Vessel Christening (the Green Leaves)
(film at 9) seriously I will post up the Christening video when the editing is complete
See post below
Snow report from the cabin door looking aft.
Skim Ice in the Marina as we cruise the docks
We were out for just under 2 hours. Unfortunatley the fog rolled in almost immediately and visibility was poor at best
Everyone had a chance to pilot the boat. Clay spent a bit of time showing me the sensitively of the Fly by Wire controls (before we left the dock and with the motors off). Not his first rodeo.
Once things were warmed up, (say 30 minutes) Clay ran a base course for about 1/2 mile with both of us on log/debris watch. Then he turned the boat around and then we ran back down the same course while WFO.
He was satisfied by the prop set up ( 3x16x20) and the GPS showed a speed of just a tad over 38 knots (43.7 MPH )or for the younger folks 70.38 KMH. I think he said at WOT the motors were running right around 5800-5900 RPM He told me that he the pitch was right where they wanted it to be.
By the time this was over and it was time for me to take the wheel, it was snowing much harder, and the visibly was getting worse. We zipped about a bit at different throttle setting I ran the boat up to 3400 RPM which seems to be the natural sweet spot, played with the motor trim and the trim tabs.
Not surprisingly she needs to ride with the bow trimmed up a bit. Clay had me tab the bow down so I could feel the boat out of trim so it was nose heavy, and as expected, an out of trim boat in the boat down attitude wants to fight the wheel and weave about .
I didn't run like that for more than a minute because the snow was really coming and my lack of familiarity in these waters was a good sign that the helm needed local knowledge.
Susan next took the wheel and by then it was too foggy for her to get the boat up fully on plane but she had fun turning the boat in its own length using the motors.
Doug took us into the harbour and by that time it had been cold long enough that skim ice was forming (see photos).
Doug is one of those guys, you know a "Boat Whisperer".
Like Clay, he has the gift of what I now think of as gentle nautical persuasion that comes from a lifetime of running boats on the West Coast. It is humbling, but in a good way to watch.
I grew up running boats in fresh water on big lakes but the additional constant variables of the ocean add a serious multiplier.
I had said to my wife I will be spending a lot of time practicing close maneuvers at our marina and docking and moving about in all conditions, our snow storm run was a great reminder of my promise to myself.
Yes we were running radar while we were out and I learned two things the first being that Clay, Doug and I like to have our charts set course up and secondly, as I expected I will need to spend a more than a few hours setting the Furuno screens to meet my needs .
I can't tell you how fantastic that diesel heater is. It was f'ing cold out and the cabin (insulated ) holds the heat in , which means on the one ceremonial hot day of summer the cabin will not be an oven for sleeping .
All the work on having the correct ergonomics built into the boat has already paid off . Shockwave seats on sliders and swivels, tilt wheel and the Shockwave adjustable foot rests allowed everyone to hake themselves comfortable in a matter of minutes.
My OCD was complimented by Clay and Doug with regards to the dash layout and we decided on a better position for the compass while we were out. We had planning on moving the Compass once I run operated the boat.
Going back on the trailer (I just realized we took no photos with the radar mast up).
Trust me it the mast was up and kudos for Doug and Clay for doing that .
