IT WAS DEEP ENOUGH LAST WEEK
OK, WE ARE STARTING TO SEE MANY BOATS COMING IN AFTER UNDERWATER COLLISIONS WITH  ROCKS, ISLANDS, AND SHALLOW AREAS.  REMEMBER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LAKES ARE DROPPING AND WHAT WAS SAFE A WEEK OR TWO AGO MAY BE A UNDERWATER HAZARD NOW.  PRACTICE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN YOU ARE LESS THAN 250 FEET FROM THE SHORE AND IF POSSIBLE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE LAKE BOTTOM PROFILES THAT YOU WILL BE BOATING OVER.  BOAT SAFE AND HAVE FUN.

Upcoming Fourth of July
Mood:  loud
Now Playing: Be safe and have fun
Well another July 4th is approaching and most all the lakes  here in Northern Ca are close to full.  We have been seeing underwater rock damage on the bottom of several boats.  Remember while the wate is higher than last year there is still the same of number of rocks near shore.  Stay out 200 plus feet when doing any water sports and if possible try to familiarize yourself with the lake or river before you go out. Fishing charts are a great way to do this as they usually point out shallows, ledges, and rises in bottom.  Remember the water is very cold with snow melt.  Also, do not forget to stay clear of the boat while in the water if the engine is running especially the transom swim deck due to carbon monoxide poisoning and propellor injury.  Follow good boater and water safetyand enjoy the holiday.

Spring time
Now Playing: Getting the boat ready for spring

Well the weather is finally changing and I am thinking about getting the boat out and taking it to the water.  Just hook up and go to the launch ramp right?  No way.  After sitting all winter there are several things one should do before heading out. 

First,  the battery needs to be checked.  Examine the terminal ends and make sure that they are not corroded.  Install them if they were properly removed during winterization.  If you have a battery tester use it to check that the individual cells are in good condition.  If not replace the battery.  Not top off the water in the battery and hook up to a fully automatic charger following your chargers instructions.

Second, check your oil level.  You should have changed oil in the fall so the engine would be sitting with clean oil in it during the winter.  If not consider changing oil now.  Check the dipstick for cloudy oil or water droplets on it.

Third, did you remember to put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank in the fall.  If not you will want to determine the quality of gas in your fuel tank.  If it smells like varnish you may not be able to start or run your engine.  If it is a little off you may be able to add fresh gas and run your engine.  When you start your engine never run it out of water more than a few seconds.  Best is to run the engine with the boat in water or have a water supply hooked up to your intake.

Steering and gearshift should be operated to assure that the cables have not rusted up during the winter and that they are still operational.

When was the last time you replaced the raw water pump impellor.  A overrheated engined can really shorten your boating season.

Always start your engine before you head to the water.  Conflicts often develop at a boat launch when your boat is sitting at the dock and you are unable to start it, and a couple of dozen other boaters are waiting to either launch or haul out.

How is the condition of the hull?  Did you hit something last year and damage the gel coat and fiberglass?  Minor fiberglass repairs can often be put off until winter and avoid the spring rush.  But if you did not get the repair done during the winter make an appointment now before the backlogs get to long.  Also, washing, buffing, and waxing the boat sure makes the boat look better and is a good way to thouroughly check the fiberbglass and gelcoat condition.

Clean the interior with soap and water and thouroughy dry.  Black mildew stains can be removed with a variety of cleaners.  I like to use a mild soluthon of ammonia with a few drops of dishwashing detergent added.  Remember storing a boat with ventilation can help to reduce or eliminate mold and mildew.

Is all your safety equipment in good shape and up to date.  Fire extinguishers should be checked for proper charge.  Flotation devices should be clean and dry and not rotted out and soggy. 

Lastly, check the conditon of the boat drain plug.  The rubber type do get old and brittle and begin to leak.  Do not forget to install the drain plug before you launch.

Well these are just a few of the tips I use for myself before I take any of my boats out for the first of the season and I hope this advice can save you any unnecessary grief.  Gary

As the Lakes Drain
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Low Water Levels Are Leading To Increased Groundings

Well it has been an extremely busy August and I have not been able to keep up with postings.  The most common incident right now is the accidental groundings of boats on submerged objects.  The boats always loose.  Areas to be especially cautious include but are not limited to.

