Almost the Hero

I drive the Lady Catherine Bus (charter boat) on occassion as a back up captain.  The Lady is an inspected vessle requiring a masters license for more than 6 passengers.  When they have less than 6 I can drive the bus.  Yesterday was one of those almost the hero days.

There has been a continuing saga of factory rigged lures falling apart at very poor times.  Yesterday was no exception.  Stinger hook on one of the rigs broke loose and is now the property of a gaffer dolphin.  We also had a mystery hook pull on a 40 plus pound fish which would have been the catch of the day at the Seascape dock.  Unfortunately, the Lady Catherine was an also ran in the unofficial impress the visitors tournament.  You can barely make out the tail of our big fish in the top photo, a gaffer close to 20 pounds .  The second photo was supposed to be of the cow that accompanied the gaffer bull.  My cellphone camera has this annoying delay making it tough to get action photos.

All told, we ended up with about 40 pounds of fillets sans bloodline.  That is almost a 5 gallon bucket of fillets.  Not exactly a Chamber of Commerce finish but okay for a zero floater day.

While I just drive the bus, I may start recommending a few minor changes here and there to increase productivity starting with no more pre-rigged in Bum Phuck China lures.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Just a Little V-20 Stuff

There is not much really to report on the V-20 project.  Since we have been having a few showers now and again I have mainly just worked a little on cleaning out and roughing up the transom existing glass so there will be a good bond with the new plywood.  I did have some time today where it was dry enough to laminate the plywood.  This is a second shot at lamination.  The first didn't fire off probably because the resin was too old and thick.  I found some more that looked a bit fresher and it fired off fine.  I have cut the plywood into three pieces so I can wedge it in place without having to remove the cap, lots of work or cut out the back of the transom, lots of glass.  Since this is sliding into the place where the old plywood disintegrated, I need to be able to wiggle things around and drive a few wedges here and there requiring the three pieces.

 To clean the glass inside the transom I made a little rasp/saw to get in there by just welding a 1 inch hole saw onto a drill extension to attached to another drill extension.  Not the greatest tool in the world but it did the job.  Once I vacuum out all the dust and such, I will dry fit and tweak until I am pretty sure everything will fit tight but not too tight.

I am pretty sure I will be able to reuse the existing gauges, teleflex steering and fuel filter/separator but the existing battery selector switch and cables look like they may be a lost cause.  I did find some 4 AWG battery cable online for about a dollar a foot which is pretty much dirt cheap and I have some 3/8" i.d. rolled copper to make end connections, so I may forgo the battery selector switch in favor of jump box or an isolated electronics battery.  Since power diodes are dirt cheap too, the electronics battery may be the way to go.  Remember the motor that is going on the boat can actually be pull started :)

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Play Day

I was supposed to have a trip today but it got postponed until Friday. So I figured it was a good day to play with the welder instead of getting too serious on the other projects.

This is the welder.  I didn't expect much out of this used 115 volt welder that I bought for 65 bucks.  As it was, it welded like crap so I made a few upgrades.

This is a big ass Lincoln 300 amp ground clamp that cost 7 bucks attached to some 4 gauge wire that is way bigger than needed, but what the heck?

This is a Lincoln 200 amp electrode holder that was a bigger investment, 15 bucks.

This is a selection of welding rods that the little welder will actually burn, another 30 bucks or so.

This is some scrap 3 inch by 1/4" thick angle iron just stuck together for a practice weld.

This is the scrap welded together using tiny little 1/16" electrodes.

I used the little guys because from comments on the internet, supposedly the little welder and the little rods cannot weld 1/4" steel.  Well they can, even with less that meticulous surface preparation and fitting.  Not that this is the way to do things, but I was pretty impressed with the performance.  I am a long way from being a real welder, but I can now stick two pieces of metal together and be pretty sure they aren't coming apart anytime soon.

