What did you do today

[featherliteCT1]

Making plywood ... Ingenius!

[twisted lines]

Stolen Idea!
1000 lb max counting them
I’m big and don’t diet

[MickinOz]

Happy Easter!

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Not a Good Friday fish type of guy then?
To tell the truth, me neither.
SWMBO insisted that Good Friday family lunch (a mickinoz tradition - to miss it is to risk being written out of the will) would be pizzas with seafood on them.

At the request of #2 son I lead with my best though, a genuine Margherita - typo 00 flour with only salt, water, and yeast, 24 hour cold ferment, topped with pulped Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, a sprinkle of sea salt, a swirl of olive oil, baked for 80 seconds at 420C in the wood fired brick oven, followed by a light grating of Pecorino Romano post bake.

Then I banked the coals and left the oven to drop a few degrees while I enjoyed a slice. Nothing, but nothing, tastes as good as a sub 90 second Margherita crust, with little flavour bombs of basil and oil and salt as you work through the slice.
Next out was a full on vegetarian special to keep my son's girl friend smiling. She's such a sweetheart, I forgive her for her anti meat ways.
Roast pumpkin, sun dried tomatoes, 7 year old home preserved olives, caramelised onions, roasted red and green capsicums, thin sliced potato, spinach leaves, olives, tomato sauce mozzarella and a few other things I can't remember. Musta been alright she ate twice as much as usual.

Seafood pizza was prawns, squid, mussels and oysters, with a few sundried tomaties on a base mozzarella and pulped Italian tomatoes.

But then, I weakened.
Call me a Pagan if you will, but I confess that this Good Friday I made a pizza with sausage, hot soppressa, prosciutto, bacon, oysters, mussels, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, mozzarella and tomatoes.
It was good.

[friz]

Happy Easter!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Not a Good Friday fish type of guy then?
To tell the truth, me neither.
SWMBO insisted that Good Friday family lunch (a mickinoz tradition - to miss it is to risk being written out of the will) would be pizzas with seafood on them.

At the request of #2 son I lead with my best though, a genuine Margherita - typo 00 flour with only salt, water, and yeast, 24 hour cold ferment, topped with pulped Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, a sprinkle of sea salt, a swirl of olive oil, baked for 80 seconds at 420C in the wood fired brick oven, followed by a light grating of Pecorino Romano post bake.

Then I banked the coals and left the oven to drop a few degrees while I enjoyed a slice. Nothing, but nothing, tastes as good as a sub 90 second Margherita crust, with little flavour bombs of basil and oil and salt as you work through the slice.
Next out was a full on vegetarian special to keep my son's girl friend smiling. She's such a sweetheart, I forgive her for her anti meat ways.
Roast pumpkin, sun dried tomatoes, 7 year old home preserved olives, caramelised onions, roasted red and green capsicums, thin sliced potato, spinach leaves, olives, tomato sauce mozzarella and a few other things I can't remember. Musta been alright she ate twice as much as usual.

Seafood pizza was prawns, squid, mussels and oysters, with a few sundried tomaties on a base mozzarella and pulped Italian tomatoes.

But then, I weakened.
Call me a Pagan if you will, but I confess that this Good Friday I made a pizza with sausage, hot soppressa, prosciutto, bacon, oysters, mussels, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, mozzarella and tomatoes.
It was good.

Well done! I'm still digesting about a pound of beef from noon yesterday. I may have to go ride my bike to get things moving.

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[friz]

Hanging out at my happy place.

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[edgeau]

Happy Easter!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Not a Good Friday fish type of guy then?
To tell the truth, me neither.
SWMBO insisted that Good Friday family lunch (a mickinoz tradition - to miss it is to risk being written out of the will) would be pizzas with seafood on them.

At the request of #2 son I lead with my best though, a genuine Margherita - typo 00 flour with only salt, water, and yeast, 24 hour cold ferment, topped with pulped Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, a sprinkle of sea salt, a swirl of olive oil, baked for 80 seconds at 420C in the wood fired brick oven, followed by a light grating of Pecorino Romano post bake.

Then I banked the coals and left the oven to drop a few degrees while I enjoyed a slice. Nothing, but nothing, tastes as good as a sub 90 second Margherita crust, with little flavour bombs of basil and oil and salt as you work through the slice.
Next out was a full on vegetarian special to keep my son's girl friend smiling. She's such a sweetheart, I forgive her for her anti meat ways.
Roast pumpkin, sun dried tomatoes, 7 year old home preserved olives, caramelised onions, roasted red and green capsicums, thin sliced potato, spinach leaves, olives, tomato sauce mozzarella and a few other things I can't remember. Musta been alright she ate twice as much as usual.

