ON my way!

[pjay9]

Well Monday is approaching and everything is on the ways ready for launching. I will be headed to FL for vacation and fishing and back to AL for my class. The class is to raise my grade for Master...it is the prep course for the USCG exam.

Vacation and fishing is the point in the early days as I don't need to be in AL until March 25. I will visit with my brother in law in Cape Coral and move on down to visit a buddy in the Everglades.

I'll leave out of here on Monday evening heading to Boise and onto Denver then down to TX and a stop in Whitesboro, TX then south to AL and east to FL.

I will be hauling the boat with the TC up and Dodge. I will start out by going down to PDX then along the Columbia to avoid two winter passes added about 48 miles but no issues crossing the mountains in WA. I am going to pick up one of the watertight Aluminum boxes from Frontierplay.com on my way thru Twin Falls, ID. Going to use it as a tongue storage box on the trailer opposite the spare tire. I had an old HDPE box that had seen better days.

Well back to loading and checking off the list! Will keep you posted as to progress. Capt PJ

[welder]

Pj, looking forward to meeting you , We have plenty of parking and your welcome to stay as long as you want. Don't forget your Phone book and all your chargers for the Electronic goodies .

[Antonio Pendejo]

Don't forget to remind Les that the stripers and blue cats are going off at that little pond just down the street from his house He's probably still got a full tank of gas in his boat.

[pjay9]

Les, looking forward to it! most of that stuff is stored already.
Antonio, I think you got Les's attention.
Capt PJ

[JETTYWOLF]

dang......there no "sea-school" where you live?

That's the EZ way.

[pjay9]

Jetty, They don't do the 500 prep course very well on the west coast...more students along the Gulf.

Report: Left on Friday the 28 at 2000hours...GPS data says I have been driving (moving)for 25 hours and 37 mins. and I just turned 1600.1 miles and sitting at the rest stop on I-70 just inside KS leaving CO heading to I-35 to make the turn toward TX. PICS to follow of the snow storm in OR the first night out...at the rest stop at the UT and WY border it was 1* everything was crunchy! Had to put the camera by the heat outlet to get it to work.
Going to catch some ZZZ's ! Later Capt PJ

[goatram]

25 hrs and 37 min. Hard core driving pulling a boat and camper on the truck.

Awaiting for pictures.

[pjay9]

OPPS! Yep that would have been good even for me...but IT was really 28 hours 37 mins not 25, my writing is terrible. Stopping to take a look at an outside display of Oil rig stuff from times past in Russel, KS...pics later Capt PJ

[welder]

Pjay, THANKS for stopping by , it was a pleasure to meet you and put a face with the name. Have a SAFE trip and watch out for the crazies on the HWY .

Your CUMMINS sounded REAL GOOD pulling out , what a BEAST, if you need any help on the road just give me a call and of course you and yours are welcome at our house any time.

Oh yeah, your LED lights are way cool and are VERY bright . Good choice and good install.

[goatram]

Capt and Les no pictures of the fish ya killed?

[welder]

It was a team effort but we go it in ...

The funniest thing though, we had to use a Chainsaw to clean it


Naw, Capt PJ had to be in Alabama this afternoon so we only had a few hours to visit and I'm here to tell y'all the Capt. is a Gentleman and pleasure to have around.
Not to mention he has a REALLY cool Truck and boat.

[pjay9]

Well Everyone I am in FL, down at Everglades City and the storm that went thru today was awesome with rain at .8 inches in about 4 hours loads of thunder and the camper sounded like it was being hit with pellets...NO LEAKS!
Les, Thx for the good words and I surely had a great time as well...good to know who is who on this forum. You have a nice house and great property of what I could see of it in the dark. You should be proud of what you have achived! I did get to AL and talked withthe folks about the classes. I left Bayou la Batre in a BIG storm as well, that was the one that hit hard.
BTW, Les's PAC is a fine alloy craft and it would be great to fish.

