What have you been up to lately?

[Crazyboat]

I've went off-topic. Recently developed an interest in string instruments, (Banjo, Ukulele, Guitar), but home-built from "alternative" materials. First effort is a "travel uke". Yeah.....there's a few woodworking faux pas, but the memory is starting to dig up my woodworking skills.
Here it is, complete with the exception of some wood finish, and even has a pickup for plugging in.
Also have the materials for a banjo-ukulele from an 8" stainless sauce pan.

Pay no never-mind to the messy basement workbench.


Roger.....who doesn't even know how to play.

As a half assed guitar player I always admire a luthier and their ability to make a playable instrument.

 

[airshot]

Yup, that's how I see it. My mom absolutely refused to go out with my dad on the boat when we were kids. He made the ride unenjoyable for her, barking orders. The fact my wife and daughter want to be with me is rewarding in a way I cannot describe. I will do all I can to make them happy. So this next boat is looking more and more like it won't be tin, oh well. Hope I'm still welcome in the group.

Curious here, what does being a!uminum have to do with boating with a dictator ?? Hull material should have nothing to do with someones attitude, unless I am missing something here...

 

[KevinWI]

Nice!
Do you have the older i-Pilot setup? If so, interested in selling it?

sorry I missed this post.....it's a newer i-pilot setup.

 

[Stand Up]

I've went off-topic. Recently developed an interest in string instruments, (Banjo, Ukulele, Guitar), but home-built from "alternative" materials. First effort is a "travel uke". Yeah.....there's a few woodworking faux pas, but the memory is starting to dig up my woodworking skills.
Here it is, complete with the exception of some wood finish, and even has a pickup for plugging in.
Also have the materials for a banjo-ukulele from an 8" stainless sauce pan.

Pay no never-mind to the messy basement workbench.


Roger.....who doesn't even know how to play.

Way too cool! You did a nice job making that instrument. I like it.

 

[Stand Up]

I've been passing time this winter hunting coyote and fox . Technology sure has come a long way since I started doing this as a kid with a piece of Styrofoam and plate of glass as a caller. Now it's all electronic callers and thermal optics.

@flatheadsteve , what kind of rifle is that in the pic?

 

[GTS225]

As a half assed guitar player I always admire a luthier and their ability to make a playable instrument.

And as a half-assed luthier, I admire your ability to make something other than random noise out of a string instrument. I'm kinda looking into some lessons 'round these parts, if they aren't too expensive.

Roger

 

[Crazyboat]

And as a half-assed luthier, I admire your ability to make something other than random noise out of a string instrument. I'm kinda looking into some lessons 'round these parts, if they aren't too expensive.

Roger

I see you are in Iowa, land of a whole lotta flat. If you were in NJ I'd gladly teach you what I know. If you have time just youtube simple guitar lessons. I can have you playing a song the first day with 2 chords.

First thing is get an electronic tuner, once she's in tune you just do simple down strokes, as the song comes in tune to your ear you add some up strokes and before you know it (literally in a week of 30 minutes a day) you'll be playing a couple of songs.

 

[Crazyboat]

Curious here, what does being a!uminum have to do with boating with a dictator ?? Hull material should have nothing to do with someones attitude, unless I am missing something here...

I was responding to this segment of a post, "Family wants to spend time with you on the boat -- life is good!" Nobody wanted to spend time with my dad, I'm fortunate enough that family wants to spend time with me. If It's not clear and I'm still missing something, let me know I'll do my best to think more clear.

 

[Ray Clark]

I was responding to this segment of a post, "Family wants to spend time with you on the boat -- life is good!" Nobody wanted to spend time with my dad, I'm fortunate enough that family wants to spend time with me. If It's not clear and I'm still missing something, let me know I'll do my best to think more clear.

I understood the conversation as it developed. It's all good.

One of my original thoughts when I first got my boat was that there might be times when more than just the two fishermen would be on the trip. I might have to make two trips to carry more people and stuff to a picnic site, or some such thing. After three full seasons with the boat, that has never happened.

My wife has gone out once with me. That's because she's still working, and the boat usually only hits the water on weekdays. We had a good day when she went out there. In fact, I set her up with my favorite crappie rod, and she had one in the boat before I could even get my line wet. We'll go again, I'm sure. There are a number of nice out-of-the-way state parks in our region with nice facilities. What I need her to do is get confident enough that she can be at the helm to help recover the boat at the end of the day. She'll never be able to back the trailer down the ramp, but it would help if she could nose the boat onto the trailer while I hook the winch strap and drag it onto the trailer fully.

