Recent content by ColonyCove

As a retired railroader the sound of the trains is music to my ears because the railroad bought my boat and everything else I have.

Probably shown on port side.

One benefit of living where we don't need to haul, winterize, and shrink-wrap is that any good day may be a potential boating day. Here we are leaving our home channel for a lunch on the hook day. Cruising North Carolina.

NC winter boating We started our 2021 NC boating season on Jan 7th. We keep an engine compartment heater in our Nordic Tug NT32 and winterize the fresh water system, but that's it. Our marina has not had to shut off the fresh water supply thus far. Photo is us leaving our home channel for...

20 on a 29 ft boat? Sad yes, surprising no.

burgee rattle Being incredibly frugal (OK, cheap) I use a rubber band. It is labor intensive as you have to go to the bow to apply and remove it, but it is effective and the price is right. Final hint: A single one may not last the entire season; spares are prudent.

Even worse than being upside down on your mortgage?

My dinghy will be mounted on swim platform so that it covers USCG name and hailing port requirements for a documented vessel. Is there an available clear gloss-finish bottom paint for an aluminum hull RIB that will allow custom vinyl name/port graphics to last, even when dinghy may be kept in...

Mid-watch on our NT-32. Washington NC

Great thread. Sent paperwork to USCG in early June along with 84 bucks.. They sent reply that more $$$ was needed, but unclear how much. Finally tracked down an answer on July 20 and they said $8. Sent it, have confirmation of transaction, but no document on Aug. 12. Sure hope they are...

Wilde Yacht Sales is right in your neck of the woods and specializes in tugs.

Coming back from a trip to Okracoke on a fair but windy day we found that our tug can handle the short wave period Pamlico Sound waves. Also noticed a builder admonition to keep the pilothouse top hatch closed while underway. We did have it closed on a hot day and were surprised to take a few...

I guess I'm lucky, having a slip on a tributary of a saltwater creek which flows into a river, which flows into a sound, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Shallow and dead end features protect dockmates and me from any wake issues. For boaters and dock owners along the ICW and elsewhere; it...

Fenders. Use lots of fenders on both sides of your boat. We usually left them hanging, because you can never tell when a lockmaster will direct you to either a starboard or port lock through. Only a few sections of the canal allow higher speeds anyway, so it is no problem to let them hang...