Re: M_Boats: Dry Tortugas trip
Doug saw more animals than I did, but we did both see a manatee. We were sitting at a covered bar/restaurant at the City Marina (I think the name was Captain Run Aground) getting out of the hot sun and eating lunch when a manatee started to swim slowly by. It was huge, maybe 18 to 20 feet long, gray with a lot of growth on its back and propeller scars too. It swam very slowly, when one guy from the bar said it was after fresh water. He got a hose out and turned the water on, splashing it on the surface. Hearing the sound of the water splashing, the manatee turned around and raced to the sound (OK, "raced" for a manatee, maybe 3 mph). When it got there it took the hose in its front fins, stuffed it in its whiskered mouth and slowly sank to the bottom, drinking the fresh water. The guy said it would sometimes drink as much as 100 gallons, then would rest on the bottom for awhile and then come to the surface to drink a few gallons more. I'm not sure I believe him about the 100 gallons, but it was definitely looking for it that day. Snorkeling off Loggerhead key, a 15-20 inch barracuda swam within a few feet of me in incredibly clear water. There were also some sort of "jack" fish swimming by and later I was surrounded by thousands of bright blue - almost neon blue - fish, each about a half inch long. There were green turtle off the Marquesas islands, lots of frigate birds everywhere, and gulls galore. Migrating birds included a few purple martins, and a lot of small, fast, miserable, non-descript brown sparrows. There was also the only significant nesting colony of sooty terns in the US on Bush Key in the Dry Tortugas. The birds NEVER stopped squalking, day or night, and really went crazy if a frigate bird flew over the colony. I anchored fairly close to the colony but slept well despite the noise.
I still don't have my boat handy: What is the length and weight of the older M17's Trailrite trailer? Which lighting kit would you Trailrite owners recommend? Can you find the appropriate kit at one of the discount mega-retailers (WalMart, etc.)? Thanks! p.s. If you don't subscribe to G.O.B., run out and get the latest copy from your local news-stand or West Marine. Great piece on the M23 . . . Also features the Rob Roy 23', a very cool boat . . .
Honshells wrote:
I still don't have my boat handy: What is the length and weight of the older M17's Trailrite trailer?
Which lighting kit would you Trailrite owners recommend? Can you find the appropriate kit at one of the discount mega-retailers (WalMart, etc.)?
Thanks!
p.s. If you don't subscribe to G.O.B., run out and get the latest copy from your local news-stand or West Marine. Great piece on the M23 . . . Also features the Rob Roy 23', a very cool boat . . .
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Hi, Craig don't know the weight/dims of the trailer offhand, besides, mine has been modified from the original with extra keel rollers (4 now instead of 1) and keel guides and a slightly longer and heavier tongue. I keep meaning to weigh mine one of these days; somehow other stuff always cuts in line. :-) Near as I can tell it doesn't matter a whole lot about the lights. I have yet to see a truly "waterproof" one, so before I went with a removeable light bar (which I like very much) I made it a point to unplug the lights when starting to set up so that they would have time to cool down so they wouldn't crack with the cold water. Now I use my pvc pipe lightbar which has thus far been trouble free (a season's use). Tod
Ah! Now I understand the purpose of the light bar in your pics, Tod. Very clever. I like it. I added an extra keel roller to my Trailrite last season. I figured the part of the trailer that supports most of the boat's weight should have more support. I had a "mirror" roller welded on opposite the original: Looks like stock equipment. ----- Original Message ----- From: <htmills@bright.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 11:38 PM Subject: Two Questions Honshells wrote: I still don't have my boat handy: What is the length and weight of the older M17's Trailrite trailer? Which lighting kit would you Trailrite owners recommend? Can you find the appropriate kit at one of the discount mega-retailers (WalMart, etc.)? Thanks! p.s. If you don't subscribe to G.O.B., run out and get the latest copy from your local news-stand or West Marine. Great piece on the M23 . . . Also features the Rob Roy 23', a very cool boat . . . Hi, Craig don't know the weight/dims of the trailer offhand, besides, mine has been modified from the original with extra keel rollers (4 now instead of 1) and keel guides and a slightly longer and heavier tongue. I keep meaning to weigh mine one of these days; somehow other stuff always cuts in line. :-) Near as I can tell it doesn't matter a whole lot about the lights. I have yet to see a truly "waterproof" one, so before I went with a removeable light bar (which I like very much) I made it a point to unplug the lights when starting to set up so that they would have time to cool down so they wouldn't crack with the cold water. Now I use my pvc pipe lightbar which has thus far been trouble free (a season's use). Tod
Hey John, Saw your note on line. Where are you ? Hope you are brushing up on your Upward and having a safe journey. Stan
participants (4)
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Honshells -
htmills@bright.net -
Saltm17@aol.com -
Stanley Winarski