Pacemaker Boats

leokow · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:55 pm Post subject: Where have all the members gone ?

Well, I guess you guys are getting tired of hearing this but, we are in a very real danger of losing this site !! It's a shame .There is so much great info. on here and the site really does help or at least try to help anyone that is having almost any kind of problem with their boat and accessories,besides that it makes communicating with someone else that has a similar boat or interest really simple. It keeps long distance friendships alive.
Usually Merlin gets on and brings this to our attention every once in awhile, but this time I just happened to notice that most of the posts are a month old or more, I hope everyone's boat is running just fine and no one needs any help, that's just fine,but when the day comes that that's not true anymore,your not going to have any place to turn too. So it's really a kind of cheap insurance to help keep this knowledge accessible to all. We have to find a way to just get on once or twice a week and just make a few posts, they don't have to be long , just say HELLO, or talk about your last trip out fishing or not, ANYTHING, just so we get some traffic on the site.I know I'm the last one that should be complaining about posts after being MIA for the winter and Spring, but believe me guys ,I had very good reason for being away, but now we are in serious trouble and I am asking,begging(I'm not proud)for you guys to step up to the plate, after all the work it took a couple of people to create and monitor this site the least we can do is our part to keep it accessible, we need only POST to do our part. So what do say ? How about a hand to keep this site free and going strong ! Thank You

changeofpace · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:11 pm Post subject:

Well put Leo, I try and run an update on fishing like Rebait does but nothing about our boats have been posted for a long time. If you dont use it we will lose it as the saying goes, so come and start with the posts!!!

leokow · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:16 pm Post subject:

I should have known you would be one of the first to respond to my plea, I hope it's just because you were checking in while at work and the worst hasn't happened and you're at home posting. How is everything going with the boat ?

changeofpace · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject:

we went out on the 3rd and 5th, caught a few fish but not many keepers. Boat is running fine as boat go, had a scare on the 3rd. Coming back in the dark after the fireworks, I had a sound like a fan belt going and the boat bucked a couple of times. I slowed to 2000 rpm and everything was quiet. Went out on the 5th just to see if I could duplicate the noise but nothing. all of the fluids seem ok, no burnt smell or low. all of the belts and hoses are good so the only thing I could think of that might have happened is that I ran over a lobster bouy and the sound was the rope wrapping around the shaft. Havent been over the side to see yet

leokow · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject:

I think I would check my fuel/water separators if that happened, just pour the fuel into a jar , if it's all clean then all's well and good, but that sounds like a little water might just have been pumped thru. Not trying to make work for you Terry, but I've seen that a lot , it's just like the engines stumbled and then got right back on track. As amatter of fact I'm helping one of my neighbors right now that that happened to about a week ago. We found about 1/3 of the seperator full of water,it only caused a problem when he was just planning along,then it would stumble as if he hit something and then when he slowed down it ran perfectly. It did this 3 or 4 times before he mentioned anything and we decided to take a look.

changeofpace · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:13 am Post subject:

As always Leo you remind me to check the obvious things I forgot. Yes some the fuel has been in the boat since last year, I've been dumping new fuel into the tank and not adding any startron or stabil. I bet you're right and checking the seperators is cheaper than sending the diver down to check or taking the boat out of the water!

shawn_carlson · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:46 am Post subject:

Terry,

Good luck with the boat.

changeofpace · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject:

Thanks Shawn, I think Leo hit it right on the head. I already ordered new cartridges for the separators and some E-zorb and startron stabilizer. If I had hit a lobster bouy line, there would have been noise even at lower speeds. When my boat planes, the bow rises and the fuel moves to the rear of the tank. The pick-ups are located at the rear of the tank and since I was running on 1/4 tank of fuel. there is a really big possibility of water in the fuel. We have had a lot of rain and high humidity this year and the fact that I didnt add any stabilizer since last fall also adds to the problem. Leo said to pull the separators and check, but with 2 new engines, I will just change them and add the fuel additives and not take any chances Why blow a few thousand dollars when everything I got cost around $50 at boatbandit.com?

leokow · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject:

Hi Terry, the only reason I said to check the filters is to make sure that is the problem and second I had assumed you replaced them (as you should have) in the spring just before launch, that's what I get for assuming !LOL...Thinking you had already replaced them I didn't want you to blow the money for new ones. But you said it best, you've got 2 new engines, why would you gamble on last years filters and low gas,that really doesn't sound like you. I know you had alot going on in the family then, so I'll let you go on the subject, but another flub on maintenance and we'll have to berate you publicly!!LOL Besides , you don't need any more boat problems, it's time to enjoy that thing for a while, at least until gas gets to 7 dollars a gal. C U later...Leo

changeofpace · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject:

yeah yeah yeah, I had not changed them just because I forgot them with everything else going on at that time. Luckily, a little reminder came along and let me know whats what before anything major happened. To think I thought I had run over a line Shocked

