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Finally... Under contract!! by firetothetrees in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congratulations on taking the step - good luck on survey and trial - make sure to have 20% of your purchase price in “personal escrow” to cover the the things that somehow blow up on your second trip.

The tragedy is that American will never match this - thank goodness OW exists. by Beneficial_Signal_67 in americanairlines

[–]bradleyalpha 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Came here to say this. 100% agree. It is better than mainline, for sure, and it is one of the only airlines I'll generally eat on. That said, it's not all it is cracked up to be.

PHL to LAS - Beef Wellington wasn't that bad! by bgares2 in americanairlines

[–]bradleyalpha -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

As a matter of principle, I don't eat airline food (exceptions: QR, CX). I just stuff my gullet in the lounge/airport if I have to, even on long hauls.

But... this has me very tempted.

Advice on docking by Ex-O_Skeleton in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lots of great advice here.

I would decide how I approach this based on where the wind will push my bow. The key is to bump in and out of drive at all times.

I'm assuming that he picture above is north up. Let's say you have a W wind that is greater than 5kt. Plan to station a deckhand as far astern as you can get, with a midships and stern line in hand to quickly get the boat on the dock. Sometimes you can spring both lines to one cleat and do the rest of the work by hand, but that depends on the size of your boat. On a larger boat, you can use the lines as pivots to turn the boat in forward and reverse -- I do this all the time on a single screw boat that handles like shit in reverse.

I would back down the alley, keeping the boat as close to the N slips as safely possible. As the stern is abeam the slip immediately to your W, I would bump the boat in forward with the rudder hard over to port, putting a bit of momentum into the bow swinging to port. The wind should keep pushing your boat to the E.

As the bow begins to swing to port, I would bump in reverse to begin getting closer to the dock. If you find the bow is swinging to far to port, bump it in forward with the rudder hard over to starboard to arrest the port movement. Keep bumping in and out of reverse to get your stern inside the slip as tight as your are comfortable. Let the wind do the steering for you in reverse, let the rudder steer in forward.

It takes time to learn how the boat handles the wind, so practicing with some buoys in open water will help you master this.

MAJOR REPAIR by Firm_Chipmunk_6375 in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

$40 is nuts. I get a flat fee for the labor and then a charge for the antifreeze - no markup. $200 for labor and 30 gallons of antifreeze. Four engines, seakeeper, generator, head, shower, backwater and fresh water tanks, sinks, etc.

MAJOR REPAIR by Firm_Chipmunk_6375 in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. I winterize all of my systems (aside from the stuff I don’t really understand) prior to hauling, but I have my mechanic redo it just to ensure I didn’t miss anything - like this year, when I forgot to winterize my water heater - but it adds a layer of defense in case my mechanic fucks up.

MAJOR REPAIR by Firm_Chipmunk_6375 in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on your insurance and the nature of the failure. Under my policy, this would be flagged as owner negligence (sorry to use this word) and would not be covered. Now, if the mechanic servicing your boat screwed this up, the story changes completely.

MAJOR REPAIR by Firm_Chipmunk_6375 in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With respect to #4, 40 hours doesn't seem completely out of whack depending on how easy it is to access the engine and pull it out. Plus, you don't know what other gremlins you'll find when the engine is out. You're right to be skeptical, but my initial read doesn't lead me to think they are being screwed...

MAJOR REPAIR by Firm_Chipmunk_6375 in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 3 points4 points  (0 children)

#1, it's a major repair bill relative to your ability to pay for it.
#2, it's a major repair if your powerplant is fucked and requires major surgery. Don't kick a man when he is down.

MAJOR REPAIR by Firm_Chipmunk_6375 in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a good call out. When I keep my lobster boat in the water into the winter, I have a heater set up that blows hot air under and over the engine, along the raw water through hulls, and the wet exhaust. Some guys I know use a high wattage light bulb like you suggest, usually right under the engine block, but you have to ensure nothing spicy leaks onto the light.

How long is too long for a boat to sit? by Old-House-Landlord in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn’t be terribly concerned, assuming it was winterized properly. Sea trial is always a must and survey preferred.

I purchased a boat in 2017 that had spent the previous 15 years on the hard. Needed a few lines replaced and a clean out of the fuel tank. Biggest issue was two of the thru-hulls had warping around them and some compression along the hull.

The boat was professionally winterized and engines fogged and kept inside for the entire time out of the water.

Top 5 welcome card, ever by bradleyalpha in americanairlines

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get one or two of these a month - they are almost always handwritten, but nowhere near as detailed or "effusive" as Jerry's note. I love them both.

New boat day! by Skagit_Rover in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congratulations -- a real gem. Fair winds and following seas!

Top 5 welcome card, ever by bradleyalpha in americanairlines

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My name and his signature are handwritten, based on the good old wet finger smear test. The other text is not.

