The Maiden Voyage

Well it took over 6 months, but I was finally able to put the boat in the water and start to break in the motor.

I ran the motor for the first hour at 2000 RPM, the second hour at 3000 RPM and after that I was able to vary speeds.

The boat performed beautifully and I cannot wait to take the family out on it this weekend. We are going to head to Lake Hodges in Escondido for a mellow little lake tour. I've never been on the lake so it should be fun.

Pics from the break-in:








Click on the picture below to launch a quick video.

From 15' Boston Whaler Sport

Final modification

After much debate and deliberation on how and where to install the fuel filter, my Racor external fuel filter/water separator is now successfully installed in the rear splashwell. I really like this location as it is out of the way and maximizes the room between the aft thwart seat and the motor.

Check out the before and after shots. Quite a difference.

Interior Installation (cont'd)

Interior installation finally complete!

With Amy's help and her keen ability to make sure things are straight and look good, we installed the throttle control on the side rail. The steering assembly went on without a hitch and the tachometer installation was pretty straightforward (at least I think it was). I just matched the colors from the tach to the colors on the throttle control. I was one gas tank tie-down short so I fabricated one out of an old piece of cutting board I had lying around. After some help from the good people at San Diego Marine Exchange to help me fix the threads on the gas tank, the gas tank is in the boat and ready to be hooked up. I bought some webbing material and some clips to make a few straps to secure the tank in place.

I'm still struggling a bit to find a good location for the external fuel filter. I wanted to mount it underneath the motor, but it is very tall (over 9") and needs at least a 1" clearance underneath to change the element. I am going to explore a few options and maybe have someone fabricate a bracket.

The registration stickers and CF numbers will go on this week and then I'll be ready to put some gas in the tank and start her up. The break-in is approximately 10 hours total. The first hour requires you to run the motor at approximately 2,000 RPM and the second hour is around 2,500 RPM. The next eight hours simply require that you do not run at WOT (wide open throttle) for any extended amount of time.

I may take a day off and break in the motor on Monday if all goes well later this week and weekend.

Stay tuned....

Before and After

This is what the boat looked like the night I brought it home. Pretty nasty at the time but I knew there was a solid boat underneath all that grime and peeling varnish....

Testing the fit of the newly varnished interior.

Farewell to The Brain

Yesterday we said farewell to Brian "The Brain" Mantuano as he left SAP for greener pastures. We wish Brian the best and hope his new job allows ample time for Surfing, Snowboarding and hopefully some Wakeboarding (if I ever get the boat done). I leave you with a clip of Brian soaring in Mammoth, CA........Go Big!

Project Update

Here are a few shots of the boat after some light wetsanding and compounding.


Next steps are to finish the polishing and then put two coats of good marine wax. Once the wax is done then I can install the newly varnished mahogany interior.

She's almost back to life!

Mammoth Cornice Drop

Varnishing Update

It has been over a month since I last worked on the interior so I thought it was time to get back at it as I can't rig the steering, throttle, etc. until the interior is installed.

I sanded with 220 grit and proceeded to apply a full strength batch of varnish. The weather was quite warm and the varnish was going on very thick. After I let it dry for a few days, I started to sand the wood and noticed a few "gummy" spots. I realized that the full strength varnish is just too thick. After some careful scraping with a razor blade and some more sanding, I was ready to start varnishing again.

With limited time (and space) I juggled some stuff in the garage so that I could varnish at night after work. I diluted the remaining varnish to a 10:1 ratio with thinner. The varnish went on much easier and after two days it is ready to sand.

I missed a couple of spots due to the lighting (or lack thereof) but overall I am happy with the outcome so far given what the wood looked like before I started.

The next steps are to get some 320 sandpaper, rough up the wood a bit and apply two more coats. Once the wood is done, I will attack the fiberglass work.

Stay tuned..............