Seafood pizza was prawns, squid, mussels and oysters, with a few sundried tomaties on a base mozzarella and pulped Italian tomatoes.

But then, I weakened.
Call me a Pagan if you will, but I confess that this Good Friday I made a pizza with sausage, hot soppressa, prosciutto, bacon, oysters, mussels, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, mozzarella and tomatoes.
It was good.

I can smell it from here. Pity SA is a bit far for a 4day trip or you might get a gate crasher next Easter

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[MickinOz]

I can smell it from here. Pity SA is a bit far for a 4day trip or you might get a gate crasher next Easter

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

I'll save you and your sweetie pie a couple of seats at the table

Not much happening on the TD front.
The Anzac weather break may not have failed us.
We've had some rain yesterday, and more forecast for today, Anzac Day.
I guess the lads will be going around the paddocks with the air seeders shortly.

So, with several days of forecast showers, I took the TD back to Mum's to stash under the carport.
While there, I decided to bring my little power cat home, clean out the pepper tree leaves and sort out the wiring.
Unlike unfinished timber TD's, fibreglass boats with IP67 instrumentation don't seem to mind a bit of drizzle.

The boat is a little beauty, something I've aspired to for a long time, 14 feet long, fibreglass, reasonably light and shallow drafted, twin 25 hp motors, centre console, etc. I've had it a year and only driven it once, but my post retirement world is starting to settle and it's whiting season, and my time is finally becoming my own.

The motors are Mercuries. These are not ideal, they are often referred to as "Black Anchors" around here. The hyper-saline waters of Spencer Gulf have never been kind to Mercury. But this boat spent much of its life in more southern seas and fresh water, and they seem in pretty good nick for their age.

Came with 27 MHz and VHF radios, two sounders, twin bilge pumps, etc.
BUT, every time a device was added, it was wired in the most head scratching confusing way possible.
Each device got two large alligator clips for direct connection to a battery.
And why would you drill a hole in the dash for a bilge pump switch (which is U/S), when there were still two spare switches in the switch block?

So I took out the seats for access and got into it.
The VHF radio was mounted under a homemade (sagging) shelf in the centre console. Shelf was ejected, and radio moved to a spot where it can be seen when sitting at the helm. This necessitated an extension on the antenna cable. These should always be one piece cables, but that would have necessitated disassembling the antenna base, attaching longer cable, running it under floor, and through the rat's nest. It was a lot easier to go buy a couple of plugs, a joiner, and a metre of RG58U and make an extension.

Couldn't sort out everything on a Sunday. The bilge pumps were installed with green/yellow house earth wire for the positive lead, for example.
They still are. But, at least they are now connected to a switch on the switch block and work.
Both radios work, I have a mate who is a mad keen radio ham and amateur TV broadcaster, and he was able to dial up the right frequencies and modulation to check my test transmissions. He chided me for the extension on the VHF cable, but too bad.

Any connections I re-made were done with crimp-on terminals. I can hear the protests already, but trust me, crimping a tinned copper terminal to a tinned copper marine instrument cable is the only way to go with regard to corrosion resistance. Far better than solder once the saltwater starts flying. Besides, when you spend $30 or so on a decent ratchet crimping tool with adjustable pressure, you want to try it out.

The battery terminal connections were "borrowed" from my son's shed, as was the hydraulic crimping tool he insisted I use to fit them. Damn that works well.

By law, the VHF radio must be operated by a qualified person. After 24 years, that Restricted Radiotelephony Operator's Certificate of Proficiency I gained in 1998 has finally come in handy.

The sounders power up, work in simulator mode and I can feel the transducers pulsing. Have to wait for a launch to get the full story.
And of course. I have navigation and anchor lights. Always handy when that 20,000 tonner is gliding past in the darkness. The Harbor Master is also the Pilot, and he's been known to get a little annoyed with recreational boats that don't show the appropriate lights.
So, it's not pretty, a tidy up of existing, rather than a full rewire. I use the term "tidy" somewhat loosely, but it all works.
No battery box yet, I have it, but I want to do a trip with the battery relocatable so I can confirm the best position.
There is no charging system, but I believe the new 105 AH battery will suffice for my usual type of fishing trip.

[twisted lines]

Twin 25 hp motors, centre console, etc. I've had it a year;
The motors are Mercuries. These are not ideal, they are often referred to as "Black Anchors" around here.

