Finally - Ol Pro wet and Boy Scouts scalloped
Posted: August 18th, 2014, 6:19 am
Picked up the Ol' Pro with its new tank and newly reupholstered leaning seat and ran it in a local lake last Thursday. Ran great. 
Did not think to check electronics, because my garmin combo always works. 
My secretary has an old family fish house as Horseshoe and she gave me the keys. Gathered at the Church Friday at 6PM to load up and go. Church van would not operate trailer lights, so had to rehook to my truck. Suddenly only left light working on trailer even with truck, but bulbs not blown. Giggled and cleaned and got more working. One scout was a no show and no call until we call his mother at nearly 7.
Headed to Horseshoe and got there about 10:30 or so. Bunked everybody down. Zero cell signal. Bunch of lost kids.
Got up at 5AM. Started getting everything ready to launch boat. Put some dielectric on my garmin connections as recommended by the boat repair house, because one pin had some green. Plugged in and nothing. Took some degreaser, still nothing. Decided to go out of Steinhatchee instead which allowed me to go to the ACE hardware store that I have supported liberally over the years. Got me some marine contact cleaner, cleaned all contacts and gps plug and voila, garmin comes up.
Found one burned fuse and went from all lights working on left side of trailer to both lights only burning when headlights on. (ground issues, I'm sure).
Went to public ramp. While trying to get ready to launch, had three young kids who asked a billion questions and listened to nothing. Tried to get boat off of trailer, which is virtually impossible with rear straps still attached. Pull back out, take off straps and off we go. At least the plug was put in! (Assured scout master that I am getting way too old for this outing!) Load boys on board. Issue life jackets to young ones to wear and first one hits water. Fished out and looked arround. No scalloping gear. Send teenager to get everything from back of Church van. He comes back with just bags with masks and fins. Head out to river and get on plane when scoutmaster (who drove said van) asks where the blue food bag was. Of course, it was in the van. Back we go. I am thinking that someone is trying to tell me something. Oh and the billion questions continue and continue, then one begins singing the song from freeze to the horror of the other scouts. Seems he sang that song all the way down to Horseshoe the night before. I was afraid they were going to toss him overboard. Food bag obtained and off we go again. Boat was running super! We run north and soon see where at least 200 boat loads of your newest best friends are parked. Stop at the big sand bar just north of the river to fit gear and have safety talk before entering the armada. One kids face was so narrow, I just about could not fit him with a mask. (I could have sworn his father called and said he was at Academy Sports getting them their own gear!) All find something and the fight over the bright green flippers, but too bad after I threatened to nick them with a knife and slow troll them for a shark. Load them back in the boat and move a little north to join the armada on the outer edge. All in and in about an hour the cooler is about 1/4 full. Moved to a new spot and after collecting half a bag, I got back on the boat, put Gulf 104 on, pulled out my fillet glove and my stubby knife to begin cleaning scallops. Again, the billion question game, including, CAN I CLEAN ONE, begins in earnest. Stopped to show 3 new guys how to clean. Found old spoon and left them swapping it back and forth while I got to doing some serious cleaning.
Bored with this, they wanted to move to deeper water to do some diving and swimming. The Ol' Pro became a dive platform with squealing kids everywhere.
Finally and suddenly, the amount of motion slows way down and a vote is taken to run back in. It is 3:40. Ol Pro is back on plane and one at the time, the 3 youngest come and take the wheel for a turn at being Captain. They are all complaining how hard it is to turn left.
Run in fine. Had an older Keener come in about the same time, so the boys wanted to race. Ol Pro gets full throttle and off we go at a blistering 26mph. When we come off of plane, I notice the garmin is off again. Gonna try some more cleaning this week. Load on trailer with little drama and off we go back to Horseshoe.
Got them all showered and changed and headed to the Horseshoe Cafe only to learn that it is closed. So off to Lilly Creek Cafe. Of course, most of the boys had burgers or chicken strips. The smallest among us had fried porkchops, which he only picked up saying he was full. Not to full to not want ice cream though! More bites before ice cream. Pulling teeth with that one. I had the mullet, shrimp and scallop special and it was excellent!
Everyone but the two youngest were ready to hit the hay. Two youngest want to watch a movie. Had to explain the democratic system and that they been out voted. Soon settled in and asleep.
Up in the AM, flush out motor and load gear. Head to Live Oak and the carwash to finish cleaning Ol Pro. Back at Church by 12:30. Ol Pro now sits in my driveway clean and ready to go again, except for garmin issues and trailer lights.
No smell of gas, no gas in bilge. It was easy ... Bust Out Another Thousand!
