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SomeDrunkenMick posted:There is actually u bolts in the transom, thanks for that I had no idea what they were for. The manual is on the boat so next time I'm on it I'll see what it says about pulling a tube with them. I could be wrong, but I believe those are normally intended as tie-downs to hold the back of the boat to a trailer. At least that is what we always used them for when I was a kid and my dad had several different boats. All of them were tied down to the trailer with those u-bolts.
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Dec 15, 2023 00:51
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Yeah, tie downs for when you're trailering. Goddam I need to stop reading this thread till spring.
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Dec 15, 2023 02:10
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Yes, they're not for watersports, but they're sturdy and practically universal if you don't have a ski pole or...whatever you call the little circle with a hook.
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Dec 15, 2023 02:50
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You're looking for a ski bridle. It's basically a Y-shaped piece of rope with a little float at the junction so the rope doesnt get sucked into the prop when you stop. Some of the fancy bridles will have a pulley so the tow rope can swing way out of the wake. Check your boat manual but you're probably fine hooking them to the trailer eyelets on the back.
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Dec 15, 2023 06:09
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Cat Hatter posted:Pulling stuff behind a boat involves more force than you'd think. I had a cheap carabiner I used once to pull a wakeboarder behind a little pontoon boat and it bent into a perfect right angle, and tubes are even worse because they have more drag (make sure you buy the right rope and at least a carabiner with a weight rating). As a total noob ski boat owner, I at least know that hooking a tube to the tower is a big no no for exactly this reason.
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Dec 15, 2023 07:07
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SomeDrunkenMick posted:I'm also probably gonna wire in a spotlight at some stage as well as I'll probably use it to fish off at dusk and might be coming back after dark, I've been browsing Ali baba looking at radios and spotlights there's all sorts of crap you can get, is putting underwater led lights on it terribly gauche? My grandfather always had one of these on his boat for returning after dark after fishing in the bay all day. Just used it to locate landmarks and channel markers while coming back.  I've got a cheap LED battery powered handheld spotlight that I use, but before that I just had a super bright LED flashlight that ran off a couple AAs that provided plenty of light to see the landmarks around where we boat.
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Dec 16, 2023 22:25
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n0tqu1tesane posted:My grandfather always had one of these on his boat for returning after dark after fishing in the bay all day. Just used it to locate landmarks and channel markers while coming back. I actually have one of those type of lights somewhere but there's no 12v cig lighter or anything on it. Maybe it's just simpler to keep the radio a decent torch and a few other things in a waterproof box or drybag and throw it in the boat when I take it out rather than messing with the wiring. A guy I know offered me a tube he doesn't use anymore for nothing so when I get back to the boat I'll have a proper look at those u bolts and if they look beefy enough I'll order a bridle and give tubing a go.
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Dec 16, 2023 23:40
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The Locator posted:I could be wrong, but I believe those are normally intended as tie-downs to hold the back of the boat to a trailer. At least that is what we always used them for when I was a kid and my dad had several different boats. All of them were tied down to the trailer with those u-bolts. Nope, they are actually for lifting the boat when you don't have a sling! We use them with our forklifts at work to lift boats off the lowboy trailers they get transported to us on. Watching a pair of 25t forklifts lift a 37' center console is wild, even if we are getting a proper marina bull. They also are handy for securing the boat to a trailer though.
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Dec 17, 2023 05:53
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Elmnt80 posted:Nope, they are actually for lifting the boat when you don't have a sling! We use them with our forklifts at work to lift boats off the lowboy trailers they get transported to us on. Watching a pair of 25t forklifts lift a 37' center console is wild, even if we are getting a proper marina bull.  I'm not questioning that this is what you do at work but if I were a boat owner and saw that being done I'd be taking my business elsewhere after demanding an independent surveyor check for transom damage. They are advertised for use as tie-downs, not lift points, although apparently variations exist and some manufacturers sign off on them for that use. This thread has a bunch of info on the topic.
