In our last issue, we covered what went into rigging Toy Boat 2 prior to
launch. Now we'll fast-forward four years, and discuss where we are now
and how we got there...
Here are even more things that we added since we first launched
Toy Boat 2...
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Stainless steel luggage rack
|
Since the Edgewater does not have much under-deck storage, the natural
inclination is to stack stuff on the front seat of the console, where it
falls off onto the deck. Or worse yet, leave it on the deck, where it gets
wet, stepped on and / or tripped over.
We had a welder friend put this together from stainless steel tubing.
Locked in place with hook-and-loop straps, it allows us to stack
three levels of stuff in front of the console, and strap them securely in
place if needed.
|
Just fine. We built it a little too high, so exiting the garage requires extra
care to avoid ripping out the garage door tension bar. We'll talk about the
design in next issue's article on storage solutions.
|
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Bass boat "bicycle seat" and base to the front casting
platform
|
When the water is rough, it is very easy to lose your footing while standing on
the front casting platform.
Some people have custom rails or leaning posts made for this purpose, we chose
instead to try using a regular bass boat "bicycle seat" with a fixed aluminum
post. This will give the person in front something to lean against or sit
on while casting
|
TBD. In the two trips we've made since adding it, it seems to help, but we are
concerned about the long-term life of the components (aluminum post with steel
pin, and galvanized seat base). Swivl-eze does offer a stainless steel version
of the seat base, we'll see how the galvanized version works first. |
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
EVA foam padding under the rod racks
|
Our reels and the hull were getting scratched up from the reels
rubbing against them during runs in rough water. We purchased EVA sheet foam
and used pressure-sensitive adhesive film to attach it to the hull. |
Just fine |
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Downrigger cannonball holder.
|
The downrigger cannonball rolls on the deck. At least the Z-Wings
can't do that! |
Just fine. Had to drill a couple of drain holes in the bottom edge, otherwise
the ring traps water inside. |
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Fulton Sharksin electric trailer brakes, Carlisle Electrastar
controller
|
Our original tow vehicle was a 1994 Mitsubishi Montero. It was rated for 3500 lb
towing capacity, and could handle TB2 without a problem, although it was a
bit sluggish..
When we replaced the old Montero with a new version in 2003, the owner's manual
said that brakes were required on any trailer over 1500 lbs. This despite the
fact that the 2003 Montero was rated for 5000 lb towing capacity, and had a
larger engine. So we added brakes (the process of selecting and adding
brakes to the trailer will be covered in another article in Issue 4 or 5).
|
OK. Electric brakes provide reasonable emergency stopping power but nothing
overwhelming. |
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Grab rail on bait tank
|
When we have three people on board, there is nothing for the third
person to hold on to while running in rough water. Adding the rail to the bait
tank provides support in the most natural place for the third person to
stand. |
Just fine. Also acts as a stop to prevent the bait net from rolling onto the
deck. |
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Rule bilge alarm
|
After we had some mishaps with the washdown pump, we decided to get
a bilge alarm to tell us when there was water in the bilge. |
Just fine |
| We added |
Because |
And it's working...
|
|
Edson Powerknob
|
Running the boat in rough, wet conditions pointed out that it can be tough to
hold on to a stainless steel wheel with mechanical steering. The SS surface
gets very slick, and there is nothing really to grab. Very fatiguing to hold on
tight enough to control the boat.
|
Just fine. The Powerknob provides a secure, handy control point |