personally, forget the ridicule, but I think Chi lake is the perfect place to try an otherwise unproven motor before using it on a proper trip or even selling it for that matter. Take the Ski Twin for a run, I too am trying an unused motor since purchase and check over/impellor etc.

Agreed, run the Ski Twin, nice(ish) looking motor & it will give it a chance to stretch its 20 odd hp!

Day 15 and 16..

Transom on, various holes plugged, epoxied various wood bits. Mike T pitched up en route to a mate at Hamble Marina and helped me re-arrange my deckchairs and put the boat on it's trailer.

Today, clean sheaves and setup steering and rivet rub rails. Have approx 3.4m of Seals + Direct Ali rail left over, £40 to a CMBA member ono if wanted can bring on Sunday. Chairman Harris arrived for coffee and I have to announce that he has borrowed my proper race jacket for Ivy Lake. He means business...(rather, wants to avoid his inflating, once rescued).

Day 17 will be rubrail insert, seats, gauges, cubbyhole, motor and screen...will he make make it?

Day 17..

Effectively finished this on Saturday and launched without success at Ivy lake: was trying to get the 300's throttle setup and work out where the leak was from. 54 pints of bouyancy in transom with space to spare though. Pitot tube left to do and have to get a screen cut.

This has been about 110hours, mostly sanding and cleaning and polishing...and vacuuming sand out from the nooks and crannies.

Looks great with the merc on the back

Thanks, 'little' 300 with Mk55 wrap.

This has made me smile. Thanks

Still setting up this one with an electric conversion '71 40hp Ski Twin, bilge pump and kill switch - more wiring than boat now...just need to dig out a 40hp test prop hidden somewhere in the debris of my garage. Finally got the vintage Whitney remote controller to work by scavenging necessary parts from a bitsa - these have a weak spot, so are rare to find now... and it weighs in at a whopping 6kgs alone. Split screen made and fitted using 4mm polycarbonate, but think has too much flex and will go the glass route later - a2a4 bits arriving soon to enable the attachment of deck hardware for bits of rope and fenders and burgees. Am hoping to be on the water in time for a quiet picnic up the Hamble this weekend.

Family, work and rickets has prevented most of the work I'd promised myself,... for months. Spent a few days this weekend making, rather than taking, a back seat. I realised the 3 of us were not going to fit up front for Cardiff. What an ugly pain, but it hides spaghetti junction and will be enough brace for a passenger of enormatude such as myself.

Found the culprit today...

The Jury is out on what to coat the inner hull with, a. to prevent any pins holes from creating problems till the next time b. keep corrosion at bay and possibly stabilise the rivets. I'd wondered why the stern and rear thwart bouyancy polystyrene has degraded and realised petrol splills would melt it. So, is either 'sikaflex' and possibility any fuel spills will loosen it, or international (yellow stuff) 2 pack etch primer followed by west epoxy. Any comments? Bouyancy will be kids 'noodles' again..