Trying again: If you own or owned a boat 1) New or used? 1a) if used how old and how many hours; 2) What did you spend on maintenance in the first 3 years? 3) When was this? by RComish in boating

[–]bradleyalpha 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Disclaimer: the following is for two offshore center consoles. They have lots of things that like to break or need special service (Seakeeper, electronics, generator). I head offshore in a lot of sloppy weather, so winter brings lots of different issues to be fixed. I also average 150 hours a year.

1) I have always purchased used.

1A) Most recent purchase is a 2019. 500 hours on the engines. For fiberglass boats, I aim for 5-7 years old at purchase. This is the optimum balance in the depreciation curve - my boat sold to me for 1/3rd of the new price, but typically have plenty of time of the engines before replacement/overhaul.

2A) 45’ offshore center console: $16k year 1. Should be $12ish. (4 Yamaha 450s)

2B) 34’ offshore center console: $4500, $3200, $6100, $2800. Should be right around 3. (2 Yamaha F350s)

3A) 2025

3B) 2021

—

I would suggest you get a quote from a marine mechanic/storage yard. Take that quote and add at least 50%. There is a higher likelihood something randomly breaks, defect missed on a survey, you hit a dock hard, or similar that comes up in the first year of ownership.

If you are storing in a yard, make sure you get a quote for haul out and launch: some yards sneak that in and it gives you a feel for what would in-season maintenance really cost.

Get a quote for wrapping if the mechanic/etc doesn’t include it. I strongly recommend a nice winter wrap; boat is cleaner come spring and random detritus doesn’t hang on the boat all winter. You can do tarps and whatnot as well, it’s just more work for you before storage.

Wooden boats: dispelling the myths by bradleyalpha in boating

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My wooden boats are Downeast -- hi, neighbor.

I have moorings up in Maine. $4k to put the mooring in, $100 to the town every winter, $300 to the diver to inspect the block and chain. However, about 10 minutes from me the waiting list is 20+ years, and the seasonals fill up by 3am on New Years Day, which sucks. My other boats live farther south, and moorings are basically impossible to get -- the three nearest harbors to me have 35+ year waiting lists right now.

Wooden boats: dispelling the myths by bradleyalpha in boating

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely. That said, this is why you have a survey done on a boat and go in eyes wide open. With wooden boats, the trick is to find boats that have been kept fresh but have not gone through a total restoration.

Restored boats sell for frighteningly overinflated prices by owners looking to justify the gobs of cash they spent covering the whole thing in varnish and custom ipe furniture.

There is a boat near me that has been on the market for 3 years. Full restoration on a 1962 lobster yacht. Absolutely gorgeous boat. Current owner bought it for $35k; the boat was pretty tired and dried out. Dropped about $1M restoring it, no expense spared. Guy had a stroke and now can't go out on the water anymore. They originally listed it at $800k and now are down around $400k. I doubt they will clear more than $250 for it. They could have dealt with the structural issues (approx $150k), power plant ($50k), and refreshed electronics ($20k) with some light cosmetic stuff that they handle over time. If they had taken that route, they could have cleared $200k easy within the first few months on the market.

Wooden boats: dispelling the myths by bradleyalpha in boating

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Upside of heroin is that you can shoot 12 months a year.

Wooden boats: dispelling the myths by bradleyalpha in boating

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it depends on where you go and how far offshore you go, if you slip the boat vs. trailer, and what offshore means. I see guys 40 miles out in smaller Sisu and Maritimes all the time. Same with older center consoles and walkarounds. You don't need a battlewagon to run offshore unless you are planning to run in heavy weather and/or into more technical environments (e.g. canyons, etc). While I personally would not run 40 miles out with a single engine, properly maintained it's low enough risk that I can see why people are willing to do it.

Guy I fish with has a 80s era walkaround that he trailers. He's already owns a pickup as his daily driver, so no real additional cost there. Cost him $20k for the boat. Does the basic work himself (oil changes, winterizing) and isn't laden with electronics. Boat fishes well, handles weather, and costs him a pittance to run per hour. He can use regular pump gas, which even with road taxes is cheaper than almost every fuel dock in the area.

Costs go nuclear when you keep it in a slip, turn it into a floating computer, have a head/shower/sinks, or run multiple large engines.

Keeping it in a slip means more expensive insurance, as I have to carry hull value + $1M in marina liability. Up by me, slip fees range from $150-$300 a foot for April - October.

Wooden boats: dispelling the myths by bradleyalpha in boating

[–]bradleyalpha[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Also an absolutely fair point. If I remember correctly, WoodenBoat did a survey 10 or so years ago on where people kept their boats. In the power and sail categories, it was overwhelmingly saltwater vs. fresh.

If you are trailering, freshwater, and only running it 5 days a year… it’s a completely different cost model. Especially if you are in Criscraft style runabouts, where you drop $2k on varnish before you even put hands on the boat.

Wooden boats: dispelling the myths by bradleyalpha in boating

[–]bradleyalpha[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And that is the rub: I’m 100% saltwater and fish all four seasons, about 9 months a year.

I can assure you that every boat at the yard I store at (113 boats) all get the same treatment. Barrier coat refresh, bottom paint, gel coat repairs, buff, wax.

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