can never be overly prepared. GEOO

PaulO
10-20-2000, 10:27 AM
Owen,
Great story! I must have been Don himself looking out for you and that Formula! Awaiting your response to my post about the Monza since you are the Historian.
PaulO

Bad Dog
10-20-2000, 10:34 AM
Owen, man. That'll make you go to church if you don't already.

I have a couple of events like that, but nowhere near as harry.

I bought my 18 last year from a guy in Texas. I drove the 1100 miles from NC down there to get it in Sept and picked it up. The trailer was an absolute piece of ****.

So I'm travelling back in my 2.6 liter, V6 Ford Bronco II and at the Texas border I hear a big bang. No loss of power. I stop at the next off ramp and there is oil all over the front of my boat, from my Bronco.

I'm not a mechanical guy, so here I am in desolate texas with a truck that "may" not make it back.

I trudge on anyway, keeping the speed at no more than 55 mph. All the way I'm just praying to make it the next town. Please God let me make it to Baton Rouge... Please God let me make it to Mobile.

Late at night outside of Pascagoula, MI a hear another big bang and the truck starts to shake. I thought it was my truck, but turns out I lost two tires. So I pull off on the next ramp, which just happens to have a hotel. It's a Saturday night, nothing is open.

I get up the next morning, but nothing is open until after 1 p.m. and then only a Sears. By 5 p.m. I have 4 new tires on the trailer and I'm headed on the road.

All I wanted to do was just make it to Atlanta. If I could get there, I knew I had friends or family that could drive the 8 hours and get me if needed.

I did make it home finally with truck and boat intact, but a month after that the Bronco died for good. It got me home though.

I understand how you felt. Those long nights pulling a trailer in the middle of nowhere are very stressful.

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Bret Pedigo
bret@emji.net

Len
10-20-2000, 10:44 AM
You guys are really pumping me up for a long haul with boat and trailer to Canada...3000 miles no less.

boxy
10-20-2000, 01:21 PM
Fear not Len, I'm working out some prices today. The train seemed a little expensive, $3600.00 from Montreal to Vancouver.(apparently there is no rail service to Victoria) The best price I have so far for trucking is $2000.00 from Ottawa to Vancouver, but I'm waiting to hear back from a couple of moving guys I know. Talk to you soon.


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boxy
mailto:sboxma@sprint.casboxma@sprint.ca</A>
Smuggler's Cove
Ontario

Blewbyu
10-20-2000, 02:49 PM
Boxy-Train service to Victoria STINKS! Victoria is on Vancouver Island.

Blewbyu
10-20-2000, 02:55 PM
Lenny-If the trailer of the boat you buy is not too wide,you can carry the whole boat and trailer in the back end of a rental box truck-you don't necessarily have to tow it.The 2 ton box truck (one way) would probably work if the mileage charge wasn't too exhorbitant.

boxy
10-20-2000, 03:11 PM
Sorry Blewbyu, I should have included a bunch of these:
http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif
PS: the one way truck option isn't too expensive,(26 foot U-haul Truck-$1895, 5466 free kilometers)it's just that it's a bitch of a drive, and a whole lot of fuel. Not including the plane ticket to get out to here, I'll bet you can't do it for $2000 Canadian. Could you fly from Seattle to NYC, and trailer a boat back for $1300 US dollars ?
Len, Can-Am Marine Transit (1-800-363-6656) will move it from their yard just outside of Montreal to Vancouver for $2000 Canadian. They are a specialized boat moving trucking company.
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boxy
mailto:sboxma@sprint.casboxma@sprint.ca</A>
Smuggler's Cove
Ontario

[This message has been edited by boxy (edited 10-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by boxy (edited 10-20-2000).]

Len
10-20-2000, 07:47 PM
Maybe it would be cheaper to just put in a larger gas tank and a pair of saddle tanks in back and drive it south, down past the Carolinas, around Florida, through the Gulf of Mexico, into the Caribean Sea, through the Panama canal, up the coast of Costa Rica and back up the West Coast... http://www.donzi.net/ubb/frown.gif
This shipping thing, I bet, with a fly in inspection of the boat, insurance etc, will approach $3500. I have a buddy that said if I find a boat in Florida/Arizona,Texas, South California, somewhere hot in the winter, he will tow it back for me for $1200 CAN. This would pay for his gas home basically on a trip that he is taking already. (He has a real problem with overcast skies, and cold weather for 4 months straight. Imagine that.)

boxy
10-20-2000, 08:48 PM
I feel your pain Len. The biggest problem we are facing is that I'v been pricing it at over 20 feet long, if there is any way to remove the tongue of the trailer to get it to fit in a 20 foot container, I could cut the costs significantly.
Later,

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boxy
mailto:sboxma@sprint.casboxma@sprint.ca</A>
Smuggler's Cove
Ontario

Len
10-20-2000, 09:57 PM
To get an 18 to fit into a 20' container I would have to remove the tongue, (no biggy)and buy a v-drive...(biggy). Aren't these things 18'3" or something and then there is the drive either up or down it must add at least another 18-24".

I'll be glad (as I am sure many of you) when this is all over and I can just write about how many types of shell-fish I have just caught and eaten, how much Red Hook and wine I drank, going 70 mph (GPS) in a light chop, how much my ears are still ringing, how sore my back and butt are, 3rd degree windburn, basically hot summer daze in the DONZI,...etc, etc, Oh yeah, and the self proclaimed Northwest Coast "DONZI POKER RUN" from Victoria harbour to Seattle (1 gas stop at Fort Stevens or Whidbey Island) to meet Blewbyu (Jeff)for a beer in Lake Washington. http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

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North, (way North) of Cuba...

Owen
10-22-2000, 07:11 PM
Len, here are some numbers you may find interesting:

Eugene, OR to Annapolis, MD

Average Gas Price $1.59/gal
Mileage 16.36 MPG @ 70 MPH
Total Gas 238 Gal, Total cost $380

Annapolis, MD to Eugene, OR with boat.
Average Gas Price $1.59/gal
Mileage 14.4 MPG @ 65 MPH
Total Gas 273.56 Gal, Total Cost $435.60

Total cost in Gas for Trip. $815.60

Mileage was about 4200 miles out and 3900 miles back.

Len
10-22-2000, 10:11 PM
doesn't sound so bad does it?...thanks for the info. The total trip is 1/4 of the way around the WORLD. These things are worth tho http://www.donzi.net/ubb/smile.gif

Owen
10-24-2000, 05:03 PM
Well I'll be damned.

In the opening post I told ya'll that I replaced the hubs to the trailer before starting my
little 3900 mile trek. What I did, was take the old hubs off and took them down to the
trailer parts store. The trailer parts store clerk took the bearing numbers off the bearings and matched me up with matching ones that were for a 1 and 1/16 axle.

Now all along on this trip I felt the hub/wheels were loose - there's a good reason for that.
I just took the hubs off again and measured the actual axle. Its a one (1) incher.

This pretty much explains my close call with distaster.
So, whatever patron saint was looking over my shoulder; it does'nt seem to
mind protecting incredibly stupid people.