The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...

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Great view (best seat in the house), 3 310 hp diesel engines... plenty of engine monitoring equipment, not much for nav gear (compared to sweet ol' Wild Blue).


Jim-

Nice tour boat! 5 axles on the trailer! How many MPG or GPH?

Do you have to give the 'Tour Guide's Talk as you pilot it around, or is there a second person or recording?

I can see the start keys and instrumentation for the three diesels, but it looks only like there's shift and throttle controls for two of them. Am I missing something with my old eyes? (Maybe just three single lever controls on two bases?)

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Dave - as long as there's interest, I'll post. I did notice that a past reference of yours regarding the scenic cruiser pertained to a scantily dressed woman... and now adventures of dating in the park. Interesting frame of reference. :twisted:

Warren - Park Service regulations require that we have a boat that can tow the scenic cruiser, if necessary, at all times. So even though the Lake Queen will be the first boat running on a schedule, we had to launch the other boat first. It is a cool transport boat; the front drops down. Built like a tank and designed for transporting people, kayaks, canoes, etc into the back country. It can be run up on shore, drop the front (like a landing craft), drop daggers in the back to hold the boat in place. Twin Honda 150s. I'd like to get my hands on that boat, but apparently three people have to die first. :wink: I'll get a photo of it first chance I get.

Joe - There are three engine control/throttle levers. The pod on the left has the port and center controls, the pod on the right has the starboard control. There are three engine gage clusters on the panel, and two electronic displays (one that has a split screen that displays two); they can be scrolled to indicate RPM, fuel burn/used, temps, pressures, etc. You have to take both hands off the wheel to run all the throttles up at the same time. The port and starboard engines automatically sync rpm when certain perameters are met, you manually match up the center engine. The boat turns and rotates best with differential throttle control as opposed to turning the outdrives. Dual props on each outdrive really get a bite.

The Volvo/Penta engines are strong and economical. I have to run some tests when the ice is out on the lake, but I am expecting an average fuel burn of around 11 gph, running from idle to 30-35 mph.

My job is to run the boat and keep everyone safe. There will be an interpreter aboard to give the narration; sometimes a Park Ranger, other times one of our employees. Different perspectives from the different interpreters; I'm looking forward to meeting them all (I've met two of the Rangers who will be interpreting) and coordinating the boat with what they want to talk about. I give the safety speech before departure, then drive the boat. Apparently, there is some sort of rule about bringing back the same number of passengers that we depart with. :wink: The Volvos are powerful enough to make up time as necessary, if we spend extra time in any particular area. The company is very safety conscious, and we have a lot of Park Service/Dept. of Interior rules to follow. The weather can come up fast on the lake, and the captain makes the go/no go decision... but the boat is certainly built to take it. I can vary the route as necessary.

And finally, regarding that trailer: it was originally built as a 6 axle (for the road), but is 5 axle for maneuvering in the ramp area.

Thanks for asking, folks... and now I'm off to work.
:lol: (Haven't said that in a while!)

Best wishes,
Jim
 
JamesTXSD":ocinths6 said:
It is a cool transport boat; the front drops down.
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Gotcha -- we have several of those transporters here. A necessity as the majority of the islands are not served by the ferry. :thup :thup

Sorry I won't get to see it or the boat -- or you guys. We decided to cancel the RV trip to Wisconsin because of the high cost of diesel and instead will use the money for gas to go boating here and in Canada this summer. Hope to see you in Texas this winter!

Warren
 
Hi Warren,

Sorry we won't see you this summer, but we'll look forward to some time together on the Texas coast this winter. Have a great time cruising in Canada and keep us posted.

---------------------------------

Got some time at the helm today...

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This boat is sweet! You can rotate it tightly without ever touching the wheel... smooth and powerful. I am really going to enjoy running this boat.

Um... yeah, that white stuff you see in the background is snow.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Here's a look at the view on our morning "commute"...

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Ground fog coming off the ice, makes for an almost pastel look.

And another view...

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The ice isn't just melting; a lot of it is heading down the Yellowstone River...

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The repair guys showed up late this afternoon to fix the diesel pump at our fuel dock. Tomorrow I will resume my on the water check-out.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim-
Stop it!!!!
You are making me jealous :mrgreen:
When PJ retires she wants to do camp hosting.
Looks like you are set to have a lot of fun--- even though you will have to deal with the stupid few in the public :lol:
 
Hi Roger,

We dealt with the public all our adult lives. Sometimes you smile, sometimes you shake your head, but it's never dull. I really think Joan needed the past two years away from that... now, she's anxious for the season to ramp up. Our perspective here is certainly different from our time as business owners, though.

