Bittersweet Labor Day

[moosehead]

Ahhh, 3+ days on the water. Good friends, family, food, festivities.

Here in CO, our high alpine lake is gamely trying to reach 70 degrees F. It may be the rare occasion where the water is warmer than the air temps even at high noon. Some may shiver at the notion, but it is awesome. Wetsuits optional. Crystal blue skies and water, alpenglow sunsets, sunburn, and waterlogged exhaustion. Hysterical laughter over captain's errors, equipment malfunction, or a drenched passenger. Arguing over the best tune selection and gawd-aweful onboard dancing moves. Not catching one fish, but drinking a beer or seven. Perfect.

I'm going to force either my wife or 9 year old daughter to pilot the boat so I can slalom ski for the first time in 25 years. Worse case, I'll drown or they will shipwreck the SD. Best case, they'll panic and pull the lanyard, be unable to start the boat cause it's in gear, and I'll have to jettison the PFD and ski and then swim a mile to rescue us all. Local sporting goods retailers thought I was nuts asking for water ski equipment in CO, let alone on Sept 1st. Ha!

We'll maybe get a few more fall weekends in with an Indian Summer, but the season's coming to a close. For the first time, I'm not looking forward to doing the latest boat upgrade - a folding tongue adapter so she'll be able to squeeze into the garage for hibernation. Crap.

As long-time snow sports fans, we normally look forward to Fall with giddy anticipation. The SD has now caused us to shed a tear at end of summer. Feels like when you were a kid and the never ending paradise of summer vacation comes to a crushing halt. Summer love goes away. Sniff.

Where are you boating for Labor Day? Post up some photos and stories. Send kleenex. Cheers all, enjoy, and thanks for getting us back onboard after too many years on land.

 

[RFoster130]

I am stuck working 72 of the 96 hours the next 4 days. Really sucks since it is a huge boating weekend in this area. Gotta love public safety..lol

I was just watching the weather too.....gonna be 43 for a low later this week. Not much boating time left.

 

[wdd5885]

We are on Smith Lake in north Alabama. The weather here is great after an entire summer of 95+ degree heat. Lows in the high 60's at night, mid eighties during the day. I've had the boat out alot and shes run like a top (knock on wood). This morning took a 30 minute ride to a lake restaurant and ate breakfast. Lake was smooth as glass. Maybe some of you have been to this lake, if not, it is very beautiful and worth the trip if you live in this part of the country.

This is our first summer with a boat, and we have had a blast. Stayed on Lake Lanier all of June, and over here July and August. What a sweet summer!

I've attached some pictures of our boat and few of the view from our house here.:cheers:

 

[Barely a Wake]

Yeah, weather sucks here in Florida. Low 90's and upper 80's all damned weekend.

I'm going to end up spending a small fortune on gas, drink, food, etc., but it'll be worth every penny. I just wish the ocean was calm enough to take the 150 speedster out into. I'm sure the hurricane has it a nasty mess, though. Ah well, at least the jet skiers will have a blast while I'm stuck in the intracoastal.

 

[scooper77515]

Water is still HOT here. Probably in the upper 80s, just barely refreshing.

Air temps are in HIGH 90s, low 100s. Only break we have had is some rain starting 1st of September, but now that isn't stopping and not sure what is up for the long weekend. Weather channel says clearing for Sat and Sun, then 50% thunderstorms again on Monday. We will see...

It was dry and hot all summer, then as soon as we bring new boat home, rains everyday. Barely got an hour out with storms chasing us for our maiden voyage.

 

[purple_people_eater]

yeah my local lake season is done. it about low 80's highs and 60's for lows. but what kills the local season is that montain water never gets above 70 so about this time of year the water is about 59ish. i takes your breath away when you hit. then you freeze when you get back on the ski and get up on plane again. so this weekand and next i got to go to lake chatoge on the nc/ga line over 2 mountains and it takes about 1 and half hours pulling boats. i think i may get 2 maybe three more lake visits before i got to winterize

 

[Sikiguya]

No luck here in cheeseland until Sunday at the earliest. Monday look promising with a mid 80 forecast. Today's high? mid to high 60's. :willy_nilly:

 

[despower]

Excellent day for boating here in spite of the fact that hurricane will hit west of us this afternoon. Too bad my boat is laid up with a hull breach - will get fixed next week. Grrr.

 

[Dr Honda]

We've had nice 85 to 90 deg weather... and that DANG hurricane pushed some goofy front in... and now it's 65 deg !!!!!!!

PA weather is wacky... but yesterday when I left my shop, it was 88... then it rained for 10 minutes, and it was 72... and it just kept dropping.

Tomorrow is going to be in the mid 70's... but Monday will be back up to 80.

If it is... I'm hopping to hook up with a member from this board, out at the point where the 3 rivers join.

