Boat Ownership

[OLE PONY 73]

Since Kermit 460 just posted a thread on buying his boat I thought I would start a Poll Thread to see how many members here have, had, or want a boat. Tell us about your boat or boating experience and post up some pictures too.

 

I'll start. I purchased my first boat back in the early 70's and have always owned a boat since then. I'm on my 5th boat now. It is a 1990 Chaparral 2000 SL Sport that I bought new in 1990. It has the 4.6 Liter Mercruiser engine with a 4BBL carb with 205 horsepower. I could say it tops out at 50 MPH, but actually I never could get the speedo to top 49 1/2.

 

It has been a great activity for fun with family and friends. My kids were babies when the boat was new and still enjoy it now in their 20's. A lot of people complain a boat is a big hole in the water into which you pour money, but I have the opposite opinion. By maintaining the boat properly I have done fewer repairs than any automobile I've owned, even after all these years. In 2013, I did my first rebuild of the carburetor. Last year was the first time I needed to replace the fuel pump and it did not even strand me on the water, I just notice lack of enough fuel when starting and poor performance. A couple of props and new out-drive bellows over the years and that's about it. The quality and workmanship of the Chaparral has been great.

 

So tell us about your boat and or boating experiences!

 

[Mexican 2]

Had a 19' searay 2 years ago, sold it and bought a 1989 bayliner, took it to the lake once last year, hope i get little more free time this year to go play in the water

[Kermit 460 9]

The pic is the same boat as mine with a bit more hp.I"ve lived a mile from the ocean all my life . I got my first boat when I was thirteen and almost always had 1 ever since .Always had outboard boats , but got the bug for a hotrod V8 boat since we've been hangin at the lake the last few years. I for most of my life have been boating in the ocean, worked on lobster boats and draggers , even built them for 6 yrs when I was younger .It was hard to get the family excited about a non-ac mustang ride when it's 85 degrees , but the boat no problem .My gang really loves to go tubing behind the boat , they told me I have to be good to them on the new boat as the old 1 topped out at 40mph.:angel:My new boat will never go in salt water , but I still love living and working near it. As an ex-trucker , I"ve seen a lot of nice places across our country , but would totally go nuts if I couldn't live near the water.

[turtle5353 164]

When I was a kid, mom and dad had a 16ft bayliner with a 70-75HP outboard. It was a blast. We had it up till I was about 17-18. After that I went out and bought a 19' Bayliner in board out board with a 2.3 ford 4 banger, if I remember right. Had it for a couple years then sold it and bought a couple atv's. We still ride ATV's, but haven't been in a boat for years. Wife and I talked about getting another one once the kids get a little older. But I think she wants a couple of jetski's. Either way, some of my best memories growing up was being down at the river with the boat and my dad. I would definitely own another one. And if they are maintained properly and not completely beat on, they will give you years of reliable service! Same as anything else, if you abuse the crap out of it and do no maintenance, its going to leave ya stranded! Here's a pic of what mine looked like. Not mine, but damn near identical.

[Mister 4x4 278]

In 1995, one of my friends bought a 16' Evinrude Sport 16 from one of the Air Force NCOs who had PCS orders and couldn't take it with him. The boat wasn't running, but because "it was a cool old boat," his wife made him buy it. He never got it running... never really tried, either - probably because he was pissed about his wife making him buy it.

 

After a few years, I got tired of seeing it sitting next to his driveway, kept bugging him about getting it running (I was pretty sure I knew what was wrong with it), and finally told him that I'd give him his money back if he sold it to me. Done deal. So, $500 later, I took the boat to the Auto Hobby Shop, picked up the distributor, rotated it 90-ish degrees, and fired it up. After some tuning, it was running like a champ.

 

The boat:

• Evinrude Sport 16 tri-hull
  
• Evinrude Starflight 90 V-4 outboard
  
• Evinrude drive-on trailer
  

 

My wife and I took it out a few times, and putted around the lake with it, but by the time I got it all dialed-in later in the summer, the love-affair was pretty much over. I'd ask if she wanted to take a boat ride, go fishin' or whatever, and she just wasn't interested anymore.

