Fishing Rhino

I was looking forward to retirement, and I still am. Don't do much work anymore, and when the few customers I have quit calling me for bodies and body panel, I can assure you I will not look back. The wife and I have worked all the years we care to. We saved throughout our marriage, living well within our means so that when we retired we would not have to change our lifestyle. So far it has worked out. If I have another eight to ten years of independence as far as our activities, I'll be deliriously happy. It's nice to be able to change plans on a whim. It's great not being locked into just having the weekends free where crummy weather can wipe out your fishing or travel plans. I can always go on the next decent day, be it a weekend or a weekday. I like having no responsibilities or commitments. To each his own.

Sounds more like Chris Nahatis and Saladmaster. Chris was one of the first to produce infomercials more than 50 years ago. There were two things I remember, the first was a variety of stainless steel pots and pans. The other was a vegetable slicer. He used to crumple aluminum pots and pans by beating them up with the bottom edge of his pots and pans. No surprise that the rims of the aluminum pots got rimwracked. http://www.saladmaster.com/index/CareerswithSaladmaster/Nahatis.nws

heIf I recall, it wasn't that long ago you had surgery. It impacts the body more than most people realize. I had hand surgery several years ago for dupuytrens contracture. It's fibers that form on the tendons that work your fingers. They draw on them making the finger bend at the hand or the next joint toward the tip of the finger. Never had a lot of pain, or problems, but the doctor told me that the hand would be ticked for a year. That's a technical medical term. I went in for seven o'clock surgery and was on my way home in time for lunch. Nonetheless, the doctor told me it would be a year before my hand was happy again. It's not surprising that you're experiencing a change in your sleeping habits. In '63 I broke a leg in a motorbike accident. Was in the hospital for three weeks. Had surgery to install a plate to make sure it healed properly. I had all sorts of problems sleeping, from not being able to get to sleep, from not being able to get back to sleep if I woke up during the night. Don't remember how long it took for my system to sort itself out, but it was a while. Maybe Peg could sing you a lullaby.

Hey Al, I finally saw why you don't like going to bed with Peg.

That's what the banner at the top of the page said when I opened the forum this morning. I cannot imagine who "unfriended" me since I don't do facebook. But that's OK. Whoever they were to friend me in the first place shows they have poor judgement. Who wants friends with poor judgement?

You're correct of course, it might turn you into a lady.

I look at it differently. While your wife agrees with you now, if you'd had a small wedding it might be a thorn in her side forever. It might make her feel that you didn't think she was worth it. Better for both of you to be in agreement now that it was a "waste" of money, than to have had the small wedding hanging over your heads for the rest of your lives. If you look at it from this perspective it wasn't such a waste of money after all.

Is the backlight brightness adjustable? If it is, bring it up on the menu, and try to adjust the brightness to a higher level, then click enter, or OK, or whatever is on the screen to keep the setting at that level. It might not solve your problem, but it's worth a try.

There are "oogles" of boat handling and safety courses that will address most of your questions. Depending on the state, you may be required to have a boat operator's license. If so, you will be required to take a boating course and pass a written test to get the license. Even if it's not required, you should sign up for a course. It will include navigational rules of the "road", required and recommended safety equipment, info about aids to navigation, etc. This should be the first step in learning about boats. As to features and options, they vary from one boat to the next, and even in the same brands and models from one year to the next.

