Updates on the progress Stratos http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:42:37 EDT 5 http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ A little glass work and some wiring. Click the link below to check out the progress... Sun, 28 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EDT 08282009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ The soggy hatch is out, and the boat now has power! Click the link below to check out the progress... Tues, 28 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EDT 07282009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Back at it again...Today's plan was to wrap up the fuel system and move on to the battery system. Click the link below to check out the progress... Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EDT 07192009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Well, I did still "remove" stuff this weekend as well... I removed old wires, grease, and bad gas! Then the installation began, starting first with something that's sorta important - the fuel system! I pumped out the 4 gallons of gas/PRI-G mix that had been sitting for a week, and almost moved on, but noticed a little more debris in the tank. I rigged up a siphon with an old fuel line and bulb, and managed to pump out the half gallon of crap shown above. Just plain nasty... but I feel confident that I got 99% of it out before the new installation began. I installed the new Wema sending unit first, and that went very smoothly. I prepped the Racor ahead of time, and spent a LOT of time cleaning the port stern box where it will live - it was filthy. It's sparkling now, with the exception of a stubborn rust stain from the port stern eye (I'll get it off there somehow). Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:24:06 EDT 07122009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ The Garmin 4208 arrived today! It's BIG! Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:24:06 EDT 07092009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ After a 4th of July weekend full of music (The Lemonheads at the Wellfleet Beachcomber), fireworks (Chapin Beach), parades (Chatham), and other family commitments, I had Sunday all to myself. The plan: uncover the boat, put the Sox on the radio, and get intimate with the bilge. You'll notice that the recurring word here is "removed"... I hope to be using the word "installed" a lot more from now on. Cleaning the bilge was essential because I needed to see exactly what I was dealing with down there. Replacing the rotted bilge pump and livewell lines were crucial for safety reasons. I'll check the integrity of the thru-hulls next. The battery cables will just get a quick fix for now, then they'll be replaced this winter when I move the batteries out of the stern boxes and up into the console. The plan is to install new cables and a Blue Sea battery bank management system. New battery hold-down brackets are waiting for the install. Moving the batteries out of the stern boxes accomplishes two things: (1) it keeps them dry, and (2) it takes some significant weight off the outside edges of the ass-end and places it in the in the center and centerline of the hull. Logic says this should improve the ride. And, at the request of my wife, I've installed a head in the console. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:24:06 EDT 07052009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Today is a good day! The budget committee (a.k.a. my wife) approved a new Garmin 4208 GPS Chartplotter just in time to take advantage of Garmin's $200 rebate. This is a sweet unit - a full-color 8" screen with BlueCharts g2 charts, expandable to fish/depth finder, radar, and it can be networked to XM satellite weather. It can also be upgraded with the g2 Vision card for 3D views. I bought the unit from Jim at BOE Marine, not only because he had the best price, but because he is a sponsor on THT and his customer service is second to none - thanks Jim! Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:24:06 EDT 06302009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Bought two new Nautilus Series 24 batteries. Best price was from BJ's Wholesale Club. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:24:06 EDT 06262009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ The UPS man was busy today delivering packages to "fuel" my desires! Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:24:06 EDT 06182009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ This weekend's progress was hampered a bit by some chores at home and, of course, the weather. You guessed it - cold and rainy... again. I was able to deal with some nagging issues and take some much-needed measurements. First order of business was to remove the swim platform - I hate it. It's ugly, bent, and rusting, and even though it helps me to get in and out of the boat while working, I had to remove it. The scary thing is that it wasn't even through-bolted; it was just lagged into the transom. I suspect there's some rot damage, so I'll open the holes up a bit before I dowel and epoxy them. Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:24:06 EDT 06142009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ I made some good progress on the boat over this long Memorial Day weekend. I set some attainable goals and had some success. However, much of the good news was tempered by some bad news. Goal #1 was to empty and clean the fuel tank, since I had no idea of the condition of fuel. I know it's at least 2 years old, maybe older. The tank holds 85 gallons, and the fuel gauges indicated an empty tank, but suspected a bad sending unit. Well, I was never so happy to be wrong. I pumped out exactly seven gallons of bad fuel. I plan to replace the fuel lines and the swing-arm style sending unit. Not sure if I'm going to go with the Wema vertical style or stay with the swing-arm type (I like the gauge-on-the-unit feature). Goal #2 was to assess the soft access hatch at the helm. This is where the bad news enters... the soft hatch extends up inside the console, and all controls and wiring pass through it. It's solid as a rock inside the