Fall Boating in the South

A conversation among Whalers
Jefecinco
Posts: 1592
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Fall Boating in the South

Postby Jefecinco » Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:22 am

Yesterday was a perfect Fall day in Lower Alabama.

We launched our Sport 13 at high tide which was about noon. It's been a long time since we've had the 13 in the water and it was great fun running up and down the waterway for a couple of hours. The temperature was in the low 70’s with a breeze at about 4-MPH. The trailer dolly made hitching easy.

We ranged from the ramp eastward to Mobile Bay then to Wolf Bay in the West. We enjoyed meeting a large Dolphin pod feeding near Mobile Bay until they ranged farther West into the bay.

The performance of our little 1981-vintage boat continues to surprise me. The boat is powered by a Mercury 30-HP EFI FOURSTROKE engine. With two adults, 6-gallons of fuel, and safety gear it gets onto a flat plane from idle in three seconds. Top speed is over 26-MPH and cruise is about 17- or 18-MPH. The boat is difficult to keep on plane at less that 17-MPH.

The only unusual thing about our set up is the use of an adapter plate between the engine and transom tilting the engine up by about an inch.

On cool days I would like to be able to plane at 15-MPH without constantly making throttle adjustments. My wife is unhappy at more than 26-MPH, so that was our speed at a little less than WOT. I estimate the boat would make close to 30-MPH with minimal loading.
Butch

jimh
Posts: 11672
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Fall Boating in the South

Postby jimh » Thu Nov 04, 2021 9:35 am

BUTCH--thanks for the update on Fall boating. In northern Michigan we have very mild Fall weather, but cold air has suddenly appeared, taking us by surprise.

Up at our cabin in northern Michigan the temperature this morning is 33-degrees, and snow is falling right now. We did have a very nice sunny day two weeks ago with the temperature about 60-degrees. We spent that day putting away the outdoor furniture, and then driving our towing vehicle over to a storage building to put it away for the season. No boating; the boat was put away in early-October. Boating season resumes about May 15, 2022.

Masbama
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:33 pm
Location: Mobile, Al

Re: Fall Boating in the South

Postby Masbama » Fri Nov 05, 2021 10:27 pm

Thanks for the report, Butch. I am planning a Sunday fishing trip in Mobile Bay. I will leave Dog River and head over to Point Clear and then head north to the Mobile-Tensaw delta. Hopefully the fish are biting!

Jefecinco
Posts: 1592
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Re: Fall Boating in the South

Postby Jefecinco » Sun Nov 07, 2021 9:54 am

Typically, the bite is on when we get these abrupt weather changes. Hopefully you can "fish the birds" on the way across.
Butch