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Issue No. 23, 2nd Quarter 2007

Compiled & edited by Linda Radon

President's Message

Tip of the hat!Tip of the hat

Don Radon

     If I look happy in the photo it is for this reason: our customers.
We have had so many great customers who come up with great ideas yet trust us enough to let us use ours too. Their patience during what probably seems like a very long boat building process is amazing. And our customers are also our best source of advertising -they help us even after their boat is gone from the boat yard. 
     So hats off to our customers - you are all appreciated!

Don Radon

 

 

 

Featured Boats

#1 - Paul Fortier's 26' x 9' Radon:

Paul Fortier's 26x9
Delivery day! Paul and Shelly in front of their new boat

Paul Fortier and his wife, Shelly, recently picked up their new

26' x 9' Radon. Paul has the distinction of being the only customer in our recent memory that had not yet seen his boat before his delivery day (with the exception of some of our Hawaii customers). However, we had a lot of e-mail and phone communication with him during the boat's construction. Paul is an amazingly good customer who seemed to show a lot of trust in our company to build a boat sight-unseen. It really helped that Paul had a very clear idea of what he wanted and we made every attempt to accommodate him in order to build his dream boat.

 

Paul's new 26' has an extended and enclosed cabin,  twin Yanmar 4 cyl diesel engines with a Mercruiser Bravo 2 outdrives. He also has a davit for pulling crab traps, down riggers for salmon fishing and a second station steering helm.


Side-Mounted Rocket Launchers 
Shown above: easy to reach side mount rocket launcher rod holders - these 
are a real plus when you carry a kayak or surf boards on the overhead rack. 
Also, 
the center mount bait tank makes bait access easy

Full length glass custom sliding door 
Above photo  shows wide side walkways, aft deck light, EPIRB, 
step seats, full length glass custom sliding door, aft second station
w/ hydraulic steering and Morse electronic controls

Overhead electronics
  Overhead electronics box with stereo,VHF, extra GPS and switch panel. 
The overhead light can be white or red

The helm
  Shown above: Paul's Furuno NavNet has a big screen and gives you GPS, sounder and radar 
Readings at the touch of a button. His Simrad autopilot, Morse electric controls, Lenco trim tabs with 
trim indicator and Blue Sea waterproof WeatherDeck panel with lighted indicator switches

Sink
  Stainless steel sink, the boat has a large fresh water tank with a freshwater 
wash down system as well as a salt water wash down system

Dinette
  Here is Paul's custom dinette table with a chart of the area he fishes in Northern California. 
The table moves down to become an extra bunk

Twin Yanmars
  The twin 240 Hp Yanmar 4 cyl engines have extra sea water
pickups with sea strainers, extra water separating fuel filters,
Algae-X fuel conditioning system, Mercathodes, and electric oil changers. Each engine has 
its own starting bank and fuel system including its own fuel tank. There is a separate house 
bank and two automatic charging relays so each engine can automatically charge the house 
bank. The engine hatch has electric ram to 
lift it.

 

 

 

 

 

#2 - Bob Costarella's 26' x 8'6" Radon "Classic"

26' Radon Classic

D.R. Radon 26' Classic

Bob Costrella
Bob's first ride on his new boat

 

Those of you who read our newsletter regularly will recognize Bob Costarella from our Newsletter #21. We featured a salmon fishing trip on Chris Monk's 29' and Bob and his son Joe were on that trip.

Bob owns a wholesale seafood business in San Francisco and wanted his own boat for fishing, crabbing and diving in the Bay area. His son Joe, loves to fish with his dad. Bob's new 26' Radon "Classic" has a Volvo 5.7 ltr. gas engine with a duo prop outdrive.

Bait Tank & Ice Chest
Bob's bait tank and ice chest on the swim step. The dive 
ladder pulls out from under the swim step and the bait tank and ice chest are removable

Volvo 5.7 Gas
Bob's boat is powered by a Volvo 5.7 ltr gas engine. His mechanic will thank him when he brings the 
boat in for service because Bob's bait pump and filter on his salt water wash down as well as everything 
else in the engine compartment are easy to get to. There is a nice raised combing on the front and sides 
and a deep trough across the back to keep the water out.

The helm
There is a separate GPS, radar and sounder.  
In addition, there is a cell phone power booster port.

Windlass
Here is the Maxwell Freedom 800 windlass and foot switches and heavy 
duty Bruce type bow roller. The dual anchor lockers come standard on our boats.

Ready for Delivery
Bob Costarella's 26' Radon "Classic" ready for delivery.

 

 

Photos from our customers and friends

Radon Sport 21
Michelle, John and Kennan Grant with their Radon Sport 21'

Anchored off Catalina
John's boat anchored off of Catalina Island

Yellowtail!
John with a nice yellowtail he speared off of Catalina

Tony Hotchkiss goes on a surfing safari to Mexico!

 We are presently building Tony a 22'. He recently took some time off to go surfing in Mexico and sent us these photos.

Tony Hotchkiss

Tony Hotchkiss

Don and Bill Parsons at a recent "board" meeting

Bill Parsons
Bill

Don Radon
Don

 

Sean Devine with a huge white sea bass!

Sean Devine

 

 

David Donahue, halibut hunter!

David Donahue

  

Once again, David proves that he can fish for and catch big halibut on his 22' Radon. In photo above, he holds a 49 pound bad boy

 

In the photo below, he holds the halibut up while his friend, Jeff Gray, watches

David with big Halibut

Kyle Merker with a hand-caught white sea bass!

Kyle Merker's Hand-Caught WSB
Radon owner and friend Lance Merker has been teaching his son Kyle to hunt White Seabass, 
but it was to everyone's surprise when he jumped in to grab this 27lb seabass by hand!

