Tradeoffs for me, on both my 25' steam launch and my 25' "Pocket Trawler", have been between not having the rudder lower bearing drag on the ground when going over curbs in such things as gas stations, v.s having the boat up higher from the ground and drowning my tow vehicle brakes on launch ramps....

On IONA, I used a self-adhesive motorcycle header wrap. With steam going through around 350F it is just warm to the touch.
- Steve

A marina that does Awl Grip would be fine if the gelcoat has integrity. If you're trailering, it is not an issue, and you can go with a paint finish with option(s) suggested above. If you're a seasonal, in-the-water guy, you'll want a barrier that prevents osmosis.

Steve

Thank you, Pete, for the kind comments. Though I have no plans to brave sea conditions like that on a regular basis, an assurance that the Very First Class Water Tender needed to hear, we were gratified to know that if we got caught, we had a good chance of getting back. We came back from Maine - wh...

SL IONA had her sea trials back in May this year, however, when the wind kicked up last week on Frenchmans Bay just north of Bar Harbor, Maine, USA, IONA experienced a different kind of "sea trial." We found ourselves hugging the lee side of the islands as made our way. This short clip, shot by my V...

Thank you, Pete, for a heartfelt eulogy. You are correct, it is difficult to reduce a human life to an essay ...

Thank you, Pete. It's a little warm out today (95F/35C), but I was finishing up a few items preparatory to traveling to Maine. The appeal there will Maine's lakes. We may dip a toe in the sea, but it will have to be dead calm, and then only in Frenchman's Bay. For fun meanwhile, here's a short clip ...

Congratulations Steve! A very well deserved award. So happy to see such an amazing representation at an event like that. Thanks, Wes! We were glad just to show up ... Like Fred said, there were a lot of "funny money" boats at that show, with finishes one could shave in. The judges' introduction to ...

Beautiful, Ken.

I have apologized to Steve and his wife for screwing up his life twelve or so years back, when I lent him a copy of The Steam Launch , thinking that he would find it mildly interesting. I never gave the book back as liquidated damages ... It's Mystic Eve! The rig is in the driveway, ready to cast o...