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    SW Florida resort marina to Hontoon Adventure

    We've found the best marina bargain for a C-Dory at the Pink Shell Marina 5 star resort in Ft Myers Beach and return every year in Jan until the Hontoon Hoot in March. I run several days behind if you want to 'follow' the Find Penguins link...
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    Our new interest in a lithium + big inverter option when shore power is not available: We hope to be spending time on the Canadian walls this summer while doing the Triangle Loop backwards; ending up at Kingston on the North side of Lake Ontario and only 70 miles to the entrance of the...
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    These are the ‘gadget’ adapters shown at the Hontoon Hoot. You will eventually happen on a marina or wall which only has a 50 amp pedestal available. The adapter you need is a 50A 125/250V to 30A 125V (not 50A 125V, which would only be found in very old marinas). Be sure the marina agrees to...
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    Panels are easy to remove quickly, take a bit longer to install when aligning the zippers on the sides and top with Sai-lrite bungeys at the bottom.
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    22 Bridge Clearance / Air Draft on Water with Various Roof Mounts

    Hi Dave, Give yourselves some trips under your belt before spending too much. If you don’t have a dog, you may not need a dinghy. If you beach on rocks, you may not want an inflatable (we just gave ours to the Boy Scouts, after never feeling a need for it in real life after 13 years). Raise...
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    2026 Hontoon Island Gathering. March 3,4,5. DeLand Florida on St. John’s river.

    Hi Greg, Oddly the written marina slip reservation does NOT include your slip number. You have to call them for that if you misplaced it after your call. If you think that a guvmint Reservations system should include the room number you paid for, then you have a full lifetime of...
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    Wind-driven rain gets in, so if you want a dry cabin extension one like Bob's is better. Having nine panels of BOTH materials to choose from would be really elegant. Happy Hunting, John
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    Thanks Bob and also for all we've learned from you over the years! I hope the night photos show we never have a night time privacy concern and don't need 'blocking' material. We'd likely use LED headlamps if reading a paper book and never have, say, two 100w lamps at night in the cockpit. I...
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    Hi Dave, thanks for your interest. I took these pics last night. The cockpit lights are very bright, in fact they are Perko 'steaming' lights with the required 2 NM USCG visibility. We don't need more than a 3D cell Streamlight lantern in the dark. We use Kindles and tablets mostly. I bet...
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    Our favorite cruising mods, 2026

    The 15K BTU Coleman AC croaked because I never cleaned the coils, which required removing the radar mast, dome, hailer, anchor light and pole plus wiring. We replaced it with a Dometic which is lighter (65 vs 100#) and a Dometic Soft Start module designed specifically for that compressor...
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    Fixing small leaks

    Hi Phil, For a temporary expedient block, I’d rather seal the leak at the outside source rather than inside. Otherwise the water will filter into the core and stay there. I like BoatLife because it’s not permanent and easy to remove. Steve shows where to seal a rubrail, but if you use 3M 5200...
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    tom cat camper cover

    Hi Jim, The best mod EVER for us for 13 trailer boats over 45 years of marriage was our all-Phifertex 9-panel modular camperback that zips and bungees to the existing (King Canvas Seattle) bimini top in under 10 minutes by one person. No one can see in at all, yet we can see out. It...
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    2026 Hontoon Island Gathering. March 3,4,5. DeLand Florida on St. John’s river.

    Welcome to Florida! Florida interstates and Turnpikes have Road Ranger patrols that provide free emergency spare tire changes, jump starts etc and most importantly park a big truck behind you with a giant flashing “<<<< MOVE OVER” electric sign. They carry more red pylons than you ever will...
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    Sling lift for 2007 Tomcat

    Hi Scott, Cat O' Mine rode the slings on a Travel Lift just fine. I wonder about wind knocking it into your pilings or wearing rub rails or bimimi based on your pic. I bet your local contractors have seen it all. The owner told me the slings cost $3,000 each (but they haul huge boats)...
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    2026 Hontoon Island Gathering. March 3,4,5. DeLand Florida on St. John’s river.

    Hi Dan, We're in 22...that will be a calender shot next year for sure..and a Hontoon record if the third TC255 makes it! John
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    2026 Hontoon Island Gathering. March 3,4,5. DeLand Florida on St. John’s river.

    Hi Gregarious, The marine electronics playground can be mean. Each of the Big Five companies have proprietary processors and ethernet like comm cables for all visual info that are NOT compatible with any other manufacturers devices. You won’t be able to see a Raymarine radar image on a...
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    2002 C'Dory TomCat 24 tour and way ahead

    Welcome aboard, Pat! You may want to check out the Findpenguins link posted by the TC24 crew on their Mar 20 post: https://www.c-brats.com/threads/mollys-great-american-loop.32101/#post-378425 They also had a dog and a cat aboard with Betty working full time via Starlink, so you should have...
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    New Member - Looking for First Cruiser

    Hi mb, The 2010 TC255 is our 13th trailer boat in 45 years. We’ve been cruising on it for 13 years now, including over 7,000 water miles of the Great Loop in one-way Segments over the past 10 years. We just replaced the 2011 Yamaha F150’s with 2024 Yamaha F150’s with the Helmsman EX Group 2...
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    Epilogue to Great Lakes to Inland Rivers Loop Segment Adventure (on FindPenquins)

    It was a great Segment at 1,750 water miles over 47 days until our crash towing Cat O’ Mine in Nashville where I-65 merges with I-24. Our only injuries were trivial seatbelt bruises and airbag cuts and burns, although at the time they didn’t feel very trivial. After the initial impact the boat...
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