Lance recounts, "After diving all day, and spending nearly 6 hours in 56 degree water, I had only one sighting of a pair of 10-15 lb fish. It's about that time that my son, who is 11 years old (and 70 lbs dripping wet), decides to show everyone on the boat how "real men" do it. He spots a fish from the boat that's in the kelp, grabs his mask and fins (forgetting his weight belt), jumps in and grabs the fish by the tail. He immediately gets a hand in the gills, and 60 seconds later, he's on the boat with the fish -- completely unassisted! We're all in shock and laughing hysterically."

 

New cement! We recently had cement poured over one of the last remaining dirt areas in the yard. Those of you who visited the yard in the 80's probably remember that the whole yard was dirt in those days! Needless to say, the cement is way better!

New Cement
Don gets in touch with his inner farmer -grading the dirt to get ready to lay the cement

New Cement
Boat builders become cement masons! 
Matt (left), Don and Oscar finish up the
cement in one of the last remaining dirt areas

 

 

Editor's note: I originally read this article in the Santa Barbara News Press and thought our Radon Teamreaders might enjoy it. I wrote to Dr. Acosta and received permission to reprint it.  LR

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PET DOC   Dr. Tracy Acosta

How to enjoy boating with your dog

Thankfully, the warm days of spring have arrived. With the beautiful weather recently, so beckons the call to go out on the water. As witnessed recently at the Smokin' the Sound boat races off of Biloxi,'Miss., many of you also had your canine friends along for the boat ride. I saw everything from a tiny Chihuahua to the ever-popular Labrador retriever. To make sure everyone has a fun as well as safe experience out on the water, be sure to follow a few common sense guidelines.

While on the boat, make sure your dog is under constant supervision, especially while the boat is moving. If your puppy or dog is a newcomer to the boat and water, you want to take things slowly initially to allow your pet to adjust to the movement of the boat and the noise of the engine. The goal is for your dog to thoroughly enjoy the boating experience. If your pet is too nervous - or scared while on board, you may want to consider leaving the dog behind next time around. Unfortunately, not every dog will enjoy being on a boat.

No matter what size your dog is, consider using a Personal (Pet) Flotation Device for him. There are quite a few companies that make them in varying sizes and specifications. It is important to properly size your dog, so bring him along when you purchase this important safety item.

Now, I know what some of you Labrador owners are thinking, "a PFD, for my dog?" My response is yes. No matter how good a swimmer your dog may be, a PFD can come in extremely handy when a dog does not realize his true swimming limitations or accidentally falls overboard. Keep in mind that most if not all PFDs for pets are designed with a convenient handle on top that aids in lifting your dog out of the water.

Another important safety consideration on the boat with your dog is his footing. Remember, your dog is not wearing boat shoes, so a fiberglass boat can be challenging, especially when wet. Also, a boat's surface can get quite hot on a dog's footpads, so check the deck's temperature often.

Always have a shaded area for your dog to retreat to when needed. This is especially important for those daylong trips when the sun and temperature can become overwhelming for any dog (or person). Remember to bring plenty of fresh water and a bowl as well. There is never anything good about your dog drinking too much salty water while playing in the surf.

For those of you who venture out to the islands, be alert for your dog's health out there as well. Again, your dog does not wear shoes (normally), and the beaches and shallow waters can contain sharp objects, from normal marine debris to the man-made variety. Monitor your pet at all times while in the surf and on the beaches. otherwise, your dog may bring back to you an unhappy hermit crab. Of course, be the responsible and courteous dog owner and always pick up your dog's feces .

While enjoying the water and the waves with your dog, make sure he ' does not exhaust himself with swimming and chasing the surf. Remember, your dog truly does not realize that he has limitations and any dog can stay too long in the water, so be ready to set a time limit. Also, try to limit swimming during those times when the jellyfish are in large numbers. They will sting your dog.

Another obvious danger of being on a boat is the hazard of fishing gear. Be sure to keep all hooks and bait far away from the mouth of your curious dog. Otherwise, you'll have one terrible trip home as the treble hook sways from your dog's lower lip. Unfortunately, I see this occur way too often. You can try to cut the hook out or at least lighten the weight. Just remember the barb on the hook usually will only come out in one direction.

Since this article pertained mainly to boating in the Gulf of Mexico, you may want to get some more helpful information on all forms of boating with your dog. Go to BoatUS.com/pets for more tips.

This article was originally published in the Sun Herald Newspaper, which serves the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Dr. Tracy Acosta is a veterinarian at Biloxi Animal Hospital

Cassie
Here is our very own Cassie with your editor - if you look carefully 
you can see her yellow pet PFD

 

 

Engine Care
Engine care, part four - Lubricate your engine early and often!

 

 

Engine care, part four - Lubricate your engine early and often!

 

  • Consult your engine manual to find out the specific requirements 
    for your engine in regard to fluid types, amounts and frequency of changing
  • Meet the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount of fluids and 
    meet or exceed the frequency/quality recommended
  • All boats should have working hour meters which facilitates 
    changing your boat's fluids at the proper time
  • Always have the following on board: spare engine oil, filters, 
    outdrive oil, trim oil, steering oil, transmission fluid and any other 
    oil your boat may require. In addition, you should always have a 
    spare fuel filter on board

 

 

Photo archive

Photo Archive


Johnson's Lee  
Johnson's Lee on Santa Rosa Island - 1977 -these structures were eventually removed

 

Don & Josh Radon   
And finally, a photo of Don and our son Josh
fishing off a Radon Sport 21 in the 1980's. We 
are amazed at how fast time flies - Josh is 29 
and getting married on June 23rd!

Radon Team is finished for now! See you next time!

 Last Updated 5/19/13