July 3 - 8, Graffs

It was our first fourth of July on the lake and it was hot and busy.  We were lucky to snag a close spot in Ice Cream Cove.  It's a nice little cove just across from Stateline Marina with a half mile narrow water way that opens up at the end to another small cove.  It's great for kayaking and paddle boarding.

The engines, generator and air conditioning all worked well.  Someone left a large fan that we found to be a nice addition.

We borrowed Scott's anchor straps and gave them a try and did find them to be very handy.  With the water going down we were able to loosen them a little each day easily.

We noticed that the right side refrigerator seemed to be cooling less than the left side.  On the last day we turned it up from 6 to 9 to see if that made a difference.  We were't there long enough to know for sure.  Please notify me if it becomes a problem that needs to be addressed.

We noticed that the shovel's on board were rusting out and the foot washing pan was tearing so we made a run to Walmart and purchased two new shovel's and three new wash pans.

We noticed that although the winch works well the housing for the control module has broken away from the cable unit.  I'm not quite sure what we should do about that if anything.  Opinions on that would be appreciated.

I meant to check the water in the batteries but realized after we had departed that I had forgotten to do it.  If one of the next users wouldn't mind taking a look it would be appreciated.

We pumped out at the Stateline pumping station and found it to be less crowded and easier to get in and out of.

Please post to this blog and encourage others to also do so if it's something you would like us to continue.

George Graff

Great time on the lake

For the first time ever, we spent almost two weeks on the lake (back to back weeks).  Here are some updates and insights.  The boat ran well although the engines were a little slow to start.  The new slide location was great!  It is nice not having to avoid the slide supports.  I put some padding on the angle brace to decrease head bumps and ran a new water line to the slide so it is ready to go.  We also removed the old brackets.  Bulldog has installed new bumpers on the back so it should be much nicer to bring a boat up against the back of the boat.  Our main problem was that the generator would start but not rum more than a second.  I spoke with Bulldog and they thought it was likely the fuel pump, but they could not do anything without me bringing the boat back in so we decided to see how we did without it.  The 6V batteries would not hold a charge and were old so we changed them out.  Once that was done then the refrigerators and everything else worked perfectly.  Everything even stayed frozen in the freezers.  When we came back in then Bulldog got the generator running again. 

I have a solar generator called Safari from inergy that weighs about 5- 10 lbs and will run everything except the AC and microwave (or as my wife reminds me - a hair dryer).  It kept up with the TV, fans, drill, pumps and the endless charging of personal electronics.  Each day I hooked it up to the solar panel and it recharged.  This is the unit that I take with me to Haiti on the medical/dental trips and we can run our dental equipment all day without a problem.  By using this, I save a ton on gas  not running the generator, so not having the generator was not much of a problem as long as the batteries were good.  I thought about getting a solar generator for the group, but it is expensive and has small parts that could be easily lost if one is not careful.  This is something that each owner could consider for themselves though if they want to.  I think it pays for itself in a few trips trips.  They are super useful and reliable.  I have had mine for several years.  I just looked at inergy and Goal Zero.  I have both and like inergy much better.  I would only get lithium and I have not tried the new Goal Zero lithium battery so it might be comparable (both are about $500).   inergy did not have its smaller (5 lb) unit, Safari, listed so I will have to find out if it is still available.  The Kodiak is their big one and it is awesome!  I have one and it will run almost everything but is much bulkier than the Safari, and is much more expensive (about $1800).  The Goal Zero lithium 400 looks fairly close to the Safari but it is 17lbs rather than 5lbs.  Don't get the really big Goal Zero.  I have that one also, and it is super heavy and very expensive, and not even in the ballpark with inergy.  If you just want to run the basic things that I listed, then I would probably get the Goal Zero lithium 400 unless I could find the inergy Safari.

May 15 - 22, Graffs

We spent Tuesday through Saturday enjoying some cool May weather.  We left the boat in the slip and made a run to Bullfrog Marina where we spent a night and explored slowly on the way back down the next day.  Note: Bullfrog marina closes down at 5:00 PM and we were lucky to catch a late leaving shuttle driver to take us to the lodge (about a mile away from the marina).  Enjoyed a newly renovated room at the lodge and a very nice dinner and breakfast at the restaurant.

The major functions on the boat all seem to be in good working order now.  The AC worked great.

We were able to take the slide support off, have it modified by a local welder, and get it put back in place.

Here's a list of other items I've identified as being yet to do:
- Replace the dock lines.

