So I want to talk about our project, Holly and I. A very long story short is that over the last three years we have progressively gained qualification in Power Boating. We are both at the RYA Intermediate level, having already achieved Level 1 and Level 2. The next step is the Advanced level BUT we need to log boat hours to do that.
Problem. How do you log hours in a boat when you live in a land-locked county and you don’t own a boat? Answer. Buy a boat, and figure the rest of it out.
So, last year I bought a 30 year old (I think) Fletcher GTO Arrowflight, trailered and ready to go. Well, sort of.
That’s what it supposed to look like on the water, except the previous owner took this photo and I haven’t actually got it on the water yet.
The problems that I have over come, with help of my friends, are –
- Replace the trailer. On account the original had rotted out, I have no idea how luck I was to get this boat home after 100 miles on the motorway. Not a new trailer, but a good second hand one, renovated and painted up, it looks great. A complete Saturday was spent, lifting the boat off the old trailer and dropping it on the new one.
- Rewire – The entire wire loom was rotten so it was stripped out, new navigation lights, a new distribution panel, the lot, replaced.
- The desk has four instruments. Three didn’t work and the forth I still don’t know about.
- Tachometer didn’t work because (a) there was a wiring error in the engine, and (b) the rectifier was blown open circuit. All repaired, replaced and now the Tachometer works.
- The battery didn’t charge because of the blown rectifier. Replacing the rectifier also fixed this.
- The engine hours meter is stuck at 430, ish, hours. A new meter will show zero hours on an engine which clearly has much more than that. So not bothering. I might do if I were to buy a new engine.
- The trim meter didn’t work because the sender unit was totally seized. A rather expensive replacement fixed this.
- The “speed over water” meter, I have no idea if this pneumatic / hydraulic meter works until it goes in the water.
What does work is the depth sounder, the USB socket, the new navigation lights, the anchor light, and the new bilge pump.
The engine is a Evinrude VRO, 3 cylinder, 2 stroke, 60 Hp. It was manufactured between 1977 and 1984. What it is doing on this boat is a mystery. It does run okay but must use pre-mixed fuel as the integrated mixing unit has been removed. I have fitted a new water pump.
I have got four life jackets, a rigged anchor, a hand held VHF radio and a Garmin navigation system.
So now I will progress to blog the “Tale of the Duck”, as we have name it. It shall be known as “Thunder Duck”.