 

[moosehead]

Thanks for your service RF. Hope the rest of you northerners get some late summer and that Earl did not harm to the right coast, looks like that is the case?

Yesterday, dragged a friend at WOT on the tube chariot style. After a few airborn ragdolls he came out of the water needing a body bag. Good times.

Doc H, I grew up boating and skiing on Youghiogheny Lake, fond memories. Never did the 3 rivers unless drinking Rolling Rock counts.

 

[RFoster130]

Thanks Moose, so far it hasnt been too bad. Got to spend my little bit of time off last night with the family, so it was nice.

Now I am 6 hours into my 48 hour shift and it has been quiet....Lots of time to play on here :cheers:

 

[steveawright]

Just came in off the boat been out since 0830, water was super calm till about 1330-1400. It was so calm i even wakeboarded in the Gulf, but not for long, was chased by a shark or so that what they were yelling lol. And apperently its jellyfish season... managed not to get stung when i landed in a school of them. I said yea I think I'm done for the day. lol

 

[RFoster130]

Last weekend we were in the Bahamas and they jellyfish were so bad you couldnt go in the water at all.

 

[moosehead]

Fall set in so only 1/2 day Sat plus a sunset cruise Labor Day.

 

[RFoster130]

Nice pics!!! I wish I had a beach I could just pull up to like that.

 

[dsw222]

As Honda mentioned, it was actually a bit chilly in Pittsburgh this weekend

I made it out on the river, but only for a couple hours (before the girlfriend started complaining that "its freezing out here from the spray and the wind")

I was disappointed that I couldn't meet up with Honda, and that I was only on the river for a couple hours this whole weekend... plus the days keep getting shorter and it makes us realize that winter is looming in soon

its depressing this time of year

 

[biffdotorg]

Minnesota/North Dakota lake days are at a premium now. We still get out boating, but as with Colorado, the water is warmer than the air.

So this is the time when we figure out how to fish catfish on the Red River of the North out of the X20! We sold the fishing boats when we bought this one and have figured out it is pretty comfortable to fish out of.

I do appreciate having a jet on the river. It makes dodging items easy as it handles so well. Good thing the floor washes out so easily after fish and cutbait have hit the floor!

I don't think my YouTube embed will work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE2BLTfcHHs

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xE2BLTfcHHs?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xE2BLTfcHHs?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

 

[Watson91]

Not on a boat, but did spend a whole day out on the jet ski Sunday. Weather here in Southern Illinois has been nice, but a bit on the cooler side. Sunday it was about 78F water was fairly cool. Spent quite a bit of time with it shut off just floating out in the middle of the lake relaxing. Hoping I can get at least one more ride out of the season before the weather goes cold.

 

[Barely a Wake]

Here's a couple holiday weekend pics:

The first one is what happened Saturday while we were out on the boat. Some a$$clown ran over the tail light on my trailer, smashed the tail light and broke the weld that holds it on.

The second one is from Monday, that's the stick that found its way in between my impeller and wear ring. I didn't even know it happened. It was idling just fine. As soon as I tried to take off, it made a growling sound and vibrated the whole boat. I tried in vain to get it out, but no dice. We had to idle all the way back to the ramp. The wear ring, surprisingly, doesn't look as bad as you would think, but I may have it replaced at the 50 hour maintenance, depending on how much preformance has been lost. The dealer quoted me $60 for the ring, $270 for the labor. Someone please remind me as to why I wanted a jet boat so badly. *sigh* uke:

 

[dsw222]

The dealer quoted me $60 for the ring, $270 for the labor. Someone please remind me as to why I wanted a jet boat so badly. *sigh* uke:

Yikes! I swapped both of my wear rings and impellers earlier in the year (with zero prior experience working on jet boats)... $35 for a new wear ring, a few hours for labor

Maybe try some do-it-yourself work? It would save some cash!

 

[Barely a Wake]

Yikes! I swapped both of my wear rings and impellers earlier in the year (with zero prior experience working on jet boats)... $35 for a new wear ring, a few hours for labor

Maybe try some do-it-yourself work? It would save some cash!

I thought about it, but I'm worried about my warranty. I'd hate to have BRP deny any claim I may have in the future.


*edit* Oh yeah I almost forgot about my busted muffler tie-down. I have a bungie cord around it until my next maintenance. I guess it didn't like jumping waves in the ocean.

 

[moosehead]

Hangin on to the season. Hit 68 degrees F this weekend during the day, but that turned into 23 degrees F at 630AM.

Last shot is of a secret, shallow cove we'd never seen, but a SD boat has evidently homesteaded there in a backcountry cabin. Hope he has a snowmobile for upcoming season.

 

[RFoster130]

23 already...thats crazy. It has been kinda chilly here in KY. They claim a high of 85 tomorrow, I am gonna try to hit the water for a bit. Probably my last time out.