My 2012 Season - Lake Michigan Style

Nice video, you boat in a great area. We visited once on the way back from Chicago and has a very nice stay.
 
Great video, I have the same boat in red and it looks like we use them the same, A nice mix of fishing and boating. I just started to set my boat up for fishing last year and I still have a few things to figure out. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions about your setup.


1. Is your downrigger board removable? if so, how does it attach?
2. What did you use for your rocket launchers and how are they mounted?
3. Are you able to haul your raft with your fishing stuff attached? Where do you store your outboard?
4. Did I see a drop curtain off of your bimini? How does that work out? I am contemplating getting one made.
5. Do you run all four downriggers and dipseys? I have a 3 rigger setup with 2 dipseys on each side and was debating adding another rigger mount.
6. How do you mount your cooler on you swim platform? I'm looking for a quick and clean way to mount mine.

This is my setup: http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj506/worzy1014/IMG_3262_zpsac2f24e3.jpg

Thanks,
Nate
 
1. Yes, I drilled the teak rails (forstner bit for a clean hole and backed up the teak to prevent chip out) and attached screw on t-nuts (available from Rockler Woodworking http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1641&site=ROCKLER). The board is then attached with stainless 5/16" machine bolts and fender washers. The board is notched on the ends so I can still use the camper top. My goal has always been to maintain the basic boat for resale so there isn't a ton of holes drilled everywhere. The concession is that I lose the transom door when rigged for fishing.

2.They are from Great Lakes Holders. Screwed to the arch with flat head sheet metal screws bedded in 4200 sealant. That is plenty strong for the purpose.
http://www.greatlakesholders.com/products-page/rocket-launchers/4-place-rocket-launcher

3. The admiral requests that the vacation house isn't used to fish, so the riggers are left behind on the vacation cruise and all fishing is done from the dinghy. If I had weaver davits, I might be able to get the dinghy on with the riggers because the dinghy would lay down more. Not sure about that. We just lay the outboard down in the cockpit somewhere out of our way on something to protect the carpet.

4. Drop curtain is a must. Keeps me warm, keeps me dry, keeps the biting flies out. The window is screened so it is all weather. I would change the doorway to a zip out design of some kind. Mine rolls up which is ok, but a bit awkward because of the shape. The curtain snaps to the fiberglass surface over the aft cabin window.

5. Some combination of 4 riggers, 2 divers, and 4 boards depending on conditions and licenses on board. Having one less rigger wouldn't be a big deal to me.

6. The cooler attaches with a small line with a clip from the rail on one side and the boarding handle on the other. I have a loop tied to the cooler handles to accept the clips. It's a bit of a Clampett arrangement that seems to work well enough. There's probably a better mousetrap for that.

Here's the best views I have that show the set up.
Springlaunch-1.jpg

setup2.jpg

setup1.jpg
 
great video, Nice job. Hopefully we get some water this year to bring the levels up. :(

LK
 
Nice video and nice boat Play Dough. You showed what Michigan is all about! We have docked next to you in Harbor View before.

100_7534.jpg


I'm with you on the drop curtain. I made my own last year and would never be without one!
 
Getaway, Drop by when you're in the neighborhood. We can swap fishing lies. Hopefully, we were good neighbors. We're at the end of C-dock now. Far right edge in your picture behind the Tiara. My former boat was a 268DA. Loved that machine but wanted more beam when we started vacation cruising. We did the North Channel in the 268. If you haven't been there, put it on your list. Trailer to Detour and cruise east. Take two weeks...or more. Best boating vacation I've taken. Other's have been nice but don't compare.
 
Boat looks awsome, The vacation pics are fantastic. We make evey attempt to cross the pond we can. Sure got my blood going! Thanks for posting.
 
play dough said:
Getaway, Drop by when you're in the neighborhood. We can swap fishing lies. Hopefully, we were good neighbors. We're at the end of C-dock now. Far right edge in your picture behind the Tiara. My former boat was a 268DA. Loved that machine but wanted more beam when we started vacation cruising. We did the North Channel in the 268. If you haven't been there, put it on your list. Trailer to Detour and cruise east. Take two weeks...or more. Best boating vacation I've taken. Other's have been nice but don't compare.
Click to expand...

Will do! You mentioned to us about your old 268. I keep talking to the wife about a trip to the North Channel. She's a little worried about getting into heavy seas, but I just about have her talked into it. I would love to move up to a 300, but I'm still fishing salmon tournaments on Lake Huron and Lake Michigan both and need the trailer-ability for now. Last year, during the month of July, we were in Ludington, Manistee, Charlevoix and Frankfort on different weekends while cruising the Saginaw River/Bay in Bay City during the week after work. Ran a lot of gas through the truck, but we sure made great memories with the wife and kids.

If we were to commit to a port and do more vacation cruising, a wider beam like you have would be a must.

BTW, No worries, you two were great neighbors!
 
Thanks for the great info, I plan on having a drop curtain made this spring. I think that it will increase comfort in a lot of situations. I was debating adding an extension off of the back of the bimini to allow some space for seating in the jump seats with the drop curtain up.
 
worzy1014 said:
Thanks for the great info, I plan on having a drop curtain made this spring. I think that it will increase comfort in a lot of situations. I was debating adding an extension off of the back of the bimini to allow some space for seating in the jump seats with the drop curtain up.
Click to expand...

Once you're that far aft, you might as well go with the camper enclosure. Dropping immediately aft of the seat allows snap attachment to the mid-cabin glass and zipping to the side curtains. The doorway of my drop snaps in a couple places to the floor. That works poorly and just ends up flapping in any kind of significant wind. We have the convertible top with drop and the full camper. They both have their time and place although the camper isn't used nearly as much because of our fishing activity.
 
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