Fort Myers To Chicago On A 55C

[Sparky1]

I think we can all say officially "THE BIRD IS THE POLTERGEIST!" Who else, when planning almost the identical trip for his own 1-engined boat, could cause such a serious problem in one engine of the boat he was now going to help pilot?!

Save yourselves! Don't ask him to poke his beak into your cabin and co-pilot your boat on any voyage longer than 3 hrs. for fishing.

Seems I recall an invitation to sea trial the mighty Old School to the islands which was going to coincide with my moving this 55 to Chicago. Now that this trip has been delayed, guess who's coming to dinner?

Can we make it to Bimini and back in less than 3 hours?

[tpld3]

Just take that 55C on up river on one engine. You already know it'll make it. Raft it to Randy's TC and you'd have a tri-level Hattamaran with good manuverability and lots of room to party with all the personalities and a band to boot. Randy make's reading this forum more fun.

Also a great resource for helping to figure out which Hatteras I want to get.

[Sparky1]

It makes me nervous when people use words like "band" and "boot" on here.

Thanks for the kind words, but one such trip on one engine is quite enough. My trip was a "have to" situation, and even if the owner wanted to do such a thing, I wouldn't have the time. I just hope everything goes smoothly on this repair with no more surprises, and I hope it proves out to be the starboard only needs a rack adjustment.

The boat will be much better prepared for the trip north the second time around, so it should make for a more enjoyable trip. She was lacking in several areas, and the original plan was to take some time at Dog River to address a few things. I really wanted to get that crossing behind us ASAP with the weather concerns.

Anybody know what the average temperatures are in Chicago during mid- October? No doubt I'll have to pack differently for the delayed trip. In fact, on that note, can anybody recommend a good canvas guy around Clearwater? There is at least one piece of the enclosure missing, and it's from the front. I have a feeling we'll need it.

[yachtsmanbill]

Chicago in OCTOBER??? YGBSM ! Its minus 10 with a foot of ice on the ground. Detroits wont even think of starting with out 10 w oil in the crankase.
Think about putting sleds and a sail on it and making that 55C into a prairie schooner!
Meanwhile we are enjoying the Traverse City area and are on the way to Sleeping Bear Dunes post haste!! ws

[Paul45c]

Seems I recall an invitation to sea trial the mighty Old School to the islands which was going to coincide with my moving this 55 to Chicago. Now that this trip has been delayed, guess who's coming to dinner?

Can we make it to Bimini and back in less than 3 hours?

Clearly you didn't read my post. I have TWO perfectly-functioning engines and intend to KEEP it that way! I've got weapons enough for each member of the family and then some, so all I'll need are some eyewitness accounts for onsite intel of when anyone hears of him venturing towards S. Florida on the east coast.

[Sparky1]

Clearly you didn't read my post. I have TWO perfectly-functioning engines and intend to KEEP it that way! I've got weapons enough for each member of the family and then some, so all I'll need are some eyewitness accounts for onsite intel of when anyone hears of him venturing towards S. Florida on the east coast.

As you may recall, I took the helm of the mighty 101 and ran her on the pins before bringing her back and docking her safe and sound. I'm considering offering my services to those who would like to sea trial their DD powered Hatts to see just how well they've been maintained.

So tell me, do you feel lucky? Well, do ya' punk? Go ahead, make my day. Oh yeah, week after next would be good for me.

[Mako440]

Perhaps that is the reason that the Mighty 101 was sold! I believe that was one of the reasons given by its former owner.

Speaking of 55s, as I recall, there was a phone call placed to you on Friday night during Pauls 55c adventure. It was the next day when the mysterious four hour fuel filter operation occurred. Coincidence...I think not!

It appears as though there is no limit to Randys poltergeisting abilities:

NATIONAL NEWS:
August 25th, 2009
"Gremlins" Cause Delay In Space Shuttle Discovery Launch
Linda Young - AHN Editor

Cape Canveral, FL (AHN) - A series of rare and obscure "glitches" in Florida caused NASA officials to delay the launch of the space shuttle Discovery scheduled for Tuesday morning. According to a spokesman "As of Monday morning, all was fine. Shortly after hearing the news of an ill-fated boat crossing from Fort Meyers to Chicago involving a certain member and leader of an alleged internet boating forum, problems developed".
Authorities are investigating all possibilities, including, according to an unnamed source, "a Dark Presence resembling a Poltergeist"!

