aplumma Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Well here I am awake at 4:00 am packing to move the boat from Deale Maryland to Occoquan Virginia a 160 mile trip on a boat I have never driven. To do this feat Joe volunteered to be the wheel man so off we go on a 1 hour drive to pick up my cohort Mike Smith to help me drive the boat around. After getting Mike who was feeling alittle under the weather but still game we drove 1.5 hours to Deale were we dropped off Mike and I to get the adventure started. Joe had the sad duty to drive home in the car but their is always more trips to take and someone had to be the wheel man. (thanks Joe) We fired up the twin 318's and they were murmuring and rasping ready to get underway at 500 rpms they were just hinting at what they could do if given a little more fuel. We cast off the lines and started out of the slip using the twin levers like the skid steering of a bobcat for 28x11 this boat turns on its own dimensions. We rolled out of the marina and the 2 miles of no wake and cleared the point to be greeted by flat water and a sun peeking thru the clouds.][ We bumped it up to 3,000 and the nose popped up and flattened out to about a 2 degree angle and we were doing 27 miles an hour. I backed the trim tabs all the way off and the nose raised to 3 degrees and lost 1 mph so a little trim down and we were off to the races. At about 25 miles out smoke started coming out of the hatch and the port engine was louder so we shutdown to find what had given out. We found that the exhaust hose had steamed because the water flow to the header was blocked by rust. With a pick and a few choice cuss words we cleared the water passage and it was 1/4 roll of duct tape and a beer can to the rescue. We rolled on up back on plane and checked for other issues but we were clean and green to go so we rolled up to 3200 rpms to get us up to 29 mph in a 1 foot chop. The weather was good and Mike was feeling better so we decided to give the motors a break and troll for Striper's for a little while as we came over devils hole a known stripper hangout. While the hole did not pay off we found that one motor at 500 rpms gave us 2.75 mph as a trolling speed so we were happy to shutdown the port motor and give it a breather. With no fish in sight we figured it was time to get back to motoring so it was light off the port motor and get back on plane....... With one small problem the port motor would backfire at 2000 rpms and hesitate so we shut down to solve this mystery. The fuel filter was clear with out any water so we looked to other answers and found the choke (Bi-Metal) sticking so we moved it to the open position and fired it up to test. We are back on plane and rolling up the river into some nasty clouds and rain with the wipers going and the trim down to plant the nose alittle better between the 3 ft seas. The boat is cutting very well with not as much slamming as I expected but we backed down to 22 mph to make it easier on the humans in the boat. We refueled at a place called Aqualand that has some very special memories from our Jet skiing days involving alcohol and wimmins and being first at the finish line. We idled out and back into the main river $ 266.00 poorer but glad they were open and had fuel for the early seasons boaters. We fell in behind a 38ft boat running up the river and had them iron out the waves for us and we were doing 28 mph. The Lowrance 525 was one of the best investments we have made and it was showing all of the buoys and reading depths at all speeds. We finished the run pulled into Occuquan river and idled up to the new home for the boat. After tieing the boat up at slip 16 and shutting down all the systems we put on the weather top lowered the antenna and called it a long day. Thats how I spent my Saturday and with a short list of things to repair after a 160 mile run the boat has been deemed fit for the Summer fun. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Beautiful! Just beautiful. I hereby invite myself to a striper party this season :-) Good stuff, Art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 (edited) Great to hear the trip went smooth and safe Art, sounds like a fun day, and you can't complain too much about a few minor mechanical troubles on a maiden voyage. Edited April 15, 2007 by lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecxstriper Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 (edited) Beautiful! Just beautiful. I hereby invite myself to a striper party this season :-) Good stuff, Art. I'll bring the bait and Beer, and forget Stripers I'm thinking Tuna . Nice pics and report Edited April 15, 2007 by ALEX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Art, Awesome report brother!! sounds like a fun trip!! and the problems experienced minor compared to the feeling you had taking her out on your first trip with her... Good on yah brother and I think I speak for all of us when I say I look forward to this summers reports from her and the two brothers at the helm. Gerritt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjsa Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Where the heck is my invite, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjsa Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 And, a roll of duct tape, and cuss words, work wonders in most situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Fantastic report Art! Glad you had a good time! Whopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daplumma Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I hereby invite anyone from OFC who is in the Washinton DC area out for a fishing trip complete with beer and tackle.Seriously,if any of y'all find yourself travelling thru the area let Art or me know,we have plenty of room and if you have time we can get you out on the river. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I hereby invite anyone from OFC who is in the Washinton DC area out for a fishing trip complete with beer and tackle.Seriously,if any of y'all find yourself travelling thru the area let Art or me know,we have plenty of room and if you have time we can get you out on the river. Joe And you say this to the traveling fisherman Whopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecxstriper Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 you two are the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daplumma Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Anytime Phil and Alex. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Leave it to Art to have a beer can available at 5 am ! LOL Congrats on getting her home bud. A 3 hour cruise with memories of Ginger and Mary Anne...that's pretty close to what we thought may happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Glad you got her home Art. She's sure a beaut and I bet you two will enjoy her for many years to come. Good Stuff Joey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted April 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 As Joe has mentioned if anyone is passing thru the Washington area give a shout and with alittle time we can sneak down to the river and get some fishin done. I have a little more homework to do now with the big boat I have alot more water to learn as far as were the big Catfish and Stripers are hidding. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddyk Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I felt like I was on the trip with you guys. Sounds great. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioFisherman Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Were did you guys find a beer can on a boat? Or was it floating by in the water? LOL Great looking ride, always liked the classic style! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GbayGiant Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I'm glad everything worked out for you guys, nice looking boat. Wow, only $266 to fill her up, that's cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greencoachdog Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Great report, pics, and a heckuva nice boat!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Best Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Glad to hear that she worked out just fine on her maiden voyage,boy she 's a beauty,I thought I'd call ,but when I read about the journey you were embarking on ,I thought I'd better wait till tonight...lol....TC and ttyt.....Chuck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishindevil Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Thanks art for sharing your trip of the maiden voyage with us,hey other than a few problems it sounded like it was an awsome trip and worth every penny on gas,glad you got everything all figured out,and now you have good weather comming soon to enjoy her....cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motv8tr Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 She's a thing of beauty boys, glad the three hour tour didn't turn out like the S.S. Minnow , and ya just never know when I might show up in Washington seeing as how I have family in the area Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickNblock Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Artie me lad.... 'CleanNgreen.............Duct-tapeNbeercan..........AlcoholNwimmins'....... Love that southern talk bud...love it. From the sounds of it your in for one heck of a summer.....nice rig. Nothing but the best of thoughts to both you and Joe. Looking forward to a next g2g. Tell Joe that I finally wore a hole in one leg of them thar jeans.........sure stood the test of time endurring many days of brickNblock laying covering several provinces and weather from the +30's to the -40's. ...pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crappiesteve Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Art,that is one sweet looking boat bud.Glad that everything went well on your ride home with the new Crusie ship Like Roy said,when do we meet up for some Stripper fishing,That would be awesome bud. Congrats on the new toy,you guys will no doubt have a blast with it.By the way whats the girls new name going to be? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I vote for "Coonnasseur" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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