Still Going Strong!

[TJCeeJay]

Howdy all! I haven't posted in a while, so I figured I'd stop in and say howdy! My '77 40+ is still running like a top. ...Particularly since I actually bothered to look in the carb when flicking the little choke switchy! (Up is off, down is on!) lol! Had been running it wrong for months! Ah well, no loss except for having to give the spark plug a good soak and scrubby-scrub!

Anyhoo, today was the first day in more than a month without cats and dogs falling from the sky; plus it is one of the highest tides in months, so I decided to go and gather some firewood. My GOODNESS, does that 40+ pull with no effort at all! I was hauling what must have been somewhere around 1000 to 1500 pounds of logs; and I was at MAYBE 1/8 throttle doing approx 2 or 3 knots. Like, REALLY?!? Dang what a little gem!

Bud, on the lookout for logs.

Woof! There's one! Oooh! And there's another!

And the score; two biggies. Closest log is about 16 to 18 inches in diameter, and 20 to 25 feet long. The further log is 14 to 16 inches dia, and 30 to 35 feet long.


Anyhoo, just thought I'd share my appreciation of my little 'gull, and my pleasure in being actually able to use it for the first time in more than a month.

P.S. For those that remember, I let my 'gull get a wee bit salty on the 'luminum way back. I took the suggestions and cleaned 'er up, waxed her, and give 'er a fresh water shower and rub down after every trip now. No more white powder on the aluminum for that baby!

Cheers!

[Collector Inspector]

Always good to hear Mate. Yep I am done and dusted Christmas day as nearly over so do not mind reply. "BURP" etc.

Rough calc with whatever wood you have..average between all of Canadia Pine and also Spruce comes out about midway at 455Kg per cubic meter (I have just used cured and dry numbers). I have Averaged your plus or minus measurements as well.

960Kg minimum mass. Maybe a couple of percent extra resistance towing and moisture content floating/ride height..........have no idea.

Free wood and by your description easily moved. Nice one but you should have put the dog in the provided nicely jacket as a towing marker somewhere in the middle? Got to think safety aye? I had a Staffy ages ago........used him like that................he did not float at all so uneasy looks at me all the time......The reunion at completion of His Duty was outstanding......Never put Him through that again

Please tell us how you actually landed that lot without running your boat over?

Just to get that lot moving under tow and away maybe took.........1 or 2 minutes?

I guess again it is all just gently and gently.

Even small Gulls just do the job aye?

Cheers and beers

B

[Robin Anderson]

Great photos - sea dog logger.
Happy Christmas!

[TJCeeJay]

Thanks Collector Inspector and R.A.!

Your poor Staffy! I can just imagine the looks he gave ya! lol!

Bud's REAL good at walking logs, so he probably would have made a GREAT tow marker! lol!

"Woof! If you's won't come to me, I guess I'll have to go to you's! Woof-woof!"

And thanks for the calkylations C.I.! Cool to know. (I'm fairly sure they are both spruce.)

And actually, getting the logs up to "speed" took maybe 10 - 15 seconds. That big ol' propeller on the 40+ has a surprising amount of "Ooomph!" It was actually worse towing only one log, until I wrangled the second. The second log kept the first in line nicely. With one log alone it was wagging back and forth like a drunk dog's tail! I never did try to see what speed I could actually get the skiff and logs up to; but as it was a really nice day for once, I wasn't in any great hurry to get off the water.

Landing the logs wasn't too bad at all. I cut the motor just as I got behind my docks, and then had to row against the current to get to my berth. If it weren't for the current being against me, (current there changes direction every 15 minutes or thereabouts), I would have definitely would have had to work quick to get the outboard tilted up out of the way before being run over by the logs. As it was, it was a bit "fun" trying to get the logs all the way into the dock against a 3 or 4 knot current.

Righty then, thanks again guys for the responses! And I hope y'all had an awesome Christmas! (As you might imagine; living alone on a deserted island as I do, my Christmas will be just another day.) No parties, no gifts to unwrap, no lasses to ambush under the mistletoe.

Have a great New Year everyone!

[headdownarseup]

But your not alone!
You have your dog.
AND you've got US

I wouldn't go anywhere without mine. She gets upset otherwise
Faithfull in all weathers and a very good early warning system (just look at those ears! )

Merry christmas and a happy new seagulling year to everyone

jon

[Robin Anderson]

Clearly Jon selected a model with long shaft 11 inch hydrofan blade ears.....
Christmas cheers.
Robin

[headdownarseup]

actually ROBIN
It's 13" and cloverleaf blades. (BIG) just like the dog's ears!

She's a hybrid of german shepherd and lurcher/greyhound.
Fast across the ground but with a very acute sense of hearing.
Unlike the "bargepusher" slow and steady.

all the best

jon

[TJCeeJay]

Hi guys! Last post from me on this topic! I promise! And yeah, yer right, I do have the dog, you guys, and a big ol' fat orange cat too! So I guess I not REALLY alone on my deserted island.

Anyways, I started to cut up the log that is closest in the picture, and lucky lucky me! It's a Western Hemlock! And bone dry! Must have been sitting up on shore sunning itself since the last 19 foot tide 6 months ago! It shatters like glass when splitting it! Heck, you could probably give it the evil eye and it would split itself! It's gonna make some SWEET firewood for the colder nights.

Here's a pic for the wood lovers amongst you.


And for those interested, here's a vid of the logs being towed. Perhaps you all can be a better judge of my speed, and rpm of the 40+.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEKlpdGXh3I[/youtube] Dammit! Youtube linking not working anymore. Tried EVERY possible combo. Tried the old flash method, the new youtube button, and direct embedding. Nothing works. Don't know if it's the imbeciles at Youtube screwing around again or what?

Anyhoo, here's the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEKlpdGXh3I

Cheers!

[phil]

The photo of the Hemlock came through here in he text.

You are probably aware of this but Hemlock throws sparks while it is burning so should used in a closeable stove or heater and caution used when opening or closing the door.

Not much hardwood on the beach if any,up that way I suspect. I lived on the South Coast and was fortunate enough to be able to burn pretty well all hardwood, with the occasional dead old growth Douglas Fir. The stuff I was able to beachcomb was mostly Cedar and the very odd Maple.

[headdownarseup]

By the looks in the vid, i'd say a couple of knots.
Slow and steady.

The wood should burn well.

jon