Fishing Rhino

How do those adhesives work when it's time for new carpet? Is it a bear to remove the old carpet and to get down to a bare surface for applying the new carpet?

Hey Jiggy, two words for you. Glucosomine, Chondroitin. Back in 2008 I had pain in my thumb when I pressed downward with it. I also got a burning sensation in my elbows when I would pour water from a pot by holding it over the sink and twisting the handle to dump it out. Had a hand doctor check out my thumb and he said it was the onset of arthritis. He said if I did not have constant or severe pain, and I could tolerate it, then try to avoid what was aggravating it. The next step would be cortisone, a couple of other things he could do, while surgery was the final nuclear option. He suggested I try Glucosomine/Chondroitin pills. Some studies had promising results. There is on downside, side effects, or contraindications to taking them. So I started on them. In a couple of months my elbows and thumb were pain free doing things that had caused problems. If they don't help, just quit taking them. I get them at BJ's wholesale. A bottle of 300 tablets will last a hundred days. I think they are just under 20 bucks for a bottle. At 20 cents per day, and it works, it's a bargain. The pills are a combination of both ingredients. Is that what is keeping me pain free by lubricating the joint? I don't know. But I'm not going to quit taking it to find out.

I wonder how much of a problem condensation is. We don't worry about it in our cars. When I was a kid, all cars had a glass "fuel bowl" before the carburetor. Its purpose was to trap water before it could get to the engine. The looked something like this. You would loosen the threaded wheel just below the bowl enough so you could get the glass cup out to dump the contents and clean the bowl. I think the last car we had with a fuel bowl was a '49 Mercury. I don't recall seeing much water, though it did collect crud from the tank. There was usually a tiny amount of sediment in the bowl, but not much more than a drop or two of water, if that. I had a Racor water separator, fuel filter on my lobster boat. It had a clear plastic bowl with a petcock on the bottom to drain water. I don't recall getting water in that either. The biggest problem when you got water in the tank came with cold weather. The water would freeze. If it was in the wrong place, or the right place it would plug the line so fuel couldn't flow. In the winter, it was common to add gas line antifreeze to your gas tank. Today not so much, if at all. Back in the day, underground tanks would develop leaks, allowing water into the fuel, and some may have leaked into the tank from the fill covers. I suspect that water in your gas tank back then came with the fuel when you filled up, not so much from condensation. I'm not saying there is no condensation. Metal tanks will be most prone to condensation, while plastic or fiberglass are less susceptible to condensation. Water in the fuel can destroy a diesel engine. While fuel oil will pass through the tiny holes in the tip of an injector, water will not. It will blow the tip off the injector. Another way that fuel can be contaminated with water is if the tank vents are poorly designed. Spray or water can slosh into the vent cover and work its way into the tank. A boat vent should always have at least one coil in the line so that air can pass by without carrying some water into the tank.

That has been my experience. They are also great for driving in the rain and mist. Much better visibility.

I like the outfit. The elephant on her outfit is quite appropriate. Do you suppose elephants have t-shirts with her image on them?

Eager virile

Same to you.

Welcome to the club. I had two torn meniscus about six or seven years ago. Arthroscopic surgery was a snap. I had no pain and walked normally that same day. The next night we went to a hospital function, and the people who worked with my wife knew I was having surgery the day before. They all were amazed that I wasn't using crutches and that I could walk normally so soon after surgery. The only thing I had from the surgery was fluid on my knee which the doctor drained on each of my follow up visits. Saw the doctor today regarding pain in the left knee. Had X-rays this morning, and an MRI this afternoon. Will see the doctor in two weeks. But, here's the kicker. he said that I have severe arthritis in my right knee which means I have no cartilage left. I am totally pain free in that knee and he has never seen that before. I'll pretty sure I'll be having surgery after next appointment. I have been taking Glucosomine and Chondroitin for nine years now. I had been having burning pain in my right thumb when I pressed down with the side of the thumb. I was also having pain in both elbows when I'd drain the water from boiling potatoes or carrots. I'd hold the pot over the sink and with my arm extended I'd twist it to drain the water. That caused my elbow to burn. When I saw the hand doc, he suggested that I try the Glucosomine and Chondroitin. Some studies had promising results on elbows. He said joints are joints and there was no downside to taking the G and C. So I started a regimen of taking the med before going to bed at night. A couple of months later, my thumb and elbows no longer bothered me. Maybe it helps the knee too. If only it worked on a torn meniscus.

