My day yesterday in pics..

[Jims5543]

I grew up on boats, I have always been on the water. I have let my busy life and distractions these last 10 years keep me away from the water. I decided last week to join a boat club as we decide exactly what kind of boat we want to get. We are thinking a center console but we are not 100% sure. A small cabin would be nice too but we are not sure we want to go that big yet.

So we are going to give the fleet at the boat club a try and then decide which we like best, maybe by spring making a move on a new to us used (2-3 years old) boat.

Meanwhile I have decided to take the Coast Guard boat safety course and possibly go further take other courses.

So, with kids spending the weekend at the grandparents my wife and I spent about 5 hours out on the water Sunday morning. We took the boat down the intercoastal South from Jensen Beach all the way to Jupiter, following Jupiter Island along the way. Jupiter Island is supposed to be the nations most expensive community to own a home in. I forget the mean price of the homes but it is well into the millions.

Right off the bat we spotted some Dolphins:


Home for Sale in Hobe Sound:


Manatee "No Wake" zone provided a opportunity to snap a pic of the waterway.


Moving along at around 20-24 MPH - I already know I will not have a 2 stroke engine it is so noisy you could not talk at 20 MPH.


We stopped off at these docks, you can walk about 3/4 mile to the beach from them. As you can see the beach was very crowded. The water was kind of funky here, there was an outgong tide and in the one pic with the buildings in the distance that is where the inlet is. I think the water from the St. Lucie river was being pulled along the coastline from the tide. The water was not clear like everywhere else.



My wife will probably kill me for this, after the beach we could shower off with fresh water before heading back to the boat.


What an awesome day, we are looking forward to going out again Saturday with the kids and doing more recreational things. This is the best part of Florida and I am mad at myself for not doing this 10 years ago.

[VINMAN]

Nothing beats a day out on the water! My boat is my escape from lifes realities.

[notfarnow]

Looks like loads of fun Jim!

Originally Posted by VINMAN

Nothing beats a day out on the water! My boat is my escape from lifes realities.

I agree 100%. We are a 5 minute walk to the water. My "fleet" includes a rowboat, an 80yr old 19' canvas over wood canoe, two kayaks and a 22' sailboat. Each of them are loads of fun, but it's really about being out on the river. Sometimes we'll just go out for 10 minutes for the sunset.

The only thing that's better than a day on the water: a night on the water. Nothing beats sleeping on a boat. I have never slept so well.

[JeremyD]

I couldn't agree with you more. I woke up early on Sunday and took the dog to "the sandbar" he loves to run off some steam - chase some birds - chase some fish, etc. He kept on hearing a dolphin "blowing" and feeding in the shallows. He would hear it and start swimming over - after halfway he would head back to me - pretty funny after the 4th or 5th time.

Usually we take kids - but they wanted to watch sunday cartoons - and I left early. But it's a great way to keep everybody together and spend quality "family time".

[911teo]

Man.... that is a fun day!!!!! Cool!

[TerryBPP]

I took mine out yesterday too! Drug my little sister and wife around on the tube. Great weather. I need to get some pics but the camera always get left on the counter top.

Its funny, the wife wanted to go to Fort Myers beach. We ended up going to the Caloosahatchee River. 3 tornadoes hit the beach and destroyed 50 beach front homes. We got lucky.

[rammstein]

What's the price on that house?

Down here, that would be multiple millions for sure.

Nice pics.

[Jims5543]

Jeremy - that boat in the pic I presume is yours. Is it a bow rider? If so how do you like it? Would you buy another?

Also Terry, you have a Jet boat and I suspect its a bow rider layout as well, how are you liking it so far?

I am really leaning towards a center console. We are going to do another day with a center console with the kids then try a bow rider. I just want to make sure I am happy with whatever I get, I want to fish as well and I do not think a bow rider is the best for that.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by rammstein

What's the price on that house?

Down here, that would be multiple millions for sure.

Nice pics.

Gotta love the internet and a good sense of where I was.

Ariel per tax assesor

http://www.emapsplus.com/flmartin/maps/default.asp?pid=343842063000004804&sid=A92DEA3EE9274920B209172947E8B9E2

Worth 2.7 Mil per property appraiser:

http://fl-martin-appraiser.governmax.org/propertymax/rover30.asp?sid=A92DEA3EE9274920B209172947E8B9E2

[BRPORSCHE]

Was on the water down here in Galveston bay also. Just not for the beach. Went fishing!

