uh Oh!

by **Al Benton** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:58 am

Frank, this thread has broken most all other records on Boat Buzz but there's one that has over 60,000 views and has for quite some time. It has to do with the Club Archive Progress. The last post on that thread was in 2008 while Bill was upgrading and adding content.

oh Oh! has more replies than any other thread and all in just over a year. The topic started on September 21, 2010 and has 360 posts as of this one.

Although it's not the normal, it contains just about every detail of Ali's struggle with her Futura from the day she limped into the marina with a serious bottom problem to her "work in progress" to date. A bit unorthodox but very unique and extremely interesting.

by **aliwildatwork** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:28 pm

Shucks Fellas, who knew??? Now I've got to keep'em coming...61,000 will be hard but I've got time right, at this rate maybe 3 yrs...

I've actually wondered about the continuity in "Hull Construction" but I think it was Al that said I should keep it in one place start to finish, and I believe the tale will keep unfolding for years to come, hopefully not with so many HUGE endeavors, eventually I could put this one completely to rest but everytime I venture outside this thread I get lost, I lurk around other threads and eventually come back here. I hope the contributions of so many well informed and experienced people during my struggles serve to assist and inspire other people who fall in love with these ole stubborn wooden girls.

I'm trying to talk Lana into naming her Uh Oh!

Others...Oh Lucy! Jinxs! O.F.I.A !(ocean front in Arizona)
Lock ,Stock and Barrow!, Ice to Eskimos!

Lana said "#%*& Bill" -she didn't mean it but...

That said, when we actually went to see "the boat" it was after I, OUT OF NO WHERE, started looking at Craigslist boats for a weekender, as in once a month, small sailboat with outboard...trailerable, us, the dogs, that's it...I found one for $1200, trailer et al, asked Lana to come see it with me and she said right off sailboats are too much work, little did I know... just after, on her own she found "Rags" and as we left the sailboat, she said "lets see...here call Bill" Whos's Bill? We did and that was it...All he (Bill) had to do was start the damn thing and I was hooked, as we walked away from the boat to "think" about it...Lana said something along the lines of "throw me a bone...I can run with it"

I've never regretted it, not one time.

by **farupp** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:45 pm

Ali, you have done what we all/I should have done, and didn't, and you have done it thru postings in the forum so we all could follow. You have kept a diary of everything (as far as we know) you have experienced and done with and to your CC. Congratulations and it has been great following your adventures.

This thread is up to 13 pages the last time I looked. Even though there haven't been 60,000+ views maybe Al can tell us if 13 pages is a record. The one with 60,000 is only one page long.

As far as names go, there is an old CC cruiser here in Charleston named "What's Next."

Frank

by **Al Benton** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:16 pm

Well, 13 pages is most definitely a record that will stand long into the future.

Frank is right, I just started at page 1 and counted how many Boat Buzz members have gotten into this thread. Along the way I paused to read some of the posts to see what the subject was about and now see the value in this very complete diary. It's really cool. Oh, 27 of us have posted here with help in one subject or another along the way.

Ali, I think you need to talk Lana into Uh Oh! as her name. Secondary would be Boat Buzz Un-Corked.

"What's Next" is cleaver. My cruiser will soon have a name on her transom; "Woody Boat".

by **farupp** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:41 pm

As an aside, in another thread there had been pros and cons about our member fees, the delivery of the Brass Bell, etc., etc.

As far as I am concerned, "Boat Buzz' by itself is worth way more than the $35 we are asked for yearly to support our club.

Frank

by **aliwildatwork** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 4:02 pm

Maybe "Cleaver Girl" personally I still like "Hull-O-Ween" maybe the meet up in Va could be "Hulloween", or "Frankenboater's Anonymous", That'd be a a great web site, for those of us who piece-meal our cruisers together... More names for ours..."Ver-boat'n" for that matter Her'boat-n...I have a soft spot for the season, I digress...

