Hudson River Trip 2010



We found an '04 F-150 to tow Grinder, and took a four day trip up and down the Hudson the last week in September.
The intention was to cruise at hull speed, around 7 mph, but we ended up getting it on plane at 3100 to 3400 rpm and cruising at 11 to 13 mph. On plane the boat handles a chop better, and the noise level is still low. We used about a gallon an hour, maybe a little more, depending on conditions. Grinder has two 6 gallon tanks and a 3 gallon backup tank.
The big change in thinking was the cabin set up. We ended up keeping the table top down, so we had a bench on each side, with open storage under the table top part of the bench. We slept on the benches using self inflating mattresses and 40 degree sleeping bags. Very comfortable. We had a self timer on our radio, so we would go to sleep listening to some pleasant music in the background, and the radio would turn off after lulling us to sleep.
The absolute best things we bought were two "go anywhere" chairs. They were perfect for the helm on one side and comfortable seating on the other when we were under way, and then dockside when we were at a slip.

"Grub", a Lighter, Longer "Grinder"

Just finished a lighter, similar version of "Grinder" called "Grub".
Here's the new blog: "Grub a Camp Aboard Skiff".
Here is a video of Grub getting on plane.



"Grub"