Now we are gonna be set

[RussGW270]

So, delivery made. I have a solid ERIPB setup, thanks to the link from @Ky Grady .

New stereo that should swap out directly with the kenwood.

new VHF to swap out with the older Ray53.

New brake line that will be installed in an hour or less.

Life is good....or will be after I bleed the brakes and take this bugger for a tow lol

Sorry pics always rotate heh

R

 

[Bloodweiser]

Good stuff. are you planning on keeping the EPIRB inside the ditch bag?

 

[RussGW270]

Eh, probably should, but I will research best practices. Never had one so, will follow the directions of those smarter than me

 

[Cregan13]

Just a though on storing the EPIRB. Someone over on THT did a test once with one of those fancy, yellow ACR ditch bags. He threw it in the water, and it began to sink. Long story short, most of us would assume those ditch bags float, but they don't. It would be a real kick in the jimmies if you were floating there wishing your EPIRB did not go to the bottom with your non-buoyant ditch bag. So, I would suggest ensuring whatever ditch bag you get floats. Also, if you are keeping your EPIRB inside of it make sure that it is with arms-reach. When stuff goes bad, it can happen real fast, and you may not have time to dig it out of a locker somewhere.

 

[RussGW270]

Oh, yea I planned to attach it to either one of the life vests or possibly a bumper.

 

[Ky Grady]

Cool beans Russ,,, glad I stirred a couple of us up to order an EPIRB.

Ditch bag has a pocket on outside of bag for EPIRB. According to ACR, this bag will float with 15# of supplies in it. Mine will sit at my feet at the helm, not stored down below.

Mine shows delivered,,, I'll check it out when I get home.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

The ditch bag is an absolute worse case scenario event. Think about it. If you develop a leak on a nice day and don't catch it, but then you do and the boat is riding low, maybe electrical systems start to fail . Deploy the epirb and call for help on the radio. If you have a single engine and it fails. Call for help on the radio nobody answers deploy the epirb . If you get caught in snotty seas put PFD. On, get ditch bag ready and maybe tie a throwable to it. Make sure you have a line or two on the spring cleats. This. Way if you roll the boat you have something to lash onto the hull.

On the flip side I have watched videos of Jupiter inlet in Florida where boats get overturned by a stern wave pushing them into the trough and bottom of the wave ahead of the boat and in like 2-4 seconds the boat is turtle. In these scenarios you better think quick and grab that bag and you better have a PFD on your person.

Hey, Russ, not to nit pick brother but only pontoon boats use bumpers . The rest of us boating snobs we use fenders.

 

[Halfhitch]

A little word of advice on your new bag Russ. Slather lots of zipper lube on the full length of the zipper before you take it in the salt and exercise them regularly. I wasn't vigilant enough and I wound up breaking both levers off the sliders trying to get them to move after they dried out. I replaced those phony little levers with a loop of lashing line and it works better. I, like KY Grady, keep my bag at my feet between the seat and the starboard gunnel wall right under the binnacle so it gets a little spray on it from time to time from either wind spray or overspray from the washdown hose.

 

[Ky Grady]

Yep, mines here too. A couple of extra pieces with mine, a handheld VHF, another whistle, a dry box for billfold and truck key. I'll add water, flares and other necessities in a bit.

 

[RussGW270]

Sorry, busy night on Mondays with scouts.

All good inputs. I will be sure to lubricate and protect the zippers, good idea.

Also, @SmokyMtnGrady - do me a favor.. spank yourself for me.. lol.. Yea, I called them bumpers.. a slip of the "keyboard".. heh. Fenders. Sorry, never had a real need for them before so.. eh.. either boats were not boats, they were ships.. or my boats never sat next to a dock. Come to think of it, never had a need for a slip before. So, just never cared to understand the lingo. I was always moving and fishing and never got close enough to anyone else to care

But.. duly noted, my fine Smokey friend

All such good input. See, I despise stuff "at my feet"....so I am .. well, they give me a hard time (my fishing buddies) because I tend to count the rods etc that come onboard. I generally have plenty, and I have one of those friends that just HAS to use his stuff.. and he is not set up for Salt.. but brings .. TRIES to bring, 20 rods etc. I give him the "I hate stuff at my feet" schpeel every time, but.. he's like a brother so.. what ya gonna do, right? heh

Anyway, placement of everything is a huge thing to me and as much as I hate things at my feet, this is one of those exceptions that would not bother me as it is in the right place, for the right time, and hope there is never a right time. So, since I like my feet up on the rest at the helm, I think this would go well right below my seat. I may get a large velcro pad and see if I can stick it to the gunnel and just slap that against it. That way it is not hooked, but it has something sorta "holding it". Will need to check it and see how it all fits.

Anyway, I have one move VHF to register. It was crazy... I had registered the other VHF, the new Icom.. but that was at USPS.org, the Maritime place. Then, I went to BoatUS to register the new backup.. and was like, "I have the email.. this is my login..." turns out, they do not talk well and there was the LAST boat vhf registration.. heh. So, that is sorta stupid. Not sure which 9one is best, so may want to register in both... dunno. I do not want multiple MMSIs per radio.. but, crazy they do not see each other.

I need to look at the handheld VHF and see if it needs registering or not.

Beacon is registered now as well and they are all full of info on each other... heh Cannot wait till tonight to hook it all up and get it to talk to each other.

Such good info.. and as much as I really hated spending the money this weekend.. I finally feel good about taking this boat out.

Oh, and @glacierbaze - loving the book. Tried to read some last night but Scouts night keeps me busy.. but read a lot on Sunday. Same feeling as he had, but not due to inexperience so much as over-thinking and simply not having the ERIPB. Now that I have that...lot more confident. Before, was just me.. now.. I have the kids.. and always scary when you do not have a plan Hope to get some reading in today as well!

R

 

[Legend]

So, delivery made. I have a solid ERIPB setup, thanks to the link from @Ky Grady .

New stereo that should swap out directly with the kenwood.

new VHF to swap out with the older Ray53.

New brake line that will be installed in an hour or less.

Life is good....or will be after I bleed the brakes and take this bugger for a tow lol

Sorry pics always rotate heh

R

Russ what was the model

So, delivery made. I have a solid ERIPB setup, thanks to the link from @Ky Grady .

New stereo that should swap out directly with the kenwood.

new VHF to swap out with the older Ray53.

New brake line that will be installed in an hour or less.

Life is good....or will be after I bleed the brakes and take this bugger for a tow lol

Sorry pics always rotate heh

R

Russ, What brand and model EPIRB did you end up going with?

 

[RussGW270]

Hey bud, I got the one listed by @Ky Grady .. let me see...

The stereo is a cheap Boss.. got "okay" reviews. Did not want to spend hundreds.. wanted it to fit where the Kenwood is. If it sucks, will replace it next year when we re-wire the boat.:

Boss Audio Mr508uabw Single-Din Cd/Usb/Sd/Mp3/Wma/Am/Fm Receiver W/Bluetooth

The VHF is - Standard Horizon 1850g Fixed Mount Vhf W/Gps - Black. This is my backup VHF, but I also have a handheld. Did not need another AIS VHF, just needed a nmea2000, and this was good.

Acr Globalfix V4 Category 2 W/Rapid Ditch Bag, C-Strobe, H2o Signal, Mirror, Rescue Whistle Survival Kit