I've thought about the PMS Pinafore, Mental Pause, Blonde Moment ...but wouldn't surprise me at all if they were all taken!

by **Al Benton** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 4:43 pm

Frank, excellent point! This feature has become the gathering point for many of us. It has become a treasure chest of information given freely and very generously by knowledgeable individuals in this hobby, passion, lifestyle by amateurs and professionals who love working together to help strangers with one common interest; Chris-Craft boats.

We are very fortunate to have this great resource and the other amazing on-line features that are at our fingertips. I look forward to the next generation of Boat Buzz which is "in the works" as we speak.

Others may not put as much value on Boat Buzz but it's great for us that enjoy using it and worth every penny of our dues for it alone.

I and others have said the same about The Brass Bell as well. For some the Brass Bell is the prime asset of their membership, for others it's Boat Buzz and other on-line assets.

by **jfrprops** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:37 pm

I agree, Boat Buzz is the main focus of my interest, Brass Bell is just a bonus.

John in Va.

by **aliwildatwork** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:23 pm

I agree completely, thanks Frank. It is the peace...

by **SJHanson** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:01 am

While I post very little, the Boat Buzz has been invaluable to me and my projects. The knowledge that is out there and shared has prevented many a mistake and streamlined the process on many occasions. I don't sweat not receiving the "Bell" on time, but I would probably be lost without hte "Buzz". Thank you Bill and thank you to those who post and share. It is greatly appreciated. SteveH

by **aliwildatwork** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:17 pm

Okay so maybe back to point...Hull construction??? Took the boat out for a minute on the new engine AND I hardly know her....motor sounds good, though not as much h20 passing through her as before, temp at 130, definately zippy-er...prop? Better motor?? .........but she wiggles, horns wiggle, plexi wiggles, just an overall vibration I am not used to. floor boards, etc...opened the hatch to the motor, nothing off balance, visual purr. It's Sunday so the fellas are off....what's the deal?

by **jfrprops** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:40 pm

are you looking at the drive shaft and not just the engine itself? The shaft will be jumping around at the stuffingbox and shaft log if she is out of alignment. Of course you could have a bent prop or just be dragging something....IT HAPPENS....
Engine can sit quite still while this other stuff is doing the boogaloo.

Glad you got out on the water,

John in Va.

by **aliwildatwork** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:30 am

me too! It was a quick ride just to test her out (Lana & I have lost a bit of confidence) . This really the only motorboat I've ever been on. Aside from ferry-s and small sailboat, whale watching vessels and canoes, , This is numero uno! I know I'm scrutinizing her to death but I've got to learn, I only had half the hatch open so I couldn't see the shaft clearly but it looked good to me. I'll look more today hopefully. Prop could easily have gotten bent in the nearly six years on dry land from blocks to trailers and back. It felt a little like a cocker spaniel trying to wag it's tail ( of course only at low rpms). Guys at the shop even cleaned the deck for us...SHOCK. More to come when I find something out... Lake is 10 feet down, temp was 85 yesterday...coming tomorrow highs of 61. Yikes.

by **evansjw44** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:34 pm

You're out for a test run and your boat has a new set of virbrations? 1) Did you change the prop? If yes then was the prop pitched and balanced before using it? If No good chance that's the problem. 2) The engine was installed and aligned. It should have been aligned after the boat was in the water for a few days, not sitting on shoring. 3) Some shaft "whirl" (like a jump rope) is normal but usually occurs at certain speeds. If at all speeds the shaft could be bent. Did you change the shaft during engine swap? If yes the the replacement could be bent. Also possible, engine might have a cylinder that's not firing all the time, bad plups, bad wires, out of time, sticky valve, et al.

by **jfrprops** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:04 pm

Pay attention to Jim's last few sentences ....lots of potential boogaloo problems lurking there.

John in Va.

by **aliwildatwork** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:03 am

Prop was not pitched or balanced before being put on ( That was Me being impatient), shaft is the same as was on it before( consensus was that stainless is better), engine was aligned on the trailer in the shop after three weeks out of water (not wooden boat people). Wires I think are new as are the plugs, but I am not certain about the wires right now... doesn't sound like a cylinder not firing but what do I know???

