Recent content by jlgray

Great Question. I have had great difficulty getting teak. There is an environmental and global issue to getting it. Lately, I have been finding it from older boats and those stores and yards that sell used and surplus marine stuff. For the latest modifications, I used oak and then...

Added liner to port side cockpit storage to protect wiring,etc

I receive some questions about the additions and modifications we made to create or make better use of the storage areas on the Laurie Ann. I used the plastic material called Starboard or Seaboard in 1/2" 3/8" and 1/4" thicknesses. I bought them in 4 by 8 sheets from a friend who uses them in...

Thanks for the info Mac. I too am interested in going solar and would like to hear more as your project progresses. The price you found with Wholesale Solar seems to be an excellent one! I would be cautious about mixing aluminum and stainless materials together in the mounting system. In the...

We will be dropping our boat in the Mississippi for an extended boat trip and then bringing the truck and trailer about 1,000 miles to meet it. When I have done a shorter trip, the empty trailer bounced so much it made for a very uncomfortable ride. What can we do to make the ride smoother...

I had this problem and it was caused by water in the bilge-a lot of it-and it went through the "weeping" channels that are built in to drain. Once the source of the bilge water was solved, the v-berth water went away. If that is not the source of the problem, then I would look at the joints of...

For perspective buyers of the tug, this is the great reason to have a conversation with the factory while your boat is being built. We provided the factory with tank sensors and a gauge and they graciously installed it for us.

So what have you modified or added to your tug that you can share? It has been awhile since some ideas where posted and photographs taken. We have had the Laurie Ann for a year, now has 150 hours, and we just updated our photo album with the highlights of our modifications. By the way, we are...

Two folding chairs with added rubber feet, strapped into cockpit

In glove box, hard wired inverter forlaptop that rests on lid; storage for cables and books

Glued sun shade material to top of screens; removed light and added a fan

Marked the intake valves to avoid costly mistakes,

Added sound dampener material on engine lid that made a huge difference.

Added removable PVC legs to solidify dinette table