Picking up "Raven Luna-C" and heading home....

Reddog · Last edited by Reddog on Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:50 pm; edited 6 times in total

So we got to Seattle yesterday and went out today to check on the boat, pack wheel bearings and tie her down for the trip back to Colorado.
A BIG thanks to Michael of Global Marine Surveyors for not only doing an excellent survey, but helping out with getting the boat out of the water and storing it until we could make it back up to get her. Really a great guy!
Everything checked out and I'm satisfied with how she is tied down. We now make a quick run up to SJI and tie up some loose ends. Planning on heading out Saturday afternoon or Sunday AM and start heading home.
More pics to come along the way:

[img]http://imageevent.com/reddog/2002tomcat?p=0&w=3&z=2[/img]

[/url]http://imageevent.com/reddog/2002tomcat?p=0&w=3&z=2[url]

Hmmmmmm, I can't see pictures....

hardee · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:35 pm Post subject:

Nice job Doug. Looks like you should be all ready for the road. Have a safe trip and enjoy. Will be looking forward to seeing you around the islands in the coming months.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

SGIDave · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:48 pm Post subject:

Here you go:

Congratulations Doug!

/dave

Reddog · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks Dave! I struggle with the photo posting process here. Don't know why, I get it done easily on most other sites....

Reddog · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:02 pm Post subject:

So I guess my career as a documentary producer/photographer is pretty much down the toilet....
We took off from SJI on the 5:45 ferry, in the rain. Got to Michaels around 7:45 (in the rain) and got hooked up (after bringing the wrong drop ball mount and taking a quick trip to the Granite falls NAPA for another one ((got about 6 at home....))).
Drove in the rain to atop Blewett pass. Nice to shut off the wipers.
Pressed on and decided to shut down in Baker City and stay at the Geiser Grand (great smoked prime rib...). Nearly made it there and changed out the first "ST" tire about 6 miles out at the side of the road. Milwaukee cordless impact, a trailer jack, my best helper ever, Lee, and wayyy too many years of practice made this about a 4 minute ordeal. (Gotta brag a little....)
Trailer had one spare, I brought 3 more on wheels, more to come....
Got up to a dead battery on the truck on Fathers Day. AAA+, 30 mins, a $20 dollar tip and a quick stop at Starbucks and we were on our way!
Made it to Mountain Home and stopped for a burger. Everything looked good. Keep rolling...

Spare tire #2 went on in Declo, ID, at a gas stop. During a walk around, another separation in progress. I know I said I would replace these "ST" tires with "LT"'s but with 4 spares, who does nonsense like that...????
So made it thru Utah at 103 degrees, iced coffee and some chocolate got us home at about 11:30, 16 hours on on day 2 and all is well, sorta...
Got us this AM and walked around the trailer and found this:

[/img]http://photos.imageevent.com/reddog/2002tomcat/websize/FullSizeRender%20_1_.jpg[img]

Apparently sometime alongside Blue Mesa, I lost this wheel. Crappy road, fatigue and ignoring a "tug" on the trailer made me miss this. Got home regardless and some wheel studs, a grease fitting and some lug nuts 9and another tire and wheel) and now she's resting peacefully:

[/img]http://photos.imageevent.com/reddog/2002tomcat/websize/IMG_0906.JPG[img]

Got some stuff to do, but all is well and hopefully we will be on the Mesa this weekend.
Glad to be home.....but still can't figure these photo posting deal out!

[img][/img]

Sunbeam · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:22 pm Post subject:

hardee · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:26 am Post subject:

SGIDave · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:34 am Post subject:

Reddog · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 10:09 am Post subject:

Thanks to all for the congrats for making it home and the photo posting tips.
I think I may move the boat forward a bit on the trailer to try to ease some of the "porpoising" we were experiencing on the road between Grand Junction and Montrose (the heaves in that part are as bad as I have ever seen or experienced).
Overall, the trip went well, it's just a LONG way. Really glad I took extra ratchet straps to secure the boat to the trailer.
Now, back to this psoting thing...test...test...
(By George, I think I got it!!)

thataway · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 10:19 am Post subject:

Thanks for the great story--and most of us who trailer much have had some similar experiences. Posting photos may be easier when you get an album; Until then there is a temporary fix: the temporary photo album.

Also as you post, go the preview. The major issue that you had was getting the [ULL] box out of sync--the [/URL] comes last. I see you "got it"--where do you find that white stuff which is under your PWC?

Hopefully you carry spare bearings. You may want to put electric over hydraulic brakes on the trailer, since you will be doing a lot of mountain driving. In the long run it will be safer.

How old were the tires? My neighbor who had (he passed on about 7 years ago, and his son has the boat) had the same trailer, and felt it was a bit light for the Tom Cat 24.

Sunbeam · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 11:23 am Post subject:

Ooh, nice bus next door to the boat. Not to mention the droolworthy barn Very Happy

You can post photos without an album (as in the ones that have already been posted). What you are looking for is the image location "address" not exactly the image itself. That goes for whether it is in an album here or elsewhere on the web.

