helmswatch
Member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2009
- Messages
- 16
- Fluid Motion Model
- C-24 C (Sterndrive)
- Non-Fluid Motion Model
- Morgan Out Island Ketch 36
- Vessel Name
- Chalupa
Well, we splashed Chalupa Wednesday night! What a day! Departed the boat ramp to go a couple miles down South Creek to our dock and boy was I in heaven! Chalupa and I bonded right from the git go. I was telling her how cute she was and how I was going to take care of her and she just kept cooing and purring along the way.
Then it happened...she started running a fever. The alarm went off & I immediately shut her down and checked her engine....oh yeah, she was definitely had a fever! I drifted a bit but the wind started picking up to about 15 mph and quickly got up to around 20-25. As I zipped along the creek I noticed I was going to pass the old broken down Aurora Town Marina so I coaxed her to it and tied up there. A quick check confirmed the obvious, the impeller was shot. Now, on our other boats we keep lots of spares of many things but I was out of luck on the new boat. My old CPO in the Coast Guard would have chewed me out for departing in such an ill-prepared manner!
Finally got a hold of an impeller and was on my way again, but now it was dark, the air was thick with moisture, and the wind was really kicking. South Creek is a typical "redneck" creek. In God's infinite wisdom, I believe he made these creeks to thin out the herd of drunken fishermen and operators of jet skis who grace our waterway. All the twists and turns of the creek, along with the submerged rocks and tree stumps, every now and again reach up and cull another errant boat operator. But being very dark and misty, and with that distracting wind, what if the creek gods made a mistake and grabbed me? So there I was, with my arm stretched out one window trying to get to illuminate the distant markers and not blind me with it's reflection off of the boat, one hand on the wheel, my eyes peering head, on the depth sounder and chart plotter which displayed only the creek, minus depths, markers, and such, I chugged onward. I finally made it to our dock and it was only then that I realized that I had been operating at a pucker factor of 10 squared and my hinny suction had just about turned me inside out! Damn I had a great time!
Then it happened...she started running a fever. The alarm went off & I immediately shut her down and checked her engine....oh yeah, she was definitely had a fever! I drifted a bit but the wind started picking up to about 15 mph and quickly got up to around 20-25. As I zipped along the creek I noticed I was going to pass the old broken down Aurora Town Marina so I coaxed her to it and tied up there. A quick check confirmed the obvious, the impeller was shot. Now, on our other boats we keep lots of spares of many things but I was out of luck on the new boat. My old CPO in the Coast Guard would have chewed me out for departing in such an ill-prepared manner!
Finally got a hold of an impeller and was on my way again, but now it was dark, the air was thick with moisture, and the wind was really kicking. South Creek is a typical "redneck" creek. In God's infinite wisdom, I believe he made these creeks to thin out the herd of drunken fishermen and operators of jet skis who grace our waterway. All the twists and turns of the creek, along with the submerged rocks and tree stumps, every now and again reach up and cull another errant boat operator. But being very dark and misty, and with that distracting wind, what if the creek gods made a mistake and grabbed me? So there I was, with my arm stretched out one window trying to get to illuminate the distant markers and not blind me with it's reflection off of the boat, one hand on the wheel, my eyes peering head, on the depth sounder and chart plotter which displayed only the creek, minus depths, markers, and such, I chugged onward. I finally made it to our dock and it was only then that I realized that I had been operating at a pucker factor of 10 squared and my hinny suction had just about turned me inside out! Damn I had a great time!