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Dec 17, 2023 15:12
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skybolt_1 posted:
... Yes, I'm aware dedicated bow lift eyes exist. These aren't present when your boat shows up at a dealership for initial delivery. Literally, look how many boat dealerships near you don't have a crane or marina bull. Then ask yourself how they load and unload your boat at delivery.
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Dec 17, 2023 23:47
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I was planning on picking up a boat sometime this year once I got accepted into the yacht club near me, but fate had other plans and a 1981 Hunter 37 basically fell into my lap. It is in dire need of a good pressure washing and possibly a bottom job, but the sails are in really good shape and the engine runs well. Had a good time this weekend sailing it across Mobile bay to its temporary home. Aside from the pressure washing I need to check/replace some of the running lights and see why the autopilot isn't getting power. Its got a really nice Simrad plotter and Raymarine autopilot.  
stan488 fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Dec 21, 2023 |
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Dec 21, 2023 01:48
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stan488 posted:I was planning on picking up a boat sometime this year once I got accepted into the yacht club near me, but fate had other plans and a 1981 Hunter 37 basically fell into my lap. Congratulations on your new money-hole! She's gonna look nice when you get her cleaned up I think. Are you planning to to long-term cruising?
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Dec 21, 2023 02:46
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The Locator posted:Congratulations on your new money-hole! She's gonna look nice when you get her cleaned up I think. Are you planning to to long-term cruising? The club I've applied to has a decent sized cruising group and they do weekend trips pretty regularly which I'm excited to join in on. The previous owner took it to Cuba, Mexico, Dry Tortugas and the Bahamas with some regularity so it's set up with a big battery bank and solar. I need to take that AC off the top and reinstall an internal unit. The AC unit blocks so much visibility.
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Dec 21, 2023 03:00
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wesleywillis posted:I asked about spot lights on my new boat last year for nighttime navigation and people were pretty much like don't bother. imo it depends where you use your boat. it's pretty important to have a light to look out for subsurface floating logs at night around here
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Dec 21, 2023 03:02
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What is the life span for life jackets? I have some that were made in the 1980s. They're a bit dirty but otherwise appear to be in decent shape. The foam inside the covering still seems stiff but pliable (if that makes sense). No evidence of disintegration etc... They haven't spent their lives in climate controlled comfort, but they've not been stored outside except while in use, or say on a camping trip for a few days, hung up on a tree or sitting on the floor of a canoe or whatever happens to life jackets on camping trips.
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Jan 2, 2024 20:44
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wesleywillis posted:What is the life span for life jackets? Get new ones, basic life vests are cheap
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Jan 2, 2024 20:50
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In theory 10+ years I'd replace your personal pfd every 3 years or at least inspect it annually Those lovely orange type ii pfd are probably safe forever As a general rule when you buy a boat you should buy all new PFD and write the year off purchase on them. Save the best three "old" PFD on them and write today's date - 10 years and reserve them for that one time a year you have more than 4 people on the boat. Throw away the rest or donate them to the local community boating org I think I bought a 10 pack of type ii for $50 in 2017. I'll replace them in 2027 I doubt all of them have even been worn but if something happens I want an excellent safety record and moderately up to date safety equipment
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Jan 2, 2024 21:20
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Kenshin posted:Get new ones, basic life vests are cheap
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Jan 2, 2024 21:20
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wesleywillis posted:What is the life span for life jackets? Go take a swim in the pool with them and see if they work and how they feel if you just go ragdoll; they probably will work mostly fine. That said if they're from the 80's it might be worth replacing them just for peace of mind. Replacing plain old foam stuff every three years seems... excessive, to me, but risk is something everyone has to judge for themselves. The self-inflating things with CO2 cartridges are dangerous though, those need inspection at least annually. I just wouldn't use those, it's just a risk factor I don't care to deal with.
