Sounds like you're definitely not a rookie in this space, but you asked for folks to chime in, so i'll oblige 

I'm a really habitual person, with reliance on routines, especially with the boat, so i'll kind of lay out what i do. Safety is also really important to me, because so much can go wrong on the water. Of course, first thing first, life jacket inventory, flares, throwable floatation device, fire extinguisher, blah blah all the "law stuff" i check once a year. Lots of places check, either USGC or Sheriff, before they let you launch, and some check when you pull out and cite you if you don't have em, so don't mess around with not having that stuff in tip top. Above and beyond the stuff that's required by law, get yourself a nice Danforth anchor, with 10' or so of rode chain, and a couple hundred feed of good nylon line. Good safety equipment in case you break down, and also having an anchor is nice if you like just hanging out in a cove or something. Also, get yourself a boat hook. Essential equipment if you ask me. Also have a few heavy duty stainless carabiners on board. Nice to have if hooking up to a mooring buoy, etc. I also went and got a bunch of those cheap orange life preservers and stuffed them into a storage compartment we never use, as cheap insurance in case somebody wanders off with one of the 'good ones', i'll still have enough for everybody on board at all times.

As for routines, my main routines are around launching and trailering. When I arrive at the launch, normally my wife and I take the covers off together. Then she puts the lines and fenders on whichever side we're going to be launching on. I take off the stern trailer straps, and on my way back to truck, release the bow winch tension and remove the safety chain. Putting the straps in my tool box, I GRAB MY CRESCENT WRENCH AND DRAIN PLUG from my truck box, and return to the stern to install. Normally by this time, wife is done with lines and fenders, I then hand her my phone and wallet (so it doesn't get wet lol) and ask her to turn on the blower. After that we're ready to launch

When we return to the dock to trailer, first thing I do is run my finger accross all the toggle switches to make sure all accessories are off. On my way to grab my wallet, phone, and truck keys, I raise the outdrive. Huge huge thing to get in the habit of remembers. Seen way to many guys trash their skeg by forgetting this. Once on the trailer, and up out of the way, we kind of go through the reverse of the launching steps. Grab straps and crescent wrench from tool box, pull the drain plug, then after wife has removed lines and fenders, and handed me all the crap from in the boat, we put the covers back on, and away we go.

In my experience and observation, the biggest things people forget that are the drain plug at launch, and raising the outdrive when trailering.

Some other things that i have on board that aren't critical, but good to have are a spare prop and a prop wrench. They make specific prop wrenches that float that are pretty handy.

My shotgun is going to see a lot of ballistol in about 16 years


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Well I have all 3 of the "Dawgfather" posters up there... of course the Dawgfather being Don James. From the early 90s. The others are from the mid to late 90s

I also have this one from 91, but it's not in the shop yet



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Thanks guys!


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Couple updates in the shop too

Got my "counters" glued down. 3/4" AC glued to 1/2" CD underlayment



My Oldschool UW posters back up



Oh yeah, one other announcement...


:)


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I've been called out for being MIA so I thought I'd update so y'all don't think I've joined antifa or something ridiculous

Got all the fencing done










I built all the cedar fence





I built the man gate such that from the street it doesn't look like there's a gate there


And then after the fence was done, I finished the back lot and got grass planted







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Thank you sir


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Yes you do have to register everything. Easy to do online with receipt and serial number off the tool/battery/charger etc


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If I did anything it'd be a poly clearcoat. I wanted the wood look :)


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Almost done sheeting, thanks to my dad who helped me all day yesterday. He was my cut man. 18 junction boxes and a electrical panel to cut out. It's not screwed off yet, but will do that and the rest of the small pieces over the next couple days





Cabinets go up after that, and then workbenches.


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Heck I could prob get away with a 2x2, I think I even have one laying around...


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Been battling a wicked cold since getting back from vacation, but finally could get some work done on the shop.

Insulation... my favorite.