Absolutely spot on. There is a reason you can find many 13 foot Boston Whalers, and not a single bass boat at the docks of marinas. I've been out on the ocean in a thirteen foot Whaler and a fifteen foot wooden work skiff in conditions where a bass boat would get swamped. Bass boats are seriously lacking in freeboard. That is to reduce the impact of the wind on the hull, so it doesn't drift as easily as the average boat. Compromises, compromises. Gain something here and lose something there.. Bass boats are built for one purpose fishing. They have plenty of storage. They are fast. They are the ultimate fresh water fishing machine, but they are not designed for ocean conditions.

I'll add one more reason for getting glasses at an eyeglass store rather than on line. Not everyone's eyes have the same spacing. Some are close while others are far apart. When you settle on the frames you want, the tech will put a mark on each lens that lines up with your pupils. Then they measure that gap and include that information in the purchase order along with the other specs. That is critical because the lenses are ground to align with the geometry of your eyes. Your eyes will look through the center of the area that has your prescription, not off toward the edges of the ground area.

I think that's the same canoe I have. Speed is nice, but not always a priority.

I have prescription sunglasses. They have progressive lenses. They also have a no glare coating which greatly reduces or eliminates the glare around lights. I prefer the bronze color, polarized lenses. They provide a sharper contrast for underwater objects. You can find information about how the various colors work better under a variety of conditons. Some have difficulty adapting to progressive lenses. They work like this. When driving a vehicle you are looking through the upper portion which has the prescription for distant vision. When you want to check your gauges you look down by moving your eyes, not your head. You then are looking through the lens for close objects. Unlike bifocals. as you move your eyes upward, the lenses rather than having just a close up and distant focus you can view objects clearly at all distances, not just the two you have in bifocals. You can buy eyeglasses for less online. But you lose the personal service. If the glasses aren't adjusted properly, they may slide down your nose. The part that goes around your eyes can be too snug and cause serious pain where they press against your flesh. You can bend them yourself, but I don't advise it. When you buy glasses at a "store" the clerk/tech will fit the glasses to your head. Tiny adjustments can make a huge difference. Where we buy, you can go in anytime they are open and they will make adjustments to how they fit, at no charge. Where we buy ours, you get a 25 percent discount when you buy a second set. You get the discount on the pair with the lower cost. We get ours with all the bells and whistles, progressive lenses, anti glare coating, protective coating, ultraviolet blocking etc. The total cost for two pair isn't cheap, about 1200 dollars total cost. But, we have reached the stage of life where there is little or no change from year to year in our lens prescriptions. I'll go two to three years between buying glasses. And, I now have three pair of sunglasses and two pair with clear lenses. I keep the newer glasses for "formal wear" when I'm not doing things that are more likely to damage glasses. When working around the house, or fishing, I'll wear the older glasses. You can get a good pair of clear glasses and relatively inexpensive clip on sunglass lenses to go over them. I didn't like them when I tried them on. They added weight and just felt clunky. There is a lot to getting into glasses for the first time. I've just touched on my experiences. Hope it helps. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I'll be glad to answer them, if I can.

That sounds like a reasonable scenario. These three fellows had been with Ranger for decades. No doubt there was more than a business relationship with them. It is not unusual for a takeover and its changes to be upsetting to the existing management and workers. It's difficult to change what had been a way of life and adapt to changes that cut across their grain. They did not find that the changes were something they agreed with. There is more than the money involved with these three. I commend them for their integrity.

What has happened to team Pelican? They are in the last slot on page two, headed for page three unless there is a new post on that thread. Oh no. I was going to say that one new thread would push them to page three. Guess I'm the culprit, but I'm confident they'll be back, stronger than ever.

