SO WHAT DID YOU DO WITH OR ON YOUR C-DORY TODAY??

[thataway]

John, I thought you loved that Poli-Glow--Didn't you have it wet sanded and buffed each year and add another coat?

Angle grinders? How about buffers. Angle grinders have cutting wheels in them. or sanding discs.

How long will the wax last? What was did you use.

[gulfcoast john]

Bob,

I think Poli-Glow can sometimes have a role on older boats with Florida UV oxidation damage. Eventually (and Eventually showed up last year and this year) the oldest layers discolored to a smokey gray or yellowish hue. Stripping with Simple Green or Poli-strip got less effective (85%) in later years. I would only lightly wet sand (under a constant stream of running water) the stickiest areas with 1000-2000 grit. Some areas were likely just oxidized gel coat. Poli-Glow claims 50% of the cost is due to UV inhibitors they blend in. I liked that it could be applied in full sun and very quickly with a big mitt. But the cumulative 15% each year that stuck like Super Glue got unsightly and not shiny when done.

Usually, we’re not much concerned with merely cosmetic issues (or else I wouldn’t let Eileen cut my hair after four cups of coffee). We had reservations next month at the Pink Shell Resort & Marina (Ft Myers Beach) again this year until the Hontoon Hoot in March. In the interim, the AGLCA decided to have a first ever winter Rendezvous in Fort Myers. We signed up and put Cat O’ Mine on the Looper Boat Crawl as a lark. It will be fun talking to planners who have never considered a trailer boat for cruising.

Only then did we decide maybe this would be a good time (and first time) to get a pro detail by someone who, unlike me, knows exactly what he’s doing with his angle grinder on the gel coat. It was 1.5 Boat Units including a generous tip, but we feel well worth it. He also buffed up the cowling damaged in the infamous (at least on C-Brats) Joe Wheeler Lock Incident of 2018. Those Loopers will never even notice it, assuming we get the paint right and $300 worth of Yamaha decals (two) on somewhat more or less straight. All the stainless steel looks brand new.

Yes, I meant buffer. I have a Shurehold toy buffer and reckon I can’t do too much damage with it, but I also couldn’t get the residue vs oxidation off with it since returning from our West Erie Canal adventure in August. Three months of mostly unproductive experiments and work.

This perfectionist guy (Tim Danna, 850 999 3995) has seen it all before. He tried a tough sample area for his quote and knew right away how much work it would require. He likes Presta and Collinite wax and thinks Maguires from WalMart isn’t bad. He says re-apply in three months, or six months, or next week for perfectionists. I plan on a coat of Collinite 925 before we leave Jan 21.

We plan on being at FM City Marina Jan 21-25, then Pink Shell Resort Jan 26-Mar 4, load up then for the Hontoon Hoot, leaving Mar 11. If your path will cross ours during any of that time, give us a shout and meet up for lunch or docktails.

Happy Wintering On Your Boat!

John

[gulfcoast john]

I bought 3 cases of Alumaspray aluminum bottom paint on a clearance sale for the engine bracket. It cost 20% of the cost of a quart of Pettit Hydrocoat ECO.

After just six weeks, in fresh water no less, on the West Erie/Finger Lakes Adventure it all started flaking off. Average cruising was at 6-7 MPH. Worst stuff I’ve ever tried. One half star (for ease of application). Scraping it all off down to the Interprotect 2000 epoxy layer was three days work.

I still have 2 cases of this miserably failed experiment left, so I’ll take them to the silent auction at the Hontoon Hoot, because Colby will buy anything if the price is right.

The days are getting longer, and summer is almost here!

John

[colbysmith]

[gulfcoast john]

Sunny and a record 78 degrees today. Finished bottom painting the bracket and replaced the engine and bracket anodes. Still need to reseat the bracket access plates, but it's too hot.

There are a lot of Loopers still heading to South Florida. A surprising number are non overwide trailer boats, most commonly Ranger Tug 27 per the free NEBO app. There's one in Ft McCree cove (100 yards from our dry slip) today.

The AGLCA site has Height Restriction information for segments of the Loop plus some side trips like the Triangle Loop into Canada (17 feet). I suggested in a post to the staff that they consider editing that to reflect that if you can get your air draft down to eight feet, you can take the historic and charming Lachine Canal for free rather than dealing with the massive Seaway Locks and wait times.

They actually adjusted the web site to reflect that, using my exact suggested text except I dryly also noted that if the crew on larger boats had advanced A) chain saw and B) boat re-building skills, they could use A) before entering the canal and B) at the other end. They didn’t think that was as funny as I did but thanked me anyway.

Thanks to Pat Clow for suggesting the Lachinne option to us. The guides were confusing regarding this option and otherwise we wouldn’t have tried it.



Happy painting and planning!

John

[colbysmith]

Really liked the splash well railing rod holder C-Otter has for mounting their fish cleaning table, so decided to make one for C-Traveler. (Since she's put away for the winter and I still need to have time on it! ) Here's the end product mounted in C-Traveler.

[colbysmith]

The other project I've been working on the past few weeks is a geocache birdhouse to place somewhere along the St. John's River when we're there for the gathering this March at Hontoon SP. Those that have been there, know that there are a few places where birdhouses abound. I'd like to think mine will be rather unique! Now to figure out where and how to place it...

