Calling it a season

[Blueone]

I am just putzing this weekend…pulling extension cord and water hose out from under the dock…. Having a few beers . The lake is so flat… should have gone out today….

 

[Espos4]

Hanging on here for every last nice day.

 

[Nater Potater]

View attachment 114228 View attachment 114227 Hanging on here for every last nice day.

You guys are killing me! I'm sitting at home watching the rain pour down, and thinking "I'd much rather be sitting in my boat listening to the rain hit the canvas" while sipping on a warm drink. But, it's up there; I'm down here, and still working. Tell you what, folks; April Fool's Day can't get here soon enough. Joy, thy name is Retirement!
Nice sunset picture, by the way.

 

[Skybolt]

Nope can't even talk about it. Head up the Chester tomorrow for a BBQ and dinghy ride with the wife and pup and maybe a few crushes, still have a few oranges in the fridge left. If no rain head to St. Michael's next weekend for possibly the last trip, not the last time out though. Hopefully the marina will wait to turn off the water until mid-late November. Can't cal it quit's yet, I'm from the north it's not even cold yet, still high 60's low 70's. Almost a month left ... Winterize over Thanks Giving. Halloween was always my last real trip, don't see any reason to change that.

 

[Skybolt]

View attachment 114228 View attachment 114227 Hanging on here for every last nice day.

Looks like a nice shot of the great south bay, nice!

 

[Blueone]

listening to the rain hit the canvas" while sipping on a warm drink. .

Like a coffee?… sounds very nice

 

[Espos4]

Looks like a nice shot of the great south bay, nice!

Yup, that was on our way back to Blue Point from Watch Hill.

 

[Thornton69]

Went to marina today to drain/ winterize fresh water system. Just could not do it. Was too nice out. Will wait a while. Going cruising tomorrow.

You can always pack a couple jugs of fresh water with you too ya know. That's what we do. Have already had to scrape the frost off the vehicle windows this year a couple times. We don't let that stop us. Heading out tomorrow with the wife for an overnight trip for crab and prawns.

 

[Blueone]

Okay…. Now this is how you end the season. Boat gets pulled tomorrow at 1:30… So plan is I go up today drop off golf cart body at painter and clean out the few remaining things on the boat…. mainly beer, vodka and scotch…. In that order
Get to work this morning plan was to just to check on things and head out….get there and informed major customer is coming in at 8:00am. Okay a bit of a surprise…. 3 top guys want to go over our performance and forecast for next three years… yikes…. As they are doing their presentation…. My golf cart painter who is 2-1/2 hours away is asking if I can come an hour early… yikes again!!. So customer leaves at 10:30….just enough time to get to painter. Drive to painter ..that all goes smooth…now to the boat ….check weather ….and oh shit moment.

get to boat around 2:30….sunny…but stiff 20/25 knot east wind. Thinking I should get a pump out now rather then wait for the 100% rain tomorrow…. Then think if I am going to do that I should probably go the hour to the hoist marina….so I call and they have a slip for the night. Away I go…. Get to tip of Marblehead and waves are 4’-6’…. I hit two waves at 8’+… and rattled the boat…. So not good ..can’t see a thing

So as I get between Kelly’s and Catawba things settle down to 4’-5’…. Find entrance and pull into slip in 25 knot east winds ….like I knew what I was doing….Starboard side of course…..like I had thrusters

tie up ……can’t believe I did that solo…. Not sure such a great idea…but as usual NOAA is a little off on the forecast… by a couple feet… not blaming them as I always suspect the worst…. But don’t expect it every single time

Get tied up… wipe interior down and put up canvas ….and turn heaters on…. Time to empty fridge…. One beer at a time… put clothes away…get settled in.

Now my boat has a swing door to master stateroom….2005 they went to a pocket door. That swing door when open is held open by a magnet at the bottom….if you leave it open in rough seas it will slam closed and knock the flipping day lights out of the handle mechanism to pieces….I know this…so I always close it under way…

Go to open the door and it is what I think locked…. No problem get a pin and unlock it….now I keep my small tool bag in the master closet at the bottom….so I have no tools locked out….I have my backpack so dump it out and miraculously find a paper clip….. nothing…no movement …. Go to aft bathroom door and try it ..it works perfect …. Damn… maybe it’s a bit stuck…. So keep in mind I don’t have a vehicle and stuck in a strange marina with no one around… so start bending my wife’s cutlery ….surely she won’t miss a few…. Nothing.

call a cab to take me back to marina to get my car…. On way back stop at the most expensive hardware store on the planet…you can literally stand in the parking lot and look at hardware store and west marine in the same strip mall and decide which one is going to be more expensive….. of course west marine was closed at 6:00….so hardware store. so I cheap out and buy a $9 set of Allen wrenches just thinking I can knock the lock button out with something heavier then a paper clip…… pic of the culprit

Innocent looking…. So try the Allen wrenches ….nothing….thought I needed something to smack the Allen wrench….thinking all the time the rough seas messed with the mechanism…..so my spares are under the floor…. only thing I had was a prop nut…..

okay…. Now I am getting frustrated.