NASA says it will try again Wednesday, at 1:10 a.m. EDT, to launch Discovery on a mission to the International Space Center.

The STS-128 mission will carry various equipment to the ISC, including a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert.

Astronaut Rick "C.J." Sturckow is the commander for this mission that will end with astronaut Nicole Stott moving into the station to take the place of Tim Kopra, who moved into the station during STS-127 mission, NASA officials said in a statement.

I have heard through the grapevine that the Bird has left the State, so, at least the space shuttle should be OK!

[Sparky1]

Funny, if you take the title, POLTERGEISTER, that Paul gave me and transpose the G and the
E, you get my last name.

[ron6785]

Don't know whether they have the city docks completed yet at Cedar Key, if not and you have any wind it shoals up pretty good there and waves roll right into the harbor. Also depending on the winds waves build there so getting out can be a little rough if you get anything more than 5-10mph.

[yachtsmanbill]

Hey Sparky... ya always seems to think I'm shittin' ya so read on... This is for the benefit of others here also if your planning on going south anytime soon... This from www.boatnerd.com ws

Replica ships of Nina, Pinta get help to pass Asian carp barricade

8/26 - Milwaukee, Wis. – During their daring voyage to the New World in 1492, the crews of Nina and Pinta had to worry about pirates, scurvy and sailing over the horizon into oblivion.

Crews on the replica Nina and Pinta that have been sailing the Great Lakes this summer bumped into an altogether different hazard this week: the electric Asian carp barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

The Caribbean-based boats were stopped cold over the weekend near the south end of Lake Michigan because of a new order from the U.S. Coast Guard that prohibits all wood and fiberglass vessels from sailing through the highly electrified canal.

Electricity doubled

Electricity was recently doubled on the canal after reports that Asian carp are now just below the fish-shocking barrier that is considered the last line of defense for the Great Lakes.

As a result, the Coast Guard on Friday closed the canal to all vessels other than tugs and barges.

"They said nobody is going through," said Morgan Sanger, board member of the British Virgin Islands-based Columbus Foundation, which owns the boats. "And all these thousands of school kids are downriver waiting for us."

A deal was eventually struck Monday morning to allow the vessels to be pulled through the canal with a towboat late Monday, provided no crew remained aboard. The boats are headed for the Ohio River valley.

The barrier is now shooting two volts an inch into the water, which Sanger calls "a lot of juice."

He said what makes transits so hazardous for wood boats is the potential for sparks to fly from their metal fittings.

The Nina and Pinta got a special pass, but the canal gets busy in late summer and early fall with Lake Michigan yacht owners heading south for the winter.

"We know there is going to be an exodus in the next few weeks," said Phil Moy, a University of Wisconsin Sea Grant employee who has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to get the barrier built for the better part of the past decade.

Busy time almost here

Army Corps Col. Vincent Quarles said he is aware the canal's busy season for recreational boats is just around the corner, and his agency is working with the Coast Guard as quickly as it can to figure out how to keep those boats moving safely down the canal, but more tests are needed.

"I can't at this point talk about a timeline," he said.

Boaters who violate the safety zone face a maximum penalty of $32,500, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

"Safety of the recreational and commercial mariners that transit the waterway is the Coast Guard's primary concern," said Capt. Luann Barndt, the commander of the Coast Guard's Sector Lake Michigan.

Thanks for Coast Guard

Sanger said he appreciated the flexibility the Coast Guard showed in helping him get his boats out of Lake Michigan, and he supports any efforts to keep the jumping fish from invading the lakes.

"That would be a disaster," he said.

But Sanger said he also hopes the government can figure out how to keep the fish out and boats safely sailing, particularly if the voltage gets further increased.

The barrier is now operating at two volts an inch, though it is designed to be cranked up to four volts an inch.

The Nina and Pinta are scheduled to return to the Great Lakes next summer, but he is worried about his ships being able to safely leave the lakes.

"We're going to very careful about coming into the lakes if this is a continuing problem," he said.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel