Jet Boat from Mt Gambier

[NickPeth]

Hi Allan,
Since I have never had a boat before or ever driven one I can't really say, but it didn't sink, turned the way the wheel was and seemed a good thing! While the engine started and ran beautifully, it was blowing white smoke out the exhaust at higher revs so a rebuild will probably be called for this winter. The exhaust has a hole in it so water was coming into the boat from this- an easy fix. As for the lake it is absolutely full to the top. The water is above the high water level and so the trees on the shore are actually in the lake- making it difficult to pull boats up to the shore. They have also made no effort to deal with the ten years of growth that happened while the lake was empty so there are sapplings everywhere around the edges of the lake. Media also reports blue green algae in the lake, but I couldn't see anything anywhere on Sunday. Going out again tomorrow so I will try and take a few pictures and post them.
Regards
Nick

[Alan]

Great Nick,
Looking for nice soft banks for delicate boat bottoms, Greg was there the other day and saw far to many pointy rocks for his liking.
Alan.

[Greg]

Nick

Not trying to steal your thunder with the pics, but here are a couple I took up at Derrinal Pool last week.

The lake looked fantastic, but probably overfull (yeh, go figure). What disturbed me a bit was that the water was right up to the erosion line on the bank, which was protected by coarsely crushed bluestone (sharp corners) held in place by steel reo, something you would not pull a boat up against. This was along the majority of shoreline in the area. The was also plenty of young saplings to negotiate paston the way in to the shore. There would be enough shoreline for us as a group, but, of course, there would also be other boats using the lake. Further around at Kimbolton Pool, the shoreline was sandier (well, as sandy as is gets at Eppalock), and good for pulling a boat up on to, but again, plenty of small saplings to negotiate around. Most of these are small enough not to worry a prop too much if you did tangle with one, but you would try and avoid them.

Greg

Eppa 01.jpg (436.07 KiB) Viewed 6933 times

Eppa 02.jpg (584.76 KiB) Viewed 6938 times

[Greg]

it was blowing white smoke out the exhaust at higher revs so a rebuild will probably be called for this winter.

Nick
Are you sure the white smoke wasn't steam?
Greg

[NickPeth]

Have to agree with Greg, good places for pulling boats up are few and far between- you wouldn't be getting any nice group shots of boats. Saplings are everywhere, but luckily I don't have to worry about getting them in the prop because I don't have one! Pretty sure that smoke is what I am seeing as it is coming out the rocker cover as well! Blue green algae is also clearly present in the lake so no swimming or skiing at the moment. Still had a great day out though!

[antique-boatique]

If you engine has a cast watercooled inlet/exhaust its a good idea to check the exhaust hasnt been so hot it has melted the ally through the water jacket - this can happen very quickly and can be one of many causes of steam through the exhaust. It also doesnt allow the engine to cool correctly

[NickPeth]

After a busy week the boat has been sanded back and repainted and is almost ready for the water again. The one set back has been the rubber seal under the perspex windscreen. I went to Clark rubber, they sent me to a windscreen place- they sent me to a boat shop, but no one in Bendigo seems to have any idea where such a thing can be found. Any ideas?
Nick

[piquet95971]

Try bill thompsons rubber parts. They are in Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood. Their web site is www.autorubbers.com.au.

Their range covers all sorts of cars and odd rubber mouldings. If they haven't a suitable section I feel sure they will know where to source it.
Cheers
Peter

[NickPeth]

Thanks Peter- will try them.

[NickPeth]

I thought that I would do the right thing by my trailer and give it new wheel bearings. Took the old ones out and it was obvious that they needed replacing as the cage on one was in pieces. When I went to get new bearings it turned out that they were not your standard Holden or Ford bearings so they ordered some new ones in. When i went to pick them up today they wanted $360 for the bearings!!!! Died of fright