Paper clip, your wife’s bent cutlery and pound marks on your spare prop nut….. plastic fork was an embarrassing early effort

okay …time to get serious. I knew I had a drill under the passenger seat in the cockpit …. I also knew this door handle had given me fits before….so it needed to leave the boat…. So back to the most expensive hardware on the planet….. bought a drill bit for $14 and a screwdriver set for $28….. so I am $50 in with the Allen wrenches.

First hole at lock….nothing….second hole hit the screw holding the two sides together…. The thing fell apart

so in the end no damage was done to the door…. Tools will be stored under the floor in salon in the future. If you have this kind of handle and it broke….throw it out…. I thought I fixed this one and obviously not.

in any event ….I am this far from the lift that is going to end the season…. Cheers to next season….stay safe until then.

 

[Christo]

Wow Blue, you’ve had quite a day, I’m exhausted just reading your adventure, hope you took care of the vodka and scotch after that, lol.

 

[Jaybeaux]

Wow! As they say, any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing!

 

[firecadet613]

Blue you need to start writing novels!

 

[Pirate Lady]

You do know those handle assemblies were custom made and no longer available, custom size too, so no others will fit. Kidding, but wouldn't be surprised if true 'The Sea Ray Way'.

 

[Blueone]

You do know those handle assemblies were custom made and no longer available, custom size too, so no others will fit. Kidding, but wouldn't be surprised if true 'The Sea Ray Way'.

When it fell apart the first time … I looked and flounder had them. But I opted to repair. In this case I was screwed ..it had to come out

 

[OllieC]

2022 Boat Maintenance List
1. Door Handle
2. .....

 

[Blueone]

Tumbleweed is in the building !!

This is my first time at this facility sight unseen… went on recommendation from some dock neighbors. The disadvantage for me was the 3-4 mile trailer ride had me nervous. This is Dubberts’s new facility. I was very impressed… incredibly clean, 64 deg heated, left room around the boat based on my input, 24 access, porta potti but upscale, crazy security system with cameras everywhere , ladders for you to use including extension cords, 30 amp service. Everything is brand new including truck and trailer to transport you …… I think I am in love The place is $1,000 cheaper then the dump I have been using with limited access.

 

[Fill Ess]

Nice! Dreaming of heated indoor storage .....

 

[Christo]

Wow, very nice! Wish I had access to my boat over the winter, that must be great.

 

[firecadet613]

Tumbleweed is in the building !!

This is my first time at this facility sight unseen… went on recommendation from some dock neighbors. The disadvantage for me was the 3-4 mile trailer ride had me nervous. This is Dubberts’s new facility. I was very impressed… incredibly clean, 64 deg heated, left room around the boat based on my input, 24 access, porta potti but upscale, crazy security system with cameras everywhere , ladders for you to use including extension cords, 30 amp service. Everything is brand new including truck and trailer to transport you …… I think I am in love The place is $1,000 cheaper then the dump I have been using with limited access.

View attachment 114658 View attachment 114659 View attachment 114660 View attachment 114661 View attachment 114662

Dammnit that's nice! Between @Blueone and @MonacoMike I'm real close to going indoor heated next year...

 

[my3sons]

That place looks great. Wait, where’s all the jet skis? Don’t they know they are supposed to have something jammed into every conceivable open space?

actually, I don’t mind our place because I’m not here most of the winter and wouldn’t be going there anyway. Most of the boats are out by the time I go into the building, which is why I’m in the back row. Our marina (not where we store) doesn’t open until May 15th. Kind of is a pain when I realize I forgot to grab something off of the boat that I want to take to Florida and have to spend 10 minutes searching for a way to get back there though.
But I like the yard manager, he’s well experienced and it’s a good fit for us.
Just a thought though, you might want to ask your guy if he thinks 3 keel blocks under those big boats are enough.
Nice you don’t have to winterize