August Boating Plans and Stories!
 

Wow already August.. What a GREAT summer thus far. Boat has run great and still A LOT of summer to go... Many good plans. This weekend dock party, following heading to Fall River Mass for a Poker Run, then will be up for the Timberman Triathelon (watching my friend, I'm not that crazy) then over to the Forum Fest!! Following weekend is my son's 3rd bday! and finally Labor Day, but that is in Sept. so we will have to wait for the Sept. thread...

What does everyone else have planned?

Working this week.
 

And weekend. Will miss the Formula Poker Run Saturday. However I have Monday thu Wednesday off next week. Hopefully the weather will be great.

I love boating during the week!

Reading...watching!!
 

Hmmm! Sitting in the 98-99-100 degrees Alabama is serving up and reading about how wonderful and warm and all the weather is up there...I see it got over that 45-55 and rainy stuff we had quite a bit when we were up in early June!! Oh well..I'm happy for "y'all"! I plan to be watching on the 21st in the hopes there is a video link of some sort at Forum Fest...that'll be fun!! Enjoy the summer...I lived there a long time and know these great ones don't come along just any old time!!

Boating,boating and then I think I'll do some more boating. What a great life on the lake.

assistance
 

Just when you wonder where the neighbor help is, it shows up. on the 29th of July I woke up and checked my boat. It was sunk at the pier.:eek: there was a slight wave action and getting the boat up was a pain. In comes a neighbor on a Kayak and he spent three hours I think helping me get the boat off the bottom, bailed out and pulled into the boat house to be picked up out of water. Thanks to Bob it got done. Only the cause of the sinking was my own fault. I had worked on the drain plug and used caulking instead of silicone and it washed out.

I'm a part timer but I'm here now. Took my old Baja out today and finally got to really use it as intended. I've had it about 14 months now and it's finally mechanically correct.
Today I took the kids & wife for ice cream after an early supper. We had a nice ride up to Center Harbor from just above Trexler's. When we started home it was 7:30 and the light was fading so I looked for my stern lamp, couldn't find it anywhere.
A guy in a yellow Donzi Classic left the Center Harbor docks at the same time as I did and jumped right up to speed as I was discovering my lamp was missing. So being the optimist I am and having just had my boat in chop all afternoon I told the kids to hold on and we would rip it home. We ran home at 45MPH indicated. I followed the Donzi below the lighted marker and then he peeled off toward Pine Island to the east.
What a fun ride boiling along in smooth water on a weekend evening!
You need to understand that I grew up with a 68 Evinrude 115 that would go 32 on a good day. The 5.7 Baja felt like it loved going 45, it wasn't maxed, there was a little more throttle, but I was doing the limit and there's not much sense in overrevving and risking both a ticket and engine issues. I sure would like to put a speed prop on there. I'd guess it might turn a 23" propeller with the way it was pulling the 19 pitch that's on there now.
Oh well, maybe somewhere else where speed limits are higher.
Whatever, I thoroughly enjoyed my fast ride. We made it to the dock before the sun set, and when I got done tying up I looked down and there in the gunnel was the stern lamp hiding behind my paddle. Oh well, burned an extra gallon, but I sure did smile.

Maybe you already know Baja guy, but if your boat could turn more prop you should put one on there. You should be able to run at the max RPM's for your motor at full throttle under an average load on board.

That's going by the book anyway. Being able to go over RPM or not being able to reach max rpm;s could cause motor damage.

Sounds like fun. My boat seems to like 40+ MPH too, and it does not use much more gas to do it. At worst, I pay a 10% penalty in fuel economy when going 40 instead of 30. My MPG at 25 is worse than it is at 40 too... That said, I have to run 3600 to 3800 RPM (depending on load) to maintain 40 and my basic 7.4 MPI engine is not built for sustained running at those speeds.

You need to know your WOT RPM with the 19" prop before jumping to a 23". If the engine cannot reach it's normal WOT with a 23" prop, you'll shorten the life of the valves by lugging it.

