Hope everyone had a safe season, the weather stunk!!

Trashman

Thanks for all the advise this year.
 We’re still Rinkerless but we are enjoying our new to us boat( Maxim3100se)
Just waiting for nice 310 to depreciate into my price range, lol. 
Traffic on the forum seems light this season, maybe I’m wrong, but there has been some great reads.   

Cableguy Greg

The weather in Western PA wasn't great either, but we did have some nice boating weekends. It was very wet in August and early September here, which messed up the rivers. At the start of August, I was set to surpass last years fuel consumption by 140 gallons. Then the rain let loose and that did not happen. I usually hit up 3 or 4 Steeler home games via my boat and I didn't make it to one on the boat. As per my oil filter hour marking, I hit 64 hours this season. I wanted to be closer to 100. Maybe we can get a drought next year.

69fastback

The weather in Texas was great!  We were only the lake multiple times per week, all summer. 

J3ff

First half of summer was great. 

Ian

We had a reasonably decent summer but then some wet periods and then a real hot spell end August. Got a nice trip in from home port to Brewerton on the western end of Oneida Lake.

randy56

This year was like a half season, I normally put 80/100 hours on a boat, spring was all rain, should have winterized August 5th, fall rains made river level's non boatable. I think I only have 45 hours on, and less than 20 on my fishing boat. 

Handymans342

Sell boats, get new BBQ trailer setup. 

Willhound

I was just over 100 Hours last tear, going to end up about 70 this year. Last month or so has definitely not been great.
Oh Well, deer hunt is almost here....

Dream_Inn

It was a bit wetter, but we still spent as much time on the boat as always.  We definitely had some nice long trips again this year.  Hard to believe we got a 10-day trip in July without any rain for the entire 10 days!

I'll be waxing and winterizing this week.  Hoping to get it all done and covered on Friday! She'll be ready to go come March!

Dirtythirty

@Handymans342 then maybe you ought consider changing yoour screen name to HandymansBBQ , LOL  .... I heard they have owners club forum for that also !

earl1z19

Here in the western basin of Lake Erie we had an awesome summer. The weather was very dry here as opposed to everywhere else in Ohio. We logged 946 miles on the boat this ear. We typically do 850 miles so we were up a bit. Time to start saving $$ for next years fuel fund....

Handymans342

Dirtythirty said:

@Handymans342 then maybe you ought consider changing yoour screen name to HandymansBBQ , LOL  .... I heard they have owners club forum for that also !

That was for @randy56

McGarnicle

This season has been a huge let down, lakes closed due to flooding multiple times, then water is too low, and then ofc stupid marina drama. Definitely wasn't what I anticipated, especially with a bigger boat this year. I'm ready for the winter and a break. Might be time to make the jump to Lake Michigan soon

raybo3

Handymans342 said:

Sell boats, get new BBQ trailer setup. 

Booorrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg..........

Handymans342

raybo3 said:

Handymans342 said:

Sell boats, get new BBQ trailer setup. 

Booorrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg..........

Just like the Pats

raybo3

Handymans342 said:

raybo3 said:

Handymans342 said:

Sell boats, get new BBQ trailer setup. 

Booorrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg..........

Just like the Pats

Wrong again Handy.......

Dream_Inn

Again you too have to go off topic!  I think we just need a whole section named "Handy/Raybo" discussions!   (FWIW, I think all of NFL is boring)

skennelly

My season was definitely a down season.  Boating with an infant is not easy!!  She didn't like wearing her life jacket and to be honest it looked really uncomfortable for her at this stage of her life.  We had a few times on the water, but probably didn't rack up more than 8 hours LOL if that.  Our girl was teething 1/2 the summer and sleeping habits were rough so even overnights were rough.

My wife had "baby wrist" and had surgery 2 weeks ago to fix it...that was hurting her all year and worse in the summer.