I've never been bothered by mosquitos on the water. Been there before daylight and 'til sunset. At the ramp, yes, but on the water no. Could be wrong, but mosquitoes are attracted to heat, and maybe carbon dioxide. Human body temp is 98.6, dogs just over a hundred if memory serves. and the other warm blooded creatures that attract mosquitos are not naturally found on the water. Well, maybe waterfowl, gulls and terns, etc. Haven't been bothered by bugs on Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, Pickwick, and KY lakes on the road trips, nor have any of those who fished with me. Same for West Point and a couple of other places in GA. Here at home, more of the same. Don't carry any bug repellent on the boat. Neither do the friends I've fished with. I remember when I was a kid fishing from the bank getting attacked. I'm thankful that I haven't had that experience in years.

Hey Abbuutt!

It can't be. I've seen it on the internet.

Nice avatar. Maybe you could get Ted Turner to colorize it like he did with old black and white movies. Why didn't you knock on the door to the ladies room and if not occupied use that. You wouldn't be the first. I've stood guard by the door when my wife had to use the men's room.

In a boat that size, two is a crowd, three would be a zoo. Three can fish out of a 20 foot bass boat, but you really have to pay attention when casting. Being new to a boat, limit yourself to two people, max. And you still have to pay careful attention to what the other fisherman is doing. Getting snagged with a hook can ruin your day. It happened on my boat on the road trip to Kentucky Lake. Everything was going smoothly until a breeze made a billow in one fisherman's line just as the other was casting. It pulled the hook deep into the first fisherman's thumb. We loaded up and headed for a nearby clinic. After a half hour's wait the hooked fisherman was seen. The clinic told us to take him to the hospital so he could have x rays before the procedure to remove the hook. Lucky it was a thumb and not an eye. We were all experienced fishermen, but it could not have happened without someone fishing from the middle of the boat.

I'd encourage you to go alone. After you leave, I'll hit on Peg. When I strike out on that, I'll go fishing.

One word of caution. When making modifications be careful not to compromise the integrity of structural components. Some will strengthen/stiffen the hull lengthwise. Other will stiffen the sides of the boat to prevent excessive flexing. Some, such as bulkheads support the bottom, sides and, as in this photo, decks.

May if provide you many good memories. Take good care of her. She deserves it.

I was at BPS today and saw the Z21 and it has the "transformer" console, much like the Ranger. I say transformer because it has sharp angular lines like the mechanical gizmos in the movie, very different from other consoles. It looked like they "borrowed" the seating too, but I didn't check it out to see if there was storage under the center seat. But it was definitely a much smaller seat than the outboard jobs. The bottom curves slightly downward at the chines which will give it more lift and deflect spray downward. The downside to that downward curve is that it will tend to make the hull slap going into a chop. It had a single console and two large Lowrance units. Bottom line price was 57,000 dollars. I just gave it a cursory once over. The forward running lights are built into the gunnel and must be bright LEDs because they are tiny. The lens might be a half inch across.

At age 74, just about any boat will be likely to serve me for as long as I can continue to fish. I certainly do not need a boat that will last me twenty years. But even if I were younger, I'd have the same philosophy. I'm fortunate in that I have a large 34' X 34' garage, so I can keep my boat out of the weather and harmful rays of the sun when it's not in use. The sun will harm all fiberglass at the same rate unless, company X uses a plain clear gel coat for the metalflake application rather than a marine clear coat which has ultraviolet inhibitors in it. But not to do so in a boat that may sit out in the sun and weather is worse than penny wise, pound foolish. There is not a significant difference in the cost. It is so little that I use it for the stock car bodies I make that have a metalflake finish. I could easily use the plain clear because stock car bodies do not spend countless hours in the sun, and they rarely use a body for more than a year. Most will put on a new body, and keep the decent body panels that survived a season of racing for use as spares. During a season some will go through several body panels while others only bust up a few. The point being is that they do not have to last for years. If memory serves there may be a thirty dollar difference in five gallon pails of the standard clear and marine clear.

Or gone frog gigging? Up north in salt water they call it tub trawling. Gill nets changed all that.