Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report #2-6 . . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Spent most of June, sprucing up Urchin for her eventual sale to Ed & Becky Combs.
Since that is what is funding the SCAMP project, that counts as Almost-A-SCAMP progress!
(Hey! It's My Life, it's My Rules!) 
Decided Mental Health also contributes to SCAMP Progress.
Figured I'd play hooky for a bit and got out to Steinhatchee in Short Ribs with my Grandson, Dylan, for some Scalloping.
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I dunno. Maybe, I'm just not cut out to be a Scalloper. 
I used to catch that many Lobsters, down in south Florida and they were wayyy tougher!!
These Scallops just lay there. 
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We saw probably 3 times that many Scallops down there; they were just too small to even bother with trying to shuck and clean.
I gotta start scouting locations where the Scallops are bigger! 

Also got a chance to go fishing with my other Grandson, Bryan, and my Son, Chris, 22 miles off shore, in St. Augustine.
Figure I can get out there in about 4 or 5 hours in the SCAMP; when I get it finished.
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Can you see how much I'm smiling?!? 
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Chris waiting (semi-patiently!) to reach the off-shore fishing grounds
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Bryan with a Vermilion Snapper, locally referred to up here, as "Beeliners" for reasons, which escape me.
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Chris with a nice Red Snapper which we couldn't keep, because they are out of season.
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Returning and dodging thundershowers.
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"It's not my FAULT!!    I was trying to avoid all those sticks with the red & green signs nailed on them, sticking up out of the water!"   
Was later told, that is the last refugee from last Fall's hurricanes; some kinds of legal issues, I gathered.
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Decided to do some more work on the trailer.
Actually, what I wanted was to have at least SOMETHING, that was completely finished!
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Hoisting the hull up is getting to be pretty easy, after all the practice I've had! 
(And mistakes I've made!)    
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DOHHH!!! 
Right out of the box, my goal posts are too close together and won't slide past the hull.
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OK, so there's the FIRST adjustment!!

THAT'S better!   
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Trying to get an idea for the required angle for the roller bunk.
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Also discovered I needed to move the winch wayyyyy up, to get a straight line pull from the winch to the bow eye.
Still not completely a straight line, going to have to add a spacer under the winch, in lieu of spending $175.00+  for a 2" X 3" X 36" galvanized winch stand.
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Mother Nature forced a break in trailer modifications, as well as showing why I had elected to do trailer work, instead of epoxy work.
You always check the weather before you sail; you also have to check the weather before you build. 
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Very close to final fit! 
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Need to check closer on tongue weight; might need to come forward.
What I gain from having 35-40 pounds of batteries up front, I lose in having a trolling motor on the transom.

Hmmm . . . . . Hull is awfully close to the trailer fenders, not too happy about that  . . . . . .
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Might need some more thought    . . . . .

The last day of the month, I went on a trailer parts quest that took me to 4 different vendors in 3 different counties, ranging from Gainesville to Ocala and chewed up the entire day. 
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Back when I lived in south Florida, I could have gotten every single part I bought today from a single trailer supply house, barely 3 miles from my home.
   I LIVE IN THE BOONIES, NOW!!!! 
   ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!! 

Oh, well.
At least I got all the parts on my list.
I've got enough stuff coming in almost daily, that I have to get in high gear and start getting some of these sub-assemblies done, before I can no longer get in (or out of) the garage. 

Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

Great way to spend family time! Hey if you want to get to the Gulf Stream faster sail out the inlet at Palm Beach and Singer Island it's just a mile offshore but you will spend a lot more road time to get there. However, sailing back may take a while as it will take you north toward Jupiter. Some of the prettiest water on the east coast. It's where my Dad would take me in his boat fishing when I was a kid. he would point out the Kennedy mansion at Palm Beach when Jack was the president.

[Riley Smith]

I can sympathize about the location of supply houses. They're an hour away no matter which direction for me. I make that up with very few traffic lights and quiet. Yeah. Fenders are close. But lot less weight to put aboard. I rarely even use the winch except to put tension on the bow eye for trailering.

[Frank B.]

Random thoughts.....as I've gotten older there is no such thing as a finished project.  There are, however, a vast list of unfinished projects that are fully funded with regard to materials, but awaiting labor which seems to be unable to be applied in a manner that recognizes any priority. 

I've scalloped for fifty of the last fifty-five years in St. Joe Bay and a few times in Wild Goose Bay near crooked island. There are good years and bad years and that's just the way it is. And they don't just lay there, they hide in the grass beds, or covered with silt on the edges, and as my eyes have gotten older that seems to be a factor.

[Chris Muthig]

That was a 6-7 lb red snapper on 12 lb tackle, was a heck of a fight. Sorry to hear about the goal posts, now you have to either narrow the boat or flip them upside down so the long part is attached to the trailer.  They are just pvc, so you could probably just buy 2 couplers, cut a piece of the long side to attach to the short side.  They just won't be as tall, but if you do it right, 6" to a foot shorter.

[Wayne Howard]

My motto on big boat maintenance?

When you finish the project on the top of the list, write it down on the bottom of the list. By the time you reach the bottom of the list, this will need to be done AGAIN!

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

a vast list of unfinished projects that are fully funded with regard to materials, but awaiting labor which seems to be unable to be applied in a manner that recognizes any priority.

Oh man, do I hear THAT!

[Riley Smith]

CB, that was the best investments I've made on the "new" trailer. (Goal posts). A few dollars (under $50) and the taillights ALWAYS work. I had 1-1/2" conduit and that's what I went with. I did break one when I dropped the mast on it, but a little sawing and massaging replacement fittings and trigonometry and everything was OK. Even the light still worked. And the one time I ran over one, it swiveled where it is connected to the trailer and all I had to do was pull it vertical again. In retrospect heavier pipe would have been better, but I'm happy.

[Charles Brennan]

Riley, I was a little puzzled by your statement:

In retrospect heavier pipe would have been better, but I'm happy.

I had 1-1/2" conduit and that's what I went with.

I also used 1½" PVC pipe on all my trailers.  Are you referring to the stiffness of the PVC pipe?
I used schedule 80, was yours schedule 40, perhaps?

We want PICS!! 

Charles Brennan