Fishing Rhino

My opinion on Alzheimer's runs counter to the mainstream. My dad had early stage Alzheimer's which necessitated him being admitted to a nursing home. My step mother had become incapacitated a couple of years ago which required her to become a resident in a nursing home. When she was at home, she and my dad worked as a team. He'd do the work around the house, cooking, cleaning etc., and she kept him on schedule with his meds. Without her at home, he did not take his meds as he should have. His health deteriorated as a consequence, and he was admitted to a nursing home, sharing a room with his wife. My dad never got to the stage where he did not recognize people, nor did he "live" in another time or place. But, he could not tell you what he had for breakfast an hour later. What bothered him the most was his loss of independence. He could hold coherent conversations, and realized he had Alzheimer's. But, it did have this upside. He was always a hard worker, and he'd read the help wanted sections of the newspapers diligently. His comment was that there had to be something he could do, even at 90 years of age. He also talked about fixing up his travel trailer and taking a trip somewhere. It was never going to happen, but having that something to look forward to certainly helped to keep him going, and to make life more than just bearable. When he talked to me about such things, I played along. He held that "dream" until he passed away in his sleep at nearly 91 years old. His personality never changed, which made it easier on his family and friends. When my time comes, I'd much prefer to go the way he did, rather than to be of sound mind with a body that is little more than a vegetable. I cannot imagine what it must be like to live with the reality of that day after day, just waiting to die.

It's not just the leader fraying that is a problem. If you are fishing a jig, a shaky head rig or any bait that is being fished over rocky bottom, the knot at the eye of the lure takes a beating. It amounts to hitting the line at the eye with a hammer. Eventually the impact with the rocks will wear through the line at the eye. When it eventually breaks, you'll see a little bit of a curve at the end where it parted. It will be obvious that the constant impact of the rocks had worn away the front edge of the loop. Except for the knot the rest of the leader may be perfect.

So that I can have an intelligent conversation.

Never bought a repo. The thing that would concern me right off the bat is that if someone didn't have the cash to make the payments, how diligent were they about taking care of the boat or vehicle? I'm sure there are plenty of good deals to be had by getting a repo. Just be sure to have the boat or vehicle given a thorough once over by a competent tech. If they've been around for a while, they should have seen a repo or two, and know how to tell if a vehicle/boat has been used, or abused.

You are correct it is just physics. But, even if you have to crank the boat up the last foot or two, do not forget that the even though the boat may be touching the bunks, the water still exerts a lifting force on the boat making it "lighter", by the weight of the water it displaces. Get the boat on the level, and you don't get that "assist" from the water.

The most important thing to do is to take a safe boating course. Learn how to navigate and learn the "rules of the road (waterway). Secondly, before you venture forth, make sure you have all the required safety equipment, and know how to use it. Make sure you thoroughly read all the owner's manuals that come with the boat and are familiar with all the controls. When you are ready to get on the water, be sure you know how to properly break in the engine. Take it easy, and learn how your boat handles and how it responds to your steering input, as well as the throttle and gear shift. The electronics and other fishing accessories should be at the bottom of your list.

How can we miss you if you won't go away.

I'll add one more thing. Have them lubricate all the pivot points on the engine. That includes the shift and throttle linkages as well as the control cables. They can also check for play in those linkages and make sure everything is in proper adjustment. When you "park" your boat for the winter, do not keep the engine tilted. It may not allow all water to drain from the powerhead and/or the lower unit.

It's not cheap, but it's great stuff. My dad used it many years ago to stop some small leaks in the roof of a travel trailer. He just coated all the seams. No more leaks. Surface preparation is key. Follow the instructions that come with it, and you'll be fine.

Take it to a pro, and pay to have it done. Back in the day, when that motor was built, the general practice to protect the innards was to pull the spark plugs, put a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder with the spark plug holes facing up, and rotate the flywheel a few times. Now, the practice is to "fog" the engines which also gets lubrication/rust protection on the reeds and bearings as well as the cylinders and piston rings. It's not a complicated process, but it has to be done correctly. Not knowing the skills, or the knowledge of those who seek winterizing advice, I always tell them to have it done by a competent technician, who services outboards for a living. It's cheap insurance.

Try this. It's good stuff. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2091&engine=msn&keyword=gluvit_epoxy_waterproof_sealer

Invest in a pair of hip boots. Follow the quoted instructions below, putting the hip boots on after you've backed the trailer in a little further than you would if you were power loading. Problem solved. Take the hip boots off, put on your regular footwear, stow your hip boots, and drive away, nice and dry.

Penmanship, that's a word I haven't heard in ages. Back in the day, we learned the Rinehart Method for writing. It started in grammar school, and continued into Junior High. Those were the days when students' desks and seats had "inkwells, and they were bolted to the floor (the seats, not the inkwells). The heights of both were adjustable, and one of the janitor's jobs was to adjust them as needed. I think it was a conspiracy by forgers. If everyone wrote the same, it would make life simpler for them. JK

Braid to fluoro is relatively easy. The braid is limp and does not have a mind of its own. Fluoro to fluoro is another matter.

