We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair once/year.

How about you?

On Thu, 12 May 2005 17:34:32 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair once/year.

How about you?


I'm averaging about 80 hours per year, almost all of which is fishing. Maybe the
wife and I will go playing four or five times a year, but then the boat usually
gets only a few hours. Most of the 'time' on the engine is spent trolling which
sometimes adds six or so hours a trip.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."

On Thu, 12 May 2005 17:34:32 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair once/year.

How about you?

It depends on who is using my boats. I have a few charter captain
friends who use my boats when they have small charters or need to get
to a specialty grounds (like tuna or cod). I make out because I'm
always left with a full tank of gas and they take care of winterizing
including a full set of plugs, gear oil, and regular maintenance and
part of my slip fees.

With that said, the max hours is usually less than 200.

Later,

Tom

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

On Thu, 12 May 2005 17:34:32 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and
the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair
once/year.

How about you?

It depends on who is using my boats. I have a few charter captain
friends who use my boats when they have small charters or need to get
to a specialty grounds (like tuna or cod). I make out because I'm
always left with a full tank of gas and they take care of winterizing
including a full set of plugs, gear oil, and regular maintenance and
part of my slip fees.

With that said, the max hours is usually less than 200.

Later,

Tom

How many boats do you own and how many are contracted out to charter
captains?

"John H" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 May 2005 17:34:32 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and
the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair
once/year.

How about you?


I'm averaging about 80 hours per year, almost all of which is fishing.
Maybe the
wife and I will go playing four or five times a year, but then the boat
usually
gets only a few hours. Most of the 'time' on the engine is spent trolling
which
sometimes adds six or so hours a trip.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."

That seems pretty reasonable. When do you splash and when do you pull out?

I now have just over 140 hours on the engine that was new in January of
2004. Will be in the low 2's by fall.

On Thu, 12 May 2005 19:58:33 -0400, "JimH" wrote:


"John H" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 12 May 2005 17:34:32 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and
the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair
once/year.

How about you?


I'm averaging about 80 hours per year, almost all of which is fishing.
Maybe the
wife and I will go playing four or five times a year, but then the boat
usually
gets only a few hours. Most of the 'time' on the engine is spent trolling
which
sometimes adds six or so hours a trip.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."

That seems pretty reasonable. When do you splash and when do you pull out?

The fishing season starts on 15 April and ends on 15 December. I usually splash
right after 15 April and put it away around mid-November, or earlier if it gets
'too' cold!

I don't like running the boat with the plastic screen installed. Visibility
sucks. The windshields on Prolines are slanted way back, so I have to squat to
see through it, and even then can't see much. I like seeing over the windshield
with nothing in front of me. That does make going out in very cold weather less
fun. Plus, if the fish aren't biting, as they were'nt last fall, I may have it
put up earlier.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."

On Thu, 12 May 2005 19:57:45 -0400, "JimH" wrote:


"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .

On Thu, 12 May 2005 17:34:32 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.

Fishing rarely involved trolling.....mainly drifting or at anchor. The
majority of the boat use was to cruise to beaches for swimming while at
anchor and to other ports on Lake Erie including Leamington, Canada and
the
Islands. We would also head up to Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair
once/year.

How about you?

It depends on who is using my boats. I have a few charter captain
friends who use my boats when they have small charters or need to get
to a specialty grounds (like tuna or cod). I make out because I'm
always left with a full tank of gas and they take care of winterizing
including a full set of plugs, gear oil, and regular maintenance and
part of my slip fees.

With that said, the max hours is usually less than 200.

How many boats do you own and how many are contracted out to charter
captains?

Three.

14' Princecraft w/25 Johnson electric start/tiller, X-85, RC400 GPS,
trolling motor pond jumper. I mainly use it for cat fishing, crappie,
horn pout - just getting out quickly if the opportunity presents
itself.

20' Ranger 200C Sportfisherman, 200 FICHT, 24 Vdc Great White Trolling
motor, T-top, full electronics (radio, GPS, radar (JVC), color sonar,
full engine instrumentation), trailer. This is my all around boat -
I use it for lake fishing or bay fishing depending on weather and how
I feel at the moment. 60% of the time it's fresh water in larger
lakes - the other is prowling Fisher's Island Sound, the Race,
Westerly Reef up to Point Judith, Narrangansett Bay or the Connecticut
River.

32' Contender Fisharound, twin 250 E-TECs, full electronics suite,
full enclosure, custom trailer (for storage). This is the new boat
replacing the old Contender which I sold over the winter. In general
it is used to get the wife out to the Islands, me out to the tuna
grounds occasionally, but mostly to extend my reach if I need to or
just want to take a really nice ride somewhere. I normally fish
around the Islands with it, occasionally Stellwagon, I can make the
Canyons pretty easily.

The guys who normally use my boats (the Ranger and Contender)
sometimes have a need for a smaller boat or a boat that can be used to
get from one place to another in a hurry if the fishing is so-so.
Occasionally, they have extra people or don't want to pass on a
charter, so they throw it my way and I'll take them. I don't like to
do that because it's a lot of pressure to find fish and have a good
day - I don't need the stress. I also have a very good friend who is
boatless, but has the experience and knowledge to do some tournament
fishing, so he uses the Contender. Occasionally, I tag along just
because. :)

That explain it all?

Later,

Tom

JimH wrote:
We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.


Instead of owning a boat, you should consider renting one for the few
times you use it.


How about you?


We put about 450 hours on the engine since Sept 2003. That's averaging a
little over 260 a year. We've spent a lot of weekends on the boat and
traveled between Charleston and Solomon's Island (not counting the
delivery from St Augustine)... Not counting weekends we've spent 7 or 8
weeks aboard.

At our marina there are approx 200 boats... less than 10% of them get
underway more than three times a year. It's sad.

Fair Skies- Doug King

"JimH" wrote in message
...
We would typically splash our boat during the 1st week of May and pull it
out by mid October, logging an average of 60-65 engine hours/year.


200 on the 25'-er and 100+ on the 17'.