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Jan 2, 2024 21:56
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TheFluff posted:Go take a swim in the pool with them and see if they work and how they feel if you just go ragdoll; they probably will work mostly fine. That said if they're from the 80's it might be worth replacing them just for peace of mind. Replacing plain old foam stuff every three years seems... excessive, to me, but risk is something everyone has to judge for themselves. This is a good reminder -- I should check my PFD to make sure it hasn't developed any leaks, and see if my CO2 cartridge needs replacing before this season. Might be a good time to upgrade to a hydrostatic PFD instead of the dissolving salt tablet kind
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Jan 2, 2024 22:00
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3 years is probably excessive but I'm not going to casually suggest to someone over the Internet that It's Fine when it comes to critical safety equipment, especially if it's hand me down equipment Kids car seats have expiration dates which is crazy until you realize in some cash strapped communities that seat might have served 20 kids in seven families over ten years and three minor car accidents + dropped on the driveway an incalculable number of times
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Jan 2, 2024 22:22
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A responsible skipper will do a visual check of their lifejackets yearly and double-check inflatables for any corrosion as well as the CO2 level. Cartridges should be replaced every few years or before any major trips (and all life jackets being used should be inspected thoroughly before major trips)
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Jan 2, 2024 22:53
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wesleywillis posted:What is the life span for life jackets? Kenshin posted:Get new ones, basic life vests are cheap
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Jan 4, 2024 02:31
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Don't suck all the air out of the bladder on a hydrostatic inflated jacket. They won't actually inflate if submerged and you'll have to trigger the cartridge manually. Apparently there needs to be some air on the other side of the trigger in order for them to work. Hand compress them if you repack them and you'll be fine.
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Jan 4, 2024 02:43
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That reminds me, putting 'jump in the water with my lifejacket on' high on the list for next year. The cartridge in my hydrostatic is 5? years old, will be interesting to see if it works.
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Jan 4, 2024 19:46
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It's launch day  
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Jan 11, 2024 12:39
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Karma Comedian posted:It's launch day Bless the S.V. Shitpost and all who sail her.
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Jan 11, 2024 16:27
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Karma Comedian posted:It's launch day Do you have stairs in your *squints* floating house?
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Jan 12, 2024 19:46
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What's the lifespan of a shoreline power cable I think I last replaced mine while a goon was squatting on my boat in... 2018? Which would have it pushing 6 years. I think it spent 2 years at Pier 39 which is only a half step down from the open ocean in terms of marina wake I bet on a freshwater lake you can get 15+ years out of a cable
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Jan 21, 2024 09:01
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Wistful of Dollars posted:Bless the S.V. Shitpost and all who sail her.  TrueChaos posted:Do you have stairs in your *squints* floating house? The maiden voyage was a success! I hope you don't mind if I drop some pics!      And I've begun moving over the essentials as well:   Next up is moving the solar panels. As a side note, has anyone here ordered a custom electrical panel? I want to order one for my setup when it's done.
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Jan 21, 2024 15:51
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Hadlock posted:What's the lifespan of a shoreline power cable UV will damage the insulation, making it chalky and stiff. This is more annoying than unsafe, as they usually have quite thick insulation. Check it for cracking/chafe, especially near the plugs. Usually the plugs are what fail, either from corrosion or inadequate engagement. They are a lovely old twist-lock design that doesn't have a very positive engagement, particularly when they are wearing out. This results in arcing which will be apparent in damage to the prongs or melting of the plastic around them. Melting can also be caused by damage to the wires inside but usually you will have an outer manifestation as well. If your cable end is corroded/melted/otherwise damaged you can cut them off and splice on a replacement, and this will tell you if there is any degradation of the wiring inside the cable: when you strip it back for the new splice it should be clean bare wire, if it's green or black keep cutting/stripping until it isn't. If you're cutting off several feet then you had damage for a long time and probably it's an older cable that doesn't have tinned wire which helps prevent any moisture from damaging the copper. I have seen many cables that were probably 20+ years old and perfectly fine, if a bit stiff. And I have seen new cables that melted from improper use. Copper doesn't wear out, it's the rest of the cable that you need to inspect and use your judgement. There is one shore power recommendation I will make: replace your inlet with a Smart Plug. They are better in every conceivable way. You can get them bundled with a complete cable or just an end to splice on your existing cable. Totally worth it.
