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View Full Version : Good day for a boat ride in the snow.



The Hedgehog
02-02-2010, 05:39 PM
So Donzi Vol and I were talking while others were suggesting that the weather was too bad to bring the boat up. We could not see why a little winter storm should deter us from bringing a boat that was a good bit bigger than anything I have ever driven before up to Chattanooga. Especially since I had a grand total of 15 minutes at the helm.

Well it was too bad for him to get down Friday night. Wrecks all over the place. We decided to talk again at 5:00 am. Many would have wussed out. But no, not Dave. After a quick scan on traffic conditions, we decided to meet in Chattanooga. We left Guntersville at 10:00 am for a 10.5 hour boat trip.

Let me tell you the conditions were horrible. We could hardly see from one bouy to the next all the way to Goose Pond. Somebody moved the channel all over the lake in a big zig zag. We got way into the mountains before sunset. That was the highlight. Too bad that we were too beat to enjoy the scenery of the snow covered hills. The light faded into darkness about 30 minutes before Nickajack lock. They were running a bunch of flood gates, we had a 20 mph tail wind and cross currents. Think I was a little nervous about the first lock through in that beast? Yeah and we had a nice freezing rain/snow combo to add to the situation. It was all good once we got her cleated down.

After locking up, we were awarded with a nice bonus. The GPS card was only for Guntersville. My GPS had been snowed in McMinnville. Yeah I know the lake pretty good. I also know that you don't want to hit that underwater railroad bed that parallels the channel. Thank GOD for color radar. We slowly painted our way up the lake and to the dock.

Oh yeah, all the power lines and dock lines were completely frozen when it was time to tie up.

We arrived at the dock at 8:30. Thank goodness my friend Greg and his wife Cindy held down the fort with Christina. It is good to have friends look out for you. Folks like me really need it.

A special thanks to Donzi Vol. If you have a crazy adventure and you need someone that is nice and easy going to come along, I highly recommend Dave.

zelatore
02-02-2010, 05:46 PM
Call me crazy, but I wish I was there!

BTW, what sort of nav gear do you have on that sucker? How about a shot of the helm? If you are thinking of upgrading, the new HD radars are WAY cool for in-shore boating where you care more about close-in performance than long-range.

The Hedgehog
02-02-2010, 06:18 PM
Call me crazy, but I wish I was there!

BTW, what sort of nav gear do you have on that sucker? How about a shot of the helm? If you are thinking of upgrading, the new HD radars are WAY cool for in-shore boating where you care more about close-in performance than long-range.

Don't have much in form of good nav gear. Yet!

Got Furano old school color radar. I have a shot of that. I will post it after dinner. My surveyor told me that it is a good system and once it gets good and warmed up I can paint ducks. He is a fan. He was right. Got backup radar and an old school 220C Garmin GPS. I will do an whole refit of the pilot house. I may have a few pics. If not, I can post them when I get back home. I have a bunch at the house.

I have all the charts from Maptech on the mac. I will put that on the chart table for good measure and run a gps through the usb port. That will give me chart detail on a color mac screen.

I have color TV and a separate backup monitor at the helm. That will go flat screen. I am going to hook up to engine room cams that I will also aim at the engine room gauges.

The dash refit will take some thought. I want to preserve that old school look yet modernize things. I have some ideas.

The pilot house is very important looking. It has the old meal/absent light and phone/intercom system with the color coded dial for each room. Dave and I tested it. It works. It has a sliding window so people can pass the captain a beer from the kitchen. It has a white board for the maint dates. I love this boat!

penbroke
02-02-2010, 06:54 PM
Looks like fun to me!

The GPS card on the cruiser we picked up last fall ran out about half way home too. It said "Beyond here thar be monsters." or something like that. Good times for sure.

Congrads on the new rig by the way...


Frank :cool:

zelatore
02-02-2010, 06:57 PM
Don't have much in form of good nav gear. Yet!