One of my neighbors, a retired welder with 40 years of experience, stopped by and burnt a few rods with me offering a few tips which can be seen in all the practice welds on the left side of the scrap.  He wasn't all that impressed with the little welder but seemed to have fun with it anyway :)

Now all of this welding stuff is just because I have about $300 worth of welding I need to do under the bus to repair some rusted out parts thanks to Wilma and very slow water leak.  Instead of just hiring someone I think it is a great opportunity to learn some new stuff.  Now that I can make the welds stick I just have to learn to make them look pretty.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success. This

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Trip Savers

With all the Permit on the wrecks and Tarpon at the bridges I thought I would have an easy day showing Juan how to catch some neat fish and spots where he could take his kids for fast action.  Wrong!  We didn't see a permit or tarpon so we had to settle for a couple of Muttons.   It was one of those great days to be a diver not so great to be an angler days.  We did spot a few new rock piles in Hawks Channel since we could see the fish that weren't biting in over 30 foot of water.

The Muttons are a classic example of knocker rig with live shrimp saving the day.  We did get some balleyhoo in the slick for a moment but the wind/current shifted just enough to freak them out.  So it was a gorgeous day to be on the water but slow action even in the kiddie pools that normally produce lots of legal but not spectacular snapper and porgies.

 Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Why Welding?

This is the port side leveling jack for the motor coach.  You might notice that it is not under the motor coach.  That is because the hydraulic leveling jack that should be rated for around 6 tons broke.  This gave me the opportunity to learn how to weld.  These are not particularly attractive welds, but they are strong enough to do the job.  So while the wind is blowing I will be playing iron worker instead of boat re-builder.

Chicago Joe noted that there are a couple of Johnson V-4 motors on Craigslist that could go on the V-20.  Those are "project" motors that will give me the opportunity to play outboard engine re-builder.  Not a problem normally, but I have to somewhat finish a few of my other projects before I start tearing down 30 year old 2-cycle outboards.  So I may be getting a project organizer, aka a mini-van, that will help transport big ass tires, broken outboard motors and also provide a storage spot for not yet completed projects other than the patio.

Interestingly, the project organizer has a towing capacity of 3500 pounds which means it should be able to tow the V-20 project plus the kayak projects.  The project organizer also qualifies as a project itself being as it was manufactured last century and the current owner is not exactly mechanically inclined.  Stay tuned, this could get interesting :)

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Offshore Full Moon

There were fish just about everywhere which makes it hard to find the bigger ones.  Today though, they were almost all legal dolphin with a few gaffers here and there.  We started finding fish at the ups and downs  and made it to the wall with not much difference in the catch.  For some reason we only found one flock of tuna birds and managed one blackfin.  Still we ended up with plenty of fish fillets and the weather was about ideal for offshore.

Did start the day by seeing a small marlin or large sailfish with its fin tucked right as we were about to put the lines in.  It sounded but what the hey!

I missed the schoolie in this photo but can see the conditions we had today.  Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Weather Day Stuff

I was supposed to fish today on a Cabo but due to a front that is pushed until tomorrow.  This is the redneck/yatchy fusion deck look.  The Teak deck hatches were is bad shape.  So bad that the4 slines that held the planks together and the upper third of the planks were worn away.  So I cleaned what was left up and add pressure treated inlay where the former splines used to reside.  The are hot wax treated also.  These are study enough for me but some of my 300 plus pound pushing seven feet tall anglers will likely challenge them.  I will either have to add plywood/fiberglass backing or just build new hatches.  These would make interesting end tables.  They look different because the old fastener holes were more rotted on on one than the other.  \

Because of the rain my transom plywood got put on hold.  I have cut the rough pattern out which will need some trimming then I can glass the two sheets together to get them ready for the installation.  This is left over aka salvaged exterior plywood used for concrete forming.  I will have to plane down both side and add a bunch of screw holes so the resin can penetrate when I form the tramsom wood to match the boat's curved transom.  The way the hull is designed the curved transom sets the engine back about 4 inches.  It will be a bit of a bear to insert the wood, but I think it should work out well.

