So, I’ve had enough downtime over the last few days such that I think I’m ready to crank up things on the boat again. It has helped that the sun is out and it’s been in the 70’s and 80’s in Seattle recently. I got some RoundUp and killed all the grass growing anywhere near my trailer. It looks ready to go. Today I called marinecarpeting.com and they are sending me samples of grey carpet in the correct weight (thickness) for my 1993.

I have stared at the hole in the floor long enough that I think I’m ready to go ahead with fiber-glassing in that spot and calling it good. That should be interesting. I have different kinds of fiberglass and enough resin to do a lot of work. I think the task is cutting the fiberglass to the right shape for my hole, laying down the cut fiberglass and painting on the resin. Easy, right? Once that is done I can lay in the carpet and start to reassemble.

I’ve been toying with engine ideas. If I had $2-grand laying around with nothing better to do I’d likely have purchased a fuel injected engine from a 1997 Nautique a couple of weeks ago. I’m sort of in a catch-22: While I’m spending money (on things like carpet or an air compressor) I’m trying to save money for an engine.

OH! I have news: I got a transmission. It is sitting in my garage waiting to be spun by a V-8 beast. 🙂

Today I was writing an email and started a list of what I need to do to finish up this project and start to ski. Sometimes I feel like the list is getting longer, but I’ll just keep plugging away:

Here is what I need to go skiing:

• Engine with all the fixin’s
• Steering Cable (mine is really bad – very stiff even disconnected from the rudder)
• Tachometer
• A new prop (or repair my dinged Federal prop on there now)
• Carpet
• Carpet trim
• Seat vinyl – Driver’s seat, rear seat pads
• Fuel Filter
• Bilge Pump
• Pins for engine hatch
• Rub Rail (my old one was so trashed I removed it and threw it away)
• I need to clean up / repair the throttle control. The throttle/transmission control is called a “Morse MV-2” control. Mine has a broken spring and the mechanism is gummed up enough you can’t pull / push the neutral switch
• Battery
• Finish my gel-coat repairs
• Swim platform (brackets and the wood part)

What would be nice:

• All new upholstery
• The other dash gauges (temp, volts, fuel, clock)
• Blue gel-coat repairs
• New decals
• Stereo

So, I wanted a project….