A friend of mine, who has a vehicle w/a hitch (I had to sell mine last year and haven't put a hitch on the new car yet), was nice enough to offer up his car to tow it down to Fort St. Marks boat ramp. For testing, I went up the Wakulla river..then down the river again, perhaps a mile or two beyond the boat ramp. Just 'putsed' around in the water.
Well, I'm amazed, happy, 'n dazed! I put her in the water, the engine (a used '87 Johnson 40hp I had only tested in a barrel) after some fooling around with the choke and getting it warm, ran like a champ. So, much so - that after running it almost to empty from the 4 gallons I had in there, we tanked up another 5 gallons at Shields Marina (at $3.30/gallon!!!) and went out again!
I'm glad I put the Doel Fins hydrofoil on. I did that after several builders recommended that. The Inshallah jumps out of the water to plane in no time and handles just great. The GPS read 23mph, and later on, when the engine was run warm, I'm sure I reached 25/26mph with it. Fast enough for my taste! I didn't have any problems w/porpoising, although at full speed the boat is 'tender' in the sense that you have to make sure your weight is distributed evenly, as otherwise the spray will hit you. We were four in the boat - my son, my buddy and his girlfriend, and myself of course
As to the scuppers (simple flapper valves), yes, some water comes in...but nothing that worries me actually. I'm going to have to caulk/seal the underside of the rubber rubrail that goes around the bow though. It was funny how the spray squirted between it and the wooden rubrail, right through and into the boat when you are getting on plane!
Only slight 'downside' was when I pulled the boat back on the trailer: I hit the damn dock w/a heartwrenching crunch, and then I hit one of my guide poles, that just have PVC elbows glued to the trailer frame. That, of course broke off! LOL - I knew that was to happen sooner or later. I guess it's sooner now
- I also had to back the trailer back in the water to get the boat on evenly. I'm going to have to come up w/side guides/rollers to get it on evenly on the first go. Turns out the crunch to the starboard side, towards the bow, happened right where the panels join..and it 'dented' the panel about 1/8" in - The way it sounded, I was looking for a hole on the inside! Either way, it didn't bother me as much as my friends who just gasped. I knew that anything is repairable! Nothing that a little epoxy, fiberglass and elbowwax can't heal!
The most nerve wracking thing though was getting the boat on the trailer, I can tell you that. The next time, I'm just going to line it up straight 30' off, gun it and kill the engine and hope for the best. The damn drifting, slow speed, and then stalled engine was what did me in. I figured the boat was so light that I could pull it on the trailer, just didn't count weaving side to side, and hitting the damn dock in the end!
Oh yeah...we caught the rain on the way back. I guess that helped wash some of the saltwater off the boat. I still need to flush the engine, but I'll do that tomorrow..or if the rain ceases today before it gets dark.
Well, I'm happy!
..oh yea, boat also got some fish scales, blood and ...err 'crap' from a damn lady fish my buddy caught! - That was about it. I didn't do much fishing..I was just happy
Yes, yes...I'll also post the pics as soon as my buddy sends them to me!