This is probably one of the most butt ugly welds you will ever see.  In all of my construction experience I never learned to weld.  This is my first attempt with one of those cheap 115 volt stick welders that everyone tends to cuss.  The weld is butt ugly because the welder doesn't have the butt for the job.  I am going to have to increase the leads on the little welder to 4 AWG and get a little more serious grounding clamp and electrode holder.  Then I should be able to make butt ugly welds that have enough penetration to hold.  At least that is what the general internet chatter consensus seems to be.  This particular talent is something that I will need for the boat trailer.  Then with the V-20 running and a trailer I can launch closer to some of the more interesting back country fishing areas.

The motor is still up in New Jersey so should anyone in that area be planning on heading south with room for a 90 hp Johnson I am sure we can work something out.  If not I have a neighbor than can bring it down in November along with some Venison.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Teak

This is some of the Teak trim off the V-20.  Note the round spot where the finish washer protected the wood.

\

There is a mount of wood about 1/8 inch tall around the old holes.

Using a handy-dandy hand held 3 1/4 inch surface planner on the lower setting, Tah Dah! now the mounds are gone and the trim ready for sanding.

Add a little hot wax and elbow grease and you have Teak that kinda looks like Teak again.

That whole process took about 1 hour with breaks, cost one emergency candle and enough propane to cook a couple of burgers.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Mo' Crab Trap Chic

Since the winds are up and the offshore fishing sucks anyway, I piddled with the V-20 some more.

I added some Crab Trap Chic to the cabin bulkhead.  The supports are Cypress and the slats PT trap lumber, both hot waxed.  Hot waxing is about the oldest method of finishing wood that there is after hand rubbing with fat/oil.  New Cypress and PT just aren't what they used to be, so they need something to protect them.  Hot wax should be about as good as anything else and the price is right.  The other grab rail/window support is installed and the forward hatch in the cabin has a new cover.  I ordered stainless fasteners on Ebay so most of the trim work is on hold until that gets in.

Getting a motor shipped down from the North Country is going to cost twice as much as it should since I am in the Keys where over-night mail takes a week to 10 days.  I will have to ponder that situation for a while.  In the mean time I have the plywood for the transom to cut out and if we can find the glass mat I will probably have that in over the weekend.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Lady Catherine out of Seascape

This is Don with the first keeper grouper of the day.  I fished the Lady Catherine out of Seascape marina today with Captain Dave.  I have filled in on the Lady Catherine before.  Nice inspected Island Hopper with a John Deere marine diesel. .  Good day, not fantastic, but we had 3 respectable strawberry grouper around 18 inches long.  They are about the best tasting fish you will ever put in your mouth.  Yellowtailing was slow and the lane snapper were not hungry but we managed a few and half a dozen Toros or Big Eye Snapper along with the grouper.

I am kind of surprised the bite was slow.  It was a nice day with around 10 knot winds and the water was right, but the current was kind of weak and heading inshore.  Weather permitting, I am schedule to fish the Lady again Wednesday, hopefully, offshore but whatever it takes.

From what I hear, the former owners of Valhalla resort bought the Seascape Motel and Marina and form the looks of it they are making it one seriously nice play to stay.  The landscaping looks great and they have done a lot with the buildings and rooms.  I am glad to see they are still at it.

 We hit the rock piles and shallower wrecks and got a mixed bag of snapper and grouper Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Plastic Saddle Tanks

The main reason I can get the V20 up and running cheap are the plastic saddle fuel tanks.  The tanks are strapped in on both side with nylon strapping with plywood to prevent the straps from rubbling through the tanks.  Looks pretty nasty if you are not a fan of 30 years old plastic and plywood.

I re-worked one of the cover panels used to conceal the tank and protect them from UV. The trim on the bottom is just pressure treated lumber used to make lobster traps.  If the original teak is salvageable, I will trim the rest in teak, if not more trap lumber.