As for a bigger boat, there's a few features I'd like that my 14' tinnie can't accommodate, at least not in a practical sense. A rod locker would be nice. An open floor plan would be more comfortable. A live well would be more convenient instead of the fish basket I currently use. I see new boats with all that stuff, but I've put a fair amount of time and effort into my little Lund and I've grown an affinity for the 45-year-old boat. The desire for that extra stuff on a new boat just fades away. If I was going to have a 16 or 17 foot boat with that stuff, the original purchase would have been the right time to do it.

 

[GTS225]

First thing is get an electronic tuner,

Got one comin'.

once she's in tune you just do simple down strokes, as the song comes in tune to your ear you add some up strokes and before you know it (literally in a week of 30 minutes a day) you'll be playing a couple of songs.

Yeah......I suspect it'll be the finger work that will give me problems. At least, at 66 years, I don't have any arthritis symptoms, so using the digits won't be an issue.
Sorta the same thing when I was bowling. The eyes and brain could see what needed to be done, but somehow, things got lost in the translation on the way out to the fingers and wrist.

Roger

 

[flatheadsteve]

@flatheadsteve , what kind of rifle is that in the pic?

Home built ar15 with 20" barell and a agm rattler thermal scope

 

[LaqueRatt]

You have great points, but I enjoy my daughter, she's a great kid and if I only have 4 years or so left with her, I want to maximize that time, not minimize it. Sure it's a sacrifice and a PIA when I have to sell the bigger boat, but we make sacrifices all the time. I'm in a tough spot, but I also will enjoy the larger boat and the comfort it brings. I'll have to bite the bullet, family is important to me.

I'm about as close to my girls as any Dad could ever be, but your daughter is at the start of a great adventure. An awakening if you like. This journey is not going to include dear old Dad. Trust me on this one. Treat her well and she'll return to the fold after she grows up some. Early 20s. Including her in your plans is great, but she'll likely not spend much time on that boat. Not unless you haul 6 of her giggly friends along.....

 

[LaqueRatt]

As long as it has aluminum on it somewhere, they will let you in the door.

That reminds me, I'm looking forward to watch what @LaqueRatt does with that tri-hull. So you won't be alone.

Me too! Currently I'm just pushing snow off of it! Looks like an early end to winter here in the Midwest, with crazy highs forecast for the coming week.

In other boat related news, I'm getting ready to pull the power head off a 9.9 OMC to replace a busted motor mount. I'm sure taking apart something that has been together for 50+ years will be interesting. Guess better sharpen up the drill bits and get the taps out.

 

[LDUBS]

As a half assed guitar player I always admire a luthier and their ability to make a playable instrument.

Me too. I think I have just enough skill to give it a go. But it would definitely push my limits.

By the way, I can play Louie Louie all day long. Haha.

 

[Crazyboat]

I'm about as close to my girls as any Dad could ever be, but your daughter is at the start of a great adventure. An awakening if you like. This journey is not going to include dear old Dad. Trust me on this one. Treat her well and she'll return to the fold after she grows up some. Early 20s. Including her in your plans is great, but she'll likely not spend much time on that boat. Not unless you haul 6 of her giggly friends along.....

You don't know my daughter or our family situation. In general, I'd agree with you. But my daughter is somewhat isolated from friends as her school is a 15 minute drive away and her new school will be 25 minutes away. So she doesn't have many friends to hang with on a regular day. Of course I have thought that she will want to bring along some friends from time to time so Easter week we're flying out to your neck of the woods to test ride this boat. 239 Sunstar | Splendor Boats Room for 12.

 

[LDUBS]

Well, that's not your grandfather's tinny!

 

[Crazyboat]

Well, that's not your grandfather's tinny!

No, it's not. I prefer a world cat if I'm going that big, but I can't justify the price for my current geographic location. My boating will mostly be done in the Hudson river between NJ and NYC, statue of liberty etc. But this as a deck boat has a cat hull which I like for stability. I hope the test ride goes well. I have the world cat to fall back on if I have to.

 

[Crazyboat]

I should add, any boat this size is going to require a marina, winter storage and service. It will have a trailer so I can bring it for service, finding a safe place to dock and dry store over winter I am looking into now. A big reason I wanted a 14' tinner was easy to store along side the house. This family boat will require some logistical planning.

 

[LaqueRatt]

That's a beautiful boat for sure, but not a fishing boat. 4 people fishing in that tub will be like a circus act. You're not testing out anything in my neck of the woods at Easter. Heck we don't even open the ramps until May! I don't follow you're thinking on this at all. Not my problem though, so carry on. I do get the crazy part though. Thanks for letting us know. LOL

 

[LDUBS]

I should add, any boat this size is going to require a marina, winter storage and service. It will have a trailer so I can bring it for service, finding a safe place to dock and dry store over winter I am looking into now. A big reason I wanted a 14' tinner was easy to store along side the house. This family boat will require some logistical planning.

I used to go to Jersey City every Jan or Feb for meetings. I recall seeing some boats shrink wrapped.