While I would not suggest what prop to get, there are several things you need to consider. First, there is no one size fits all. Any prop selection is a compromise. Do you want a hole shot, or do you want to maximize your speed? You want a good hole shot to pull a water skier up quickly will take an entirely different prop that just getting the boat up on top of the water. If you get a prop that will get the boat up quickly when fishing, and you'll find that when you add the drag of trying to get a skier up, that prop will be less than ideal. Throw in two or three more passengers along while towing a skier, and you've tossed another factor into the equation. Will the boat be used mainly for fishing, for cruising with friends, or water sking? When you gain something here with a prop, you lose something else. You might look into getting your prop "reconditioned". and buying a second prop that will be better for another activity. The prop should allow the engine to run at the maximum rpm range at full throttle. Too much prop that does not allow the engine to rev properly will result in more fuel consumption. A prop that allows an engine to over rev can cause expensive problems. While props don't come cheaply, saving 25 or 30 gallons per season will about cover the cost of a new aluminum prop. Over a few seasons, trying to do it all with one prop will not turn out to be more expensive than having a couple of props. Another upside to having a second prop is that you have a spare if you happen to mangle one of them. There are members who can give you a better answer, provided they have the correct info about the boat, and the various ways you intend to use it. I'd go to a reputable prop dealer and pay a few bucks extra for the prop, compared to buying online. They will ask the appropriate questions, and give you the pros and cons of various props based on your hull and horsepower.

Here you go. For your first request.

You need new eyeglasses.

Will you be watching tonight's presidential debate and having fantasies about selling shoes to Candy Crowley?

Ah yes, life imitating art.

Zeus the moose. Catchy.

Are your hands cold just because of the air temps, or does getting them wet contribute to the cold? Be sure to keep your hands dry. Keep a towel tucked under your belt, and dry them off asap after handling a fish. You can also try the latex or nitrile surgical type of gloves. They may take the edge off. You can also tie knots while wearing them. You can also wear extra layers of clothing. It may sound strange, but it will keep the blood on the surface a bit warmer, which will help your hands. At some point you may have to just suck it up and wear gloves, It may be a pain to remove them and put them back on as needed but there are not many things worse than being uncomfortably cold on the water.

That's not a job I'd want to tackle as a one off piece, or even for two or three of them. The bugaboo is that you have to make it fit to the top of the windshield, and around the doors. To do that, you cannot simply mock up a cap then glass it. You have to take into account the thickness of the glass, so that it fits nicely around the windshield and doors. Were I to attempt that, I'd use the foam that is used in fiberglass fabrication. Fiberglass resins will eat up styrofoam. Then you would meticulously shape the foam to fit to the doors and windshield. Then you would shape the countours you want onto the rest of the "cap". Once you get that done, you will use a product similar to bondo to fill the small pockets in the surface of the foam. Then you will need to prime and paint the "plug". I used to know what type of paint is not attacked by fiberglass gel and resins. Once it is nicely painted you'll need to apply several (five or more) coats of mold release wax, so that your mold will release from the plug. You will then likely need to trim the edges of the mold to conform to the doors and windshield. Then, the mold should be buffed and waxed (again, five or more coats of mold release wax) after it has cured for a week to ten days. Finally, you are ready to produce the desired cap. Spray gel coat into the mold. Let the gel cure to the point where it feels tacky but does not stick to your finger. Depending on the thickness of the piece you may be able to laminate it in one shot. But, I'd suggest doing it in at least two steps. What can happen is that if the piece you are making is too thick, it will generate heat, and can distort (pull) the mold and you end up with a distorted piece. The same goes for making the plug and the mold. Do not. When I make a mold from a plug, I'll only laminate a couple of layers, then leave it overnight. The next day I can laminate four or five layers of material without a distortion problem. As you can see, when you factor in the cost of materials, and your labor, economically it doesn't make sense. But, to do it as a challenging project, it can be done. If you or someone involved in the project is handy with tools, and has some handyman skills, it can be a fun project.

Sliding along a tree limb is not likely to scratch it, at least not to the degree that it cannot be rubbed out by hand. Exposed hardware on docks, rocks, etc., will easily scratch it. When you tie up to a dock make sure to check for cleats, bolts, screws and the like that are not protected by the bumpers along the edges. Better yet, do not trust the protective cushions on the dock to do the job for you. Hang a couple of fenders over the side for extra insurance. Some careful observation, and diligence will go a long way in protecting the finish and condition of your boat.