Working in the National Parks is something we talked about years ago... never thought anything would come of it, until I visited with the marina manager last year when we traveled through this area. I may have said this before, but I am really impressed with the caliber of people I've come in contact with here. There are a lot of folks who come back year after year.

Getting paid to run an interesting boat, 3 1/2 days off each week, and a spectacular place to explore in more depth than a vacation trip would allow. So far, it's been all positive. Well, there is that snow stuff. :crook

And to keep this C-Dory on-topic: how are things coming with the new boat? Should be an exciting summer for you two.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Jim
Looks like Lake Tahoe ......two months ago. :roll: I might finally be in the nicer weather. No ice here. :)
Thanks for all the great stuff and pictures.....Sydney says, "Hi Molly". Steve says, "Hi Joan".
Have a great summer ( when it arrives ) shortly. It comes from the west and it's getting nice here.
 
Steve,

Molly says "hi, Sydney", Joan says, "hi, Steve", and I'll just sit here talking to myself. :roll:

Last night was interesting: thunderstorms followed by freezing rain, then sleet. This island boy is keeping warm, wearing plenty of layers (for some reason I am always more "layered" than any of the other staff), and having fun. The "snow" word has been mentioned in the forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday. Tom and Pat will be happy to know that my tan is fading fast. I'm pretty sure Naked Sailing Tuesdays is going to be off the schedule for a while. 8)

I know summer is coming. I believe it's scheduled for July 28th through August 4th.

The weather is changable. I rode my motorcycle two days ago. Yesterday was sunny and beautiful, wind came up in the afternoon. I should be able to get a 4 season check-out in the boat in the next two days.

The people, the boat, the scenery, the wildlife... it's all good. Please send the nice weather.

Best wishes,
Jim

PS - Anyone remember this: "Hello Mudder, Hello Fodder, here I am at, Camp..."
 
Today was a real treat - the entire day on the boat, practicing docking and maneuvering in the marina. The lake is still closed, but the Park Service gave us permission to run out on the lake this afternoon. This will probably be the only time, but we really had the lake all to ourselves... perfect for training, running some checks on the boat, and getting accurate fuel flow numbers.

The thrust when you push those three throttles forward is very impressive; We ran in 2 foot chop, and properly trimmed, the ride is nice.

The wind was blowing 10-15 most of the afternoon, and gusty with varying direction so that it gave me plenty of opportunity for various approaches to the dock. The other captain doing my check-out is patient and encouraging. By far, the most productive day since we arrived in Yellowstone.

A very good day! :D

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim and Joan, I've really enjoyed your reports and of course the great pictures. What a great way to spend the summer AND NOT PAY FOR GAS! (at least for the boating) You deserve it, you worked hard to get your certs.

When I went from single engine powerboats to my twin, what a challenge, but enjoyable. Can't imagine what 3 would be like (tri's?). When you dock, do you put the center one in neutral then work the outer two, or vice versa, or depends? Are there bow thrusters?
 
Jim

That getting permission to go out on the lake is a new one on me. Have had to break through ice to get out on the main lake, but never stopped or questioned. Hope its not another beaurocractic thing.

After visiting the lake the week before memorial weekend with all its ice we headed to Calif instead for memorial weekend.

Glad things are working out well for you and it won't be long before you and the buffalo will be looking for shade.

Jay
 
Steve - the 3 engines do take a bit to get used to. Generally for docking, I put the center engine into neutral, center the steering, and use the two outside engines to steer to the dock; much better control than the wheel at slow speeds. No bow or stern thrusters. The bow of the boat is pretty high, and it takes some getting used to - it looks like you are running over the floating dock. I use the center engine to slow my approach, if necessary. Pin the bow to the dock, a dock hand ties off the bow, signals to me that the line is secure, and I pull the stern in with the outside engine.

Out on the lake, when you push those three throttles forward, that boat jumps up on plane in a heartbeat - it's quite a kick!

Jay - I'm looking forward to meeting you in person this summer. Paul, the other captain, remembers going out with you on your boat. The Park Service has had the ramp closed to any boats, except theirs and ours, until today. We have been told that no boats are to go out on the lake until 48 hours after the ice is reported out at all stations (that should happen today). I did see a kayaker near the shore just outside the bridge yesterday. There are several customer boats in the parking area, waiting to launch.

I don't know about the bureaucracy, but the Park Service regs are definitely different from dealing with the Coast Guard in the rest of the world.

