Wonkee
03-30-2008, 05:13 PM
Since I read about the Tiller motor posts I decided to repost this on the "good board" Well here it goes...The day started out well enough, rain through the night then a nice morning. a family member haviong the day off wanted to go out in the boat. Yeah for me! I get to try the new Rod, and catch a few fish to eat.
The Boat
Usually getting to your boat is not a problem, however when you dont use the boat and it is parked for several months in a banana patch, it can be a challenge. first I had to find it, The Family has been away for several Months due to an illness. just before they left they cut down all of the Banana trees to avoid the mess it would cause not being there to maintain. The Boat was placed at the edge of the field where the Bananas used to be. A few months later the Trees had grown all the way around the boat hiding it from plain view. next they had grown directly aginst the wheels of the trailer, making it impossible to move without tree removal. I did it, hey I get to go in the boat. Now the boat is free, and I can get it moved.
The Truck that we had to use did not have a ball, now we track down a ball, this took time as the store room is full of shutters, and it is hard to find. Found it, now to put it on, NO hole to put it through. New problem dont want to ruin the asthetics of the truck with a hole in the bumper cover so my trip was now gone, wait, I can remove the cover and go straight to the bumper and when finnished I can just put it back. Back in buisness, except where is the wrench to tighten the ball....take it to a frienmd they tighten it, back in buisness agian.
Pull boat out taking down several more Banana trees in the process, and find that the tire is flat on the trailer. ****!! well I realize it is only mostly flat and can be driven on to find air. Also need gas so this is a good thing. Go to Shell, get gas, have dissagrement on how much oil to add...11pints only got 4gal, no it should be closer to 16 well better to much than blown engine..so smoky engine. No air here Boss, off to Marsh Harbour auto parts, Air hose out, attach to fill and it is not on, drains half the air out of the better tire, now have 2 flats...on to Texaco, We have air between those to cars, way in the back. Got the air. On to Snake Cay
we get there and I am not the Best Backer in the World, but manage to get it first try....Yes! but there is no where to park, and I cant pull out in a way that I will have a way to back in to get her out. Ill deal with that later, now its time to go fish. We go to a few spots to find a couple conch, as it is costomary to make Conch salad while fishing, got to have bait. We finally get to where we are going to fish, it took forever, we were going so slow, wonder why. Time to fish.
Fishing was great..at first..broke out the Conch to find that we forgot the good knife making it a true chore to cut the conch out. get it done and now have bait. First Fish....Porgy....NO not a porgy, I don't like Porgy they smell and waste bait. Aunt Lilly will eat it. Next Fish Yellow tail, the day is saved. I decide at this time that hand lines are catching fast Ill use my Rod and reel. way fun great new rod and Reel.then an American Boat decides that it wants to troll about 10 feet from us rocking the boat, catching my line being totaly wreckless, and having no reguard for our safty, or his. breaks my line. Anchors right over the hole I had been fishing...Thanks Guy!!!
The fishing was still good so I dint complain I was on the water and having a great time. the Americans decide to leave and we didnt think much of it until I look behind me to see the Squal lines...well lets keep fishing, it is just rain. so we did and I got to hook a shark, bring him up and watch him break off. Then I t was time to go the rain was there, and the wind was starting to pick up. we pull anchor and start to go man this boat is slow, but we still have to go.
Got to the Dock, now I mentioned that I got it the first time on the way in...not so on this go round. I had to make several attempts before getting it to a spot that I could get it in deep enough to get the boat on. IT would have been easier if you could see the trailer, but you couldnt so It was alot of guess work. finally 20 min later we go to pull the boat up. it wont float on you have to line up use the motor to push onto the trailer. start the motor, back up, it dies, start agian go to put in gear, and as I do it floats over a rock hitting the prop, left a ding, man that sucks, how that rock got there is beyound us, the other on board lives there and said that the rock has just been put there, it dosnt even have any algee. Dosnt matter damage is done. put boat on trailer, start to pull out, boat slides to side almost off trailer. Back in agian, did I mention how hard it was the last time...Get it in, resettle the boat pullup, same thing. Then we realize the lower unit is catching on the new rock pulling it to the side, I go to pull up the motor, and the cowling just pops loose. Found out what the smell, and the slow problem was. A rat had decided that the engine was the best place for his nest, he had eaten all the coating off one spark plug wire, and almost through the second, the Rat he got a little warm, I hear it is a delecasy in the "Mud" well now we have that problem figured out.
So we Barley got to go and them we find out that we could have been left floating, or anchored in the sea of Abaco, but hey it all worked out, and I learned a few things, just cause the motor starts, does not mean that it is in running order, Other boats can and will ruin your day if you let them. God shows Favor to those that Favor him, and Abaco is worth every bit of trouble you go through. I knew the last one already, but it is a good reminder.
