To be launched on Thursday!

[IRGuy]

I am psyched to tell you all that my 1983 B33 FBC "Phoenix" will be launched in two days after two years in a boatyard building undergoing a major rebuild/refit.

She has been painted, had my own design air boxes installed, had a major electrical system (12 and 120 volt) rebuild, had all new stainless deck fittings installed, had some areas of rotted wood (mostly backing for fittings) replaced with PVC and aluminum plate, had a new teak cabin door installed, had aft cabin bulkhead repairs made, had new custom window frames built and installed in the same bulkhead, and had improvements to the bilge pump and high water alarm system made, as well as a cockpit hatch gutter drain system installed... plus many more small issues were replaced/rebuilt/repaired. I did not shoot the paint, but with your help was able to do everything else myself.

Once again I must say here the information many of you provided in answer to my many questions was of tremendous help as I began this project as a neophyte. There is a little bit of many of you in her, and she carries your advice and suggestions within her as I bring her home as a "new" boat. While I might not have had direct correspondance with many of you, please know that while your comments in this forum might have not been directed to me personally, I have read all the posts you all have made over the past 3-4 years, and borrowed your suggestions and fit them to my needs. You all own a bit of her!

With you all to thank, I would be remiss if I did not offer a direct and personal thanks to Captrain Patrick, whose advice to me and others here has been invaluable.

And finally.. and sadly.. Thank you Uncle Vic. "Phoenix", and me personally, are better for having benefited from your sage advice and wisdom. I will always remember that the enemy of good is better!

[Bertramp]

CONGRATS !!!

[Harry Babb]

Frank
I only read your post Title......will come back and read the entire post tonight......but I surely want to congratulate you......I remember you and I had a few conversations about rebuilding the 6B's several years ago at the beginning of your quest.

I can assure you that you will feel many emotions but the best one is when you crack the throttles open and let the ole girl breathe! ! !

Good for you my friend....

Pics??

hb

[JH_B28]

Those are great news frank! I'm sure you will enjoy her after all those years of hard work.

Congrats!

Post pics after the launch!

[PeterPalmieri]

Best of luck!

[Charlie J]

frank
hope to see it in a few weeks

[Brewster Minton]

Pics!!!!

[BOBMX]

hope to be about 4 months behind you...

[Bob H.]

Nice job Frank...get her wet and enjoy the heck out of her...ditto on the pics...were a visual bunch...BH

[MarkS]

Because it hasnt been said yet...........PICTURES!

:)

[Tony Meola]

Frank

Nothing better than when you drop her in after all the hard work. Congratulations.

Now, final pics pls.

[Joe E]

Congrats, I can only dream of that day. Joe

[Rocket]

Good luck tomorrow, Frank!

[bob lico]

How about some pictures of that beauty. From past post and conversation between you and I by way of pm's there is no doubt she is a work of art.

[IRGuy]

I lifted the text below from two posts I just made in the B33 forum.. the same thanks goes out to all you guys for your nice comments!
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We launched "Phoenix" this afternoon.. had a couple of leaks in some of the raw water piping on the engine.. stuff I removed so I could replace the raw water pump impellors and then forgot to tighten the hose clamps after I replaced everything.. and have a tiny fuel spray coming from an assembly of fittings in the fuel line going to the port engine injector pump.. I will look into this tomorrow.. and there is a very slight drip in one of the "dripless" shaft seals.. I suspect this will cure itself once I run the boat.. so far she is just tied up to a workboat in the boatyard. The Cummins 6B's started after about 20-30 seconds of cranking.. some initial smoke and then they settled down and just purred.

Weather here in the AM was drizzly and cold, but after lunch it started to get better.. she went in about 14:30 hrs.. it was a little nerve wracking seeing her so far up in the air.. she had to be lifted over a pile of stuff about 6' high, swung out over the water, and then lowered about 20' below grade to get into the water. She was about 30' above water at the highest point. Trust me.. you might think your boat looks big when she is on a trailer.. but she looks tiny when her bottom is 30' in the air!

I was a little busy but a couple of guys took some cell phone pics, which I should receive tonight.. will post them as soon as I get them. All in all a happy day.. two years on the hard and after 4 hours in the water all is very well!

I expect we will bring her the 15 or so miles down the Cape Fear River and then 2 miles north in the ICW to my slip near the house about mid day Saturday. You guys in southern VA might hear the party going on here Sat evening!

More later!

[Charlie J]

congradulations frank, time to get the decks bloody

[IRGuy]

We brought "Phoenix" home from the boatyard today.. a leisureley 15-20 mile cruise down the Cape Fear River and north about two miles up the ICW to my community's basin to my slip. The only problem I had was backing into my slip.. it wasn't pretty.. but she is safe at home now, thankfully.

My crew said he will be sending me the pics he took of the launching soon.. probably tomorrow, so stay tuned.