The Adventure Begins

[Cam]

Twin screws is a breeze...just practice a little when you get it into the ocean. It is a relatively a short trip but a good shake down trip. Enjoy it and take pics.....

[SkunkBoat]

remember backing up, leave the rudders centered (as my brother always yells at me, Don't touch the f...ing wheel Dumbass!"), leave the throttles in idle, and steer with the fwd/rev shifters.

Its hard for an outboard guy to break the habit of turning the wheel.

Congrats on the Bertram!. One of my dreamboats.

Someday!

[Destroyer]

So how was the trip Willy? Wish I had been able to go along as a deck hand. I'm jealous for sure. PICTURES!!!!!!!!!

[lathehand]

Good luck with her.By the looks of her you should have no trouble bringing her home.

[RidgeRunner]

If she is that good mechanically, go for it. Just don't use too much speed at the dock and it will be a cake walk. What a opener, tell us how you do..

[spareparts]

well? we are waiting?

[willy]

All right here is the skinny, left Cape May at 1100. Boat running beautiful.
We ran into quartering seas 2-4's quick duration and a lot of chatter on the radio of guys heading in to fish inside etc.
Senor Bertram just cut right through. It was wonderful.
Ran for about four hours, Got up about six miles north of Barnegat Inlet and then the port engine started acting weird. Tach and engine revving up then dying back, would not stay at upper rpm.
Shut her down and got down to investigate.
Found that the fan belt was so loose on the alternator pulley that I could spin it around with my hand.
Tried to start engine, no battery juice.
Apparently was running on battery voltage the whole way. They were fully charged group 27's.
Tried to use the parallel switch to start, battery was too dead. All I got was clicking from the starter.
Called Tow Boat U.S
They got out there and we used their battery and jumper cables and the engine started right up.
Idled fine for a few minutes, went up to the bridge and revved it and sounded good.
Oh, two things, while I was waiting for tow Boat I got down and adjusted the pulley and got the belt tight. and also the engine did not over heat as we were looking at the gauges the whole time.
So we were going to run the boat the last forty miles and said good bye to the Tow guys.
Got on plane and it started the same thing again.
Called the Tow guys on the radio they were still right there.
We tried to see if we could jump from the good battery on the boat to the bad battery and we ran the good engine while hooked up and tried to charge the bad one for a few and I saw some rubber smelling smoke come out very light from around the starboard engine area. Don't know if the jumper cable was touching something hot or what yet.
Told the Tow boys to bring us in.
Called Capt. Pete and he told me to have it towed to Manasquan and his marina, that is where it sits right now waiting for today and their head mechanic to check it out.
Went down Sunday and changed out the bad battery and the engine started right up. Alternator pulley is chirping away and the alternator is NOT charging the battery according to my meter. I believe I ran on battery power for about four hours before she finally died.
Capt. Pete stopped by to see me at the boat, I hooked the boat up to shore power and am waiting today to talk via phone to the mechanic.
Wish me luck.

[spareparts]

I was wondering if you made it back to land, you didn't answer the last time I called you, good to hear you've got everything under controll