Well now I will just have to drain the filters and see if the gas is still clear, then you can kid me about throwing out perfectly good year old stuff LOL, seriously there is a good lesson here for everyone and thats proper maintenance is critical in a boat as I could have just as easily bent or snapped some valve if I didnt react quick enough with killing the throttles. Fluids and filters are a must and with this E10 gas, gas additives added with EVERY addition of gas!!!

leokow · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject:

Hey ! there's the guy I knew before, I knew he was hiding around in this computer somewhere!!
You should see how fast some water in the combustion chamber bends connecting rods !!!WEEEO!!
iT'S ALSO GREAT FOR BURNING HOLES IN PISTONS,This one is from personal experience! shh !don't tell anyone,or my credibility will go right down the drain!!
I wonder why rebait hasn't busted into this conversation,? Probably working. Hi john....

changeofpace · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:57 pm Post subject:

Nah, hes out there fishin right John!!! Maybe he finally got that wahoo in the water Smile

leokow · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:40 pm Post subject:

He said he was going to put it in awhile ago, I hope he did, he's been working on it long enough. Rebait..are you fishin' or workin' ?

rebait · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject:

Leo,

You summed it up. I am stuck working. The only good part is that I see the read out for my pension and 401k going up. I have not been on the computer the last few days. Coming home from work late and beat. The Wahoo is another story. Ready to put it in the water. We went away for a few days last week and did not want to drop it in and go uattended if I had a problem with packing and/or a bilge pump problem with my buddy where I keep it was away also. Next problem, he is still away and he has the trailer to move the boat. We help each other out all the time and he asked me if I could wait until he got back. We are shooting for Sunday because I have to work on Saturday. I still have the 18' and it is a life saver. By the way, the seperator and the filters are changed and it has Startron added. Hopefully I will not have any water problems. On vacation again the week after next. My boss informed me that I am working next Saturday also. The only good part about that is that I get out of helping my wife and sister in law with their booth at the NJ Ice Cream Festival in Toms River. I will stop on the way home to help them pack up and bring all the equipment home.

John

leokow · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject:

I knew you were around somewhere,John, and I thought you were probably working, but that's a whole lot better than being sick. Jsut keep nudging that 401K so that you'll be nice and comfortable when you finally retire. Besides you'll need the extra cash, for that $5 loaf of bread and the $10.00 a gal gas...LOL.. Something better change and change fast or will all be out looking for something to supplement our incomes.
I just got out of the Hospital again, John. I'll tell you ,sometimes I have the worst damn luck. It was supposed to be a 1 day surgery, in to get my pump changed and and stick around for a couple of hours to make sure it worked and then home. No,not me, I felt great an in the afternoon they let me go home , all was fine until 2AM when for some reason it quit working and I go into full withdrawal about 3 hours later, so at 5 AM it's back into emergency and wires and tubes everwhere and it takes them until 3PM to get me out of withdrawal and the blood pressure down to normal. The good news after that was that I had to stay at least 2 more days while they try to figure out what went wrong,refill my pump with fresh morphine and ease me off the IV meds and onto the control of the pump 100%,and today about 11AM it was done and now I'm back home and still not fishing. Guess I should just be gratefull for what I have and just go on and do what needs to be done. It's no sense complaining, I'm still here and breathing and walking, I guess I should be happy for that anyway. Take it easy , John, I'll get back to you later in the week...Leo

rebait · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject:

Leo,

What did you expect? Of course when you work on your boat, you set out to fix one thing and something else breaks. Your body, your boat, same thing different hulls. If you are going to be tied up during the summer, this is a good time because fishing is slow like it is the first 3 weeks in Jersey every year. It seems that the last week in July and thru August and into September are our best times for Fluke and Weakfish. Hang in there and it will just get better.

John

leokow · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:37 pm Post subject:

Boy, I needed a cheer leader like you two days ago!!LOL, you are absolutely right, just like working on a car or boat,you can never be sure of what's going to happen once you start fooling around with something.
But, I am back on the recovery rd. and am going to try to get the boat in the water during the next couple of weeks, the only trip I have to make to the Drs. is to get all these staples out, then I won't have to walk around so gingerly.Do you think you'll get the wahoo in this year? talk to u later Leo

shawn_carlson · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject:

Leo,

If you need a hand with the boat, please don't hesitate to call.