[thataway]

Love the bird house: Blue Creek is the place because it gets more traffic, and folks are looking for the Bird houses.

Put the bow of the boat into the place--or we should be there with our Caracal 18' cc and can put you in some very shallow water or banks.

[colbysmith]

I was thinking Blue Creek. Need to find somewhere though that can be reached from a Kayak or smaller boat's that frequent the creek, like ours. And yet high enough to stay dry during the high waters. Then there is the cut between the Dead River and St. Johns on the south end of Hontoon Island. Also need to figure out if public or private land, as placement of a geocache requires permission from the controlling authority. The prop is a little heavier than most the birdhouses we see, and needs a sturdy support that won't be decaying or carried off in flooding anytime soon. Think I'll be spending some time this year while there to find the best location.

[hardee]

Colby, Cool Production. Would that house work for a Dipper bird

Nice work.

Harvey
SleepyC

[colbysmith]

[hardee]

[gulfcoast john]

Despite the weather (74 degrees and cloudy), I washed and waxed the boat today. We leave in ten days for our annual journey South to escape the worst of Pensacola’s Vicious Winter (mid Jan to mid Mar). You would too.

We have reservations again at the Pink Shell Marina Resort, $1.75 a night (for over 30 days) for 26 feet (no 40 ft minimum), free bikes, kayaks, laundry, eight miles of beach, three heated pools (one adults-only) and free city trolley to Publix and downtown Fort Myers Beach.

What’s not to like? Wish us Safe Travels, and see you at Hontoon in March!

Cheers!

John and Eileen

[hardee]

[gulfcoast john]

Harvey and other visitors,

Most Florida marinas charge by the foot per night, with a lower rate per foot if over 30 nights, but with a liveaboard ‘surcharge’ if you are on the boat more than 10 of those nights…an extra $140 below.

http://legacyharbourmarina.com/rates/

Military and State Park Marinas are usually flat rate based on the slip length, ie $18/night at Hontoon with a 25 ft max.

If we’ll be on a face dock, where dockmasters need to calculate how many boats they can squeeze in, we are 29 ft LOA not 25.5. The ‘nautical’ definition of LOA EXCLUDES any bolted on additions like anchor pulpits, engine brackets with outboards bolted on etc. The MARINA definition will include all that. So don’t be disappointed when that happens.

Many charge a minimum footage, ie 50ft (!) annually at Legacy above, most often 40 foot minimum per night in south Florida but none at Pink Shell (last year). Hotel guests pay $39/night for the kayaks, bikes, laundry and pool access, but it’s all included with the Pink Shell marina slip fees. They have pricey extra fees for parking, but we’re keeping the rig downtown for convenience, though storing east of I-75 is much cheaper.

Many marinas charge a flat rate for power (for example, $5/day for 30A and $10/day for 50A); for us metered power is a better deal as the 15k BTU rooftop Coleman can’t consume nearly that much. When cruising or looping, get a 125/250v 50A adapter so you can take empty slips that only have 50A power (the marina will only charge you the 30A fee but charge $10/day to rent you the adapter).

The secret to securing a free or low-cost town dock is to arrive before 2PM in peak season.

Since COVID, Florida marinas have been a nightmare of overcrowding. There are over 350 Loopers rather than 150, and untold numbers of New Yorkers etc bought a big boat and took it to Florida in addition to the usual snowbird migration. Most south Florida marinas have no transient spots until late March or April and advise booking 6-12 months in advance. We had no problem a few weeks in advance @ 26 feet. Calusa Island Marina south of Marco Island has the same weather and rig storage, no pool and beaches are a drive away and consist of ground shells.

Here are the Weather Channel average High and Low temps for Jan, Feb, and Mar:

PENSACOLA FT. MEYER BCH KEY WEST

JAN 61/43 75/65 76/66
FEB 64/45 78/57 77/67
MAR 70/52 81/60 80/69

We previously favored the Keys for our winter get-aways. However, our fav marina started enforcing the 40 foot min rule. Also, it’s a 13 hour tow (much at 35 MPH) vs 9 hours to FMB for the same weather about 100 crow miles north. There are no nice sand beaches to speak of in the Keys, although the water colors are amazing. For DoD, you can’t beat the Key West NAS marina for $1/foot (30 foot minimum) but they don’t take transients since COVID.

Get a $4.99 Sun-Pass transponder for the turnpikes. It’s half the cost of ‘Bill by Plate’ with the admin fees especially when towing a boat.

If mechanical or tire failure puts your rig on the shoulder of any Florida Interstate or Turnpike, first call *347 (FHP) which will dispatch a Road Ranger truck with the giant flashing electronic <<<<MOVE OVER sign. They will do spare tire changes, jump starts etc for free (mostly financed by State Farm) and won’t even take tips.

We’ll be attending the Looper Winter Rendezvous Jan 23-25 in Ft Meyers with Cat O’ Mine on the Boat Crawl at City Marina.

Hope this is helpful in planning your Winter Get-Away! Welcome to Florida someday soon! If any Brats are in or near the area, come by and visit!

John