As for bugaloo and blups, I'm not worried BUT if they put a engine in without checking the timing I would be...don't think that's the case. I haven't made it back up to the Lake since the first time but I am planning to this week. I will pose all my questions and some of yours to them and see what fits. boat in the water for a few days makes perfect sense!!!!!

Thanks Ali

by **BrokenRule2** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:40 pm

A question about RAGS history, did she come from Long Island - do you know who the first owner was?
Thanks
Mike

by **aliwildatwork** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:41 am

Hi MIke, what I know is limited but here goes, the boat was purchased new from the factory, in I believe 1969 and delivered to Lake Lanier, two couples bought the same model, two boats, mine was the Sea Eagle II, the other Sea Eagle I. I believe the fella who bought it is still around the Lake somewhere. We bought the boat from Bill who owned her from 1978 until last year. Our boat has never left the Lake except for a repaint or repair. Bill knows almost everyone on the lake as he's been in the same Marina the whole time, same boat, yatta yatta... "Rags" was a looker then, and still is now...Bill is a little of a flirt.

In the beginning of this thread there was someone who asked about the "rags", story...I don't remember who but their grandfather (I think) had a cavalier named "rags" after his children??? or grandchildren??? Could've been from New York!

by **Al Benton** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:36 pm

Ali, I'm beginning to feel the pain of pulling her out, putting her in just to pull her out again.

I think that I may have mentioned that my cruiser was out for almost 4 weeks this summer for some more plank work. She had gotten dry so when we launched her she took on water at a goodly rate. She swelled nicely and didn't leak much at all until our Fall Classic Cruise last Saturday.

It was close to 60 miles round trip and we had a great time on the rivers with beautiful weather, 5 other classic cruisers and great scenery. We arrived in Hardin, Illinois for lunch and the bilge was almost dry and I was happy.

On the way home I got up on plane a few times in order to get photos of all the cruisers strung out in single file. She topped out at almost 30 MPH. When we got her to home port in Portage des Sioux, MO she was taking on quite a bit of water at the chine between a frame and a batten (aux. frame I suppose). So much that my 500 gph pump was cycling every 4 or 5 minutes. I was disgusted! What now?

Today we put her in the travel lift, drove her out on dry pavement to have a quick look but there was no sign of a hole. There was a small gap between the new bottom plank and the outer chine (also new) where the leak was. I can't imagine what would have caused that, there's no sign of hitting anything. It looks like something narrow went right between the 2 pieces of wood (bottom plank and outer chine). We found a broken screw in the bottom plank at the location. It's under the galley so no way to inspect the chine from inside.

Tomorrow we'll pull the bottom plank, check the new chine for damage and hopefully have her back together and painted before evening. If the new chine is damaged we may need to drop her on a trailer and haul her to the shop, remove the outer chine and side plank (also new wood) to get to it. What a joy! Wonderful Old Obsessive Dame Y'all - Break Out Another Thousand (WOODY-BOAT).

by **aliwildatwork** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:40 am

Al, I'm sorry... Every once in a while Bill will come over and ask about things...usually he says something about Rags showing her ass again. Lana and I haven't made it to the boat in a few weeks, it feels like forever but work calls and there is a lot to be done. Last time out it seemed like she wasn't taking on water but we were out for just a minute and I manually tuned on the front bilge and tons came out, a least a full minute of water pumping. Decided not to worry about it. Maybe we should name her Murphy's Law.

by **jfrprops** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:10 am

Al and Ali,
You have both had a rough boating season sounds like.
Ali, pumping for a full minute would not worry me....
hang in there.
John in Va.

by **Al Benton** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:18 am

This year I changed positions of the main and back-up bilge pumps. I changed the larger one to be the back-up and now I'm using a 500 gph as the main. It actually cycles less often than the big one did but stays on longer. This gives water a chance to flow between the small frame openings to the pump and gets more water out with each cycle.