 

So... it sat on the side of my driveway for about 6 years when I finally decided to just let it go. A friend of one of the guys in my shop was looking for a project boat, and I told him about mine, and that he could just have it. He seemed excited, so I had him over to check it out. It was in rough shape, but the whole thing was fiberglass, so the deck, transom, and hull were still in great shape - just needed to be cleaned up and reconditioned, for the most part. He was still pretty excited about it, and towed it home. I don't recall if I ever heard from him again - he took a new job in DFW a short time after hauling off my old boat.

 

Here's a pic that I took shortly after I got it home after getting it running.

 

Oddly enough, a Google search for "Evinrude Sport 16" still has my boat coming up as one of the first images.

 

It's sad, but looking at it now and again, I keep thinking how cool it would've been to get it finished up and on the lake. But I have to admit, after watching shows like "River Monsters," I'm a lot less enthusiastic about splashing around in our muddy little lakes... especially after seeing some of the cottonmouths and alligator gar hauled out of them.

[imusa76 80]

The first boat we bought was a 1969 Chris Craft 17' with a 55hp 69' Johnson, it was a nice starter boat, my Brother and I totally restored the boat, then in 2003 I bought a new 2003 Bayliner 1952 it was a nice boat with a 4 cyl 135hp, but we couldn't do overnighters at the marina with my son (it was too cramped)

so in 2004 we bought a 1991 Searay Sundancer its a 24' boat with a mercruiser 5.0LX 230hp its has a full head, full galley and sleeps 4, the perfect boat for our family, its the last boat we have bought, we have owned it 11 yrs and keep it docked in Greenwich bay which is part of Narragansett bay in RI

its great for the kids, we go fishing swimming, overnighters.my son just recently started using the dinghy by him self, its a 11' Zodiac with a 2.5hp Suzuki.

 

1969 Chris Craft

 

the 2003 Bayliner 1952

 

1991 Sea Ray Sundancer

 

The Zodiac

 

The best part about owning a boat

 

the worst part about owning the boat (gassing it up)

[72HCODE 159]

 

renting one for the day is the only way to own a boat.

[MotoArts 29]

Got one each for the boy and I last year.

Love 'em!

[hyena429 30]

Yup, i like boats.. Enjoy all types of them, but dare i say it? personaly i been looking at pocket cruser sail boats with a kicker motor, to drag around into lakes and some sound sailing "and survive the ocean if i needed too"...something i can sleep on with my family, and learn some new skills, take them out on lakes and such, atleast when the motor goes out you can sail home..lol Plus some real nice deals out there with new sails, motor, and everything. " plus i can still fish on it ;)

 

Been on a lot of fun bass boats and speeders, but think a sailboat more my speed now days " pain in the arse at times too" but i been learning alot about them, and will join the local sailing club before i jump in full bore. they offer sailing courses for cheap around here;)

[sicndhed 11]

As a kid my Dad had Chris Crafts kept on the Fox river (Illinois) and we regularly went to Fox lake and Crystal lake. Seeing the time he spent on his wooden boats I never really wanted to get into boating. When my wife and I moved to the Ozarks we thought we would be in a boater's paradise but there are so many restrictions on what approaches the water so there are not a lot of places to tie up for food and drink. It's nothing like northern Illinois. I had decided not to bother with a boat but then a friend's father past away and I inherited a pretty nice Carver. So far I've spent a grand to get it home and a $500 on dirt work to give it a place to sit. The BOSS is looking at 4WD trucks to pull is 9000 lbs with. It needs a new cover and I'll probably make some sort of four/six pole shelter where it is kept. A free boat gets costly quickly.

[Don65Stang 2]

I voted for both the fist and second choices. ;)

I have one boat that I like and one I want to blow up with a few sticks of dynamite.

