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Boating Articles by Tom

Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades.
A lot of boating time is spent fixing boats, maintaining boats, and upgrading boats with new boating equipment to suit our specific tastes and needs. Lots of salespeople at stores that sell marine boating supplies and boating accessories have learned to recognize me over the years. I have spent my share of time and money working on just about anything you could name on a boat, and made plenty of mistakes. I'm here to share the lessons learned.

Tater Force One Takes Flight

August 25, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

I took my DJI drone out on the Speck Tater today and had a good time practicing my (very limited) camera and video skills. The space out on the bow between the railings is pretty small so I decided to try hand launching it. "This better work!" It did … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Drone Stuff

Thirsty Chickens!

August 23, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

The chickens always seem thirsty in the morning and come right over when I refresh the water dish. One of them either can't wait or likes her water flowing and always drinks from the stream as I pour. One or two of the others occasionally do this but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

More & More Bobcat Pictures

August 11, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

I got 16 new bobcat photos on the trail camera over the past few nights. The bobcat continues to seem completely unaware of the camera and its infrared flash. UPDATE August … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Trail Camera Pictures

A Hawk, A Bobcat, And A Naughty Dog

August 7, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

I'm not sure if I keep seeing the same hawk or if more than one of them is trying to figure out how to break into our Eglu coop and have a chicken dinner. Either way, glad the coop and the run extension that I made seem … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Trail Camera Pictures

Pond Swim With Grandkids

August 3, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

We have both of the grandkids overnight for the first time and took a swim in the pond during the late afternoon heat today. Here's Brielle with her swim floats. We swam over to the artesian spring and I found this school of baby bass … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

Volunteering for Charlotte Harbor Seagrass Survey

July 30, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

After reading a good article on upcoming seagrass and scallop surveys in our area, I decided to volunteer. Yesterday we took Florida Sea Grant Program extension agent Betty Staugler out on our pontoon boat and had a look at a few of the areas being … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fishing

Hawk Got Another Squirrel

July 27, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

The game camera got this shot of a red shouldered hawk yesterday afternoon. I'm still impressed that it can shoot pictures fast enough to get things like spread wings on landing. A closer look shows something furry, most likely a squirrel, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Trail Camera Pictures

First DJI Drone Flight

July 24, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

I took my first solo drone flight this afternoon and found that the DJI Phantom 4 is very easy to fly. I also found that I kind of need a savvy camera operator as a sidekick. I set cameras to "automatic for idiots" mode and that's about all I know to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Drone Stuff

Still Studying The Chicken Problem

July 24, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

Kahlua kitty jumps up on the chicken run every morning when I am feeding them. This was alarming to them at first but they pretty much ignore her now. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

Beginning My Drone Adventures

July 22, 2019 By Tom Leave a Comment

I bought a used DJI Phantom 4 and am starting to learn the many things that there are to know about flying it and using the camera. So many things! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Drone Stuff

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Recent

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About Tom

Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades. [Read More …]

Popular Posts

  • The Perfect Solo Mast-Raising System for Small Sailboats 132.9k views
  • Small Outboard Engine Tilt and Trim: Theory and Practice 57.8k views
  • How to Dock an Outboard or Sterndrive Powerboat in 3 Easy Pictures 57.3k views
  • Tying Boats to Docks Using Springlines 55.8k views
  • Deep V, Shallow V, or Variable Deadrise Hull Performance 52.3k views
  • The Com-Pac Sun Cat: A Review 46k views
  • Building a Live Bait Well For A Small Boat 40.3k views
  • Choosing the Right Propeller For Your Boat 36.5k views
  • Rebuilding Whaleboat Tenders Part 5: Boat Parts Shopping Day 36.3k views
  • More Boston Whaler Modifications 35.4k views

Topics

  • Boat Building (5)
  • Boat Handling (10)
  • Boat Repairs & Upgrades (50)
  • Boating Equipment (27)
    • Dinghies (4)
  • Boating Fun (30)
  • Boating Safety (7)
  • Buying & Selling Boats (5)
  • Classic Boating Tales (25)
  • Fishing (16)
  • General (37)
    • Drone Stuff (3)
    • Trail Camera Pictures (18)
    • Tropical Fruiting (1)
  • Kayaking (22)
  • Powerboating (18)
  • Sailing (71)
    • Races & Regattas (14)
    • Sailboat Cruising (15)
    • Sailboat Reviews (7)

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