The starboard cover panel needs a bit more elbow grease, but should clean up nicely.  The fiberglass panels will not win any design awards but are functional and easy to clean.

What is interesting is that these saddle tanks are the main reason that I can get this project done so cheaply.  If there were metal below deck tanks, the deck would probably have to come out adding a lot of time and a considerable amount of money to the project.  As it is, the 30 plus year old deck is very solid and just needs a little patching.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success. Tight lines, Capt. Dallas

Po Boy Boat Repair

I spoke to Chicago Joe the other day and told him that I didn't expect the V20 refurbishing to cost all that much.  The hull itself is only $500 and a 2 cycle outboard from that era should be less than $1000 bucks.  It is the odds and ends that drive your budget the wrong way.  So here is a quick example of how not to break the budget.

These are pieces of the old swim platform that was falling apart.  I cut them to length, drilled them for mounting and adjusted the bend angle a touch to make new windshield supports.

There ya go.  A windshield support that doubles as a grab rail.  The old ones broke most likely because people were using them as grab rails and they were not made strong enough for that.

That is what the windshield looks like now.  I will install the other side brace after I finish the port side cabin bulkhead.  That is going to be mainly cypress since that is what I have laying around.  In the future I may lose the windshield in favor of Eisenglass, but for now I will just fix what is there in case there is some V20 boating nostalgia guy out there that wants one.

For electronics I am only going to buy a good quality depth sounder.  I have a VHF and will use my hand held GPS.  Batteries, steering cable, Coast Guard equipment and a 4-blade prop will probably be the largest "other" expenses.

Now there is plenty of other stuff I could do, but that won't really improve the fishability of the boat. In case you are wondering, the boat came with a Bimini top that I can re-stitch and adjust the mounting a bit.  Glass mat and resin for the transom has been donated by the boat salvager since he would like me to get her done soon so he has someone to call in case of a tow job.

I told Joe I should get the V20 running for less than $3000 so that is the target.  Totally doable as long as I avoid West Marine "sales".

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas

Not Fishing so Some Wellcraft Stuff

Today was supposed to be a grouper fishing expedition however, thanks to the remarkable solvent properties of ethanol, we are doing boat maintenance stuff and watching youtube Mr. Fix-It videos. Fonz has injector/VST filter issues since his boat sits for a long time between uses.  Yamaha 4-cylinder outboard motors have 6 fuel filters under the cowling.  One filter/water separator that is easy to get to, four injector filters that are fairly easy to get to and one VST filter that is an absolute bitch to get to.  The VST filter is a fine mesh metal screen type filter which should never clog if the separate boat fuel filter/separator and engine fuel filter/water separator are properly maintained as the Fonz's filters were.  Time and ethanol tend to complicate boat maintenance.

Back to the Wellcraft.   Wellcraft was not designed for staying in the water.  The two deck boxes and cuddy step down will collect rain water like crazy and eventually sink the boat. So  one part of the project will be to convert the Wellcraft to a self bailing cockpit.  That just means making some spiffy looking hatch covers with good gaskets to seal things up properly and installing a dam under the splash well to reduce water flow into the bilge.  There will also need to be deck drains or scuppers installed which will require a little research before I commit to any design.  I may end up designing my own.

Before investing too much time and money I washed the boat which is about the only way to really get familiar with one.  Since the boat is an antique, born in 1976, the gelcoat has a lot of oxidation.  There are plenty of products on the market that help shine an old boat back up.

One is 303 Aerospace Protectant.  At $16 bucks or more as quart, it is pretty pricy

Another is Favor spray furniture polish.  At about a buck a can it is inexpensive and does a fine job of cleaning/sealing gelcoat.  It is easy to apply and you can almost hear the old gelcoat sucking it up. Since there is not a lot of information available on how well Favor works on things other than wood furniture, the Wellcraft will be a test case, but try it sometime instead of Armour All or 303 on rubber or plastic to see what you think.

The Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

 Tight lines,

 Capt. Dallas