I have found a simple way to tie an Albright knot. My old fingers are not as nimble as they once were. To make matters worse, it has become difficult for me to "feel" the smaller lines between my fingers. The solution is to use a plastic coffee stirrer, the kind that have two tubes joined together. I started using a small piece of shrink wrap tubing. I would pass an end of the heavier leader material through it leaving a few inches exposed, then pass it back through the tube leaving a loop at the end of the tube. The problem with the single tube is that the loop can still spin. That leaves the possibility of putting the tag end of the line through the loop the wrong way. The double barrel coffee stirrer prevents that. In addition, the coffee stirrer is stiffer with a smoother surface which allows the turns to freely slide off after completing the knot. So, I make the loop, pass the tag end of the line through the loop, then make the twists around the tubes, and pass the tag end back through the loop in the opposite direction. Pull everything snug on the stirrer, then lubricate the line, slide it off the stirrer, and pull it tight. Pull the leader out of the tube, after cutting it to the desired length, and you have the finished product. I use fifteen pound test fluorocarbon for leaders. It withstands the teeth of pickerel quite nicely, while four and six pound fluoro is easily severed by the toothy critters. I have a spool of the leader material in one of those containers that hold six narrow spools of line. I put a two bobber stops on the line, one on the inside and one on the outside of the case. Keeps the line in place, but accessible.

It's like fishing for catfish. Dough is a great bait.

I'm going to make a suggestion. Get a spray can of CRC 666, and spray the powerhead and wires. Then, let it sit to dry out. It will protect the components from moisture and help to preserve the wiring as well. On my lobster boat the old six cylinder gas engine would cough and sputter on damp, foggy days until it warmed up. I'd spray the 666 on and in the distributor cap and the spark plug wires as well. It would run like a charm. Moisture would get into the distributor cap because the distributor was old, and it did not have a good seal to keep the crankcase gasses out. It's especially helpful on salt water as it prevents or greatly reduces corrosion. Just mist it lightly. You don't need to have it dripping off the components. It's just a bandaid for bad spark plug wires, but it will drive the moisture from the wires, and allow you to run until you can replaced them.

It depends on the damage. If the boat has been subjected to the elements, the sun being the worst of them, the horizontal surfaces on the rails may be beyond repair. The sides and bottom are not likely to be as bad. You can try buffing the gel coat. Get a good buffer (buy or borrow) and start with a fairly mild buffing compound. It looks like you'll need a more aggressive compound on the rails. Start buffing, using a light pressure. If it has a metalflake finish, you can only buff so much before you get into the metalflake. At that point, there is no saving the finish. Having the gelcoat redone will probably cost more than the rig is worth. If that's the case, you're likely better off sanding and cleaning the surface, then applying a coat of automotive paint. You could use Awlgrip or a similar marine finish, but they are extremely expensive. You are dealing with a boat that is about thirty years old. A coat of spar urethane marine varnish, available at Home Depot or Lowes might be your best bet. Lightly sand the hull and topsides and brush on a couple of coats of the varnish. If available, use a semi-gloss or satin finish. The glossy finish will only exaggerate any imperfections. The spar varnish contains ultraviolet inhibitors, preventing or reducing further damage. This might be your best bet. You'll save some big bucks which you can put into new electronics or put it in a savings account toward your next boat. What you want, either way is a finish that is easy to keep clean. The slickest finish will not bring you one more fish across the rails.

dCON makes them thirsty so they go to their water supply and do not return. At least I've never had one return to die in the garage. Even if they do die in the boat, by the time spring rolls around they will have dried out and no more stink.

There was a stray cat that made my lobster boat its hotel. It made one corner of the wheelhouse its litter box. Trust me, there is nothing more foul smelling than that, not even a skunk, or a dead mouse. We never saw the critter until one morning when I opened the foc'sle. The cat thought it was an escape route until I closed the hatch, and left it locked in there for the day. When we got back to the dock, I opened the hatch. The cat came zooming out of the foc'sle and onto the dock. The last we saw of it was its tail as it sped northward up the road. That was the end of the cat using the boat as a litter box.

Wizards? Of course there are. As a kid, I used to watch Mr. Wizard on television.

I put the series on my Ipod. I've listened to it many times, and each time I pick up some things that I have not caught onto. Rowling's writing and imagination is incredible. All the events that seemed like nothing at the time become important to the story line. The first couple may have been okay for kids, and they may watch the rest and enjoy them. But, the saga gets darker with each succeeding publication. The first is lighthearted with some dark moments. By the time you reach the end it is indeed dark and for all purposes becomes a full fledged horror story. I have found only one contradiction in the story, and it has to do with Harry's invisibility cloak. It turns out to be one of the Deathly Hallows. According to the story line, it is perfect and no magic can penetrate it. But, in the story, Madeye Moody's magical, swiveling eye was able to see Harry when he was wearing the cloak. So much for no magic being able to penetrate the cloak.

Count me in. I have all the audio books, and listen to them when I am traveling.

We had a problem with mice in our garage next door. Simple solution, d-CON. But it comes with a hazard if domestic animals or pets can get to it. To prevent that, I used a plastic milk crate, the kind that hold four gallons of milk. I put the crate upside down over the warfarin, then put a cement block on top to prevent other animals from getting access to the poison. Center the container of food in the center of the crate, not along an edge. The holes in the crate allow easy access for mice and rats, while preventing dogs, cats, chickens, etc., from getting to it. The good thing about d-CON is that the mice and rats will seek water, usually getting them outside to die in the search for water. Rodents are seeking shelter this time of year, and they will build their nests in enclosed areas making them even more of a nuisance. Such places include the cowlings around lawnmower engines and other power equipment, including the engine compartments of vehicles, and vehicle seats. They build them, then begin stocking them with food. The next thing you know, you can have a colony of the "pests". If you have large numbers in the barn, you will need to make sure you keep their dining rooms from running out of "food". When the consumption drops to zero, leave the remaining bait in place to welcome any newcomers.

Polypropylene line floats. Used it back in my lobstering days. Floating line from the trap spliced into sinking line tied to the buoy. Floating line kept it from tangling on bottom obstructions, and sinking line reduced the chances of being cut off by boat propellers. They changed the law after I left the fishery. Now, floating line is banned. Too many turtles, whales and basking sharks getting tangled on line floating off the bottom.