And regarding that "shade" thing... we woke up to a bit of snow this morning. It didn't stick on the pavement, but there is about a half inch on the truck. The only problem I am having with this situation is I think I may have forgotten how to sweat! :crook

Best wishes,
Jim
 
My hands-on training continues. Looks like we will start carrying passengers on Saturday, if the last of the ice is out today.

I've been docking and maneuvering in various wind conditions; put the boat at the shop dock between two other boats with an off-dock wind; and drove the boat up onto the trailer yesterday (we had to pull it out briefly to repair a hydraulic line on one of the trim tabs). The more I run the boat, the more I am impressed. When you push those three throttles forward, it is like taking off in an airplane.

At one point yesterday, I was about to head out onto the lake for a practice run; I was told to hold at the dock... there would be a VIP going along on this trip. Oh, great, now I have to be on my best behavior.

Imagine my surprise when the Blonde came walking down the dock! :D We boarded our passenger, I gave her the safety speech, sounded the horn signal, and rotated off the dock. There were three of us onboard: Joan, my training captain Paul, and me. While neither of us are trained to do narration, Paul gave Joan the narration while I ran the boat. The lake was beautifully smooth, but the mountains were obscured in clouds. We had some precip along the route, but Joan was treated to a VIP ride. It was especially nice because this is the first time Joan has even been on the boat... she's been busy in the office.

Now, so you don't think that we are playing favorites, we will do practice runs with other employees before Saturday... good practice for me, and will let other marina employees see what this cruise is all about. We have had a core group getting things open and ready to roll... and are expecting about 20 new employees on Friday. It's going to be a busy couple of days.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

Here is a shot of the Lake Yellowstone Hotel that Joan took while on her cruise...

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Jim,

Didn't mean to sound negative in my last post :oops: ----- but there are always the few in the public that you just wish would stay home :roll:

We are in process of getting the new boat registered. :D
Hoping to be on the water soon.
:thup
Roger
 
Marty - Molly has adapted fine to the RV life. We come home at lunch to feed her and play with her. She gets to walk on her leash... can't let her run, 'cause she might end up being coyote or bear food! :shock:

Roger - I sure didn't take your post as negative. Dealing with the public seems much easier when I don't have to write the paychecks! :wink: Glad to hear you'll be on the water soon. We'll all be interested to hear how the new boat compares.

--------------------------

Today was my final test: a 3 hour oral and on-the-water practical test. Earlier this week I passed the written Park Service/Department of the Interior test. I am now "official." I've been putting in some long days on the water since we could. Those 3 1/2 day weeks won't start until next week.

Today we hauled Park Service Interpretive Rangers on a cruise so they could train for their narration. Tomorrow we have 4 tours with the boat full of employees. Saturday starts customer cruises - I was surprised to hear that we are booked full with a stand-by list for that day.

After putting the boat to bed today, when I came back to the marina office, I saw a C-Dory in the parking lot! :D I met a nice couple who have a TomCat who will be slipping for the season here; I'll be looking forward to visiting with them more as the summer progresses. They are not regular participants here, but that may change.

Now the fun starts.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim

Have really enjoyed time we spent visiting with the other Captain, Paul. Your fortunate to have such a easy going guy to learn the ropes and trade off with. Two years ago we made the last run with a Captain and his wife team. I believe he was over 80 years old, and they were both very sad to be making their last run. Can't remember exactly how many years, but they had been there for a long time. Think they may have been from Texas too.

Checked our boat log and the time we went out on the lake with all the ice was Memorial Weekend May 24, 2003, which was the first year we had the c-dory. Before that we camped out on the lake by canoe or RIB in late May and early June. Rarely did we see anyone else. Many good memories in the back country at the head of the lake. Late last September we spent several days out on the Lake and we were the only non Park Service boat out there.

Hope to make it up there for a few days around the longest day of the year. Like to be somewhere special then and its hard to beat Yellowstone Lake. Hope we can chat abit then.

Your Yellowstone adventure this year is extremely interesting to us and I hope continues to be be to others as well. We sure appreciate your bringing us along to share your experience's.

Jay
 
Doryman":1oz3i2ph said:
JamesTXSD":1oz3i2ph said:
I met a nice couple who have a TomCat who will be slipping for the season here
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What does that cost, do you know?

Warren
Click to expand...

Hi Warren,

The cost varies according to the slip length. That's not my area, but it seems that it's around $1,000 +/- per season for a slip. The season is, at best, 3 1/2 - 4 months, depending on Mother Nature. Nice slips, though... floating docks, electric and water at each.

And the view is priceless. :D
 
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