For those up north, it’s time! Started mine and it always feels good to hear her perrr. I’m ready. All week will be in the 80’s. The best part is my first tank of gas was $2.90 a gallon! Hope I can make it last.

Weather really made a swing here. We should be getting going pretty soon once we get some projects out of the way.

Thanks for making me have the urge to hear engine noises. Can't justify firing up the boat yet, so I got the Convertible out for a shakedown cruise. Probably gonna need a battery this year as she cranked really slow, but the fact the original is ow 11 years old that's not a real surprise. Why can't our boat batteries last that long? Stored in the same garage.
I'd gladly go through lots of gas this year, even if it is more expensive. That means I'm actually using the boat instead of just looking at her in the garage, like the past few years have been.

First warm weekend coming up here in the New England states, it seems. I may get to start the engines, but the port outdrive developed an oil leak over the winter. Upon first look, it is coming from the oil line leading from the transom to the outdrive itself. A tricky location to diagnose and fix.

Still more boat projects and prep work to go. If I can be in by Father's Day, it will be a victory

Mine is still winterized, when it comes out I need to do the oil change as I didn't have time last fall because of crap going on in life. I actually may not have it out all summer but will see.

Had new waverunner out for 1st ride last weekend. 96 degrees & no one on the lake was a blast. Boat comes out hopefully 2 weeks.

I launched my Jetskis last weekend. I have been trying to get my chores and honey do's finished before launching the boat but I may just do it today.
Air temp has been in the 80's and water is 76. Lots of visitors coming to the lake house this year.

My boat went in on May 3, but I only drove it to the dock and it has been here since. Both engines fired immediately and ran perfectly. I have no idea how Caterpillar gets these 30 year old 3208TAs to start so instantly, with no glow plugs or pre-heater, but it's impressive, even after 6+ months of not running at all. I doubt the flywheels makes half a turn before the engines start and they settle into a 600 RPM idle within a second or so.

The weather has been mostly bad for boating (there was a week straight where even the commercial boats never left the harbor) and I had a bunch of little details to take care of before starting the cruising season, so being stuck at the dock has not been a problem. One detail was a swap of a 35 psi fresh water pump for a 70 psi pump for better showers. It really makes the showers great, but the extra pressure exposed a few weak plumbing joints that were irritating and time consuming to fix. I also rebuilt the forward vacuflush pump and rebuilt the aft vacuflush toilet, those are fun jobs...

Our dinghy engine (2004 15HP two stroke) needed new prop shaft seals. I had to buy and use a special $80 Mercury tool to get the bearing carrier out, and the seals were a pain to punch out because they are so small, but I got them out and the new seals in. Have not re-assembled the lower gear case yet, but it won't take too long. Hope to get the dinghy launched at some point this weekend, but I don't need it for our day cruise so there's no pressure.

Our Jet Skis are still in storage and won't come out any time soon. Water is still in the 40s here so not much incentive there...

Taking the boat out for a day cruise to Rockport, MA tomorrow and it's supposed to be in the high 80s with 3 foot seas at 4.5 second intervals. The seas won't be very pleasant, but it's only 2 hours to Rockport at our typical 8.5 knots. May wick it up to 19+ knots on the way back to avoid bow steer in following seas, if needed. I don't use the planing capability of this boat much, but it's nice to have and the extra speed will use about 30 more gallons of diesel, so not a life-changing amount of money. There has been an orca sighted in our area so we hope to spot it. They are super rare here and seeing one would be really cool.