Seneca first trip of the year....5-19-2011

[ERABBIT]

When I got up at 6:30 am the sun was starting to shine , checked radar and a storm was on its way……..didn’t hit here till after 9ish……….cleared out some around 11:30ish so I got the boat ready and went down…………backed her in and tied it off and the bilge pump was blasting out water…………..TOO much too long………..put it back on trailer pulled it out and the plug was missing……I was sure I put it in and was thinking it was a bit greasy….looked around some found it in the water on the launch………put it back in and pulled on it a little bit and it pulled right out……… I got up in boat got some emery paper and spare plug , sanded out hole a bit and put new plug in……….back in water started up boat and put truck, trailer in lot………..started out and steering was hanging up some so I just went out a bit turned on fish finder they shut off, again….off again…………..went back in slowly as I had limited steering tied off, hooked power pack to fish finder battery and they both worked OK so I have a bad battery…………got boat on trailer back up here put battery on charge (I know I charged it up the day before I brought the boat up here so I may as well get at least one new battery ) worked on steering for some time and it’s worse now then before I tried to fix it………….getting dark out looking like more rain so I cover her up and called it good for today !!!!!! wawawawa

[buckboardjr]

I YIE YIE YIE YIE. SORRY TO HERE THAT Cous. Good luck . Do you use the plugs with the "T" handle in the middle or the flip kind? I don't trust the flip kind and you can usually crank the "T" handle type down hard. Get er fixxed and get out there!!

[ERABBIT]

T handle , that one was a good 7 to 10 years or better old, I know how to tweak it now , have to hold two nuts on the one side and loosen one on the other side of the motor (tilt tube) at the same time......lots of cussing helps.......... if I can get it out I'm going to run a lot of cleaner thru the tilt tube and lube with lithum grease before I put it back togather !!!

[lakebound88]

ouch! Sorry to hear Ed..ever thought of installing a brass plug set up? Also, figure out the steering issues now that the rain stopped?

[rshubuck]

Sorry about your bad luck! Just know that you are not the only one out there having these issues

[Grady95]

I share your pain brother. Sometimes those shakedown cruises can get pretty obnoxious. On the bright side though, think about this: at least you got it all out of your system at once!

Fix it up and let's go. Fish are waiting

Grady

[skipjack]

Man Ed that stinks. My shake down with my new to me boat was only a little better. My fish finder was set alittle far ahead. It was was about 12 feet off. Almost lost one of the old mans riggers. Two more bolts it and a new line counter would have been gone. Oh it was a good thing I didn't steal his fish hawk yet. FORGOT GOT TO SET CLUTCH, lost ball and release. Dave

[ray koziatek]

Good for you Ed to get yer boat in so earlyin the season,,yea a decent plug will run ya way over 3.00 its best to take yer chances on a old one like ya said the bilge works and what that dont take care of just pull the boat every 45 min. and shell dry right out..

As for the steering hey its a poor mans "auto piolet" just aim er straight and ya can sit back and relax..

Dead battery ,who needs it just push start the boat,,Get yerself a couple paper towel tubes and toss in 8 "d" cell batterys bingita bangita ya don got yer 12 volts...

Well its good to hear ya got the bottom wet,,,,and the floor,and the seats,.

I misunderstood ya on the phone when ya said ya were gonna get the bottom wet ya see for most of us it means the underside of the boat ...shoot if i knew ya ment the inside bottom i might af suggested pullin the cover and breakin out the hose..

Good luck next trip .................OH did ya catch anything???

[ERABBIT]

Thanks for the warm felt feeling gang........you too Ray............Nope did get a thing Ray.

Well I got her back togather and should be fine now. I caused all my own problems when I put the new Telafex cable in a few years ago. The tweak I gave it last year was just dumb luck that it worked right after. I never put a "o" ring in and didn't have the every thing lined up right so water got in the tilt tube and rust formed then with .005" clearance it just LOCK up. I had to drive it out clean her up (tild tube) REAL good and the Telfex cable end that had some nasty stuff on it. Added some white lituium grease inside the tube and put her back togather................. .................new battery just in case other one is shot some we are good to go again.........after I help mow the hay home I'll be back up !!!