Alpha?
 

Baja, I agree with Dave R and LR here regarding the RPM. If you are running an Alpha Drive, I have a 23P Stainless Mercruiser prop you can borrow to test with.

Send me a PM.

You are right to say I could use some more prop. The only hard part is explaining it to my finance department when I tell her not to spend too much on the kids etc. At any rate it sure isn't lugging now and I don't run past 4600 RPM which is the max. But it was feeling so good the other night with my new plug wires I kinda wish I had the big pitched wheel. I may take you up on that tryout Vita!

Bravo I props
 

I have a 23 and 25 pitch 3 blade for you to try. Will sell for BRO.

Currently running 24 Pitch 4 blade wheel.

Anyone have a 4 blade, Bravo 1, Left Handed Prop? I would love to try one to potentially buy. But if it isn't for sale I would love to at least try it. You are welcome to come for the ride...

Thanks

24" 4 blade
 

I will let you try my wheel. Would love to take a ride on that 'Active Thunder'. I am working Friday and Sunday. Have the other days off. :D

Perfect day today
 

Put 6 hrs on the clock. The lake traffic was very light. I was surprise to see the number of boats rafting at Braun Bay, Timber and West Alton.

I saw the MP 4 times today. At both ends of the Weirs Channel, One South of GI bridge and one coming into Wolfeboro. Most I have seen in one day this year. All were chasing those who have violated 150' rules.

The kids were able to tube and waterski without problems. I notice a lot of watersports today. Like decades ago. A classic Winni day.

Someone speed through the 6 pack today. I was in the middle to the right at no wake speed. I was yelling at him and motion him to slow down. He just wave at me without slowing down. I got his bow number. A NJ bowrider loaded with kids. Called it in.

Another Winni moment.

I have some hydromotives that you are welcome to try

As far as I know, the six pack is not a NWZ.

It is a rare thing for people to slow down through the 6 pack for a boat coming the other way. I went through in the afternoon and was going slow. 4 boats coming the other way all sped right threw. Going speed there was very little wake so no big deal, but it is probably only 100 feet across.

You'd be calling a lot of boats in if you spent much time over that way. :D

I agree with Dave R. I have not seen no wake bouys posted at the six pack. When I came through this weekend there were 4 boats all with the bows high in the water throwing a big wake. There would have been less traffic and waves if they would have stayed on plane.

Sounds like Tuesday was great for some of you too. I had just one of my 2 kids so we had a dad date. Went over to Y landing for no reason & then on to Center Harbor to see if anything was going to happen there. Alas not a single bonehead to be seen.
After hanging around a bit I gave my daughter the helm for a mile or two. That was fun since she's not old enough to drive a car yet. It's good for them to understand what the shift, trim & throttle do. You never know when there will be a problem. Of course she declared that she could take it to the ramp for me when I pull it, but I don't think so, not yet. I told her that this boat is kind of special to me and I didn't think I could just hand it off to a teen. Plus it's too powerful for a kid in my view. We walk before we run.
I just want to go on record as saying that lake weekdays are a lot like 40 years ago when I first was on Winni. Very few boats, lots of room to operate, no idiots. In a word, idyllic.
Now if I could just break my wife & kids of their need to go to the ocean I'd be all set! That's where I will spend the rest of the week, miss you lake!

It isn't a no wake zone, but is less than 150' across according to NHMP.

Gotcha. Does seem somewhat narrow.

August been great!
 

77 hours on the clock this year. Last time I had that much hours was summer of 2000, when I had almost 200 hours. Growing up on the big lake, I use to averge over 200 hrs, until the gas prices make me think twice about cruising.

Last week after the storm, the Broads shows its 'wild side'. It was fun.

Should hit 80 hours before the weekend gets here. :)

Or Eleven Sunfish lengths...
 

150-feet is two ski-rope lengths (+ a little). ;)