The back-up pump shouldn't be needed unless there's a major leak or I loose the main one. I also have a 3rd pump near the transom that will eject water when running or if both main and back-up pumps were to fail (given the batteries don't fail me).

Oh, but the batteries did fail, I believe it was late last winter when my de-icer took out the electric service. The call reported that my boat was down at the stern and was listing to port. Thus, the 120 volt pump that I keep around was put to good use once the main CB was reset. Water was several inches above the cabin floor when I arrived. Served as an interesting morning at the marina.

by **jfrprops** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:51 am

Lord but those stories of you half-season boaters make me admire your tenacity.
Bubblers and all that....
moorings....
winter layups....
I live in the right place for woody boating!

John in Va.

by **evansjw44** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 2:15 pm

I don't need pumps in the winter. Just a snow shovel to get to where I can boards her. She sits high and dry under her canvas winter blanket. I have always thought of bubbling as risky and I can sight a few good boats ruined by icing. I even wonder about not winterizing a boat that has a berth in heated storage around here. A good ice storm or blizzard could knock out power to these heated building for days atr a time - even weeks and temp inside will drop like a rock. I don't see any stand-by generators around or any place to connect one. I guess that's what insurance is for.

by **Al Benton** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 3:09 pm

The de-icers are a bit of a risk in colder climates. I had mine set too deep. The river dropped and the floating dock pushed the bubbler into the mud. They don't run so well in mud.

Oh, the cruiser is back in her covered slip. John works fast when it's cold and raining. No damage to the chine and no leaks.

by **jfrprops** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:40 pm

yes,I use the BoatSafe heater in my engine compartment, and put sponges in the forward air scoops to reduce wind chill. But Jim make a good point in that I am totally exposed to a AC power outage. I guess if the juice went off in a ice storm etc, I could take a generator down there. Or...I could go drain the systems. Has not ever happened, but surely could.
Going to enjoy winter cruises for sure.
John in Va.

by **aliwildatwork** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:07 pm

Well, we're up in views since the last time I posted...I haven't been up to the boat in a while until today.

#1 She's still there and afloat!
#2 Started and ran with no issues
#3 spent the rest of the day wrestling the bimini and side panels back on in high winds
#4Heater we installed last year works great
#5 LOVE our boat!

Sorry to hear of all the troubles the club is suffering...I hope 2012 brings us all the successes we seek. Today was a great start.

by **Al Benton** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:33 pm

Ali, glad to hear the boat is doing so well and glad you had a pleasant day wrestling with the covers in high winds. The wind you felt today must have been the same cold wind that came through St. Louis yesterday.

I need to visit my boat soon, temperature is dropping and need to check things out. Enjoyed our short visit before Christmas over a great cup of Starbucks. Hope to see you again soon.

We are all hopeful that the club will find its way to a success means to continue well into 2012 and beyond.

by **jfrprops** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 10:26 pm

Sorry friends,
60's in Va. this weekend, nice cruise on new years!

Best to all Boat Buzzers (buzzards???) in the
NEW YEAR.

John in Va.

by **aliwildatwork** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 7:03 am

Al, I really enjoyed meeting you! You are just as awesome in person as online! Hopefully I'll get to meet some more of you all soon! The wind chill has us in the single digits this morning and yes, it's the same system you had in St. Louis. The good thing is that it will be gone by later to day and back into the 60's by the weekend. I can be out there just like John! Now that the aft deck is covered, I anticipate days on the lake cruising around and having fun. I want to find one of the Islands and start a campfire, maybe even spend the night at least at the slip. We are still down 11 ft and the AC of E is dredging our channel but the draft on ours is 2.5 feet and I'm pretty sure that we can get around well.

Met a fella last week who bought a 1956 "Helton", I'm not sure how to spell it, he's got the bug, and the enthusiasm to make it work...I think he's going to join the club. I told him how supportive and helpful it is. His boat is a sort of runabout, outboard, and plywood...he found me on DIY boats and came to the restaurant. I was able share some of everyone's advice, my own experiences and some resources...I hope to see him on the water soon.

As John always says "go boating"!

uh Oh!

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