Wildman1

I just got done looking at all the pictures Jayboat had posted.
Questions for all of you.
How many of you have sea strainers and engine flushes on your boats. and if i don't have sea strainers will I be able to to in the Gulf if I don't. i want to bring the Blondes Preferred boat down with me this winter. I have a space reserve at Salty Sam's marina and have found a place to store the trailer.
Plus I want to do the fun runs with you. Staying until April next year. Its fun being retire.

warbird

Sounds as if you're concerned about picking up sand and seaweed in shallow water. If so, your best strategy will be to simply stay out of it. Many feel that we have "better" boating here than on the east coast because of the variety of venues (river, bays, Gulf, passes, etc.), but naturally that comes with a price. And that price is shallow water in many places.

Buy local charts! Learn to read them, if you haven't used them on your lake (I presume) in KY. Also, invest in installing a GPS/Chartplotter/Depth Sounder in your boat. I guarantee that the cost will be a HELL of a lot cheaper than engine damage if you suck up a bunch of sea-crap.

Above all, use your good common sense and stay out of too-shallow water. Read your charts and take them seriously. Stay in the channels! Use your depth sounder aggressively! Make friends with local boaters and follow our lead!

It really comes down to the most basic tenet of true offshore seamanship: know your boat, and know at all times right where you are. Please take it from me; I've paid for these kinds of mistakes the hard way, with big four-engine boats and six-figure repair bills. Thats why I don't boat stupidly anymore...

By the way, Welcome to the Neighborhood!

Bobthebuilder

Bring it on down Steve. Would be nice if you and your girls can join us. If you follow us locals for awhile we will keep you out of trouble. I do highly recommend you invest in strainers and flushing connections are an absolute must. As much as we like to avoid the shallows the fact is eventually at some point due to an extremely low tide or other curcumstances you will appreciate having them. Untill they are installed you can get by if you are carefull. Hope you will join us.
Bob

Specialized

We don't have sea strainers and have never had any problems.
I have been boating in this area most of my life and would concur with warbird as far as following the lead of some locals until getting the lay of the land or sea as the case may be.
Staying in the channels and using a depth sounder is always good advice in this area as our storms sometimes change the bottom contours faster than charts can keep up with, but mostly in the inlet areas.
That being said I do believe you will enjoy boating in our waters and getting together with the Ft. Myers offshore group will be one of the best ways to learn the area in a group atmaosphere and have a good time in the process. Bob the Builder, Cpt Nate, and all the others make it easy to get involved with their great hospitality. Hope to see you on New Years Day

Welcome aboard,
John

Wildman1

I am used to running in plenty of water. The Ohio River channel is usually at a depth of 26 feet and Lake Cumberland can be from 0-165 feet.
I brought charts when I was down in November been studying them. Also will be bringing my ear muff's and nose cone to flush the engines out when boat is lifted out of the water. My drives have both low water pickup and side water pickup on them.
Should I coat all my electrical terminals with WD-40 before I leave up here or is that not necessary? I am going to make time and install the sea strainers before we leave in January.
See you guys soon. By the way Warbird I live off of Country Club Blvd on 39th Terrace. Been renting pea shooters for the last three years at Mid Island Marina and Salty Sams.
Steve aka Blondes Preferred

Specialized

You might try Corrosion Block for the terminals we use it on everything and it seems to do a great job. I'm not sure how many differences there are between that and WD-40 but CB is specific about not letting salt spray accumulate on applied areas.

John

bowtye8

Wildman1
Welcome to FMO.
I would stay away from WD-40. Go with a product called corrision block or T-9. Its more of a coating. Leaves a little film. YOu can spay this on your entire engine and connections.
About 20 bucks a can but great stuff.
Like Bob and Warbird mentioned. Maps and GPS is a great investment. I have had my GPS since day one. About 2 years of boating on the gulf and inner coastal. I have bottomed out a few times. Once I went only 5 feet on the wrong side of the marker and I was done. Yes I looked like the bonehead out there but I have seen other and help when I can. Seatow is a great cheap investment. ABout 130.00/yr.
Boating around cape coral and inner coastal area are not deep at all. You will see most depths around 6-15ft only.(depending on tide of course-Seems to be a constant low lately)
Looking foward to meeting up with you on a run.

Just posted and see Specialized steered you right with corrision block also.

Dennis

ktrelfa

Wildman1

Flush wash wash wash flush, keeping your boat salt free will take more time than staying out of the shollows which brings you to TIDE tide tide, look at it every day because it changes every day. Best bet to get your feet wet is to stay between the markers.
Welcome to Forida You will be fine.

copiercat

i found that the tides are more hazardous than anything as long as you stay in the channels, parking on sand bar's will pick up debris as well,in the winter we have extremly low tides and coupled with the wind it will blow the water out of a normally safe area.. you should never use wd-40 on wiring as it eats the coduit on all wires, at minimum silicone spray but as its been posted corrosion block is the best

Specialized

Wildman

We opt for the pattern flush, flush, flush, wash, wash, wash, flush ,flush etc. but I think you get the idea. I'll back up the earlier posts about tides
as we get up to 5' of swing in some of the areas and when your generally in no more than 5-15' of water, well you get the picture. In the channel = good, out of the channel = very expensive.

John