7/15 - Offshore adventure

[krackafish]

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It was going to be a great day, we headed down to Indian River Tuesday night, loaded up the boat with Ice bait, talked strategy, checked safety equip, turned on the boat to let her run for a minute just to be sure everything was functioning correctly. The plan was to hit the hambone early to try for a BFT or two then head out to the Poorman's to see what we could find. Everything looked perfect...we decided to meet back at the boat at 3am to start on our trek east.

Showed up at the boat at 2:50 ready to go, hopped on and proceeded to start her up....starboard engine turned over perfectly.....port engine wouldn't start. Just the night before the brand new yamaha 250 4 strokes were purring perfectly (less than 40 hrs on them). What a way to start the day.

We proceeded to poke, prod, and check everything we could think of. The starter was cranking but it wouldn't turn over. First thought was it wasn't getting fuel. So we checked everything we could think of and couldn't find a probelm....we continue to fiddle around with it for several hours....just couldn't figure it out. Finally at 8 am we get in touch with a mechanic to come out and take a look...would take him an hour to get there. 9 am came and went, we called him back....said it would be 930....10 oclock rolls around and he calls to say 1030.

I am thinking to myself that the day was shot....no hopes of making it out, when about that time a friend of a friend walks by and we start talking. He offers to run us all out in his go fast CC. Perfect, we could atleast make it out and try to catch the afternoon bite (if one materialized).

Well we get his boat loaded, finally, and head out of the inlet. made it to the hambone in about an hour (that boat was fast). The boat slows and we start setting the lines, before the first ballyhoo hit the water his port engine dies...some days you just can't win. We point that 'speedy' boat west and sit back for the long ride home at 9 kts.

About an hour into the trip we get the port engine going again (not sure if it was the kicking or the cussing that got it running). We get up on plane and start making pretty good time....for about 20 mins then it concks out again....back to 9 kts....got it running again for a little bit then concked out for good....about 12 miles from IRI.

By this time, the flat calm sees we rode out on were being pushed up by a pretty stiff south wind that was barely noticeable an hour before. The seas weren't bad....just a little choppy and at our slow speed it was very annoying....and wet.

Got back to the dock at 430. Got unloaded and decided to hop back on the original boat. Turned the key and the port engine fired, the mechanic had been there. It turns out it was a blown fuse causign the problem. It seems that Tuesday night when we were checking everything the boat owner inadvertantly turned off the battery switch prior to turning off the port motor and blew a fuse. Oops. Note to self - check fuses as a first step when troubleshooting.

Oh well at least I wasn't at work.

[marlinrojo]

Sounds like a great day!! Congrats to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!