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Jan 21, 2024 18:21
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Once spring comes around, I plan on taking my boat to a place to get the hull acid washed to get all the dried on algae and poo poo off it. After that I'm hoping to get some type of anti-fouling coating applied which I hope will prevent or minimize build up of poo poo on the hull this year. Is there a specific type of coating I should be looking for? I'll probably be getting someone else to do it, so I guess they'll probably have a pruduct that they use for such a purpose, but I don't want to go in to this completely blind. How long does such a product typically last? I'm planning on taking the boat out of the water once or twice this year to go to different lakes so I'll have to assume that when the hull rubs up against the trailer bunks, it might scratch, or otherwise rub the coating off. Also, on the subject of going to different lakes. I want to make sure I don't introduce invasive species to other lakes. How can I do this without having the boat out of the water for a week beforehand? I don't use the livewell except for a I figure pulling out the bilge plug and draining it as well as running a bunch of water through the bilge pump is a start. Can I spray some poo poo on the hull to kill (whatever the gently caress)? Or on the trailer for that matter.
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Jan 22, 2024 00:58
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Hull coatings really depend on the type of boat and how you use it. My dad has done pretty well with a professionally applied ceramic coat on his speedboat, but he keeps it on a hoist when he's not driving it. Still might be closer to your application than what the sailboat crew will suggest. I have no firsthand experience. Michigan has seemingly lost patience with all it's boaters wrt invasive species so I'd assume their rules are a good place to start*. They mandate draining all bilges/tanks, removing any plant matter from boat/trailer, and disposing of any bait. They also suggest disinfecting bilges with 1/2cup bleach to 5gal water and drying everything off before you leave the area. If you want to dry your stuff I wouldn't go any farther than one of those fancy squeegees for use on car paint. It'll cut down on water-spots at least. *As usual, check your local laws.
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Jan 22, 2024 01:29
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Looking to get a VHF radio for this boating season. I've been looking around and Best Buy sells this: https://www.cobra.com/products/mr-hh150-flt-3-watt-floating-vhf-radio I've got a 50$ gift card for there that was a christmas present, so I figure I might as well buy it from there rather than Amazon or wherever. Reviews seem to be decent, it floats, is waterproof, according to somewhere (I forget where I saw it) in high power (3 watts) it will reach about 17 miles to a good shore station or 6 miles to another handheld. I'm boating mostly on Lake Ontario and frequently go far off shore, though have not yet gone 15+ miles. 15- 20 km (9-12 miles) is something I've done frequently but am interested in venturing further. Should I go for something with a bit more range? Seems like the answer would probably be yes, as the maximum range is probably maximum on a good day vs maximum on a day when the weather is lovely or whatever. Just want to hear what other, more experienced boaters think. E: from the cobra website: Handheld radios will communicate as follows: -A 5 watt handheld will communicate approximately 7 miles to another handheld, or approximately 20 miles to a well-equipped shore station -A 2 watt handheld will communicate approximately 5 miles to another handheld, or approximately 15 miles to a well-equipped shore station Since this one is 3 watts, I just interpolated the range. E2: Yeah, I need a piece of paper to legally use one of these. I will be getting one at some point before I use it. wesleywillis fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Jan 26, 2024 |
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Jan 26, 2024 18:33
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VHF radios are mostly line-of-sight, so on the water your range is limited by the height of your antenna and the receiving antenna above the water (plus or minus a little bit of diffraction, tropospheric ducting, etc). If you are standing at sea level, the horizon is about 3 miles away. So if you were standing at sea level and transmitting, another person standing at sea level holding a radio could receive your signal up to six miles away. More power is good for punching through interference or, if you were land based, trees and poo poo, but I think the limiting factor here is your height. If you have a gift card, I wouldn't recommend any other basic 3-5 watt floating waterproof handheld over this Cobra.
