...and it's back out of the water.

Having some shifting problems with the engine, so the mechanic had me pull it back out. He said it's an easy fix. Hopefully we'll be able to actually use the boat this weekend.

Splash!

In the water.

It is undergoing a good soak-up. The bilge pump kicks on once an hour or so, for about 2 minutes.

The boat is at the marina

I brought the boat to the Marina.

I didn't take pictures because my fists were clenched to the steering wheel in white-knuckled terror. I did not trust the trailer.

But those fears were unfounded. The trailer did OK. It was very squeaky, rattly, and did not take to bumps well at all. But it made it.

Right now, the motor is getting serviced. The plugs, wires, magneto, and coil all need to be replaced. And the lift/trim motor is completely shot.

I will post pictures the next time I go to the marina.

Engine mounted

Yesterday, I lured my friend Vinny over to the house with the offer of free beer and Chinese food, in order to have him help me mount the engine.

We started off using a lift to get the motor out of the basement. Then lined up, marked and drilled the mounting bracket holes. We soaked the insides of the holes with epoxy to keep any water seepage out of the wood.

After letting that set, we bolted the mounting bracket onto the transom. Then dropped the motor into the bracket. By the time that was all done, it was dark and buggy, so we quit for the night. This picture was taken this morning.

Today I worked on hooking up all of the engine connections. The steering was the most difficult. The throttle cable that came with the engine is about 4 inches too short. It does not have enough slack to allow the engine to swing all the way. I have another longer cable that I can use. I just have to figure out how to connect it inside the shifter box.

I didn't take pictures today, sorry.

Out of the tent!

I pulled the boat out of the tent. I hooked it up to the truck and pulled it out. The truck pulled the boat and trailer without any trouble. Once out, I took a rag and dusted all of the cobwebs and sawdust off of the inside and out, and snapped a few pictures.

Then I put the bimini top, side curtains and aft cover on the boat. There are a few snap buttons missing from where I refinished and repainted, but I kept them. I'll put them back on. The side curtains shrank up pretty good. I had to use some muscle to stretch them on.

Bottom done...

I finished putting the final coat on the bottom. It is done. I finally have a bit of a reprieve from sliding around on my back in the dirt under the boat.

I also finished up mounting the helm controls. It took a while because I had to cut a wedge shaped piece of mahogany to fit the contours of the inside of the boat. I had to use my dad's band saw, then finish it with varnish.

I have also decided that I am going to get rid of the trailer once I get the boat in the water. I'll get a new one or a recently built used one. I do not like the keel rollers on this one, and it weighs a billion pounds.

I'll mount the engine this week, and schedule a date for splashdown.

More bottom work

I added a second coat of bottom paint yesterday.

After that I reinstalled the bilge pump, with a new float switch. I'll tidy up the wires later.

Not Pictured: Ran all of the wiring for the trim/tilt controls. The engine control connections are all pretty much set for the engine to be installed. The only thing that has to wait is the steering cable. I have to attach it to the engine first, then attach the cable to the hull so everything is perfectly aligned.