Dave Chapman please clarify

[lah20car@aol.com]

<font FACE="arial,helvetica"><font SIZE="2" PTSIZE="10" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">In a message dated 6/22/2006 7:57:58 AM Central Daylight Time, dmd@essex1.com writes:



<blockquote TYPE="CITE" style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">she's going down.

</blockquote>



Good one, several things come to mind, like when someone can't, won't or forgets to put their plug in.</font>

 

[David Derer]

Never use your belts while in the water! You don't want to be trapped if
she's going down.

 

[David Chapman]

> Never use your belts while in the water! You don't want to be trapped if
> she's going down.

Nope, our rule is ALWAYS use belts in the water - although it is less of a
problem now the kids are older.
Reason is without belts they are more likely to fall over the side when
feeding the ducks and swans - or if standing up be tipped off balance by a
passing large boat.
Also by law we need belts on when on the road and often Amphicar doesn't
stop between, our favourite slipway is directly off a public road so as soon
as four wheels are on land the belts need to be on.

Regarding sinking - it's never going to happen in less than the time it
takes to undo the belts.
I have two bilge alarms that let me know when there is an inch of water in
the car, Amphicar still floats with around 10 inches in there.
Never understood the bilge plug out thing. Plug comes out once a year to
change oil (and to check because large style plug can rust and leak) but it
goes straight back in once oil is in engine and there it stays.

When in the water if we put the top up we don't fasten the side press-studs
so can easilly and quickly push it back. Of course, as you know if the waves
get big in the middle of the lake you need to wind up windows, put up top,
and keep revs up. In that situation Amphicar will take a lot of pounding
from the waves and keep going and keep dry.

David C