Here's to next year and my little girl being older and probably better suited for boating.

skennelly

McGarnicle - Unfortunately the chain is so susceptible to flooding.  I can't imagine having a large boat like yours on it.  Move on over to Waukegan where I am and I think you would be happy.  $2900 for a 35' slip and lot's of amenities.

boatman37

Well put our Sea Ray in Memorial Day weekend then sold it near the end of June. Probably had it out about 4 or 5 times (maybe 4 hours total). Bought our Crownline the end of August and then the rains and flooding came so we pulled it mid September and took it in for new bellows and called it a wrap. Put about 8 or 9 hours on the CL in that 3 weeks or so. Being in a river between locks we usually find a spot and anchor so not a lot of hours are put on it. I think we put about 20-25 per year on the SR in years past. So definitely a down year for us but I guess factoring in the rain it was a good year to be boatless for most of the summer.

LaRea

Rain.  Floating debris.  Business travel.  Frogs, pestilence, hail - seven plagues.  

Whatevs.  We've been underway 44 times so far this year.  Gonna make it 45 this weekend.  Got it like that, I guess.

Stodge

Same boat (bad pun) here.  We managed to get out some.  Got to do a group trip we'd planed early in the year.  But didn't get out as much as we'd like to.  Basically life happened.

zaverin1

Reason for selling my boat=life
newborn 
family sickeness
death
yep life 
oh and house purchase and remodel lol

McGarnicle

skennelly said:

McGarnicle - Unfortunately the chain is so susceptible to flooding.  I can't imagine having a large boat like yours on it.  Move on over to Waukegan where I am and I think you would be happy.  $2900 for a 35' slip and lot's of amenities.

I actually called around last week looking into it. I've heard nothing but great things about Southport and I have a few friends at Northpoint already so I don't know what to do yet. Might give the chain another year before making the jump.

Chain mentality is just bar hopping and sandbar, this year it became clear that's getting old. I'd love to be able to go to different cities for long weekends or vacation on the boat so I know I'll end up on lake Michigan eventually, I just really like only living 10min away from my marina. 

Handymans342

zaverin1 said:

Reason for selling my boat=life
newborn 
family sickeness
death
yep life 
oh and house purchase and remodel lol

Good for you

skennelly

@McGarnicle - NP is a big marina, but it's a ghost town.  Lot's of empty slips and the docks aren't that well taken care of from my visiting.

Waukegan has new floating docks with concrete tiles.  They allow you to have full size grills and allow you to the tag and store them for the winter.  A great boat office with 24 hour bathrooms.  Also about an 1.5 hour cruise to Chicago.

I'm have nothing to do with the marina, except keep my boat there and love it.

Black_Diamond

Life on the Big Lake, i.e. Lake Michigan is awesome boating. Got to watch the weather but the potential destinations for weekend or week long trips is great. No salt. No sharks. lol

skennelly

The occasional alligator though.  Not kidding!

McGarnicle

skennelly said:

@McGarnicle - NP is a big marina, but it's a ghost town.  Lot's of empty slips and the docks aren't that well taken care of from my visiting.

Waukegan has new floating docks with concrete tiles.  They allow you to have full size grills and allow you to the tag and store them for the winter.  A great boat office with 24 hour bathrooms.  Also about an 1.5 hour cruise to Chicago.

I'm have nothing to do with the marina, except keep my boat there and love it.

Checking out the website, Waukegan looks awesome. Is there a big difference between the North and South pier? Looks There's quite a price difference between the two. Do you use them for winter storage as well?

I think the wife and I are going to take a drive and check it out this weekend. 

skennelly

@McGarnicle - Yes, North piers are older and I think concrete.  The South are all brand new floating docks...really nice.  Yes big difference in price between the North and South.

I store at Larsen Marine...which is right next to Waukegan maybe a mile away.

skennelly

@shawnmjr - funny story.  In the summer one of my dock friends had a remote control Alligator head....he dropped it in the marina and was driving it around.  People got freaked out when they saw it...then laughed it off saying "there isn't any alligator's in Lake Michigan".  Then this story comes out...the picked it up in the mouth of our marina.