glowplug

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Let's get this forum going! I know a lot of you out there have full scale boats!!

Here's mine:

The Boss

Hey!, here's a real econo way of getting a first boat

khodges

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I've already had the 2 best days in a boat owner's life--- times three. It was fun, but I'd rather scatter my money into the wind than pour it into a hole in the water. The Boss's post is about my speed, anyway

khodges

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I can't just leave it at that. Boating was fun (inland lakes, mostly) until personal watercraft became popular. Then boating was like picnicking on a yellow jacket's nest; no, it was more like driving down the wrong side of the freeway; no, it was more like mowing the yard and trying not to hit the dog poop piles; no, it was just no fun any more. I went thru the Coast Guard Boaters course and was a member of the local Power Squadron and used my own boat for safety patrols on weekends. I saw more idiots in one day on the local lakes on a typical weekend than you could ever imagine.

6 people in a 14 foot runabout trying their damndest to pull #7 on skis with a 50 hp outboard-

a guy letting his 6-year old sit at the bow with his feet hanging over the front running full speed down the channel (think the kid had on a life jacket?)-

jet skiers jumping the wake of a guy pulling a skier-

family launching their boat at a double ramp. Mom parks the car in front of one ramp to unload the coolers, water toys, kids etc. while Dad launches the boat from behind the pickup, leaves the truck and trailer on the ramp while he ties up the boat on the dock(extends between the launch ramps) and then goes to help Mom and kids load the cooler and water toys into the boat, then goes and moves Mom's car to the parking lot, THEN comes back and moves the truck and trailer----all this time there are only about 15 other boaters waiting to either launch or retrieve their boats. AND THEY ARE TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE OTHER BOATS-

bass boats coming down the middle of the lake at dusk WFO and chine walking on the ripples, well at least most of them had their running lights on--

pontoon boats , ski boats, cruisers, rafted together at the local sand bar, water 3 -4 feet deep, every body in the water partying and having a good time, jet skiers and monster boats trying to impress zooming around the rafters like indians encircling the wagon train- dang, water's so rough my beer keeps falling of the flotation cushion--

jet skiers seeing who can do the tightest turns around the "NO WAKE" bouy at the launching area-


Yeah, I think I'll go buy another boat

khodges

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All that being said, it WAS fun a lot of the time. My last boat was a 23 foot Stingray with a cuddy cabin and a 260 Mercruiser. When my wife and I were married, we planned our reception as a pig-pickin' and reserved a lakeside picnic area (Falls Lake, near Durham NC) The day before the wedding I took the boat to the closest marina, about 2 miles down the lake, and after our wedding ceremony, everybody headed out to the reception, my new bride and I headed to the marina. Here we come, walking along the dock, she still has her gown, veil, and train behind her, I'm still in my tux. The dockmaster waived my slip rental after seeing this. When we got on the boat, I shed my pants, I had put on a pair of teal(the bridesmaids wore teal) swim trunks under my tux. Kept the cummerbund and tails and bowtie. My wife put on a pair of those "oil slick" lensed Oakley sunglasses, and off we went down the lake to the reception. You wouldn't believe the looks we got from other boaters. Several turned around to follow us . We pulled up to the dock at the reception and the photographer got a great shot of us walking up the dock.

We used to go up to Kerr Lake (NC/Va state line) every Memorial Day to see friends who had a place on the lake. My wife and I would stay out on the water 2 nights and a day, pull each ther skiing or just find a quiet cove and just veg out."Camping out" on the water was a real blast,; the water would get absolutely flat, you could hear all the way across the lake, the night sky was engulfing. I DO miss that about boating.

glowplug

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You're right khodges....for every "good" boater, there are 5 idiots.....fortunately, at the lake that I usually go to, just about everybody is very curteous, and for the most part, safe....even most of the guys on the PWCs.
I'm still relatively new to the whole thing, but so far the wife and family absolutely love it....time will tell if that continues!

khodges

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Strongly recommend the Coast Guard Boater's Course. Shallows out the learning curve some.

glowplug

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Yeah, I've done that.....it was a good course and very helpful.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

The guy I used to own a boat with was always pretty curtious. I rode with him this summer in his new boat, and man! What a transformation. I don't know what his deal was but he thought he owned the lake. I wanted to throttle him a couple times. Oh well, I don't get to the lake enough to own a boat any more. Use to go a lot. Bummer. It was a lot of fun. My brother just got a 23 foot maxim. I almost bought one too, but we only have a 3 month season here. His is a little longer in seattle.

