Sports Boat and RIB Forum

by **JORIDAPILOT** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:27 pm

Managed to travel 12.3 nautical miles, max speed 31.2knots, engine running for almost 2 hours and not a hint of an alarm.

Mind you not everything in the garden was totally rosy.
Arrived to find both batteries flat and a huge lake on the tonneau, easily sorted and engine started with the 40ah battery pack. Gave her a few revs for a short while and then sat back and waited for the temperature guage to climb.
Eventually hit normal and I could detect the thermostat opening so we went for a blast down about halfway to the Hamble and up the docks to see the Queen Victoria and Grand Princess, then back to Saxon to arrive at maximum flow of the outgoing tide. As we are coming up springs the current was strong and it took half a dozen attempts to get close enough to the pontoon to get a line around a cleat, still got there in the end with some assistance from a fellow boater.

All in all, a fairly successful event, roll on the good weather. :roll:

by **jokaboat** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:43 pm

Nice one. Let's hope we get some good weather now

by **baasboat1** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:17 pm

What was it in the end then?

by **Capn Jack** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:08 pm

Gave her a few revs for a short while and then sat back and waited for the temperature guage to climb

As you said, you didn't have to do this before, so it seems very odd that you have to do it now. If it were me, the next time I take her out I would just start her up as you would normally do and see what happens. Delighted for you that it's sorted though....congrats!

As we are coming up springs the current was strong and it took half a dozen attempts to get close enough to the pontoon to get a line around a cleat, still got there in the end with some assistance from a fellow boater.

Been there, done that and got several million teashirts in the cupboard to show for it too. :mrgreen:

by **salamis** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:38 pm

Very pleased for you Paul glad it all worked out for you. As for tying off on an ebbing tide, like all of us 'been there done that', but I have to do it one handed which can be a bit like that guy on stage who's trying to keep all the dishes spinning on poles at times. I have been thinking about buying one of those self-attaching cleat pole thingies recently and are they any good or just another problem there to mess things up? Does anyone use one are they any good?

by **Matt13** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:47 pm

Glad to hear your trip was successful JP, 3rd time lucky! I know my Crownline handbook says I have to rev the engine when first starting to 1200-1500 rpm for a few minutes to warm up.

by **Gazjen** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:06 am

That's good news JP, hope that's sorted now

by **markanddawn** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:20 am

Phew, what a relief for you. Hope it stays that way for you. We're bound to a have a rubbish summer now your boats sorted, well that's what usually happens to me.

by **JORIDAPILOT** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:16 am

baasboat1 wrote:What was it in the end then?

I don't really know, I will have to try not giving it a few revs next time as the Cap'n suggests, if it overheats then, this would suggest wear in the pump to me, if not, who knows :?:

salamis wrote:I have been thinking about buying one of those self-attaching cleat pole thingies recently and are they any good or just another problem there to mess things up? Does anyone use one are they any good?

Robbie, I have one and never used it in anger, have practised on a bouy up the Beaulieu River which is more like what it is designed for. You thread a line through a loop which is not normally the procedure when tying up to a pontoon, but you could always adjust afterwards if necessary.
The problem yesterday was just getting close enough to the pontoon, parallel, so my son could step off the back with the bow line, without driving into the boat moored up ahead of me. Owner was sat on board having a cup of tea, he did come to my assistance, so glad I didn't plant my bow into his outboard.
When you look at the bigger picture though people tend to moor taking up as much space as possible, leaving two smaller gaps instead of one bigger one, by moving their boat along the pontoon closer to the next boat they could leave the way clear. Just make it more difficult for the next guy that comes along especially with a lot of tide running.

by **jokaboat** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:21 am

That's the curse of Saxon with the pontoon being cross tide, have you tried attaching a bow line with a big loop in it. You can then come in bows to, lassoo the moorings and drive in using the bow line as a spring. Need to make the bow line about 1/2 the boats length.

by **Capn Jack** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 1:53 pm

have you tried attaching a bow line with a big loop in it. You can then come in bows to, lassoo the moorings and drive in using the bow line as a spring. Need to make the bow line about 1/2 the boats length.

The mans a genius...

Why aren't you writing a boating book? You'd make a fortune......well a few bob anyway.

by **cookee101** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:11 am

Capn Jack wrote:
have you tried attaching a bow line with a big loop in it. You can then come in bows to, lassoo the moorings and drive in using the bow line as a spring. Need to make the bow line about 1/2 the boats length.

The mans a genius... Why aren't you writing a boating book? You'd make a fortune......well a few bob anyway.

Because you learn how to do that in an RYA course and it's already in a lot of books!