Our marina basically say’s go away if you come in with them!
Having two should help

I got a new to me little boat, two years ago haven’t started it yet.
Bought another 3 gallon fuel tank yesterday! At that marina.
Today finished changing all lubricants in the green beast.
Almost ready.

[MickinOz]

And yet, they've been around forever and their popularity never seems to wane.
They aren't bad engines really, but they had a terrible reputation for corrosion problems here.
Mine are 1995 model manual start engines.
They start really easily, the powerheads are remarkably rattle free and quiet, and they manage to propel my little cat to 27 knots with two people in it.
Maybe I'll post a report after I've used them for a while.

One did have water in the gearbox oil, but when I pulled the plug out to check it, the fibre washer on the plug fell to bits.
I replaced it wit the genuine mercury item - fingers crossed it was only the washer leaking, not the shaft seals.

I've had an each way bet on this - I still have my old boat, with the 2003 Yamaha 60 that I bought brand new and has never been driven by anyone but me!

[MickinOz]

When I think about it, I'm pretty darned lucky here. We have two marine dealerships. One sells Honda motors, and used to sell Yamaha until he tired of their outrageous business practices. The other sells Mercury engines. The owner is a factory certified Mercury mechanic.
I've bought enough stuff from both guys over the years that I'm guaranteed a yarn about the weather, the fishing, the latest screwups by the town council, whose the most reliable tradesmen in town, tricks of the trade for keeping boats running, etc., when I wander in to buy a $10 part.
If my little 25 HP does have a leaking shaft seal after all, I have every confidence in Bill the Mercury dealer.

[noseoil]

Planted a new pear tree yesterday, nice sunny springtime weather!


Woke up to this today, gotta' love springtime in New Mexico!

[twisted lines]

Mine are 1995 model manual start engines.
27 knots with two people in it.
Maybe I'll post a report after I've used them for a while.

I have caught fish in a boat propelled by one
We were told to replace lower unit gaskets every time. Hope that was it for you.
We bought two new boats in 2000 with 4 motor's, Made a stand to haul two at a time to repair them
Had one repaired on the water, he was a parts swapper under warranty brought every part but 1 in the electronics yep that was it, under the flywheel.
Engineer had fuel tanks set very low on two of these in a custom large boat, I tried to discourage, one day one of the two died, fuel pump kept running, I tried to restart the pleasure of the thump toast.
Had V8 twins on several 36' boats that had a load capacity of 10K dropped the speed to 45 loaded at night.
One Night a flick of a lighter saved a sailboat that was blacked out, Camping in the dark in the path we used;
They heard me coming
11' Wide

[nsfr1206]

Happy Easter!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Not a Good Friday fish type of guy then?
To tell the truth, me neither.
SWMBO insisted that Good Friday family lunch (a mickinoz tradition - to miss it is to risk being written out of the will) would be pizzas with seafood on them.

At the request of #2 son I lead with my best though, a genuine Margherita - typo 00 flour with only salt, water, and yeast, 24 hour cold ferment, topped with pulped Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, a sprinkle of sea salt, a swirl of olive oil, baked for 80 seconds at 420C in the wood fired brick oven, followed by a light grating of Pecorino Romano post bake.

Then I banked the coals and left the oven to drop a few degrees while I enjoyed a slice. Nothing, but nothing, tastes as good as a sub 90 second Margherita crust, with little flavour bombs of basil and oil and salt as you work through the slice.
Next out was a full on vegetarian special to keep my son's girl friend smiling. She's such a sweetheart, I forgive her for her anti meat ways.
Roast pumpkin, sun dried tomatoes, 7 year old home preserved olives, caramelised onions, roasted red and green capsicums, thin sliced potato, spinach leaves, olives, tomato sauce mozzarella and a few other things I can't remember. Musta been alright she ate twice as much as usual.

Seafood pizza was prawns, squid, mussels and oysters, with a few sundried tomaties on a base mozzarella and pulped Italian tomatoes.

But then, I weakened.
Call me a Pagan if you will, but I confess that this Good Friday I made a pizza with sausage, hot soppressa, prosciutto, bacon, oysters, mussels, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, mozzarella and tomatoes.
It was good.

That Margherita pizza sounds good. I need to figure out my crust. We are using 00 flour but I’m not getting it quite as crisp as I’d like….


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[MickinOz]

That Margherita pizza sounds good. I need to figure out my crust. We are using 00 flour but I’m not getting it quite as crisp as I’d like….


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I'm having a bit of trouble with my dough myself. TBH I think the yeast has changed.
Seems very low activity.
What are you baking your pizzas in?

[nsfr1206]

Ooni Koda 12. I’m wanting to go to a 16 and put a rotating stone in it.


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