AmericanRedneck

hmmm i love going out on the river and havin a grand ole time skiing, grilling, racing we always have a boat in the family whether its a pontune or a small aluminum fishing boat there all great fun

electricfan

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reminds me of a time i went jet skiing for the first time with my friend (we were 15). i asked to drive while we were still in the no wake zone. this whole time the engine is running. when we were switching sides, it started tipping and finally tipped over. we looked like the biggest idiots swimming after our runaway jet ski. finally, someone saved the thing before it hit the rocks or another boat.

AdamB

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Hey, just wanted to chime in too. I have a 22 foot Wellcraft cuddy cabine, with i/o 260 hp Merc/ alpha one.

I keep my boat trailered, and use in equally in frest water and salt water. The fresh water lakes suck with a larger boat, by the time I get up to speed have to turn around. But running on the Delaware in MD is nice. There are some islands there were alot of boaters will anchor and it's a big picnic.

The ocean, well there is just no other kind of fishing IMO

I purchased a twin engined pylon racer on floats here on RCU awhile back, will try to find a quiet spot on the Delaware and combine my two hobbies...

glowplug

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Adam, she sounds like a beauty. My neighbor has a 26' Wellcraft Cuddy and it's a fantastic boat.
Do you ever go to Raystown Lake?

AdamB

My Feedback: (9)

Glowplug,

Nope never been to Raystown. I only go local to Blue Marsh, and the Delaware River in MD, and the bay/ocean in NJ. I am hoping this year to take a trip to Watkins Glen in NY for the Nascar race, and go on lake Seneca (sp). That should be an awesome trip.
I would also like to take a trip to the outer banks, but time will see.

I purchased the boat in Pasadena, MD, hence the old photo with the MD registrion. Hope to combine the float plane and the boat real soon

glowplug

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I never have either......but I heard it was nice. Lake Seneca is supposed to be fantastic! I'm sure you'll have a great time! I'm heading down to Deep Creek, MD in June....I'm hoping it won't be overly crowded at that time of year! It will be my first trip there, and I've heard it can get very crowded. Besides that, I'll be local also. I might throw in a trip to Tygart Lake, WV also.

That float plane is sharp!! [8D] I'm hoping to get one on floats this year also. A friend of mine that I fly with is retired, and spends the entire summer at the lake that I go to almost every weekend. He flies float planes constantly there. He let me fly one of his last summer and I think I need one!!

AdamB

My Feedback: (9)

Glowplug,

I hear lake Sececa is frigid all year long, sounds perfect for a hot August afternoon!!

I'm pretty excited about flying the float plane, it'll be tricky transporting it on the boat, has a 72" wing span, but at least I won't have to swim after it if I crass LOL.

-=Adam

PS I'm over at www.iboats.com forum under AdamB discussing mods for my boat. I think I am a forum junky. I am in the mercruiser i/o section. I have learned alot for all the marine mechs on that board. I also even purchased a variable shifting land and sea prop, starts at 12" of pitch, and goes to 26" Or maybe starts at 14" and goes to 26", something like that. Should definitely help get my stern heavy deep V out of the water.

Pilot Chad

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I am big into being on the water too. I don't mind fishing but if i have the choice, i would much rather wakeboard. I love it at our lake cause its very nice and almost all skiers. We always head out early to beat the crowd (um i mean PWC's)

We have a starcraft Super fisherman 170 it's a great boat.

I attatched pics of the boat (we havent gone out yet so it is very dirty) and the pic of the wakeboarding boat i want. I go to the state wakeboard comps, so i will probably go to the lake before the 10th of april

Goinstraightup

My Feedback: (26)

Here's mine. It's not huge or expensive, but it was just what we needed. It's a Rinker V153 with a 70 HP Johnson - all 1984. The boat was my Brother in Laws and he sold it to me in January. It had only 20 hours on it and never sat outside a day of its life. It fits great in my garage along with our truck and minivan - I couldn't keep a bigger boat inside and I feel that if a boat has to sit outside it will be wrecked by the elements shortly. We've had a blast with it this summer and it has almost 100 hours on it now. I had a faulty wire in my control box (minor) and the marina sales people were in awe at the shape my boat was in for its age. They said that they haven't seen a boat this old with original paint ont the lower unit in a long time.

To those who comment about non-friendly boaters and overcrowded lakes we have the same problems here as I live in a very heavy tourist area. My solution - boat on Monday to Thursday evenings!! The lakes are almost empty as all the hard players have had their fill or are away at this time.

I've had everyone in our family also take boaters safety and it was well worth it. I think it should be a requirement for ANYONE on the water.

Jeff

glowplug

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Nice Jeff! [8D] It looks to be in amazing condition! [sm=thumbup.gif]

Goinstraightup

My Feedback: (26)

Thanks!! Yours is very sharp as well - Sea Ray's are well known for their great quality.

Jeff