[JeremyD]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

Jeremy - that boat in the pic I presume is yours. Is it a bow rider? If so how do you like it? Would you buy another?

Also Terry, you have a Jet boat and I suspect its a bow rider layout as well, how are you liking it so far?

I am really leaning towards a center console. We are going to do another day with a center console with the kids then try a bow rider. I just want to make sure I am happy with whatever I get, I want to fish as well and I do not think a bow rider is the best for that.

Yes - my boat is a Pursuit 1950DC dual console bow rider.

It has a 20 degree deadrise - and with a 115 yamaha it will top out at 36 mph - about as fast as you can go in chop anyway. It handles just about anything I have thrown at it including a few times I have been close to 30 miles out.

I fish on it quite a bit - it has a 20+ gallon live well.

My personal belief - center console vs dual console. under 20 feet - there is not much difference in the fishability of the two. Where the DC/bowrider excels is two areas - one - you have the ability to put the kids behind the windshield (and close the middle off) if you have to run home in a thunderstorm, it's nice to have the ability to duck behind there and have the extra protection.

two - you have much more usuable seating. We cruise the canals with other couples, guests. It's nice to have everybody in a cushioned seat.

[bigchillcar]

sure makes me reminisce of my years in miami, st augustine and tampa bay. enjoy it for me, jim.

[TerryBPP]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

Jeremy - that boat in the pic I presume is yours. Is it a bow rider? If so how do you like it? Would you buy another?

Also Terry, you have a Jet boat and I suspect its a bow rider layout as well, how are you liking it so far?

I am really leaning towards a center console. We are going to do another day with a center console with the kids then try a bow rider. I just want to make sure I am happy with whatever I get, I want to fish as well and I do not think a bow rider is the best for that.

I like it alot. 21' is plenty of room to haul 5 people comfortably and with the 240hp 2 stroke it will still run 55mph. You can rip a wake boarder up in a sec. I have had 7 on it but it starts to get crowded if they want to move around.

My only complaint is that at idle speed it isn't very maneuverable due to the jet drive system. There isn't a rutter like a out board so without thrust its hard to get up to docks. A b!tch in idle speed only zones.

The good thing is you can beach it in 4" of water and back out with no problems.

[JeremyD]

How does the jet handle the chop Terry?

It can get a little sloppy on Tampa Bay - (wide and shallow tends to kick up the chop)

[Jims5543]

Thanks for the input guys. I have been debating the whole center console vs. bow rider deal for a while. One nice thing is being able to use both with the boat club and see for myself. Next time out I think I will use a bow rider.

Great pics Jeremy. Love the dog.


Terry, we rented Jet Ski's on Saturday for an hour and I totally understand what you mean about the idle speed issue. I cannot imagine it on a boat. When we were in no wake zones with the jet skis it was very busy staying in a straight line.

I will admit, those damn jet propulsion systems really pack a punch though. Wow! I cannot imagine what taking off with the boat is like with all that power.

BTW- In about 2 weeks I am going to breaking in the engine on my RX7 and thought about a trip over to the west coast. I'll drop both of you a line, maybe lunch one day if you have time.

[TerryBPP]

Originally Posted by JeremyD

How does the jet handle the chop Terry?

It can get a little sloppy on Tampa Bay - (wide and shallow tends to kick up the chop)

I has a pretty nice V in the hull that can cut a 1-2ft chop pretty well. Anything above that at more than 20 mph and you are airborne. We stay in the bays and near the beaches mostly so its not a issue. I would not recommend going to far offshore this time of year.

BTW: COOL FREAKIN DOG!! Big fan of Bull Terriers.

Yeah, yeah Jim. I keep hearing you but never see you.

[pwd72s]

Good pics, Thanks...

[JeremyD]

Thanks - his name is Turbo - and he lives up to his name...

[livi]

Fantastic scenery and great pics! Thanks for posting!

I have lived 'on the beach' all my life with a five year city dwelling ending earlier this summer when I thought I was going crazy. City living is not for me. I moved back where I grew up and belong and now it is all fine and calm again.

Nice house in that pic. Maybe I should consider a summer retreat..

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by TerryBPP

Yeah, yeah Jim. I keep hearing you but never see you.

I could start another thread. We have put together and tore down this engine twice. Then it spun the rear bearing on the dyno and cracked an apex seal.

It is now going back together AGAIN and should be ready next week. I decided to take advantage of this engine pull and upgrade the turbo so I can blow the next engine faster.

1.5 year rebuild.