2016 Shake-down Cruise

[rcguy]

Taking the Challenger out for my first cruise of the 2016 season. Weather forecast is sunny, a high of 78 with east winds of 6 mph which is great weather for a shake down boat ride but the water temperature is in the low 60's. So hoping for clear, seaweed free Gulf water because it's too cold the get in and clear the intake. Did change the oil last November (2015) and changed out the spark plugs yesterday and charging batteries as I write this post. So she's ready to go and waiting for the air temp to rise before launching. It is a brisk 51 degrees right now.

Here in west central Florida it doesn't get cold enough to winterize the engine. All I do is change the oil at the end of the season and add new oil and spray the engine with a rust inhibitor. Plus I run the engine for 30 seconds every two weeks and charge the batteries. That is what my mechanic recommends and it seems to work every year.

Update: Boat ran as well as you can expect. 47 mph at 7900 rpm with two people on board and full tank of gas. Water temp a cool 65 degrees at Hernando Beach Flats and too cold for these old bones. All in all a great day on the water with no surprises.

B O A T ----- Break Out Another Thousand (so true)

 

[Nike12000]

Send some of that weather my way were still on average in the 30's I cant wait for the river to unfreeze and weather to be nice enough to go for a run!!

 

[Luv2Camp]

Send some of that weather my way were still on average in the 30's I cant wait for the river to unfreeze and weather to be nice enough to go for a run!!

I hear you! As soon as the ice melts and we have a day with air temps in the upper 60's or above, I will get my gtx out for 1/2 hour. Nice being the only one on the lake. I can only imagine what some must think when they are going over the bridge seeing me out on 40 degree water in shorts with a winter coat and pfd underneath it. Kind of like my annual polar bear plunge!

 

[rcguy]

I wish I could send some warm weather your way but hang in there it's coming. I spent many a winter up north waiting for the weather to change so I could go boating.

 

[Premix]

Rcguy, did you ever take that trip to the FL Keys you mentioned last year sometime? I'm just imagining what it would be like to have the jet boat in the Keys.

 

[xintersecty]

I ran the boat twice last week. Once going over to the lighthouse for a lunch meeting. That was fun. Like RCguy, did not much a winterize. I just charged up the battery check fluids and ran the boat. It actually was doing better than last fall when I put the new engine in the boat.

 

[rcguy]

Rcguy, did you ever take that trip to the FL Keys you mentioned last year sometime? I'm just imagining what it would be like to have the jet boat in the Keys.

No, didn't make the Florida Keys and it wasn't the Challenger's fault. Maybe this year?

 

[lineofsight]

Meanwhile I thought of just floating my boat off the trailer in the driveway - just a bit of rain here... My daughter crawled in the boat to hook up the charger once again (she was very proud to be helping), hope its the last time before start of season (hook it up every 6-9 weeks). Doesn't reach freezing in my garage but do go through the manual's winterizing process other than antifreeze in the exhaust. Working next couple of weekends and then will try hand at checking bearing grease (supposedly a port to hook up pressure tester, not see that but will research more here first). Great to hear of good cruise.