TooReel

I bought my Trophy from Castaways. Doug is a nice guy. They also have a blue 24SS with twin 150 Zukes that I would buy in a heart beat if I was a little less financially responsible. Cheese Steak is no big deal. I have friends in Philly. Ask the guard if he like Geno's or Pat's. And there is a pretzel place there that is to die for. Can't recall the name.

Mike, I've driven by the plant several times now and my "demo" 24ss with twins has not been left outside the fence. I promise I will treat it right in the year or two that I demo it and see if I want to buy it.

Just put the boat in the water and did some more testing. At 6000 I'm running 42 mph and at 5000 she's running 33. My prop is a mirage 17 pitch so I'm not sure if I should calculate it at 17 or 18 pitch with the cupping but it works out to be 17p 18p 6000 rpm 42 mph 13% slip 17% slip 5000 rpm 33 mph 18% slip 22% slip Boat Test magazine reported 5000 rpm and 41 mph with their 2004 boat set up like mine. That is like .037% slip with a 18 pitch prop. Last October I hit a rock so hard it spun the hub and it (the hub) had to be replaced. Just the tips were bent and we hammered them out but I'm guessing my prop is shot and just wasn't as noticable since I've had the boat loaded light until last weekend.

Staying in Leesburg this weekend. Fourth + scallop season = me staying away from the Gulf. Since I live on Lake Harris I'll be putting the boat in tonight to avoid boat ramp drama tomorrow. Some of our friends who also live on the lake are having a party so we will take the boat there for a little cruise. If it were up to me the boat would be staying on the trailer but the admiral wants to take it out so I guess I will be staying sober and be very carefully coming home after the party and fire works.

I'd rather them stimulate my and buy some fabricated steel. Then I could do my part and buy a new boat.

Engine in question is a 2004 Mercaha 225 4-stroke. This weekend we loaded it up for a family fishing trip (Took the admiral, 14 yr old daugher, her best friend and the three year old out to a rock in 8' and they had a blast with the grunts and rock bass). Anyway, I noticed that it felt a little sluggish getting up on plane. I was running right at 4200 rpm's to maintain about 26 MPH in the channel. With my 17 pitch prop that is like 30% slip. Once we were in the gulf I pushed it up to my normal 32-33 MPH cruise and it felt fine. I forgot to note the engine rpm's at that point. Checked the prop and it had no fresh damage and with the high summertime water I have not done any rock bashing. Is something going south in my engine? I was going to have it tuned up top to bottom after this summer but now I'm worried. Engine has about 500 hours on it now. I don't know what was done before I bought it but I've only had the oil, fuel filter, impeller and lower unit oil changed since I have owned it.

If they would be so kind as to send me a 26 for a year or two I will be happy to write up a full evaluation.

Wooooooohooooo....................hope you enjoy it I have a case of 3 foot-itis so bad right now that I can't hardly stand it. But the steel biz is still kind of shaky and a new boat is not the most financially responsible thing I could do right now.

I used to like this one: http://www.gizoogle.com But it appears to be dead now.

While we are on the sea star subject...................I replaced mine a while back and have bled it several times and my boat still drives like crap when I'm in the idle zones. I'm cranking the wheel back and fourth so much that it wears me out. My friends boats drive 1000 times better. When I'm not running and tilted up my engine stays put so I don't think I have a bypass problem. Going fast it drives great. Any ideas?

No problem. Just tow it down to Florida and then nice Homosassa boat photo people will hook you up. Thanks, I bought it before joining THT so I had no idea that it was a piece of crap. Now it's hard to enjoy it worrying about it falling apart or sinking or something

That is the one I have. Works fine so far.

Where are the rod holders?

Funny how it looks like I was looking at the camera. Honestly I had no idea anyone was taking pictures. I just saw a add for the company that takes the pictures. Went online, found the pictures and bought them.

I did a bunch of probing this weekend and I think that it is more trouble than it would be worth. Plus I don't plan on keeping this boat much longer so I'll just keep using my kids as the windlass.

Homosassa river running shot.

I would like to put a windlass on my boat but have no clue as to which one or where it would go. Here is a picture of my anchor set up http://media.channelblade.com/boat_graphic...480_image20.jpg Any suggestions or pointers to get me going in the right direction?

NERD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have rod, will travel.

Packed up and moved the stuff to Homosassa for the summer. Look out fishies.

I love my Maui's with amber lenses for everyday use but they were just a bit too bright for the water. Bought a pair of Costa's and love them. I swear I could see 15' into the water this weekend. The Maui's stay in my truck and the Costa's are on the boat. Not sure blue is my color though. My wife says it washes out my complexion. WTF does that mean?

Guilty of that this weekend. Hopped it the gulf to "check the prop" and forgot my phone was in the pocket of my bathing suit.

Sorry, but I don't see a rod and reel.

You know what I'm talking about. 1, Your navigation lights work perfectly until just before sundown. 2, The more people watching you dock your boat, the more likely you are to screw up and look like it's your first day on the water. Any more?

Check your accelerator pump. With the engine off move the throttle linkage and make sure it is getting a good squirt of gas.