Kids said they had a great time. Old men grumbled through their grins that they were too old, but that maybe we got one more year in us.
Did not think to check electronics, because my garmin combo always works. My secretary has an old family fish house as Horseshoe and she gave me the keys. Gathered at the Church Friday at 6PM to load up and go. Church van would not operate trailer lights, so had to rehook to my truck. Suddenly only left light working on trailer even with truck, but bulbs not blown. Giggled and cleaned and got more working. One scout was a no show and no call until we call his mother at nearly 7.
Headed to Horseshoe and got there about 10:30 or so. Bunked everybody down. Zero cell signal. Bunch of lost kids.
Got up at 5AM. Started getting everything ready to launch boat. Put some dielectric on my garmin connections as recommended by the boat repair house, because one pin had some green. Plugged in and nothing. Took some degreaser, still nothing. Decided to go out of Steinhatchee instead which allowed me to go to the ACE hardware store that I have supported liberally over the years. Got me some marine contact cleaner, cleaned all contacts and gps plug and voila, garmin comes up.
Found one burned fuse and went from all lights working on left side of trailer to both lights only burning when headlights on. (ground issues, I'm sure).
Went to public ramp. While trying to get ready to launch, had three young kids who asked a billion questions and listened to nothing. Tried to get boat off of trailer, which is virtually impossible with rear straps still attached. Pull back out, take off straps and off we go. At least the plug was put in! (Assured scout master that I am getting way too old for this outing!) Load boys on board. Issue life jackets to young ones to wear and first one hits water. Fished out and looked arround. No scalloping gear. Send teenager to get everything from back of Church van. He comes back with just bags with masks and fins. Head out to river and get on plane when scoutmaster (who drove said van) asks where the blue food bag was. Of course, it was in the van. Back we go. I am thinking that someone is trying to tell me something. Oh and the billion questions continue and continue, then one begins singing the song from freeze to the horror of the other scouts. Seems he sang that song all the way down to Horseshoe the night before. I was afraid they were going to toss him overboard. Food bag obtained and off we go again. Boat was running super! We run north and soon see where at least 200 boat loads of your newest best friends are parked. Stop at the big sand bar just north of the river to fit gear and have safety talk before entering the armada. One kids face was so narrow, I just about could not fit him with a mask. (I could have sworn his father called and said he was at Academy Sports getting them their own gear!) All find something and the fight over the bright green flippers, but too bad after I threatened to nick them with a knife and slow troll them for a shark. Load them back in the boat and move a little north to join the armada on the outer edge. All in and in about an hour the cooler is about 1/4 full. Moved to a new spot and after collecting half a bag, I got back on the boat, put Gulf 104 on, pulled out my fillet glove and my stubby knife to begin cleaning scallops. Again, the billion question game, including, CAN I CLEAN ONE, begins in earnest. Stopped to show 3 new guys how to clean. Found old spoon and left them swapping it back and forth while I got to doing some serious cleaning.
Bored with this, they wanted to move to deeper water to do some diving and swimming. The Ol' Pro became a dive platform with squealing kids everywhere.
Finally and suddenly, the amount of motion slows way down and a vote is taken to run back in. It is 3:40. Ol Pro is back on plane and one at the time, the 3 youngest come and take the wheel for a turn at being Captain. They are all complaining how hard it is to turn left.
Run in fine. Had an older Keener come in about the same time, so the boys wanted to race. Ol Pro gets full throttle and off we go at a blistering 26mph. When we come off of plane, I notice the garmin is off again. Gonna try some more cleaning this week. Load on trailer with little drama and off we go back to Horseshoe. Got them all showered and changed and headed to the Horseshoe Cafe only to learn that it is closed. So off to Lilly Creek Cafe. Of course, most of the boys had burgers or chicken strips. The smallest among us had fried porkchops, which he only picked up saying he was full. Not to full to not want ice cream though! More bites before ice cream. Pulling teeth with that one. I had the mullet, shrimp and scallop special and it was excellent!
Everyone but the two youngest were ready to hit the hay. Two youngest want to watch a movie. Had to explain the democratic system and that they been out voted. Soon settled in and asleep.Up in the AM, flush out motor and load gear. Head to Live Oak and the carwash to finish cleaning Ol Pro. Back at Church by 12:30. Ol Pro now sits in my driveway clean and ready to go again, except for garmin issues and trailer lights.
No smell of gas, no gas in bilge. It was easy ... Bust Out Another Thousand!
Kids said they had a great time. Old men grumbled through their grins that they were too old, but that maybe we got one more year in us.