Shawn

leokow · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:56 pm Post subject:

Hey Shawn, thank you for the offer. I would like to get it in but in my mind I'm really trying to figure out if it's worth it. Fluke season is over on Sept.7th, so that cuts out 1/2 of my fishing, and if I just concentrate on weakies, then I just need the little boat for that. Thank you again.
BTW how did you make out at the mouth of the Mullica the other day ?

shawn_carlson · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:09 pm Post subject:

Didn't end up fishing.. just took the boat out for a ride. A lot of fishing going on because of the tournement, so I passed on the fishing. The weather was great, but the green heads were terrible once the boat stopped moving... so I decided to keep moving.

I'm going to take a shot at heading over early next saturday morning. Then head up the river for a swim in the afternoon.

As far as skipping out on putting in the pace this season...might be a smart move. Between gas prices and the restricitions its a tough year for fishing.

I'm taking a week off in early August and I'm thinking of skipping out on fluking all together. I'd like to take a shot at trolling outside for some blues. Fun to catch and pretty good eating if prepared properly.

leokow · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject:

I like it outside, Shawn,and it doesn't matter what I'm fishing for, it's always more relaxing. No worries about other boaters and sand bars.
Plus you always have a chance at nailing a nice striper while your playing with the blues.

changeofpace · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject:

Leo and Shawn, I always figured just being out on the water was the best thing. I fish because I like seafood, but swimming and BBQ on the water from my boat is better than the same thing on land by far. Sometimes just going out for a ride when the water is flat as ice beats anything else I have ever done and only another boater can relate to this. Leo, The cost of gas is a killer for most people, but I have offset that by going slower so I dont burn as much fuel.

leokow · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:18 pm Post subject:

Well, I'm certainly saving a lot of gas this year,small boat still covered and on the trailer in the driveway,and the big one still on blocks!! The only thing I'm worried about is how long this gas will stay useable, it's been in there with additives since Oct., I'd sure hate to have to throw away 114 gals. of gas.From now on I will leave all the tanks empty, like I did the first year,just put a bottle of additive in each tank for the winter
layover.

changeofpace · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject:

Leo, I know you are worried, but if you did what I think you did (put in E-zorb and Startron) you should be ok since the tanks are full and not 3/4 empty like mine are

leokow · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject:

you've got it .Terry. That's what I did. We didn't name that other boat OVERDUE for nothing.LOL Sometimes,overdoing somethings pays off, I hope it does this time. We'll know in another week or so, I hope. I'll let you know....Leo

shawn_carlson · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject:

Terry you hit the nail on the head. I've used the boat most every weekend since May and only had to fill up once (and that was only half way). The longer trips are fewer, but still a lot to do not too far from home. Besides, I'm still relatively new to the tuckerton area, so puttering along in the bay hasn't gotten old just yet.

I'm very much a laid back boater. I fish where ever I feel like throwing the anchor or cutting the engine. Doesn't do much for catching, but thats not why I'm out there.

rebait · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:43 pm Post subject:

Leo,

The Wahoo will be in the water next week. The story about the trailer get's more complex and we can have a good laugh when we get together.
About gas and fishing, if it is just 2 or 3 of us we take the small boat. Over 3 we take the Wahoo unless the wind and seas are acting up, then we use the Wahoo. We do most of our fishing in the Bay, and we have some nice holes that produce well. Eventhough we use our boats mainly for fishing, we do like to take a short cruise after work, drop a couple of trolling rods in and see if we can pick up some blues. Anchor, have dinner, and troll back or take a leisurely cruise back at dusk. I just love being out there and I do not have to catch fish all the time. My favorite time of the day is being out there and watching the sun rise.

John

changeofpace · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:18 pm Post subject:

John I have to agree with you, there is nothing better than watching the sun come up on the water except maybe watching the moon come up when it looks so big you think you can reach out and touch it

leokow · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject:

Well, you both got it right for me. The thing I like to do more than anything else is what I do the least of,overniters, nothing I love to do more !! It's amazing to see what kind of life comes up under the boat when it's just sitting there with the lights on the water and seeing everything that comes up to play when the rest of us are sleeping !

rebait · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:19 pm Post subject:

You have a point there about overnighters. I can't wait to anchor up in the Bay in the early fall for Stripers, facing East, looking at the sunrise.

John

leokow · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:43 am Post subject:

Now that is also a beautiful thought !!However, I really don't want to push the summer out of here so quickly,especially since I seemed to have missed the winter,spring and early summer as it is. C U Later...Leo