Below are a few pictures, the Hole the boat was in, the motor, the chewed plug wire insulator, and some of the fish that were caught.
The Boat
Usually getting to your boat is not a problem, however when you dont use the boat and it is parked for several months in a banana patch, it can be a challenge. first I had to find it, The Family has been away for several Months due to an illness. just before they left they cut down all of the Banana trees to avoid the mess it would cause not being there to maintain. The Boat was placed at the edge of the field where the Bananas used to be. A few months later the Trees had grown all the way around the boat hiding it from plain view. next they had grown directly aginst the wheels of the trailer, making it impossible to move without tree removal. I did it, hey I get to go in the boat. Now the boat is free, and I can get it moved.
The Truck that we had to use did not have a ball, now we track down a ball, this took time as the store room is full of shutters, and it is hard to find. Found it, now to put it on, NO hole to put it through. New problem dont want to ruin the asthetics of the truck with a hole in the bumper cover so my trip was now gone, wait, I can remove the cover and go straight to the bumper and when finnished I can just put it back. Back in buisness, except where is the wrench to tighten the ball....take it to a frienmd they tighten it, back in buisness agian.
Pull boat out taking down several more Banana trees in the process, and find that the tire is flat on the trailer. ****!! well I realize it is only mostly flat and can be driven on to find air. Also need gas so this is a good thing. Go to Shell, get gas, have dissagrement on how much oil to add...11pints only got 4gal, no it should be closer to 16 well better to much than blown engine..so smoky engine. No air here Boss, off to Marsh Harbour auto parts, Air hose out, attach to fill and it is not on, drains half the air out of the better tire, now have 2 flats...on to Texaco, We have air between those to cars, way in the back. Got the air. On to Snake Cay
we get there and I am not the Best Backer in the World, but manage to get it first try....Yes! but there is no where to park, and I cant pull out in a way that I will have a way to back in to get her out. Ill deal with that later, now its time to go fish. We go to a few spots to find a couple conch, as it is costomary to make Conch salad while fishing, got to have bait. We finally get to where we are going to fish, it took forever, we were going so slow, wonder why. Time to fish.
Fishing was great..at first..broke out the Conch to find that we forgot the good knife making it a true chore to cut the conch out. get it done and now have bait. First Fish....Porgy....NO not a porgy, I don't like Porgy they smell and waste bait. Aunt Lilly will eat it. Next Fish Yellow tail, the day is saved. I decide at this time that hand lines are catching fast Ill use my Rod and reel. way fun great new rod and Reel.then an American Boat decides that it wants to troll about 10 feet from us rocking the boat, catching my line being totaly wreckless, and having no reguard for our safty, or his. breaks my line. Anchors right over the hole I had been fishing...Thanks Guy!!!
The fishing was still good so I dint complain I was on the water and having a great time. the Americans decide to leave and we didnt think much of it until I look behind me to see the Squal lines...well lets keep fishing, it is just rain. so we did and I got to hook a shark, bring him up and watch him break off. Then I t was time to go the rain was there, and the wind was starting to pick up. we pull anchor and start to go man this boat is slow, but we still have to go.
Got to the Dock, now I mentioned that I got it the first time on the way in...not so on this go round. I had to make several attempts before getting it to a spot that I could get it in deep enough to get the boat on. IT would have been easier if you could see the trailer, but you couldnt so It was alot of guess work. finally 20 min later we go to pull the boat up. it wont float on you have to line up use the motor to push onto the trailer. start the motor, back up, it dies, start agian go to put in gear, and as I do it floats over a rock hitting the prop, left a ding, man that sucks, how that rock got there is beyound us, the other on board lives there and said that the rock has just been put there, it dosnt even have any algee. Dosnt matter damage is done. put boat on trailer, start to pull out, boat slides to side almost off trailer. Back in agian, did I mention how hard it was the last time...Get it in, resettle the boat pullup, same thing. Then we realize the lower unit is catching on the new rock pulling it to the side, I go to pull up the motor, and the cowling just pops loose. Found out what the smell, and the slow problem was. A rat had decided that the engine was the best place for his nest, he had eaten all the coating off one spark plug wire, and almost through the second, the Rat he got a little warm, I hear it is a delecasy in the "Mud" well now we have that problem figured out.
So we Barley got to go and them we find out that we could have been left floating, or anchored in the sea of Abaco, but hey it all worked out, and I learned a few things, just cause the motor starts, does not mean that it is in running order, Other boats can and will ruin your day if you let them. God shows Favor to those that Favor him, and Abaco is worth every bit of trouble you go through. I knew the last one already, but it is a good reminder.
Below are a few pictures, the Hole the boat was in, the motor, the chewed plug wire insulator, and some of the fish that were caught.