Sheeted this corner so I could get some shelves up to "musical chairs" the stuff in the area that is to be insulated and sheeted next



I mitered the corners so no visible end grain, and will fill all countersunk screw holes






Oh, and I scored a bunch of oak cabinets off Craigslist from a house somebody was remodeling. Will need a good cleaning and some RnR, but will work great in the shop



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You can use them for home networking, I.E. setting up a home file server. You can use them to build your own Arcade style games, home automation, etc. Anything that requires a computer, albeit without a ton of computing power.

2" receiver is correct. 2.5" is a pain in the butt if you ask me, have to use those dumb spacers to reduce down to 2" for the shanks you already have and they clunk around like crazy.

I got and Andersen Rapid hitch with 2" and 2 5/16" no-grease balls, never leaves the truck


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You'll need to find a place to mount your trailer plug. You can just screw the bracket into the new hitch and use the factory plug, but for a cleaner install, check out what I did in my build thread. Prettt sure Ryan (rpar86) did the same thing. I got a Hopkins plug and installed it in my bumper by the license plate, like all the newer trucks do


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I will look...


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I know I know


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You know, we didn't go today. Since moving here we have struggled finding a home church. We were very fortunate having a great one where we came from. As such we haven't been regularly attending any particular one.

Kids have actually been going with friends to three different churches. Crazy sounding I know, but they all seem to be on a good path so what do I know? Then last night there was a disagreement between HH6 & I about where to go this morning. So we didn't, and rather than feel like a hypocrite I'm ok with that. Doesn't mean we didn't celebrate Easter in our home or know the reason for the day. It just is what it is & there's a plan to try another church next week.

So there are always two sides to every story I suppose.

Nothin' wrong with that. After all, it's what's in your heart that counts.

We had plans to go this morning here in Oahu, find a church and be guests. But my pregnant wife fell asleep on the couch this morning after breakfast, and I couldn't bring myself to wake her.



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If Big D built a chicken plucker it'd prob be made of steel, with a turbo'd 2 stroke to power it!


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Dave, that set up looks low in front of trailer and nose high on the truck. What is the tongue weight of the trailer? Did you measure the front of truck height before and after you hooked up the trailer? If the truck has the factory round tube hitch, I am betting the tongue weight is higher than the hitch rating. Even if you have the proper spring bars, the hitch will flex causing the proposing you feel. I am betting the hitch weight of the trailer is North of 1,200 lbs so best case you will need 1,400lb bars and most likely an after market hitch that is rated at least 1,400lbs. Been there, fought the darn set up before heading to the scales and getting real numbers to work with.

Definitely get the Curt HD. The round bar factory hitches are notoriously weak. Check out my build thread if you want to see what I'm talking about

And I would agree, the nose of the truck looks high, tongue of the trailer looks low



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Freaking THIS.

He's doing the exact opposite of what he said he'd do.


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I don't know what to make of all this, but the liberal media who had been blistering him for things like well done steak are all praise tonight and trumps base is livid (Cernovich, Watson, etc)

I just thought the subject of this thread was interesting.

I do think there is some validity to flexing muscles to NK and Iran, but you can't just blast an airfield off the map and then go back to being non-interventionist

But, this should hopefully put a sock in the hysteria over trump being Putin's puppet, Russia's pissed...


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Oh I didn't even see you post, it was hidden in plain sight amidst all the shenanigans!


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Well, speaking of rocks.... it rocks that I'm done with this project.

All of yesterday was spent finishing the wall, and laying all the caps. A lot of one off cuts with a diamond wheel on the angle grinder. And 10 tubes of paver adhesive.

Finished product:








Will backfill behind the upper wall with pea gravel (it's going to be a dog kennel), and behind the lower wall will be top soil for plants and such


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Good lord that's a lot of rock. That reminds me of out in Spanaway, nothin but glacial rock

I got a little leg up on most... my sod is growing on a bed of minimum 6" of fresh 2-way compost/sand...


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