Today is the third of three days in a row of nice weather here in Stumptown. I'm also about three days behind in my plan to have my dozen winter boat projects wrapped up so I could leak test and maybe cruise around in da boat. Up here 3 days of unused weather opportunity is like pissin 5% of your boat season away. 

So I'm about 4 steps from done just now - I know the weather ain't going to hold for tomorrow. I've spent the morning dropping the motor back in and doing a bunch of little sheet blah blah. I go to tighten the nuts onto the two large 5/8 stud bolts I have in my forward motor mounts. These studs are "improvements" I made to my homemade engine frame over the long cold winter. First side goes great. Second side is just getting snug and... tink! I hear a little noise and the nut and stud suddenly spin free.

WTFO, my grade 8 stud cracked right off of the weld I made. Course to re-weld it will mean pulling the whole motor again and a delay of many days.  I just rolled onto my back on the floor of my little bitch boat and lay there for 20 minutes (cause I'm kinda an old fkr now). During the nap, I carefully compared my options. Either do it right and spend another few nights with her yellowness and away from the family, or.... Hillbillytime (rural Oregon equivalent of ghetto).

So I mix up some epoxy resin and dunk the end my leetle bolt in it and shoved it down in my frame. It's kicking while I write this. This old boat sheet is all about staying loose on your standards of excellence! Whenever she throws a curve ball at you, just take it like a man and figure out a way to respond that shows her whos still the idiot boss.

Today is the third of three days in a row of nice weather here in Stumptown. I'm also about three days behind in my plan to have my dozen winter boat projects wrapped up so I could leak test and maybe cruise around in da boat. Up here 3 days of unused weather opportunity is like pissin 5% of your boat season away. 

So I'm about 4 steps from done just now - I know the weather ain't going to hold for tomorrow. I've spent the morning dropping the motor back in and doing a bunch of little sheet blah blah. I go to tighten the nuts onto the two large 5/8 stud bolts I have in my forward motor mounts. These studs are "improvements" I made to my homemade engine frame over the long cold winter. First side goes great. Second side is just getting snug and... tink! I hear a little noise and the nut and stud suddenly spin free.

WTFO, my grade 8 stud cracked right off of the weld I made. Course to re-weld it will mean pulling the whole motor again and a delay of many days.  I just rolled onto my back on the floor of my little bitch boat and lay there for 20 minutes (cause I'm kinda an old fkr now). During the nap, I carefully compared my options. Either do it right and spend another few nights with her yellowness and away from the family, or.... Hillbillytime (rural Oregon equivalent of ghetto).

So I mix up some epoxy resin and dunk the end my leetle bolt in it and shoved it down in my frame. It's kicking while I write this. This old boat sheet is all about staying loose on your standards of excellence! Whenever she throws a curve ball at you, just take it like a man and figure out a way to respond that shows her whos still the idiot boss.

Sorry for your troubles Steve, the grade 8 fastener broke because of the weld, the temper was heated out, try using a grade 5 bolt, it will be less effected and the finished product will be stonger due to an even "temper",

Git er done   BTW, I use WTFO on a daily basis  

I told you I speak the language, let me know if there is Jack shat I can do...

GT

Thanks for the laffs.  With that attitude you will be on the water in no time!    Kharma coming your way for finishing off my day with a laff. 

Is the O in WTFO for "over"??  Where the heck did that come from? 

Yes. Vietnam or maybe even WWII? Sometime back b4 cell phones when there were 2-way radios and the guy with the big antenna got shot at all the time.

Ray you are probably on to something there about talking nicer to her. 
We had an extra day of sun. So I went for round 2 of leak test and that morphed into sea trials. Got all but 2 cooling water leaks stopped and know where the last 2 are. Made the command decision that these were not a safety issue. Looked around the ramp area for a boat that could come get me if I broke down and went all the way in.

Looking 20/20 hindsight I know now that all I had was about 1/4" too much incorrect adjustment in the reverser of my new Place Diverter. Thought I had checked it all out in the garage but guess not. So I was having trouble getting to medium throttle. Idle was OK but throttle lever would stick at mid throttle. But I was having fun anyhoo. Came into the dock to start figuring out what was up and realized I wasn't going to be able to ease her up to the dock like I used to. Came in HOT.  Oh well least nobody saw me munch the dock!! Heh heh.

Went back out for one round of rooster just to put my scent mark on the river. Came back in, got the trailer, loaded up the boat and went to goose her up just about 3" more so I wouldn't have to strain my old fart muscles.. Again, didn't have the reverser linkage QUITE RIGHT.... was thinking like the boat was BEFORE the new diverter install...Wham hole shot up the trailer and gotta new dent in the back doors of my suburban with a little yellow paint too.

Got home and started troubleshooting. Saw immediately that the reverse bucket was just going up too fast/early. Made a quick adjustment (that I thought I already had done) and moved the clevis 1/4" higher (shorted the cable length) and - worked like a champ.  Why did I not notice this during the 4-5 days I put into hooking the new cables and diverter up?

So I call that a basic boating day at least for me. It was a draw. The yellow girl gave some and got some.