Got Furano old school color radar. I have a shot of that. I will post it after dinner. My surveyor told me that it is a good system and once it gets good and warmed up I can paint ducks. He is a fan. He was right. Got backup radar and an old school 220C Garmin GPS. I will do an whole refit of the pilot house. I may have a few pics. If not, I can post them when I get back home. I have a bunch at the house.

I have all the charts from Maptech on the mac. I will put that on the chart table for good measure and run a gps through the usb port. That will give me chart detail on a color mac screen.

I have color TV and a separate backup monitor at the helm. That will go flat screen. I am going to hook up to engine room cams that I will also aim at the engine room gauges.

The dash refit will take some thought. I want to preserve that old school look yet modernize things. I have some ideas.

The pilot house is very important looking. It has the old meal/absent light and phone/intercom system with the color coded dial for each room. Dave and I tested it. It works. It has a sliding window so people can pass the captain a beer from the kitchen. It has a white board for the maint dates. I love this boat!

Good news then - no huge rush to update. Furuno radars are among the best; if you can tune 'em, they can do the job. I'm guessing you've probably got about 4KW and a 4' open array?

I will say I'm not a big fan of Garmin though. I've got one of their small units on the 22 - it died on me and was replaced under warranty, but I still find the user interface strange. That's probably just becuse I use Raymarine gear more often. I've also got a few of their hand-held units including a Colorado that's pretty crappy on accuracy when we're hiking.

The Hedgehog
02-02-2010, 07:14 PM
Good news then - no huge rush to update. Furuno radars are among the best; if you can tune 'em, they can do the job. I'm guessing you've probably got about 4KW and a 4' open array?

I will say I'm not a big fan of Garmin though. I've got one of their small units on the 22 - it died on me and was replaced under warranty, but I still find the user interface strange. That's probably just becuse I use Raymarine gear more often. I've also got a few of their hand-held units including a Colorado that's pretty crappy on accuracy when we're hiking.

I am sure I will give you a call when it comes time. Here is Dave in the pilot house. I have a bunch more at the house.

Just Say N20
02-02-2010, 07:35 PM
Congrats on the safe passage.

Nice way to learn a new boat. That's when you find all the idiosyncrasies of the particular boat; what wipers work well, which glass won't stay unfogged, etc.

The Hedgehog
02-02-2010, 07:56 PM
Congrats on the safe passage.
Nice way to learn a new boat. That's when you find all the idiosyncrasies of the particular boat; what wipers work well, which glass won't stay unfogged, etc.

I can say one thing, I will fix all of the wipers and re-tint the windows. That was in the plans but it just moved up the list!

Donzi Vol
02-02-2010, 09:15 PM
"I think I see the next two red ones!" Does that sound about right, Hedge? Ha!

Thanks for the kind words, Bill. What others may not know is that I'm just a glutton for punishment. It was definitely an intense journey...more than I thought it would be. However, I had a blast crewing the boat, drinking a miller or three, taking in the scenery (when we could see it!) and hanging with Hedge.

As for the 5am decision-making...I don't think I will be forgetting that convo anytime soon. "Screw it...let's do it...see you in two hours!"

I've got quite a few pics on my camera at home (about 10.5 hrs worth). As soon as I can get to it, I'll upload them.

BTW guys, she really is a gorgeous boat.

zelatore
02-02-2010, 11:20 PM
I see you've got a trusty copy of Chapman's in the wheelhouse. With that at your side, what more could you need?

Last Real Texan
02-03-2010, 05:08 AM
I see you've got a trusty copy of Chapman's in the wheelhouse. With that at your side, what more could you need?
You noticed that to eh....you beat me to the punch, I Have mine too and never leave home with out it.
Hedge , sorry I was in Turkey for the great adventure.... But hey next weekend we will have a long night ahead as we make the crossing from Anclote to Carabelle...Do we need to enlist Dave for an extra hand???
Call me today...

Tex

Donzi Vol
02-05-2010, 09:20 PM
Well here are some more pics of our fun times last weekend. It's amazing how a couple guys who really love boating can have a good time in conditions that others wouldn't be so fond of. I guess we're just hardcore.