It's easy to scratch if you are not careful. Sand on the bottom of your footwear can easily scratch it if you step on the fiberglass and slide or twist your foot. At a dock, it's easy to step onto the carpet. If you beach your boat, and have to climb aboard be careful. I usually sit on the boat, and swing my feet over the side, onto the carpet. Keeping the topsides of the boat vacuumed will not only keep grit off the bottom of your footwear, but will prolong the life of your deck carpet. Get a good wet or dry vac. If your carpet gets soaked from rain or spray a good vacuuming with a wet or dry vac will remove just about all the water. Speaking of beaching, I'd advise getting a keel guard, particularly if you launch and load at a concrete ramp without a dock. Even with a keel guard, run the boat onto the ramp as slowly as possible. You should take it out of gear, and give it a bit of reverse, just before the guard contacts the concrete. The major environmental enemy of your boats finish is the ultra violet rays from the sun. Be sure to use a wax or other protectant that has UV inhibitors in it. Carnauba wax will inhibit the sun's rays. One of the best things you can do to protect it from the sun is to keep it garaged. A carport is a good second choice. Keeping the boat in a shady place will protect it from the sun, but that usually means keeping it under a tree. Trees, and the critters in them will drop stuff on the boat that can damage the finish. A boat cover will protect from the sun and other natural enemies of the finish. However, it does restrict ventilation which can result in mold and mildew. If you do opt to cover the boat there are forced air ventilators which work well to prevent the mold and mildew problem. When not using the boat, raise the bow using the trailer jack, and pull the drain plug. It doesn't take much water in the bilge to feed mold and mildew. I take my hitch out of the receiver and put it on a piece of cardboard on the stern deck. That reminds me to unplug the battery charger, and to reinstall the drain plug. I keep mine garaged with all the hatches opened.

Here he comes to save the day. Mighty Rhino's on his way................................... So much for the theme song I plagiarized from a certain rodent. Yes, you can make parts by using plywood, and encasing it in fiberglass. I'd suggest using Baltic Birch plywood, which you can get at the Home Depot. The plies are thinner and it doesn't have voids like other plywood, with the exception of marine grade. Marine grade is very expensive, and unnecessary since the fiberglass is the structural component. The plywood is only used to give the piece shape. Another significant benefit for using the Baltic Birch is that it is usually flat, and doesn't warp as much as other plywoods because of the thinner plies. They have it in thicknesses from a quarter inch to half inch thick. Quarter inch should suffice for what it sounds like you want to do. That's a general explanation. If you can tell me where that part will be installed and what it's being used for, I may be able to provide better, more thorough info.

Ben, it looks like we'll have to get you out on the water to catch a fish or three. It's a little late in the season in this neck of the woods, but we should still have some fishable days. I'm still in GA with my wife at our daughter's home. No definite date to return, but should be within two weeks. Will post when I get back.

You left out his constant posting promoting the Banjo Minnow.

Keep in mind the structural requirement for you deck(s). They may hold your weight just fine. But, if you have pedestal seats, the deck needs to be strong enough to withstand the considerable forces these seats will exert. The taller the pedestal the more leverage your weight will exert. Honeycomb is available, so is a foam core with fiberglass sides. The problem is it will need to be reinforced in areas of great strain. Seats, cleats, etc., cannot just be bolted in place. You might need a plate on each side to take the abuse. You need a plate on foam core because tightening bolts will compress the foam and distort the panel. I know you don't want wood, but it's probably the most practical for you. It's solid. Relatively inexpensive. And, readily available. The problem with wood. Unless sealed, or well ventilated, it rots.

It's an old tradition, even here in New England. When it starts to snow, or even if it's just forecast, all the markets have a run on bread, eggs, and milk. It's a throwback to years ago when a few inches of snow could take a few days to be removed. With modern equipment, the crews can keep up with anything short of a full fledged blizzard. Even then, the roads are usually clear a few hours after the snow stops. The exception is in the cities. Rather than staying put, people venture out, get stuck, and block roads, preventing the snowplows from keeping the roads open. Then the snow can really pile up and the side streets in the cities can be snowed in for a few days.

Dang! Too bad he didn't dream the numbers for Megabucks.