 

As far back as i can remember our family has been boat people. My heritage since the 1640's owned the same land which was near Jamestown, VA and on the Atlantic. My grandad had a small charter boat business with 3 boats called the Rebel, Rebel II, and Rebel III. He retired and moved to a Florida town on the Atlantic coast and bought another boat.

 

I grew up on property that backed up to a lake so we had everything from small sailboats to a mid size cabin cruiser similar to the style in the above gas station pic. As a grownup I have 2 boats. One is a Grady White bay boat and the other is a bow rider family boat. We love to go on the water as often as we can and our vacations usually involve bringing the boat. We also have a travel trailer camper but enjoy the boat more. The camper does double duty in that it is our hurricane evacuation plan when a big storm is headed our way.

 

Our bay boat is named Rebel IV to connect back to our fishing heritage. My oldest and I are starting a custom fishing rod business with the brand name Rebel Rods. ;)

[rpmcarter 23]

 

if we could have afforded a boat back then, THIS is probably what we could have purchased.

[CZ-75 39]

Our family has been camping and boating on a lake near here since our kids were young... Probably close to 15 years now.

 

I grew up around boats, both sail and power. I taught sailing at Culver Summer Naval Schools for 4 summers in the mid 80's.

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/culversummer

 

[OLE PONY 73]

The first boat we bought was a 1969 Chris Craft 17' with a 55hp 69' Johnson, it was a nice starter boat, my Brother and I totally restored the boat, then in 2003 I bought a new 2003 Bayliner 1952 it was a nice boat with a 4 cyl 135hp, but we couldn't do overnighters at the marina with my son (it was too cramped)

so in 2004 we bought a 1991 Searay Sundancer its a 24' boat with a mercruiser 5.0LX 230hp its has a full head, full galley and sleeps 4, the perfect boat for our family, its the last boat we have bought, we have owned it 11 yrs and keep it docked in Greenwich bay which is part of Narragansett bay in RI

its great for the kids, we go fishing swimming, overnighters.my son just recently started using the dinghy by him self, its a 11' Zodiac with a 2.5hp Suzuki.

 

1969 Chris Craft

 

 

the 2003 Bayliner 1952

 

 

1991 Sea Ray Sundancer

 

 

The Zodiac

 

 

The best part about owning a boat

 

 

 

 

the worst part about owning the boat (gassing it up)

 

 

The Sea Ray Sundancer's are great looking boats. I had my sights set on a couple of those over the years, but always stayed with the bow riders.

---

As a kid my Dad had Chris Crafts kept on the Fox river (Illinois) and we regularly went to Fox lake and Crystal lake. Seeing the time he spent on his wooden boats I never really wanted to get into boating. When my wife and I moved to the Ozarks we thought we would be in a boater's paradise but there are so many restrictions on what approaches the water so there are not a lot of places to tie up for food and drink. It's nothing like northern Illinois. I had decided not to bother with a boat but then a friend's father past away and I inherited a pretty nice Carver. So far I've spent a grand to get it home and a $500 on dirt work to give it a place to sit. The BOSS is looking at 4WD trucks to pull is 9000 lbs with. It needs a new cover and I'll probably make some sort of four/six pole shelter where it is kept. A free boat gets costly quickly.

 

Never owned a Chris Craft, but I've always heard they are high quality boats and last a long time.

[imusa76 80]

The Sea Ray Sundancer's are great looking boats. I had my sights set on a couple of those over the years, but always stayed with the bow riders.

 

 

Mike,

that's the reason we still have this one, we have looked at newer ones, but my wife and I like the room on this one compared to the newer ones, also it seams built better and heavier then the newer ones.

[hyena429 30]

Our family has been camping and boating on a lake near here since our kids were young... Probably close to 15 years now.

 

I grew up around boats, both sail and power. I taught sailing at Culver Summer Naval Schools for 4 summers in the mid 80's.

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/culversummer

 

 

Hey!! ready for a new student? ;) hehe jk

 

Awesome vid...I been lookin at some pocket cruizers lately " nothing that big" around a 24'ish footer.