The cabin was nice and cozy, but we took some time to get some pics outside for everyone. Notice the last one...it was Sunday...a little better visibility. Sigh...

silverghost
02-05-2010, 11:07 PM
I see you were on your cellphone in the photo~
Were you getting navigation or other "instructions" from your wife ? ~
Or just trying to explain why you guys were not home yet ?

Great Looking Motoryacht !
Best of Luck with her & good cruising !

I have not opened my Chapman's Piloting "Bible" since 1972 !

rtgogo
02-06-2010, 06:58 AM
Geezz dude... I'm headed north soon! She looks awesome! Gotta admit, I've had some cross country adventures pickin up new toys, but...uh...well... that one may beat all of my stories.

The Hedgehog
02-06-2010, 09:29 AM
I see you were on your cellphone in the photo~
Were you getting navigation or other "instructions" from your wife ? ~
Or just trying to explain why you guys were not home yet ?

Great Looking Motoryacht !
Best of Luck with her & good cruising !

I have not opened my Chapman's Piloting "Bible" since 1972 !

I was probably talking to someone that called to tell me that we were really not doing that.

I hope that you guys noticed the Hedgehog on the carpet.

RedDog
02-06-2010, 03:45 PM
Bill - Deb and I are spending next weekend in downtown Chattanooga. If you are going to be down, we would love to stop by and check your new ride out - either Saturday or Sunday.

The Hedgehog
02-06-2010, 03:57 PM
Bill - Deb and I are spending next weekend in downtown Chattanooga. If you are going to be down, we would love to stop by and check your new ride out - either Saturday or Sunday.

Let me see what is going on. I may be down in Florida helping Tex with the crossing. If I am around, I would recommend that you and Deb joins us on the boat. It is not that far from downtown.

RedDog
02-06-2010, 06:10 PM
I'll check in with you later in the week. If it works out - great. If not, another time will do.

Donzi Vol
02-06-2010, 06:51 PM
Let me see what is going on. I may be down in Florida helping Tex with the crossing. If I am around, I would recommend that you and Deb joins us on the boat. It is not that far from downtown.

Warning Warning Warning!!!
---If you spend an evening at Hales Bar, there is a good chance you will not make it up the next morning due to OG-ing and/or an excess of festivities---

(but you'll have a lot of fun!)

Cuda
02-07-2010, 08:29 AM
I see you've got a trusty copy of Chapman's in the wheelhouse. With that at your side, what more could you need?
I have a Chapman's on ebay right now. :)

zelatore
02-07-2010, 10:38 AM
So what kind of speed/rpm/burns are you seeing?
(assuming you can factor out river currents)

And I'm sure you've found a few 'surprises', either good or bad.

We want details!

mrfixxall
02-07-2010, 07:30 PM
Hedge we need more pic's of the inside of the ship,you know where all the BANG BOAT filming will be going onn costaring Donzi vol :)

The Hedgehog
02-08-2010, 07:25 AM
So what kind of speed/rpm/burns are you seeing?
(assuming you can factor out river currents)
And I'm sure you've found a few 'surprises', either good or bad.
We want details!

Let's see, we had a 3 + knot head current and were toting 1,250 gal in diesel + tender. Our vis was horrible and I had a total of 15 minutes driving the boat myself. Why in the hell would I be trying to see if I could wring out a knot or two extra? For 3 of the first few hours we were going from marker to marker while we were trying to make out the next marker in the fog. I have a few gauges that I am not completely confident in and we finished in the night.

I may be a little zany but I am not stupid. I will put to and keep it on the pins when I am ready. And just like my ZX, I will not do it to impress the crowds.

Now we did let her cook during the sea trial. Moderate load = around 15 knots. Max is supposed to be 20 knots. Maybe if you had all of the belongings out, a fresh bottom and 200 gallons of gas, just maybe you could see numbers close to that.

My plan is to cruise around 10 knots. She is happy there. Anyone that wants to go faster can break out the check book when we get to the gas pump. I have a Donzi for going fast.

