Issue No. 13 Winter 2004	Editor: Joshua Radon

President’s Message

Linda and I had a great opportunity to drive across country during our winter break.  Besides visiting Linda's family in Georgia, which was fun and restful, we visited many harbors and waterways on the way and as a result we saw what kind of boats people use in other parts of the country. We were surprised to see large yachts on the Tennessee River, as well as dozens of small runabouts used for fishing (sometimes right off the Louisiana highways). In the same area, we saw scores of traps along the bayous which we assumed were for trapping crawfish. The experience left us with many memories, as well as affirming what we already knew: that our area of the United States is strikingly unique. The Channel Islands, beautiful and accessible for fisherman, divers, surfers, and whale watchers are truly a wonderful gift. This trip also served as a reminder of  our boat's distinctiveness. The Channel Island's extreme weather demands strong and seaworthy vessels, which is what we are committed to building.

Although we think we always appreciate what we have here, it never hurts  to leave home for awhile to reinforce what we already know.

Don Radon

Don & Linda on the Mississippi River with New Orleans in the background

Featured Boat: Tom and Susie Lang’s Custom 29’

We recently delivered a custom 29’ Radon to Tom and Susie Lang, experienced boaters and divers.

Their boat featured many custom touches; a stand-up head with shower and sink; galley area with stove, fridge, microwave, and sink; and tank racks built right into the boat for easier accessibility. This new 29’ Radon is powered by twin 200 HP Volvo diesel engines, which easily got up to 30 knots and also has a state-of-the-art Raymarine electronic system. Fortunately, Tom is very adept at using the complicated electronic system.

The Lang's tank rack...	side dive door...
Swim  step, dive ladder, bait tank & transom cut out…	helm station...
head...	counter w/ stove, sink, fridge, & microwave.

The Langs provided invaluable input toward the customization of their boat. As you can see, the result was awesome! We want to thank them for being excellent customers and wish them many happy years of boating!

Tom & Susie Lang on their new 29’ Radon

Boat maintenance tip from Don: Fuel filters

When you do your yearly maintenance on your boat, don’t forget your water separating fuel filter. I change the fuel filter on my boat every time I change the oil. This should be done a minimum of once a year. If the water separating fuel filter gets water or debris in it, it could restrict the flow of fuel to the engine causing it to miss and possible engine failure. If you get water or debris in your water separating fuel filter, generally the first sign will be that the engine starts missing at higher RPM’s. After removal of the old filter, I pour the contents of the filter into a clean bucket so I can inspect it. If I see, for instance, that I am getting a lot of water in my filter, I look for the reason. It could be as simple as worn or defective gasket on the fuel fill. There also could be other reasons for the water and/or debris in the fuel filter. Regardless, change your filter immediately. If, after changing your fuel filter, this continues to be a problem and you cannot fix it, you should take your boat to a trained boat mechanic for inspection.

E-mails

This was sent to us by Mike Blackstone, a satisfied Radon owner:

“Hi Don, Just thought I would tell you know how well your boat held up the opening weekend of rockcod season. My son Matt and I and a good friend of mine went out of Morro Bay Saturday morning, looked good on the way to Cambria but the s*** hit the fan early that morning. We made the trip down in one hour it’s 17 miles from Morro Bay. 17 miles coming back took us four hours. The south swell was 8-10 and the wind was howling about 30 MPH, the boat was unbelievable. It took some bad hits from the side and my butt was puckering thinking that it was going to go over but it didn’t. I am glad we were in a RADON, if we were our Whaler, I don’t think we would made it back.

Thanks again, 
Mike Blackstone”

Winter crew party

On the last day of work before our Winter break, we had a crew party at Stow Grove Park. As usual, everybody contributed food and good company. We had a surprise visit by Bill, our good friend and Kevin Costner’s boat captain. Our crew parties provide a valuable opportunity for our crew to interact without the pressure of the workplace. As you can see, the dogs had a good time too.

The Radon Team

Rene, Rob, Freddy, Greg, Nacho & John

Bill

Rene, Ramon & Nacho

Roman & Freddy

Matt & John

Goodbye Until 2004!

A note from Bill Parsons

“Don & Linda,

…We love the boat and it has been a pleasure working with you on it. Your recommendations on designing the boat have been right on the mark and we have ended up with a boat even better than we had hoped for…”

The Parsons family enjoying Catalina Island on their custom 24’ Radon

Progress report:  33’ Custom Radon now in production

The fiberglass work is now complete on the custom 33’ we are building. Here she is being moved over to the rigging side of the boatyard.

Linda’s Photo Gallery

Sunrise at Goleta Beach, January 2004

Sunset at Hope Ranch Beach, February 2004

Don & Linda (and Linda’s dog Pogo), in June 1977, at their engagement party

The Radon Team newsletter has once again come to an end 

But we will be back!