BarryD
New member
A boaty post to annoy all those stuck at their desk, longing for the weekend.
I asked KevB if he could spare a day to give me a hand with my new toy. Like a shot he agreed straight away (anything for a days playing in a boat). I've only ever driven a twin briefly before so I wanted someone who had a clue what was going to happen there, and also a line catcher <G>.
Off with the covers about 09:00 and then we set to work trying to untie the thing. The previous owner had obviously decided that if the wind was ever going to catch the boat it would take the pontoon with it! We couldn't get the bow thruster powered up - but decided that as the day was near enough zero wind it would be girlie to use it.
We spent an hour or so in the marina - what a revelation in terms of being able to turn and steer the boat, it's a damm sight easier than my old single was. We even managed not to dink anyone in the marina. Having finally got bored at 3kts we locked out. Ha - geting into the lock is easy, no fears there then (of course I stuffed it up slightly coming back). Down through the harbour at 4 to 5kts - we saw a small cruiser belting along and thought "Ha the harbour master will have words with him..." except of course it was the harbour master - ho hum.
Out to sea and a chance to open her up. Smooth power delivery and off we went, shame we couldn't hit the design speed - we saw 32kts on the GPS and 40mph through the water - plenty fast enough! Some trouble working out where to position the legs and trim tabs (and decoding the switches as to which does which) but with Kev's help we worked out some settings that get her onto the plane quickly and then help the cruise.
Back into the harbour and up to Chichester. Again an empty lock but I struggled to get off the side - still nothing bent or scraped.
A pie and pint and then we decided that the sunny afternoon precluded anything to hard. So we phaffed around on fitting the chart plotter - but gave up. It took me 45 mins to reassemble the canopy (some room for improvement there I think!), and about an hour to wash the boat down.
Marina (off the liveraboards forum) and her husband came over about 17:30ish and checked out the coolness of the beers in the fridge, and I tried to find if I had any ailment that would keep me off work for a further day - but bugger it, I was fit so I had to go home and come to work.
Now nicely sun-burnt I can't wait for the weekend. I have been advised that others find boat talk and tales of twin engines and ribs and snap-davits and forum burgrees boring. So I've said it all here <G>
Cheers - 3 days to the weekend.
PS. - The bow thruster, that would be another switch in the isolater cupboard - once turned, no worries.
Through difficulties to the bar (IMHO / FWIW / NWGOI)
I asked KevB if he could spare a day to give me a hand with my new toy. Like a shot he agreed straight away (anything for a days playing in a boat). I've only ever driven a twin briefly before so I wanted someone who had a clue what was going to happen there, and also a line catcher <G>.
Off with the covers about 09:00 and then we set to work trying to untie the thing. The previous owner had obviously decided that if the wind was ever going to catch the boat it would take the pontoon with it! We couldn't get the bow thruster powered up - but decided that as the day was near enough zero wind it would be girlie to use it.
We spent an hour or so in the marina - what a revelation in terms of being able to turn and steer the boat, it's a damm sight easier than my old single was. We even managed not to dink anyone in the marina. Having finally got bored at 3kts we locked out. Ha - geting into the lock is easy, no fears there then (of course I stuffed it up slightly coming back). Down through the harbour at 4 to 5kts - we saw a small cruiser belting along and thought "Ha the harbour master will have words with him..." except of course it was the harbour master - ho hum.
Out to sea and a chance to open her up. Smooth power delivery and off we went, shame we couldn't hit the design speed - we saw 32kts on the GPS and 40mph through the water - plenty fast enough! Some trouble working out where to position the legs and trim tabs (and decoding the switches as to which does which) but with Kev's help we worked out some settings that get her onto the plane quickly and then help the cruise.
Back into the harbour and up to Chichester. Again an empty lock but I struggled to get off the side - still nothing bent or scraped.
A pie and pint and then we decided that the sunny afternoon precluded anything to hard. So we phaffed around on fitting the chart plotter - but gave up. It took me 45 mins to reassemble the canopy (some room for improvement there I think!), and about an hour to wash the boat down.
Marina (off the liveraboards forum) and her husband came over about 17:30ish and checked out the coolness of the beers in the fridge, and I tried to find if I had any ailment that would keep me off work for a further day - but bugger it, I was fit so I had to go home and come to work.
Now nicely sun-burnt I can't wait for the weekend. I have been advised that others find boat talk and tales of twin engines and ribs and snap-davits and forum burgrees boring. So I've said it all here <G>
Cheers - 3 days to the weekend.
PS. - The bow thruster, that would be another switch in the isolater cupboard - once turned, no worries.
Through difficulties to the bar (IMHO / FWIW / NWGOI)
