Back in the Water.....
Well finally what has been a wet and cold spring looks to maybe be turning the corner as we round into warmer weather. With the cover off the boat small maintinence tasks like wiping down the fore deck and cleaning out the cabin can begin. Today brought nice warming temperatures in the low 60’s and a chance to change the fuel filters as had been planned for a while. I had treated the fuel with a stabilizer and filled the tank in the fall as part of the fall closeup. I had planned on changing them earlier but I was unable to get into them while the canvas was on since the engine cover would not lift up all the way. J.P. came over and we got quickly to work completing the task without many issues. We got the boat cleaned up and rigged ready to go. The boat has done remarkably well over the winter and I am happy that my first ever winterization project was effective. No burst lines or broken seals so far.
I had stored the boat at a neighbors house all summer because it was easier to get the boat in and out. Come fall at the end of the season I brought the boat back to my house. I have a small hill that leads up into my yard and the boat cleared it without an issue on the way up but I worried all winter about hauling it out of my driveway. I couldn’t back it down since I live on a fairly busy road and so I pulled it out with J.P. watching the keel. The boat sits fairly low in the trailer, which is great for towing and launching, but I was worried that the skeg would rub on the pavement as I pulled out. According to J.P. there was a 2-3 inch clearance to spare when I drove away and so I will be extra careful but glad to know I can get it out.
After a morning of chores it was time to dunk the boat for the first time this year. We decided to drop the boat in at the Oxbow boat ramp on the Northampton/Holyoke line. At one time the Connecticut River wove a West to East loop which over the years has been diverted into a straight line. The resulting series of coves hold some great fishing, a large marina and many logs and stumps that are eager to bend your prop. Luckily J.P. had been here before and guided Toto up the oxbow while we made sure that out recent tuneups were working. With no obvious leaks and the motor purring we headed out into the main river.
One problem we did have was that the Garmin depth finder was working intermittently. It would work for while, freeze up and then flash the last depth. It would work again with a hard reset and then fail again. A little research shows that the issue may be in the transducer. This boat has an internal transducer that is mounted to the hull and sits in a fluid bath. The fluid occasionally spills out or evaporates and I will look to see if that is the case.
The stretch of the entire Connecticut River north of Hartford has no official navigation charts so boaters here will have to use commercial software to get maps and navigation routes. The river is constantly changing in depth, width and sedimentation so that uses must rely on prior knowledge and a healthy awareness of strainers and floating debris. Most of the data we noted on the Navionics app is sparse at best in some areas and relies on user reported data as there are few official surveys done on the river. We went slow and had one eye upriver watching for debris and the other on the depth finder.
On top of this, the area is a popular launch which becomes crowded with boats and jet skis in the summer. Police patrols keep a lid on big parties to some extent but this stretch is known for frequently busy days. Normally this would not be my first choice to boat but its close proximity to my house and it being later in the day it was a good spot.
Hi Neighbor - if you grew up in New England you know this beer!
Luckily for us the ramp was pretty empty today and we saw only 3 other boats as well as some kayakers fishing. We ran up past the route 9 Coolidge Bridge (Calvin Coolidge himself was a lawyer and one time Mayor of neighboring Northampton) and turned around as the sun began to settle. It had been a great day and a welcome beginning to the boating season. In New England, where we don’t have a year round on the water season, boat owners spend a good portion of the winter thinking about the upcoming season. I was relieved now it was here and welcomed the opportunity to be on the boat with it running. Winter and spring tasks completed it was time to enjoy the day. J.P. had brought a few nice IPA’s and we sat in the warm sun happy and content. It was a good day and we again remarked how karma had been kind to us again today.
The boat headed back up to J.P.’s house for some trailer maintenance in preparation for a week long trip we have coming up. See a little video we shot where we talk about changing the fuel filter and our trip on the river.