Update 2 on Starboard Engine

Follow-up on the starboard engine:

Bulldog has informed us that repairing the starboard engine will require the boat to be drydocked (because the outdrive needs to be removed) and suggested that we limp through the rest of the season and perform the repair at the end of the season.

This makes sense to the management team and we are planning to adopt this plan.  Sorry for the bad news.

With this, the management team also believes that if owners elect to take the boat out with only one engine, they need to assume responsibility for any damage resulting from doing so with the boat in this condition.

George

Starboard Engine Status

Owners,

Bulldog Boat Repair has determined that the starboard engine has a cracked head and block.  This was most likely caused by overheating.

We aren’t sure how or when this happened, how long it will take or how expensive this repair will be.

Taking the boat out of the slip for the next while may not be possible with the work that will be going on.  Even if there are lulls in the work, going out on one engine could be quite risky as it is much more difficult to control or maneuver, particularly if there is any wind factor.

Staying on the boat in the slip should be fine, but Bulldog workers may be present, and the back-deck area may not be accessible.

George

Nice Trip

Hello All,
We had a good trip overall ending on August 4th. The weather was great with only a few windy nights and a light rain in the evening one of the nights.
A heads up for those that will follow.  The starboard engine is having troubles.  Bulldog had checked the oil before I arrived and said it was 1 qt low and had leaked oil below the engine.  They tried to find out where it was coming from, but no luck.  I took it out and once again it was 1 qt low when we arrived to Padre Bay.  The oil residue was in a large area. I brought it back to the slip on one engine and only started the Starboard engine to maneuver in the slip and at the fuel dock. Bulldog checked it August 5th and believe that it may have a head gasket gone.  The recommend that we DO NOT run the starboard engine during normal operation.  They will need to change it out and do more diagnostics on the engine.  If anyone isn't planning on using the boat during their week, please let Mike Hukill, George, or myself know so we can schedule Bulldog to come and work on it.
Both toilets aren't flushing very well.  I changed out the raw water pump, but it didn't seem to help.  We ended up using a bucket or cup to flush the toilet every time they were used.  Not super convenient, but still usable.  We'll have to get those looked at as well.
The black square fan came up missing when I arrived, so I purchased a new fan for the cabin.  Please leave it between the couch and the front sliding glass door. The fan helps with airflow while running A/C. It's a nicer fan that can be adjusted upward for better air movement. 
Overall we had a good time.  Once again please let us know if you will not be using it during your week so we can get these items fixed.
Thanks

Howdy All,

We had a great week at the lake with great weather, great water, just an all out great time! The boat functioned well although we did have some minor problems when we first started backing out of the slip. Both engines died when just above idle (but not at the same time). Everything seemed to work better on the way back in. Maybe keep the engines running a bit longer than "normal" before moving. It wasn't a big problem, but I know there were some comments about it in previous posts.

The 3 AC units ran fine and we did crawl under and reconnect a few vents where the ducting had become disconnected which helped in the lower bedrooms. There are still some dead vents. The lower AC unit at one point had a "low PR" message but we shut that unit down and turned it back on again and everything was fine.

The first night out when we were on generator power running the air winding down, the main breaker tripped three or so times and we could never figure out why. We just reset it and everything worked fine. We didn't change anything the next four nights and oddly enough it never happened again.

The floating pad was pretty ripped up but still functional as far as my little grandkids were concerned.

It is warming up out there though, on the verge of being HOT. The water is still rising 3" - 5" a day and the cut wakeless area is about 300 yards long now, doesn't take long to get through it.

Other than those few things, and that was nothing, we had a great trip!!

Graff - Week of May 25

The rising tide has much abated.  Six inches or so a day was about it.  We didn't need to tighten ropes much.  Weather was cool at night and in the morning then a little hot and windy in the afternoons.  The boat continued to perform all functions as expected, although the port side motor died several times while at idle.  This was a change as the starboard side has typically been the temperamental one.  The drive engines were serviced by Bulldog last week between users.

A few cute little mice made their way on board but I believe we caught most of them by setting a trap with a little peanut butter at night.

The weeds are drying up, and even though we shoveled then raked them up, the dry little stickers left over were relentless at hiding in the sand and finding the soft spots on the feet.

We parked in Ice Cream Cove just across from Stateline Marina for quick access to the docks yet still preserve a little sense of remoteness.

With the holiday weekend coming up we found we didn't schedule our holding take pump outs far enough in advance and suggest allowing plenty of lead time if planning to use that service.

Received lots of nice comments on the improvements to the interior from our guests.

I think we could use another long handled shovel or two and a new rake on board.  Our schedule didn't give us time to get into town to pick them up.  If one of the next users would like to do so and send me the bill for reimbursement that would be great.

If anyone can think of a good way to dispose of the broken down fiberglass pole boat tie laying there on port side of the top deck, it's all yours.

Thanks for the great posts!  Please keep them coming.

The Graff's

Fast rising lake!

What a great time at the lake this week! first and foremost I want to throw out a major THANK YOU to Mike and Bart and all those that have worked to get the boat ready for the year! It looks great and is sooo appreciated. The boat ran great, no problems at all which sure makes it great. The lake was rising so fast while we were there (more than a foot a day) which meant we were moving the boat in twice a day and readjusting ropes several times a day too. We were aware that it was rising fast when we arrived and put the anchors way up on the beach but by the last night I didn't know if the lake wasn't going to overtake them. It all worked out fine though. Lake level is still quite low so some of the places we had camped before were now rocky while other beaches have opened up. There are some really nice beaches even though a lot of them are full of weeds there are plenty of nice places. Overall, fantastic trip!

Trip Update

Howdy all.

Since my son went out the Tuesday after Memorial Day, Sorenson's and now Wilding's have also been out of the slip (my report is a little late). The lake is rising well over a foot a day now, about 4.5' since Saturday, 15" yesterday alone. The Castle Rock cut has been open and they are expecting about another 20 foot rise in the water level.

The report I received back: "the engines and generator ran great, fridges and freezers were good, all the new stuff looks great!"

A couple of items to mention:

My son killed 4 mice on the boat the week he was out there so we "might" have a rodent problem. There are traps of some kind on the boat, and possibly, some poison but I am not sure (on the poison) so be careful with your young ones. I do not think there is any poison, but I can't remember if I saw some somewhere. Anyway, no new poison was brought on to the boat this year. Having said that, maybe if we keep the ramp up at night, that might help to keep the rodent numbers down.

The toilet and flooring in the hall bath were both replaced in the early spring but the toilet did not seal properly (my shoddy work) and leaked between the old vinyl and new floor which caused a real bad odor. The toilet and flooring were pulled up, the old and new vinyl disinfected, and everything allowed to dry/air out and replaced so the "odor" is significantly better. However, there may still be some lingering odor. I apologize to all of you who had to endure through the nasty smell.

There are two laminated copies of a check list of sorts for cleaning when you come in that might help us leave the boat in a better condition without them. Also, remember the exterior carpet is new, so please be quick to clean up spills and such before they get worn into the carpet. Also, also, have the kids go easy on dragging chairs and kayaks across the top of the boat, that will help the top last longer.

Please communicate with the next family going out with any problems that need immediate attention or supplies that need to be brought out.

That is all of my whining for now.
Peace Out!!