Wolakrab

Got my first-ever-PM from Mod 9 at the other place last night. A warning about a reply I made to one of the bilge rats there. Never has happened before, and I've said worse...and had worse said about me. Maybe I just need to hang out here more often...that is if Wiley will let a bilge rat run up the dock line...

That site is moderated by IB now. The mods are all a bunch of yes-men. Ironic...it has become just like the forum that spawned THT in the first place.

We can just talk bad about that other place...so tired of those spam threads started by builders that the Mods keep allowing to go on...they all become one big circle-jerk. Need a breath of fresh air...so here I am!

Looks like life really sux right now.....

I had to put my ol' girl--a black lab mix--down about a year and a half ago. I miss her every day.

There's some talk about Garmin buying Raymarine. Hopefully that would improve customer service. Garmin's is good....not the greatest from my experience, but good.

What SCAngler said. I think many will be surprised at how our economy is going to affect the larger shows....Annapolis, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami..... They may not be cancelled, but my guess is you are going to see a bunch of absent manufacturers. That's a huge outlay of money....tough to justify if you aren't selling boats.

Whatever's in the cooler on the boat while watching the spread 40 miles offshore....

Congratz to you and the bride, Trey.

That'll look good right beside the compass......

Anyone who owns an older boat can relate to my story. Where do you start when you begin an upfit that you know will take years? One that is governed by the availability of funds....or mostly the lack of, as is my particular case. I decided to start with the things I see and use every day. This is the story of how the time I have spent over the last 1-1/2 years...mostly consisting of weekends whenever I could make the 4 hour trip to the docks. As it turned out, it was about one weekend a month, give or take a few days. The additions: Garmin 4208 Chartplotter Garmin GMR18 Radar XM Radio Infinity Outrigger Jr. Speakers The upgrades: Morse Twin S Controls New Richie Compass Sony CDX-30M Stereo Standard Horizon VHF The overhead electronics box was originally a mess....it had the old stereo and VHF mounted inside, and accessibility along with visibility was a problem. I had always had the electronics flush-mounted on the overhead boxes on my old boats, so I decided to go that route. Here's a pic of the old box: I pulled the old box down, junked all the old electronics, and did a complete paint/seal job on it. I removed the old door, and used a piece of white starboard to flush-mount the new stereo, XM receiver, and VHF. Note the high-end Roady XM radio.....I knew when I pulled it out of my old truck it would come in useful. The old electronics at the helm were recessed in a compartment above the wheel. It was far from ideal, as it limited visibility(again). Here is a pic of the old arrangement...the electronics were mounted behind the smoked plexiglass panel. I had the idea to make an aluminum panel to flush-mount the electronics on, but wasn't sure how I'd go about it. Then I had an epiphany....I took the smoked cover panel cover to a local sheet metal shop I do business with and had them take a scrap of 1/4" aluminum plate, cut and bend it using the panel as a template. It worked like a charm....all it took was some minor grinding and cutting to fit it perfectly. I had it finished with a black powdercoating, and mounted the new Garmin 4208 and stereo remote, along with the old Garmin 2006 that I will use as a dedicated sounder with the Garmin GSD21. Here's the finished product: When I started the overhead box, I wondered how hard it would be to pull new wires through the tower legs....based on my previous experiences, I was not looking forward to it. Again, the light bulb went off. On my Carolina Classic and Scout, the manufacturers used a 2" OD aluminum pipe mounted from the overhead box to the top of the helm console to use as a wireway. Why couldn't I do that here? So, I took some measurements, made some sketches, and got in touch with a buddy of a buddy who did some welding on the side. I managed to scrounge up the pipe and some plates to use as flanges, and he welded it up for me. It looked pretty raw unfinished, so back to the same shop I used on the helm electronics plate to have it powdercoated white. Here's what it looks like: I wasn't sure how to keep the areas it was mounted from cracking if the tower flexed, so I improvised. I used blocks of starboard where I drilled oversized holes for the bolts to act as a sort of strain relief apparatus at the attachment points on the helm and overhead box. Mounting the radar dome was another challenge, as I didn't want to use a typical tower mount.....I just couldn't see spending a couple of hundred dollars on one. Again, sketches and measurements......another consult with the weekend welder....viola. It's a very simple arrangement of a triangular-shaped piece of 1/4" aluminum plate with small pieces of angle welded on as mounting feet. I powdercoated this white as well. You can't really see it that well in this pic, but you get the idea: All the materials and powdercoating for the wireway, radar mounting plate, and helm electronics plate were less than $100. Proof that you don't have to be made of money to do a job well and make sure the end result looks professional. This is really just the beginning....I have many other upgrades and refit work left to be done. At this rate, I'll probably have the boat in the shape I've always wanted the day before I croak. At least I'll die with the knowledge that someone else will enjoy my workmanship......

I have had Direct TV for about 2 years. The only problem I have had with reception is during heavy rain or snow. It's kind of pricey....the basic package is pretty cheap, but the channel selection sucks. I have the Choice package with 3 receivers--one is a DVR--and my bill pushes 80 bucks a month. I am probably going to go cable when my contract expires....they have some killer deals on bundles and will lock the price in for 2 years. Dish TV has some better deals, but I would still save money by bundling with my cable provider.