I have been able to upload pics so here goes! When I left it snowed that night as I was making my way along the Columbia River.


Accumulation on trailer and front end.


Making my way across OR down into Boise.





Crossed ID and down toward UT it was sunny and bright...but cold. Got to the WY/UT border at the scales and stopped for sleep...woke up and it was...


Everything was crunchy and the camera didn't work as I left it in the cab..opps! Thawed it out and it is OK sort of!
Crossing KS and OK the oil wells were pumping...saw this roadside museum and had to take a look and strech my legs.


After my short but great visit with Les I headed toward AL. The oil business must be going strong as the service companies pulled into the fuel depot all at the same time, just after I fueled up.

Passed floats heading to Mardis Gras Parades and got my oil changed.

[pjay9]

Boat ramp along Lake Pontchartrain dock is under water.

[pjay9]

Along the gulf at MS I found another ramp on a wet and windy day.

[pjay9]

Saw Army playing with their alloy toys near Gulfport

[pjay9]

Bayou la Batre is a town of shipyrads and SEASCHOOL.


Interesting craft sitting along the road as I left town in the rain on Saturday afternoon.

[pjay9]

Heading toward FL in the rain.

[JETTYWOLF]

There's no waves in the shallow gulf..... so there's no need for a monster bow on many boats out there.

I almost took a Tankerman job one time, working for a fuel transport outfit. They were gonna send me out to that same place for upgrades and wanted people "my age" to be running a push tug in 18 months from starting.

Whoa that would be quick into the HOT SEAT!

Sorry......two weeks on two weeks off. Didn't cut it. I'm a fisherman.

Yep, the home of Forrest Gumps black buddy.

da Bayou.

[pjay9]

On Sat night in the rain crossing into FL at exit 10AB the bells went off to check instruments...power steering went out and temp on the rise...oil OK, EGT OK, trans temp OK...rolled on for less than a minute to get off the highway and she idled just fine temp going up...shut her down! That was 1900 hours.


BY midnight I was deposited at a fix it place in Milton, FL...tow folks were great! This is where he took his trucks to be worked on.


Turns out it was a frozen water pump that twisted the pully off and threw the serp belt.


They opened at 0800 on Monday and I was on the road by 1016...good people there! Hit the interstate and didn't look back until reached Everglades City. 3700 plus miles. HOORAY!

[pjay9]

Tuesday I was out on the water for a boat ride..needed to slow down and just relax...NO FISHING yet!

Beached on a small mangrove island and just soaked up the silence and warmth.
That is the Gulf out there.
DEAD calm.

[JETTYWOLF]

It's INEVITABLE.....ain't it?

Vehicle and or Boat trailer problems. That sure wasn't your average tow truck, huh?

I think I'd fly and rent -a -car, Myself. I couldn't do all that riding.

[pjay9]

No it was a Semi tow truck and they brought a flat bed slide on to pull the boat trailer...actually I have had no issues with my Dodge Cummins for the miles it has...134000 for water pump...should have changed it before leaving and at 121k i had to install a fuel pump..otherwise it has been a charm to have and use. That CTD is just one mean motor and with my Smarty chip it drives even better.

The trailer is only a year old so should have any issue with it. But I still did the PM stuff on both vehicles before leaving and on the road too. BTW, the trailer bearing were comfortably warm and tire are doing well. MY truck tires are 19.5, back have 37k and fronts 13k and hardly look used. Capt PJ

[JETTYWOLF]

10-4 Cappy Caravan.........roll on

[goatram]

A couple of weeks and ya get to do it all over again. Glad you made and you got to see the country side again in a nice long ride.

[pjay9]

AHH! what you may not have picked up or I may have forgotten to mention...I don't need to be back in PacNW until MAY...so I have time to take my tests after classes with the USCG and then do some more vacation time...MY summer job is waiting for me...I just will not be there for opening day and the big boat parade...it is usually cool and gray overcast and sometimes wind, I don't mind not being there... have another