North Fork American on Folsom Lake where large rocks are catching underwater hardware and fiberglass.

South Fork American on Folsom Lake the Mormon Island Bridge is just below the surface and it is very damaging to the boats.  Hazard markers are out but they have drifted away from the bridge as the water level drops, so be sure to give them an extra wide margin.

Lake Tahoe around Rubicon Bay has some extremely large and hard rocks that are impacting the bottoms of the boats.

Union Valley Reservoir between the two forks has some large rocks.

Sacramento River watch for the wing dams and be sure to be mid channel of the Hazard Buoys.

 

Another Award!
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: First Place

On July 19, 2009 Classic Craft received another First Place award.  The  award was presented for a First Place win in the Decked Boat Class at the 2009 South Tahoe Wooden Boat Classic.  Gary and Nita Minnis proud owners of "PERSISTENCE" accepted the award on behalf of all of us at Classic Craft.

This week is very busy with alot of underwater and major hull repairs.  Please remember while there is still alot of water, the levels are falling and staying clear of shoreline in the lakes will help insure your safe boating.

Projects include :

Pete is working on the right side of a 24 Mastercraft Maristar.  Some old damage had fractured the hull and deck over a ten foot area.  Pete first had to lift the deck back up into position and then refasten and rebond the deck to hull joint.  He then ground into the fiberglass laminate deeply in oreder to relamininate new glass/resin over the damage.  This has been finished and regelcoated with the original red and blue stripes on a base white hull.

Hilario has been working on two boats.  A ski centurion with major bottom inmpact damage to the hull and underwater hardware, and a Glastron with bottom grounding damge to the hull. 

Frank has been working on painting, staining, and varnishing a large Chris Craft Cruiser. 

I have been busy doing estimates, rebuilding a teak swim platform, and repairing a 21 foot Mastercraft with side hull damage and a broken fiberglass trailer fender.

Parts for the boats continue to be hard to obtain from the various manufactures because inventories are very low and as a cost cutting measure many manufactures have reduced their parts and shipping staff.

Welcome to the Classic Craft Blog
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: New Employee

Welcome to the Classic Craft blog.  My name is Gary Minnis and I am the owner and Master Boatwright of Classic Craft, Sacramento's oldest fiberglass and wood boat repair and building facility.  I began my boat building career in 1964 building and repairing boats.  Through my college years, I repaired a wide variety of boats and helped design and build custom boats of all sizes.  While in college I took independent studies in Small Boat Architecture and finished college with two BA's.  This is the start of our new blog I will be updating weekly about shop events, awards, and general activities.

My team consists of four associates.  The first of which is Frank, who has been with the shop since 1984.  Prior to working at Classic Craft, Frank had boat maintenance experience and has since developed a wide range of skills including glass repairs, restoring, refinishing, and repair of wood hulls.  He takes great pride in turning "basket-cases" into works of art.

Hilario has been part of our team since 1994.  He had already been in the composites industry for seven years.  He specializes in fiberglass hulls doing major fiberglass, gel coat, metal flake, fades, and expert color matching.  He prides himself on the quality and integrity of his expert craftsmenship.

I would like to welcome a new employee to the Classic Craft family.  Peter comes to us from West Coast Correct Craft.  Pete began his boat building and repairing career in 1968 with the Stevens Boat Yard, working and outfitting large yachts.  His career path includes working for such establishments as Ladd's, Enterprise Boats, Larson Marine and finally West Coast.  His 41 years of experience will be a great asset in maintaining Classic Craft's highly renowned national reputation for marine expertise.

Foremost is the association with Jack Keaton who began repairing boats in 1952 and started his own line of ski boat in 1959.  He started with inboard direct drives and by 1973 developed a high-performance jet driven ski boat which became legendary and a much sought after collectors item.  Jack continues to build jet pump parts and consult on the repair and performance of jet boats.

Classic Craft is located with Keaton Boats in Sacramento, Ca.  We are always happy to receive any comments or questions you may have regarding boats and their maintenance.  Thank you for your interest in Classic Craft and we hope you continue blogging with us.