console, but very soft under foot outside the console. After some head scratching, I determined that the best course of action will be to cut the hatch just inside the console, then glass in a tab. This will essentially resolve the original design flaw by creating a two-piece hatch. I removed the sliding console doors and frame for better access and a better view. Mon, 25 May 2009 14:24:06 EDT 05252009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Picked up Finn-Tastic at Ipswich Outboards today and trailered her back to the Cape. In general, Paul said the motor is in very good shape and was running like a champ. Sat, 09 May 2009 14:24:06 EDT 05092009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Took a long truck ride and towed the boat up to Ipswich Outboards in Ipswich, MA from Cape Cod. Close friends assure me that Paul is THE BEST mechanic for Johnson/Evinrude motors, so the 225-mile roundtrip is worth the peace of mind for me. I gave Paul a laundry list of items to repair or replace before I splash. We'll see how it all turns out... Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:24:06 EDT 04252009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ After some dicey registration issues with the trailer were resolved, I was able to register the trailer and the boat today. The trailer VIN number was faded beyond recognition, and to complicate things even further, South Carolina does not require owners to register or title their trailers so I had zero information on the trailer. After endless scouring I was able to locate a second VIN sticker up inside the tongue of the trailer. Finding that sticker was key . . . EZ-Loader owners take note of the location here. As for the boat registration, it went pretty smoothly and I was even able to get my son's birth date and initials as my registration numbers, which is cool since the boat is named after him... Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:24:06 EDT 04032009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Of course since I have a new boat, we've experienced one of the longest and snowiest winters on record. But we did get a little break today with temps pushing 50 degrees, so I zipped down to the Cape and snuck in a few hours of tinkering. The new $80 tarp I bought back in November did tear in a number of places but the boat stayed dry and ice-free. I squeezed under the tarp with a droplight and it was downright comfy... right around 70 degrees in the sun. One of the things I noticed back when I picked up the boat was that it was loaded with mud wasp nests, in nearly every remote crevice of the boat: up under the console, around the wiring, in the electronics box, etc. Well, today I found out that 70 degrees is right about the perfect hatching temperature for mud wasps! Nothing like being trapped inside a tarp with pissed-off wasps! Between ducking and swatting, I was able to take some much-needed measurements, and to remove some more items for rehab. This winter I picked up some small items for the boat: a new ACR Rapid Ditch Bag, a nearly-new Danforth anchor, and also some structural fiberglass tubing to shore up the flexing deck hatches: Also, my family was nice enough to buy me a new Sony AM/FM/CD/XM/iPod marine stereo (with remote!) for my birthday. I'm not a big fan of blaring music out in nature, but I guess it will be pretty cool to listen to Sox games or play some iPod tunes while hanging out. Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:24:04 EDT 03152009 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Well, it's the dead of winter here in Massachusetts and the boat is wrapped and winterized, so there's not much to do but wait for the thaw. I did spend a few cold hours stripping off some parts that need repair or replacement before I covered it, so I have some small basement projects for the winter. One of those projects is tracking down and replacing the rotted, non-functioning gas shocks that control the flip door of the overhead electronics box. I did some digging on the Web and found LS Technologies in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Naturally, the original shock company is now out of business, but Nolan and Steve from LS Tech hooked me up with exact replacement shocks and the necessary angle brackets and hardware. I won't know for sure how the new shock pressure works with the weight of the door until springtime, but they assured me they'd take care of me if things weren't right. If you need shocks of any kind, these are your guys - super knowledgeable, friendly, and quick with responses and shipping. I wonder if they're hockey lovin' Rush fans like me? Eh? Pass the poutine, hosers! Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:24:04 EDT 12102008 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ I finally trailered the boat to its new home on Cape Cod in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. This is where she'll live from now on. Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:24:04 EDT 1124a2008 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Up at dawn and we trailered the boat to my home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts after a 19.5-hour drive back (I drove the entire way!). Nothing like dragging an old unregistered, uninsured trailer with no lights (just hazards!) for over 900 miles to get your blood flowing. And thank God that 24-hour truck stop in Stonington, Connecticut was open at 2:15am because we coasted up to the pumps on fumes. Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:22:04 EDT 11242008 at http://chuckster http://www.chuckstermcgovern.com/boat/ Purchased boat in South Carolina after seeing a For Sale ad posted on The Hull Truth. Drove down with my good friend and fishing buddy Len LaCombe riding shotgun, and we stayed in the cool town of McClellanville with another good friend, Joe Shuford. While waiting for the boat to be delivered, we managed to sneak in a few chilly hours of fishing in Bull's Bay on Joe's sweet Hells Bay 18 flats boat, and I landed my first-ever redfish. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:23:04 EDT 11222008 at http://chuckster