Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

A customer brought his 40s american wooden runabout in for some work last week.
An ongoing problem with a starter motor self engaging was driving the owner nuts.
The vintage trailer also needed work.
Turned out the relay was the problem. So confident I had fixed the problem I thought id give it a run down the river.
I dragged the family along for the ride.
All was well bronte as really become confident behind the wheel so she took over for the whole trip.
It wasnt long before I realised the temp gauge didnt work.. it wasnt much longer I realised the engine was running hot.
Some river water in the header tank cooled things down for a little while before it started getting hot again.
My three year old lily steered the boat all the way back grinning from ear to ear when we were getting towed in.
Once at the ramp the line up was huge as a typical boat day turned bad for a guy as his boat completely sunk at the ramp.
I gave a hand as ive been there before with sunken boats of my own.
My wife sat patiently at the dock with the kids holding the boat completely oblivoius to the action only fifty feet away.
We finally got the boat back on the trailer and headed home.
Once home we had a late lunch and my wife commented on how great the day was. When quizzed the kids even said they had a great time.
I dont know if I have worn them all down or they are so used to going out on an adventure into the unknow that dramas are common place..
Either way thats old boats I guess and more money spent.

Great story Dave - another Pagano adventure Day .

I stayed with the old stuff today, but left the boat on the trailer and took another mode of transport.

That's not one of those new fangled things you worked on during your apprenticeship is it ?

Gee you really are ticking things off your bucket list. When is the mustang or spitfire flight?

Al
Funny you should say that. I did learn to set valve timing and a few other things on the Gipsy engine, as well as did a bit of Theory of Flight using the Tiger Moth as an example. Hell, I even did aircraft control surface fabric covering, doping and repairs!

Dave
Watch this space

If you book a mustang flight im coming too. Its right up there on my list.

I took the boat out again this arvo.
Last night I pulled the thermostat out and ran it on the trailer for almost an hour.
It didnt get hot at all.
Put it in the water today and after five minuts it got hot.
Took it back home. Ran it on the trailer again at 3000rpm and didnt get hot.
Im scratching my head now. Im thinking the pickup might be coming out the water. Its about halfway forward from the tuck.
I'll put a pickup up the back. If that doesnt work ill pull the head off.

Bootlegger

I'm not sure what a tuck is but I think you need to have the water pickup in the center of the transom, maybe protruding an inch or so down below it.

Spook

Bob the tuck is the back of the boat. The transom is the piece at the back that fits into the tuck.
The water pickup is say five feet forward of the tuck.
Its a standard sort of place they are fitted on these runabouts. My italian boat has it in a similar spot.
The pickups right at the back are an australian thing or on raceboats.