Drift Away

I got the boat tunes installed. Half assed. There is no good place to put the stereo. I could mount it on the side of the center console, but that will look retarded. The place where there was a radio installed is no good because I was thinking the thing may get in the way. I have too many electronic instruments already mounted on the helm, so that will not work either.

So what I did was just left the stereo unit inside the center console. By the 2 cycle oil tank. Where I keep all sorts of other crap like extra life jackets and towels and other stuff. I use this space for dry storage also.

Anyway, that is where the stereo is. It is not connected to any antenna, but I also put in a satellite radio car kit thing. The satellite radio receiver transmits on the FM radio dial, and the signal is strong enough for the stereo to pick it up. So that is how it works. I may connect it to some sort of antenna cable that is in the boat from the original stereo (that was destroyed when a kid was playing with the wash down hose and soaked the unit with sea water) just to see if that thing is still connected to something. But I do not need to.

It sounds great. The 4 speakers are not that big (6.5 inch two way speakers) but the mostly empty and hollow center console makes for a good resonating chamber. I really wish I had 8 or 10 inch two ways in there. Or 6x9s. Or better yet, four 6x9s on a 4x100 channel amp, and then two 12 inch speakers on a 2x200 amp. That would create ripples on the water around the boat, and probably vibrate the engine bolts off. One day maybe.

Buy seriously, it sounds pretty darn good now for not having an amp. The other boat had only two speakers. Now I have 4. Big difference.

I have to decide if I am really going to put up a T-Top. If so, then I can install the stereo in the T-Top electronics box. If not, then I have to find a better place for it. Right now it is not secured to anything, and not really in a good place to control it. So I have to shit or get off the pot here. I may have to end up getting a new unit so that I can flush mount the control head and remote mount the control unit somewhere else out of the way. The stereo I have now is older and more like a standard car stereo. I can not remote mount the guts from the head. That is what I get for ordering a clearance marine stereo for $25. I can sell the thing on E-Bay and get my $25 back.

Anyway - everything seems to be in order for the outing. The boat is hitched up to the truck, the trailer lights work, stuff is loaded on the boat, the stereo is installed so I have rockin boat tunes, and so on.

I want to be floating by 0700. I calculate that most of the idiots who get boats but never bother how to properly use them will not be there that early. Of course they will be out there later, but as long as I am not using the ramp at the same time they are it is all good.

Ill try to remember the camera. I want some photos of the boat in the water. If I can get them without too much risk to the digital camera. Dropping my camera in the salt water (or any water for that matter) would seriously bum me out.