St Pete Boat Show 2K24 Pt 2 of 3 . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Never been all that impressed with Black Velvet Art paintings like the ones you see of Jesus, Elvis and John Wayne, walking into the sunset, watched over by Hank Williams (Hey! Try and get THAT image out of your mind!) . . . .
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 . . . . But this pic really made me laugh.
Not quite sorry enough to feel bad for the Lion fish, though.

Boat Show Cheesecake, St. Petersburg Style:
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Yes, all the comely lasses at the Boat Show were quite bundled up  because of the weather and this girl was especially cold, since she was standing right next to an air-conditioner for a yacht.
I was struck by the juxtaposition.

Guy at the Mantus booth showing me a perhaps future anchor for the SCAMP and might have even had me, if he had not kept touting how good you could take apart the anchor and stow it, on a small dinghy.
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The whole time, I kept thinking that every time I've ever needed an anchor I needed it right THEN, not after I assembled it like some Chinese puzzle.
Sorry guy, I think I'll take the storage hit and get me a Lewmar Claw, that I can grab and toss, no assembly required.

Ya gotta love the Dreamers and Schemers, perpetually coming out with the next Cool Thing.
Flange at the top with the screw in it, is the base for the other harware that allows for blind mounting of hardware.
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In previous years, I might have taken him to task and pointed out that 10-32 screws would have a greater tensile strength than 10-24 screws, but apparently mellowing out in my old age, I just smiled and wished him well.

More milling about.
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Craig Cats are really popular on this side of Florida and it is a testament to them, that they never stop developing and refining the design.
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I mean, how much more CAN you do, to two surfboards and a small outboard motor?
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Got a chance to play with a future SCAMP power-plant, up close and personal.
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Note the prop and the mounting configuration (it's currently in reverse).
Guy, who said he owned one, was baffled at being unable to lift the lower unit and thought some customer might have broken it.
I had to swing it around and lift it up, to reassure him.

Charles Brennan

[Timm R Oday25]

Charles ,thanks for taking us along. I also was in the market for a small light DEPENDABLE outboard . Somewhere in my past I've heard the expression.." The the only thing an outboard will ever do reliably ..is fail"..
I responded to ad ad for a 4 year out Yamaha 2.5 for $500. The guy had it on a stand with the lower end in a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket full of water . He swore it was running not 10 minutes before I showed up. After watching him try for about a half hour ,I offered him $400. He sheepishly agreed.
 Once home ,I pulled the float bowl and cleaned out the jet and float seat. It fires on the first or second pull even after sitting for months.I was surprised by how quiet it is. It has a forward and neutral .