If you are on a Mac, you open the photo full sized (i.e. not thumbnail) and then control click and select "image location" and then paste that into the post and use the "Img" tags. If on Windows computer (IIRC) you right click on image (not thumbnail) then select "Properties" and then there is an option for the image address (maybe similar words). Other OS's I'm not sure about, but likely same concept. This site is looking for the image address not the actual image.

journey on · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 11:53 am Post subject:

Well, it looks as if you're going to be buying new tyres. My suggestion is to replace those ST tyres with XL light truck tyres.

The trailer under Journey On has ST tyres which have been blowing out for years (this is shame on me, so no comments.) They're 225-75-15 tyres and I'm going to replace them with 235-75-15. I'll replace them on one side, so they'll both have the same rolling diameter. The difference between the 225 and 235 is 1/2".

Reddog · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 6:03 pm Post subject:

Trailer: Agreed, it is a bit light to my thinking also, but it did the job and hopefully, once it returns to SJI, it won't have more than a 3 mile commute to the ramp.
White stuff: Here in Ice Station Zebra, above 9K' in January, the blue stuff turns to white stuff, and lots of it!

Bus: Thanks, it is a lobor of love. Looks like Thomas is destined to be a guest house on SJI

Tires: Unknown age. The weather checked one made it home, the best of the bunch failed. Reference my earlier post (and in agreement with your comments) ST tires are junk and LT's are the way to go!

Reddog · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:17 pm Post subject:

So the saga continues.....
Saturday, after a fair amount of fiddling, cleaning, futzing and putzing, Lee and I loaded up and headed to the lake. I had planned on pics to document the event, but alas, none were taken. I'll do better next time.
Our buddy was running the zebra mussel inspection station and made it as easy as possible. We had the boat bone dry and I had already Hotsy pressure washed her down, so given that and the fact that she had come out of salt water, the inspection went well and it was off to the boat ramp.
Loaded lunch and the dog in the boat and stuck her in the water. Fired her up, slid her into the lake and took off (well, took off after Lee returned from parking the truck and trailer....)
All went fairly well for a while. The boat performed about as I had expected given she was at almost 8000' and was propped for sea level. About 4500 RPM was all she had, but got on step amazingly well all things considered.
Now the fun begins....
While at about 4K, starboard motor stalls and dies. Immediately restarted while still underway. Same thing happens again, but I avoided a full stall by tapping the choke. Dropped RPM to about 3K and everything smoothed out, sounds like fuel starvation. Repeated the 4K runs with repeated results, then she got better and was cruising at 4K fine. Must have been hiccups from travel and such...or maybe not....
So we pulled into a cove for a bite. Port motor was idling about 1K lower than port, so might as well fix that, right? Well, while sitting on the step making minute idle adjustments, engine coughs and dies, then no start. Port engine has a primer bulb (new Moeller), starboard has no bulb. Wind is picking up as usual and she is heading toward the shore/cliffs/rocks. OK, try to fire starboard motor, no start. Pump primer on port motor, won't get hard and no start. Finally while lee is pumping bulb and I am cranking with intermittent choke application, I get port engine to fire and get us going. We decide to head in and work out the new details. Combination of bulb pumping, choke clicking, underbreath cussing and positive thoughts get us to the ramp.
Get her loaded on the trailer with a fair amount of which cranking and head home. Alls well that ends well.
So back at home, I discover a loose hose clamp on the starboard motor fuel pickup tube on the tank and what I think is a wonky Moeller primer bulb on the port motor. Got her back up and running by using a crappy little Facet electric pump to re-prime the system. Checked all hose clamps, most mostly tight, Racors clean and flowing, quick connections seem tight with no leaks and I even disassembled a couple engine fuel pumps and diaphragms are look like new with no sighs of any leakage.
As of now, I have 2 new OMC bulbs coming and 2 new 13.75x13 props on their way (may have to get them cut down to get 5500 or so RPM, but these were the best "fit" I could find for 8000')
I did sea test the boat briefly in Port of Everett and had none of these issues.
Ah, the trials and tribulations of a new boat....
As an aside 9and to continue to test my pic posting skills), here is a shot off the back as I worked on her in the driveway during a freakish could burst. It was just like the Perfect Storm...

Devonaire · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:07 pm Post subject: Baker City

Reddog,
Thanks for posting the adventure, I picked up a 22 Cruiser in Kelowna Bc this spring and had an uneventful trip across the border. I did get stopped by the Mounties in Penticton for lack of a license plate, the BC insurance folks that sold me the temporary license said to just have it with you. I thought that Silverback the fellow I bought the boat from had put the Mounties up to as he is familiar with them through his work. After a good laugh with the Mounties I was on my way. I wanted to let you know that I live in Baker City and have a large area to park, 20 acres, and a guest house. I would love to have another C Dory in the driveway, even for a quick visit. Feel free to PM me if your traveling through and that goes for the rest of the Brats also
Devon
PS we have a Fox Red Labrador the we call Red Dog.