Fubar512

Generally, delamination between the deck laminate and its core, or, in the case of a solid glass deck, failure of its support system (stringers or grid).

Try dumping grass clippings and twigs around the chum jug. When you return to it, you may be pleasantly surprised as to what even large dolphin will consider as suitable "cover". It's an old Florida Keys guide trick.

Gus, I guarantee that if you run that loser's IP address, it'll come up as one belonging to a certain broker. Tell him to go back to "Brokerback Mountain", where he belongs.

You're not going to save that much (fuel use-wise), with those other boats. I'll bet less than 10%, if even that much. Example #1: My old Wellcraft 248 burned practically the same amount of fuel as my Buddy's Mako 258. The WC 248 had 18 degrees of dead-rise, the Mako 258, had 22 degrees. Both sported indentical power, carbureted Yamaha V6 "specials" (220+ HP). I would burn 14 GPH at 4500 RPM, at 27 knots. The Mako ran at 25+ knots, at the same RPM. There was no comparison in ride quality. The Mako was soft, the Wellcraft was tough on the family jewels. Example #2: My friend has a 20 foot Trophy WA, that's been repowered with a Yamaha 150-4 stroke. He just repropped it (it originally had a 19" pitch prop, could barely turn 5000 RPM at WOT, and took forever to get on plane with a full load of fuel and 4 POB). He went to a 15" wheel, and he now turns 6000 RPM at WOT with the same load, and gained almost 1.5 MPH on the top end. According to his GPS, he tops out at 39+ MPH. Now compare that to a Grady 208 WA with the same power: http://www.gradywhite.com/popup/specs.php?...8&file=F150

Depends on the region. Up here in the NE, we have lobster sets in 100 fathoms, or right on the edge of the continental shelf. They make wonderful FADs, as dolphin congregate around them from July thru October. When I seek such "dolphin-rich environments", though, it's usually because I'm looking for what eats them, namely blue marlin.

Check the beam on that post. It's too wide for Gus's slip.

Well, it appears that the BF40 in Marathon is out, thanks to someone who stepped foward and provided Gus with some intel on it. There are other boats out there...

LOL.....I just noticed that, John

Kingair, have you checked some of the stuff in the SSI catalog (yes, the same outfit that manufacturers those bigass coolers)?

Here you go: http://www.charlesindustries.com/main/ma_smartboost.html

We have four Cruisairs on the 54 Hatt that I run (1 each for the salon, owner's stateroom, fwd stateroom, and the staboard stateroom). When they're all on, the boat can be cooled to a ridiculously cool temp, on even a 100-degree day. The downside is that they need clean, 50-amp service, which some marinas don't supply. To compensate, we have a power-conditioner installed on the 50 AMP circuit. Without it, half the units would trip their control panels, returning a low-voltage error on the displays. BTW, that's never a problem when running on the genset (20 KW).

Gus, a few Thunnus Altlanticus.....errr, ummm.......blackfins for you to check out http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1998/Black...L/United-States http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1994/Black...D/United-States http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1989/Black...C/United-States

On later model 36s, Delta changed the helm deck step layout from "rungs on a bulkhead", to actual steps. sometime during the mid-late 1990s (though the latter step config does take up some cockpit space). Delta probably built less than 20 boats overall, per year, since the mid 1980s. The people I knew spoken to who've either been on, or have run one of the 36SFX models, speak very highly of it's layout and handling. BTW, Riviera just went into receivership: http://www.powerboat-world.com/Receivers-a...viera/56558/arc Neither situation would effect may decision to purchase a vessel, as I'd place more trust in the opinions of a good yacht surveyor, than anything else.

That's always an issue when you buy a vessel from a little-known manufacturer....resale value.

'Rivs are also on Gus's short list.

Delta 36SFX. Delta boats has been around for a while, mostly producing 28-38 foot dive and charter boats. The 36SFX dates back to the mid 1980s, and is still being produced. Weblink; http://www.deltaboats.com/36sfx.htm

A nice, albeit little-known, candidate. Commercial strength build quality, and a wave taming 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom...a lot for a 36 footer.

Well, the old TFH owned by Dr. Axelrod (yes, the same one who fled to Cuba and later turned himself into the feds), was a 38 "Tope express run by Chris DeStefano back in the early 80's. I was on it once, back when I barely knew the difference between bow and stern....it seemed OK to me back then. Gus and I looked at one of that vintage out of the water recently, and I showed him those same concave stern sections that the 36 and 37 had. Now, a friend of a friend had a '38 'Tope FB back in the mid 80s (I believe the owner's name was Tom Schirmer). My friend seemed to think the world of it, though he had a Luhrs 340 at the time....you know what they say about perspective It was really nice looking, though. BTW, there's a nice 44' Tope FB at the marina that we berth the Renegade at...though Gus would really have to apply the grease to get that puppy into his slip

I've delivered both a 36 and a 37 Topaz from the NE to Florida. The originals were nicely crafted, but they rode hard and were wet. The problem is not nearly flat aft sections, but nearly flat CONCAVE aft sections. You cannot compress a fluid. The Tope 32 was a nice boat though...good ride, efficient, stable, and not as wet for its size as some other 32-33 footers I've been on. The 43 Vike express was a nice boat (I delivered one of the first off the line), but it was even wetter than the aforementioned Topes, and that particular 43' was possesed by satan and therefore hated me...it puked diesel all over my pants leg. The Henriques are nice, not the softest ride, but fairly free of any nasty handling traits, and they're built like tanks. I would buy a 38 'reeks in a heartbeat.

That boat had: A:) 1 dead motor ("C" series Cummins), initially reported by broker as just needing a turbocharger. B:) Generator was relocated to engine space under the salon. The supports it was set on were not properly finished, and rotted away. The genset is now hanging by two cables attached to a salon deck sole support beam. B:) At least two rotten bulkheads under the lazerette. C:) A teak over fiberglass cockpit sole. Sounds good, until you see that they did not replace and glass the deck supports, and they GLASSED the sole in place, instead of mechanically fastening it (as is the common practice). The deck supports and a bulkhead under them were so rotten that I was tempted to call them "wormy". D:) An aft bilge pump was contantly running while we were inspecting the boat ( one hour) E:) Improperly bedded rails and tower supports had allowed water to seep into the foredeck and topsides coring, which has resulted in delamination. And that's the short list. The boat needs between 100 and 125K to make her usable, and possibly as much as 250K to make her "right". The broker admitted that he'd advised the owner to donate the boat as a tax write-off. BTW Fishnutz, you're right on with your your advice, that model 38 Bert (38 series II) is a dream when everything's right.

More than a few of those old Elco and Higgins hulls wound up being converted into party boats during the late 1940s and 1950s. The old Falcon out of Highlands, NJ, was one of those. Despite having an (unglassed) strip-planked plywood hull, she was still in service 40 years after she first rolled off the ways at Elco's Bayonne, NJ yard.

We also carry a satellite phone and a portable GPS in water-proof pouches in our ditchbag, not to mention a very well-equipped first aid kit.....the last item reflects my employer's preoccupation with what he learned while in pre-med, prior to his changing professions.

The Sandbar's at the Brielle Yacht Club, in NJ, Though most of the "action" occurs on Friday and Saturday nights, after the Manasquan River water taxi drops off its last load of inebriated patrons. I recall an incident a couple of years ago, where my friend, upon seeing the water taxi make its landing, turned to inform me that "Another boatload of drunken harlots just pulled up"

Wiley, you've made my day by starting up a new site....I'm glad to see a lot of familiar names here. Best of luck to you, and thanks!