The Hedgehog
02-08-2010, 07:29 AM
Hedge we need more pic's of the inside of the ship,you know where all the BANG BOAT filming will be going onn costaring Donzi vol :)

I posted a few. I will post more when I get done. Just put a new 40" Sony flatscreen in the salon.

I had a bunch of folks tell me that I needed one that retracted from the ceiling. Nobody came forward with a check so I did it my way.

The interior is going to take a few months until I get it the way I want it.

mrfixxall
02-08-2010, 09:17 AM
I posted a few. I will post more when I get done. Just put a new 40" Sony flatscreen in the salon.

I had a bunch of folks tell me that I needed one that retracted from the ceiling. Nobody came forward with a check so I did it my way.

The interior is going to take a few months until I get it the way I want it.


i have one lined up for you but you didn't answer your phone! :)

Its a 120'' theater projector with hd and all the other goodies..

zelatore
02-08-2010, 10:22 AM
lol - I suppose on a performance forum you would think my question was about how fast it would go!

Remember, I might be the only guy on this board that subscribes to PassageMaker - I figured you were probably running around 8-9 knots. I was just wondering what sort of range and efficiency you were getting at what engine speed, not how fast it was. Although that's interesting too, I suspect it will be like any big boat - you open it up once to see what it'll do, if it's proped right, etc, then never go there again.

The Hedgehog
02-08-2010, 11:39 AM
lol - I suppose on a performance forum you would think my question was about how fast it would go!
Remember, I might be the only guy on this board that subscribes to PassageMaker - I figured you were probably running around 8-9 knots. I was just wondering what sort of range and efficiency you were getting at what engine speed, not how fast it was. Although that's interesting too, I suspect it will be like any big boat - you open it up once to see what it'll do, if it's proped right, etc, then never go there again.

That is pretty much it. I like the big power because it is nice and responsive around the dock. Other than that, I will probably squeeze if to keep it cleaned out. Pushing 4 gal/a mile through it gets expensive and does not make the party any better.

I will lean on it some when I get some more confidence in the monitoring systems. Right now I have a few bugs to work out. The weather has been pretty nasty up here (by our standards) so I have been working in the boat.

These DD's are powerful but the prior owner did not run them hard. After a few years of easy life, if you all of a sudden start stomping on them you can shake out more issues than you want.

Tex went through that. His mech told him to run then and has he got things the way he wanted then he could run it harder. I think that is good advice.

zelatore
02-08-2010, 04:12 PM
That is pretty much it. I like the big power because it is nice and responsive around the dock.

That's the truth! I hate it when I get in a (relatively) big boat with small power. Or even decent power but in gas. Say a 40' with 8.1's - it might be enough power to cruise at 15-18 knots, but around the dock, at idle, NOTHING happens when you put it in/out of gear! Diesels and big wheels are where it's at!

Also comes in handy running off shore in a big swell. A gas boat seems to just sorta stop when it runs into a swell where the extra torque of the diesel doesn't loose so much headway. OK, that's not much of an issue where you are, but you get the idea.

And I'm getting more and more OK with going slow. There's a better than average chance my next big boat could be a trawler. 42GB's are getting pretty reasonable these days.

'course, by the time I'm in the market for a new boat who knows where my head will be.

The Hedgehog
02-08-2010, 05:14 PM
That's the truth! I hate it when I get in a (relatively) big boat with small power. Or even decent power but in gas. Say a 40' with 8.1's - it might be enough power to cruise at 15-18 knots, but around the dock, at idle, NOTHING happens when you put it in/out of gear! Diesels and big wheels are where it's at!

Also comes in handy running off shore in a big swell. A gas boat seems to just sorta stop when it runs into a swell where the extra torque of the diesel doesn't loose so much headway. OK, that's not much of an issue where you are, but you get the idea.

And I'm getting more and more OK with going slow. There's a better than average chance my next big boat could be a trawler. 42GB's are getting pretty reasonable these days.

'course, by the time I'm in the market for a new boat who knows where my head will be.

I like trawlers. I spent some time on a 42GB. I would own one of those.