Pickle Maiden Voyage

[Ub Hauled]

Maiden Voyage of my Vacu-pickle.
A few things to consider:
Wrong prop (1740)
Hull's taking water, badly (not in the tub though ).
It's a bit outta focus

I pretty much just had to go and run her... hehehehehe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6nEOVsWIE

[Diegoboy]

Nice.
When you did the tub test, did you submerge it beyond the seam line?

[G Doggett]

Congratulations - if it goes along and doesn't sink it's a successful maiden voyage !!
Re the water leak - I found with my Spider that I have to be really thorough with the hatch sealing tape or water somehow finds it's way under the tape, particularly at slow speed when a lot of water may be splashing onto the deck.
Graham.

[mike a.]

On my other boats i have had problems with water getting in when i was using the tape down method. But on my latest boat which is a shovel nose i used the screw down method and put a closed cell foam tape between the hatch and the hull. I think its like a weather stripping kind of foam, but i hardly get any water in it anymore and i dont have to use any tape. The only place water comes in through anymore is through the drive. When its running you will probably get a little bit of water coming in. But its probably just coming in through the hatch mostly

[Ub Hauled]

Diegoboy- I did not get it under the seem line... I am so used to "glass" that it didn't even occur to me... will try the tub again.

Doggett- True, it went, came back, no smoke nor sinking... it was successfull.

Mike- i usually tape down and rarely had any problems with water entering thru the hatch. Though i have to say that your method is more secure, if the surfaces of the hatch are even there should be no pproblems, even upside down.

[Jeepers]

On my other boats i have had problems with water getting in when i was using the tape down method. But on my latest boat which is a shovel nose i used the screw down method and put a closed cell foam tape between the hatch and the hull. I think its like a weather stripping kind of foam, but i hardly get any water in it anymore and i dont have to use any tape. The only place water comes in through anymore is through the drive. When its running you will probably get a little bit of water coming in. But its probably just coming in through the hatch mostly

the problem with the screw down method is, eventually the hatch or hull will flex and it ends up taking on a lot of water. then you end up using tape anyway.

[Jeepers]

Congratulations - if it goes along and doesn't sink it's a successful maiden voyage !!
Re the water leak - I found with my Spider that I have to be really thorough with the hatch sealing tape or water somehow finds it's way under the tape, particularly at slow speed when a lot of water may be splashing onto the deck.
Graham.

Its the same way on my H&M Lifter, these hulls are hard to tape up around the cockpit area. A pain in the @$$ but the boats run good!

[Heath M]

Hey Jan,
It's a good day when the boat comes back after it's maiden voyage..
I'm sure the water intake will turn out to be an easy fix for you..
Also i don't think i have ever seen a boat placed in the water so gently before lol

Heath

[Jeepers]

Jan looks good for the Maiden voyage!

[Xzessperated]

I pretty much just had to go and run her... hehehehehe.

Jan, I can remember taking my Xzess 2 to range test the radio before I ran the boat in water. I noticed there was a small dam (30 feet across) and I just had see how the boat moved on water. I put it in without the top on the boat forgetting how much the transom on a rigger goes underwater before they really take off. It filled the boat and I just got to it before it went out of sight.

I tell you this because I was like you and I pretty much just had to go and run her. A new boat is like a new woman. When we get one all the things we learned go out the window. I guess that is why you had the wrong prop. Good first test though and nice looking boat.

[flyboy320]

I was/am having water issues with my Vac-U-Pickle as well. Some of it was a bad tape job when putting on the hatch. Fixed that by using my nail to make sure the tape was sealed where it overlaps itself on the corners. I didn't believe that water could get under the seams, but it did!!

The other place where water is still getting in is through the flex cable. I have tried all the fixes, lots of grease, shrink on the stuffing tube and nose of the strut, and silicon tubing resting on the flex where it enters the hull though the stuffing tube. I Think what my problem is is that the Hughey cable has a short 3/16" shaft surface that rides in the lead/teflon bearing in the strut, and water gets past. I am going to try something like the Octura that has a longer 3/16" section and a also try a longer bearing in the strut and see if that helps. The water only get in when running fast, 1/2-3/4 throttle, not much gets in.

Good luck, its a great boat and a blast to drive!!

[Ub Hauled]

Paddy, I thought a boat was like a new woman 'cause you just have to ride her...
hahaha, just kidding.
But yes, I was too tickled to think straight and forgot my box of props on my working bench at home... lesson learned.

Flyboy, good to know that, I will chk my tape down more closely. One thing that a friend of mine suggested was:

1- seal the stuffing tube and make sure you hardware is tight in place
2- tape down the hatch (with nothing inside)
3- fill up the tub deep enough to put your boat under water
4- hold it under water and give it a gentle squeeze on the hatch...

if there is a leak somewhere you'll see air bubbles come out.
I'll try that method and see if it works.

[Xzessperated]

Paddy, I thought a boat was like a new woman 'cause you just have to ride her...
hahaha, just kidding.

OMG. You have been hanging around with that andym too long.

[Ub Hauled]

I've found the "criminal"...
it's the stuffing tube (at least)
I thought it was above the water line far
enough that I would not have that problem... BUT...
anyway, now I have a piece of silicone tubing wrapping it (and the flex),
I hope it helps a tad...
I will also re-seal the seems juuuuust to be sure.

[SJFE]

Well done Sir now get her back in the water and post a new video.Anyone have a link to the home page for Vac-u? I want to pick one up.
Thanks.