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So I was working on "The Boat" tonight....stupid name but fits me. Tried calling our dog "The Dog" but. I was shot down...it was good for "Blackie" my childhood Black retriever mix...or ""Girl" a pooch we kinda found driving home one night. A car stopped in front of us ....dog tossed and we picked up. We as in my parents pick ed up... I called her "Girl".

I could not keep the dog..but our neighbor did. They kept the name...


Soooooo


so working on boat and I opened the last bag, from the last box, from the last cart from the area I kept Boat Stuff....


I think I am done...yeah some adustments.


Yeah Gotta fit stuff... and tidy oh my lots of tidy .


But the big question...



Do I really put boat In The Water and TRY It?


Holy Molly! ,the time has come.....





So I might actually be done.




A whole new problem....do I really put The Boat in the water?

Carl

Just Do It.

Congratulations. Your only other option is call Thudd and get instructions on how to make a planter out of her.

Congratulations

What the heck, Carl, you might as well put her in...similar I guess to the “do I get married” question!
C’mon, take a deep breath !

Pictures of “ the boat” in the water and running please. We’re all waiting with baited breath
Carl!

Rocky wrote: We’re all waiting with baited breath

I had a dog with baited breath...I was chunking for Stripers with my father in law. I'd slice a bunker (menhaden) up in 4 or so pieces, one piece for the hook, one got diced and tossed as chum, the rest for later. I only snagged a few...more than enough for a couple of hours fishing. I get a fish so it's time for more bait, its all gone. I slice another and mention to my father in law to go ez on the chum, we don't have alot of bait, he nods.
Another fish comes in and all the cut bait is gone again...
Now I'm a little annoyed...here for 20 minutes and were halfway through the bait. I slice another bunker and say no need to chum anymore, fish are here and he said he didn't...with that I hear munch munch munch...my dog was eating the bait.
If your not familiar with bunker...its the oiliest, nastiest fish and there she was eating it...with Baited Breath.



On that note...I'll finish adjusting the control linkage later, a good cleaning and bilge vacuum, secure fuel lines and electrical. See how I can fit the side panels and motor boxs. I'm hoping by about that time I'll be able to see the galley table and be able to make my way up to the V-berth.

I'm on the fence about just taking for a ride and pull it or paint the bottom and maybe stay in.

I guess I'll see how things go...

While I am king of puttering vs using...you gotta do it!!! I cannot wait to hear how it goes!!!! And I want to see pictures of the ear to ear grin!!!

I just went through this same decision process. I decided to get it in the water and find the bugs knowing that I would pull it for pipe work, etc. It was a good decision as I created a list of fixes and tweaks based on running the boat and testing all systems that I would not otherwise have found.

Get her wet!

Pretty much unanimous...get er wet it is.

I'll start closing her up heading for a test ride sooner than later.

Gotta make sure VHF is still working
Make sure Life preserves are on boat
Verify towing insurance is paid up...

every project boat i have helped launch has the same problem ,that is shift linkage adjustment. one engine will not go in forward or reverse . quite a bit easier to start engine on water hose and buckets and make sure both motors respond to forward ,neutral and reverse with the levers lining up so you can advance speed with levers exactly in parallel.sometimes linkage is very sensitive just move it a touch and boat goes forward or reverse so you want to correct this also while on land.like my boat i had no idea the boat would breach at 45 degrees like a Nuclear Submarine breaking the surface then realize number one with Vulcan drive plates there are no springs also had to use a steel SAE # 2 adapter instead of the 99.9% of everybody else using aluminum SAE. adapter.i have to explain to new people in cockpit be aware when she goes on plane like an offshore race boat. put this in your notes i received this from ZF America headquarters never heard of steel SAE adapter for Cummins.

Yeah Bob, the linkage adjustments are fun.

What is even worse is I have the 2nd station switch box that adds some extra cable slop into the mix.
I was pretty close last night but need to get them running to verify the shifts. I also need to add an extra hole on the trans lever...just not enough throw on the Port trans cable to hit full in gear forward and reverse. At least the levers come off super easy on these gears...and the lever positions being adjustable is the cats meow. On the old Borg Warner it was quite the task setting them up.

Vulcan drive plates...I get the no gear rattle at low rpm but see no other real advantage of using them. Instead of springs separating, the vulcan plate isolates the two parts with a polymer. Six of one half dozen of the other. Maybe I missed something.


I'm pretty sure my boats not going to be breaching like a missile...at least I hope not. Nice easy take-off up to a plane...hoping to see 20 knts at 2400 and over shooting WOT rating by a good amount. That would put a smile on my face.

not only no rattle at idle ; when it`t in gear it`s in gear!!!!! ZERO slip will nock you off your feet in cockpit when you slam the throttles down actually on plane in four seconds.however when going to Fire Island with wife you had to baby those throttles no sudden moves, boat must be her BMW or you are going to get flamed so i let my son drive!!!!!!!

Springs or set in polymer, neither design can slip.