Black eye and a couple of cuts? He should feel lucky. I am the youngest of six....with 2 older brothers. Here's my list of injuries and scars that were the result of my brothers' actions: -6 stitches above my right eye....my oldest brother took my roller skate and smacked me upside the head with it. -2 puncture wounds from darts thrown at me by my brothers...one in the leg, one in the forehead. -Puncture wound in the right foot from where my next-to-oldest brother shot me with an arrow. One of those deals where he pointed the arrow at my feet and yelled "dance". -Major road rash from when I flew over the handlebars of my bike after my oldest brother threw a broom into the front wheel. He saw that on TV once, and just had to see if it really worked. -2nd degree burn on the back of my neck after my oldest brother dropped a smoke bomb down the back of my shirt. I was lucky I didn't keep my shirt-tail tucked in. -Broken big toe on my right foot where the oldest(again)dropped a bowling ball on it. Again, something he saw on TV. I have forgotten most of what they did....my sisters seem to always remind me of stuff every time I see them.

The first motor boat I ran was a 14' aluminum fishing boat with a 3.9 HP Mercury, and then a 1968 Galaxy I/O with a 110 HP 4-cylinder Mercruiser engine. Those were the family's. The first boat I bought was a 17' 1991 Astro bass boat.

Any updates?

I can't really offer anything more than what's been said as to the reason....delamination of the fiberglass, and saturation of the core material if it is cored. I can say this....the cockpit deck in my Blackwatch had a balsa core. It became saturated, and it cost $2500.00 to remove the rotted core, install new core, lay new fiberglass, and awlgrip. The deck was roughly 70 square feet. Another reason could be poor support under the deck. Makos of that era were known for shoddy workmanship and corner-cutting.

Invariably, the only parties who really profit from class-action lawsuits are the lawyers. Those affected by whatever created the action are almost never fully reimbursed for damages they actually realized. Not to say the reason was not just or valid, and there can be good that comes from it. Like Snapperhead said, it took a class-action to get Mercury to pull their head out of their ass and address the problems behind the early Optimax debacle. The real reason behind a class-action is to get numbers...the more involved often validates the lawsuit. It also can create more interest from talented high-powered law firms, since the possiblity of larger fees exist. My opinion of lawyers in general is low. I do know some that I would use or see as reputable, but I know more that I wouldn't piss on if they burst into flame. I follow them with interest, even when they don't affect me. The one involving ethanol and big oil, for example. In that case, the class-action is about the only way you could win against the legal artillery being packed by the oil companies.

Glad you have finally decided on an express, Gus. I look forward to living vicariously through your buying experience. Good luck.

Carolina Classic. The only company I know where you can pick up the phone, ask for Mac, and talk directly to the owner without any problem. If I ever have the means to buy another boat, it will be a CC 32 or 35. Not only does Mac and his family support any new boat sold, they go out of their way to answer any and all questions about every boat that rolled off the line.

Verizon is sending a new Storm out. I pressed the issue about getting a different Blackberry, and the tech guy said he'd ask his supervisor. He did agree it seemed senseless to keep replacing the Storm. I need a PDA for work, so a regular cell phone won't do. Didn't make it to the boat, so at least the one I have will not sleep with the fish.

Well, the wipe didn't work. I am still having to pull the battery and reinstall it to turn this piece on junk on. I wish I had kept my Razor.....

Well, now the replacement Storm has started acting up. I have a custom ringtone I downloaded and use on specific contacts. It doesn't work when they call. Whenever these people call, the phone doesn't ring at all. Also, when I turn the unit off, I cannot turn it back on. You hit the power on button--nothing happens. I have to pull the battery and reinstall it to turn the damn thing on now. I just got off the phone with a tech guy at Verizon, and he suggested I wipe the phone and start fresh. I am in the process of doing that now. He also said the software update should be released in mid-May that will correct all these problems.....like I haven't heard that before. Here's the kicker....Verizon won't send me a different Blackberry....all they will do is send me another storm. I am driving down to spend a little time on the boat this weekend....this POS may end up at the bottom of the bay. To answer your question, Twentynine, my wife's has performed flawlessly. No problems. But, the tech guy I spoke with said that it is just a matter of time before she does. Gotta love new technology.

What'll really get you steamed is to watch someone pay for food with a stamp card, and then buy some smokes and pull out a roll that would choke a horse to pay for that. BTW....nothing wrong with writing a check....as long as it's not in the cash only line and they don't wait until the very last minute to fill out everything except the dollar amount. I have written many a check....and believe it or not, I had plenty of money in my account to cover it. Not everyone is a thief. There's no way I'd trust my wife with a debit card.....she had one and kept forgetting to write the transactions down. It's checks or cash for her nowadays. Now, don't even get me started on the ones with full shopping carts in the 10 items or less lanes, or the mom's who can't keep a handle on their yard apes.

Non-native species invasion is serious stuff....just ask any Great-Laker about zebra mussels, or ask any South Floridian about cichlids, peacock bass, and piranha.

They are thick on the reefs off SC. I know several folks who spearfish and they always see them whenever they are on the bottom. DNR here has let it be known they are persona non grata, and to kill them whenever possible. Eating them will work, too.