Originally Posted by vintage chromoly (Post 4242841)

Awesome man! Just awesome!
All your hard work payed off, that's for sure. :boat:

Originally Posted by Stormrider (Post 4242950)

Great work and a fun thread to follow.

Originally Posted by ziemer (Post 4243516)

Glad to hear you made it out with no issues! Weather turned out to be perfect for the run. Didn't see you but I'm sure we passed you as everyone seems to hammer down on that last but up the manatee and it gets a little chaotic. Haha. We actually ran much of the run next to your boats prior owner in his 28 OPA boat.

Originally Posted by Nmbr1GMfan (Post 4242812)

Well ladies and gentleman, with the unexpected rain the past couple days I had a tough road ahead the last couple evenings. Working all day and fitting in parts runs when I could, then working till 10-11pm it was close..... But we made it. I had engine trouble 24 months ago on Jan 1st during the Joey Gratton Memorial fun run, unfortunately for me my time for projects is limited but we made it to this point and I was nervous but excited for today. I have no intention of running WFO for 20 miles but I did want to participate, here was the plan. Drop in at about the 2/3 point of the run, make it 5 or 6 miles to the mouth of the river anchor off with a buddy and watch them scream through. I want to put in about 11am in case I have any issues as they will leave Sarasota at noon and be to me (about 15 miles) around 12:30, well I'm running late because of a few things I had to tidy up on the boat this morning. I launch at 12 noon and we head out and it was rough when we get into Tampa Bay heading into the Manatee River, I make it to within a mile and decide to stop to open the hatch and give it a look see, well by the time I can get going we see rooster tails bearing down so we slid outside the marked channel to let about 15 blow by, VERY COOL. Fired up and ran up to my buddy, he's anchored outside the channel right near land and the boats are coming by 30'-100' off the bow. Awesome showing with around 70 participants, I ran back with no issues and loaded up head out to clean up. When I was leaving the shop I could hear everyone running through Sarasota bay so my daughter and I ran to the 10th st ramp and watched a few load up. The Popeye's Cougar was outrageous!
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...psa30yovtr.jpg
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...ps3oxnhzco.jpg
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...ps63qmawva.jpg
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...pswsr89mvx.jpg

Originally Posted by bigboat28 (Post 4244502)

Where is that video from? Is that maybe Jewfish key behind the bridge? If so we vacationed a few times at Anna Maria Island a few years ago and boated through there. I love that place and area.

Originally Posted by dereknkathy (Post 4244324)

beautiful boat. i am shopping for one of these at the moment. the one i am prolly getting, i am gonna put a motor in it and run it...at least this year!!! on the nav light issue, buy the suction cup flashlight version and throw it in the cuddy...

Originally Posted by dereknkathy (Post 4245315)

aw gee...80 degrees! too cold to go boating!! i wanna come down there and hit you...after you take me for a ride in that pantera of course...it won't go back above freezing this entire week in philly.

Originally Posted by Nmbr1GMfan (Post 4247347)

Oh how I wish this hull was the original red/orange.http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...psfldgeegk.jpg

Originally Posted by vintage chromoly (Post 4247348)

Paint it broham! :fear:

Originally Posted by vintage chromoly (Post 4247349)

What kind of mufflers are those?

Originally Posted by Nmbr1GMfan (Post 4244473)

Having an issue with water in the bilge. Never when sitting only when cruising, I'm assuming the strainer lid isn't sealed properly. Ordered the last piece of the puzzle that will be my fresh water flush fittings this morning.

Originally Posted by Nmbr1GMfan (Post 4249254)

Well I made a list tonight... this list, is of the one thing I have been waiting for since I first looked at this boat to purchase. It all started in 1979-1980, My parents had a 1957 30 something foot Chris Craft Constellation (I think) and my dad was looking for a new boat, I was 11 or 12 years old. I went with my dad one day to look for a new boat at Excalibur, when there we looked at a couple boats, one was a red and white 24 and I remember being in awe at what seemed to be huge exhaust pipes exiting the transom and the lifeline spanning the deck... it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. My dad ended up buying a stupid Chris Craft Lancer, but I never forgot that Excalibur, and every time I look down the deck and see those filled holes from the removed lifeline on my boat, I remember that day at Excalibur. I'm ordering all my lifeline parts!

Originally Posted by dereknkathy (Post 4249284)

i don't think the strainer would leak when running. the pump is pulling through the strainer. so it would be sucking air in through any leak while running. if it doesn't leak when floating with engine off and leaks when running i think it has to be after the raw water pump.

Originally Posted by vintage chromoly (Post 4249308)

Where are you ordering your lifeline stuff from?

Originally Posted by dereknkathy (Post 4254073)

Hi. Pics. Are you a gold or platinum member? I hate having to fight fotobucket to get a pic right...or find it at all!