Ouch!!!!!!!

[jdog800]

well if things couldnt have gone any worse. I had the raider together yesterday, test fired it on the trailer, put it in the water and tested for leaks. I launched into the river an putted around for a while so the motor could reach full temperature never getting over half throttle. After the motor was a full temperature I decieded to give it a few short throttle blasts to see how it was going to act on top end.
Then DISASTER. As I was throttleing up picking up speed very fast, my stearing cable broke loose and the ski veared hard left heading straight for the bank, I had only a second to jump off before it crashed into the woods..... I have no idea how fast I was going but it happined so quick I bearly got off.
After I gathered myself and pulled the raider back out of the woods. I inspected the damage. I have a serious gouge in the nose in the slope and another small gash in the side under the rubrails. some minor scratchs on the bottom but thankfully none of them caused any leaks. After just spending weeks on truing the hull and refinishing it, this was devistating.
I took the boat back to my shop and fixed the stearing cable. It had come out of the bracket that holds the cable under the stearing collum. I took the boat back out and spent about an hour doing some serious breakin on the motor. Im really pissed about the hull but after running that ski im actually gleeming with joy over the performance of the engine.
I have some serious cavitation problems that I have to adress. And I havent sealed anything under the boat yet. I also have made no rideplate adjustments and i just bolted it on with no shims no angle.
Im starting to think that im also going to have to prop up, I dont have a tach yet so I dont konw exactly what im turning but it sounds like its ripping. One of the cleanest sounding 2strokes I have built. It will rip wide open and when you let off the throttle it come right back to idle with no rundown.
So bad and good news. Mabey after while ill snap some pics of that damage.

[97GPSLEEPER]

Man, thats terrible, but it could be worse. That hull looked beautiful. Atleast your not hurt and the ski is still rideable.

[SUCKMYWAKE]

just like riding a pissed off paper plate..

glad you are ok and the ski is fixable

[N8R]

just like riding a pissed off paper plate..

glad you are ok and the ski is fixable

ditto atleast your not hurt other than your pride

[jdog800]

fortunatly most of this damage is (out of the water) at speed

[Flying Scotsman]

Hang in there can only get better

[aceofd1amonds]

i guess there's no chance of seeing you on the water today then? we will be up the calcasieu river/west fork/ and possibly some salt too.
-Kade

[w/rpm500]

marine tex should fix that up ... you may be able to add a touch gelcoat tint to it and get a pretty good match ..so you wont have to repaint it ...glad your ok!!

[jdog800]

i guess there's no chance of seeing you on the water today then? we will be up the calcasieu river/west fork/ and possibly some salt too.
-Kade

Welcome Kade, Actually I will be working on rideplate angles and readjusting my intake grate. I will be on the west fork close to sam houston state park(close to my house on the river). If you see and ol school raider thats all rat rodded looking thats me.

[SUCKMYWAKE]

i bet that looked like a scene from the great outdoors. i can see john candy riding a raider and losing control, jumping off right before it plows thru the woods.