- Reconnect the water line to the slide.  It will probably need a longer length of tubing.

- Remove the two base supports for the old slide from the swim deck.  I think they are now just toe stubs waiting to happen.

- Replace the carpet on the front and back decks.  I’m thinking that a higher end carpet may be a nice upgrade there.

- Wrap a padding around the angled support piece on the slide support.  Its a risk to head smacks.

- Add fenders/bumpers to the back of the swim deck.

Scott has indicated he plans to replace the dock lines, reconnect the waterline to the slide, and add padding to the slide support during his upcoming week.  I've inquired about having Bulldog install the fenders/bumpers to the swim deck as they are pop-riveted on.  That would leave only replacing the deck carpet from this list.  If anyone has the experience and capability to do the fenders or carpet for us please let me know.

Here's a photo of the modified slide support.

The Graffs

New Season

The boat is back in the water and ready for use. Marlyn and I spent a few days cleaning and restocking the supplies Scott had purchased. We pumped water from the engine compartment bilge that seeps in after spring relaunching until the wood portions of the hull expand and seal it off. The seepage continues for a few weeks, so if you are using the boat while the seepage is happening please continue to pump it out using the small shop vacuum with its filters removed.

Toward the end of last season the performance of the air conditioning became degraded. After relaunching we arranged for service. Bulldog inspected and found that the filters were extremely dirty and caked over.  However, even after cleaning them the front unit still displayed a low pressure error message. We then arranged for Lake Powell Refrigeration (Jimmie Jones) to come out. He found it to be low on freon and replenished it. The other units tested fine. Hopefully with some regular cleaning of the filters, we will enjoy good, cool air this summer. Which leads to another matter.

To service the filters there must be access to the units in the bilge. With the accumulation of totes, old stuff, and other personal owner items, it was not possible to access the units. We had to move several totes from the bilge just to make a path into the areas needing access. This is going to be an ongoing problem as the filters should be cleaned monthly according to Bulldog.

In addition to the maintenance problems they cause, we have also found it to be inconvenient not to have some storage space for ice chests and other containers we use to transport belongings for our time on the boat.

Scott and I discussed this situation came up with the idea of limiting the personal gear stored on the boat to a couple of soft sided bags that are stored in areas away from the space in the front, port (left)  side of the hull.  We also discussed that other equipment like generators, dutch ovens and the like ought to be available for common use if they are going to be stored on the boat.  We discussed that the boat could purchase those items that are currently there from their owners or acquire new items as the case may be.

As Marlyn and I did some casual inspection of the boat we noticed that there are a number of things that needed doing to restore it to a more appealing condition - such as new carpet on the front and back decks, waxing, carpet shampooing, canvas & netting repair, & caulking.  Bart Sorenson and his family were coming out following us. As we communicated with them I mentioned the idea to Bart of owners taking on some of those items as "service projects" as they spend time on the boat, as it fits their capabilities and available time.

Well, Bart texted me the next week and reported that he had waxed the entire boat, repainted the exterior areas as needed, re-caulked the seal where the cabin meets the hull, and reconfigured the tie ropes to keep the boat from striking against the dock.  Many thanks to you Bart and I believe a very nice example of what we could do as a group to keep the boat in nice shape without paying big bucks to get it done if we wish to follow suite.  The boat would of course cover the cost of materials and supplies.

Here's a couple of photos showing the results of Bart's efforts.  The first shows the before and after effect of the waxing, as you can see from the contrast between the middle un-waxed section compared to the front and back sections.  The other shows the newly painted front bumper section .

Lastly, the new raised up slide is being further modified to change the angle of the support structure coming off the back deck.  As it was done, it still precluded boats from docking against the back.  The new support will raise vertically before angling outward.

I think the blog was helpful to everyone last year in communicating with the other owners.  Please continue to post and comment as helpful (or entertaining).  It was much appreciated.

Yours,

George & Marlyn Graff

Maintenance Update

Raising of the slide to avoid the climb over the rail, to allow docking family boats against the stern, and to provide easier loading and unloading has been completed. Here's a photo of the finished product. I hope its a welcome modification.

George

Winter Repairs

This post is to update you on the repairs that have been performed on the boat this winter.

Water heater replaced
Fire Extinguishers certified
Winterization performed
Upper deck repaired
Out drives serviced
Swivel shafts repaired

Here's a photo of the deck following the repairs.

Here are the invoices for the work done by Bulldog & Keith Ramsey.