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Jan 26, 2024 18:44
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I'm a big Standard Horizon radio fan. I've seen many many cheap radios (Cobra is the lowest tier of name brand) die with very little use. ICOM is another option. The old HX270 radios took a serious beating. The modern version looks to be the HX210. The biggest plus for me was the lack of a volume knob. I found they always got moved and the radio would be silent or blasting. I have an old HX850, which is an incredible radio with built in GPS and DSC calling. The modern version is the 890.
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Jan 27, 2024 01:41
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You need a license to operate a marine VHF radio in Canada?  I have a 25w with a... I forget 8 or 16" whip on top of my ~45' mast, and I have a 25w handheld that I typically operate in 5w mode. I've never needed the full 25w except maybe to talk to race committee in Monterey from SF and really I just needed the height. I think he covered that topic really well nothing to add 25w is enough to hail the ISS as they fly overhead. Totally serious they only fly at an altitude of about 200 miles and you have direct line of sight. Extra watts are nice for sailboats because the antenna is hard to service at the top of the mast and you end up with a lot of signal loss due to corrosion and cable length and what not, 5-20% is not uncommon and if you really gently caress up the install it could be as high as 50% signal loss so the 25w coming out of the back of the transceiver is more like 12w omnidirectional, and then the boat on the other end has 50% signal loss of what little signal is pointing in their direction. Or whatever TL; DR 5w is probably fine as long as your buddy isn't on the s.s. deferred maintenance sailboat Edit: yeah I bought all new VHF gear in '18 (25w permanent) and '19 (25w handheld) and it was standard horizon and it's been great kit I think they just released an all in one transceiver, I'll upgrade to that next year maybe
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Jan 27, 2024 01:42
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sharkytm posted:I'm a big Standard Horizon radio fan. I've seen many many cheap radios (Cobra is the lowest tier of name brand) die with very little use. ICOM is another option. ICOM M93D owner checking in. Great radio but 2x what OP was looking to spend. DSC is great (obv you need an MMSI to use it) Dual/Tri watch radios are also really handy especially if you operate in larger bodies of water or congested areas, being able to monitor multiple channels can be a big help if it's your only radio on the vessel. Edit: Hadlock posted:25w is enough to hail the ISS as they fly overhead. Totally serious they only fly at an altitude of about 200 miles and you have direct line of sight. 5W is enough  Edit 2: With DSC on a handheld you can radio Hadlock's boat from the tiki bar ashore and ask if he has Edit 3: Hadlock posted:
what handheld is 25W? Do you have a battery cart for the thing? FCC says max ERP for a handheld is 6W and 25W for a fixed station.. might wanna double check your handheld specs
SeaborneClink fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Jan 27, 2024 |
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Jan 27, 2024 01:50
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sharkytm posted:I'm a big Standard Horizon radio fan. This is my handheld. I used it as a chart plotter in at least two races before I got the ram3+ remote thing. You can plug your waypoints in and setup the course on both. They're alarmingly good piece of technology The reason I actually got it was that it had the GPS and DSC which means anyone on the boat can push the red distress button on the back and it sends your GPS coordinates directly to the coast guard. I don't trust anyone on the boat to know how to stop the boat under sail, let alone turn it around and fish me out of the water before I drown, but at least with The Button maybe they can fish me out before hypothermia gets me
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Jan 27, 2024 01:50
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SeaborneClink posted:5W is enough Yeah that... Actually happened, didn't it? mmsi numbers are great it's like a cell phone with no contract. And the coast guard is recording all your calls. Works way better than I was expecting it to Which reminds me, apparently I drunkenly applied for (and got) a ship's station license which allows me to legally operate my US radio in Mexican waters. I have a formal FCC call sign and everything attached to my 25w permanent radio/mmsi
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Jan 27, 2024 02:07
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