I am curently shopping for a 17-18 foot center console. I will use it mostly for fishing and cruising around. I figured I would start a thread where we could post what kinds of boats we own, what you like or dislike about them, what we use them for and where we use them.

I like boats.
I wish they were not so expensive.


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'99 F-150 XLT SC 4x4 5.4L Auto 3.55LS Tow pkg skid plates , Superchip, Gibson cat-back, K&N filter


[This message has been edited by NSS (edited 12-21-1999).]

 

Two years ago, an Air Force neighbor of mine got short fuse orders to Hawaii. I got a great deal on his 19.5 foot '87 SeaRay Seville. 175 I/O Mercruiser. My kids love it, I love it, my wife..., well I love it. I fact, it's why I'm here. I was wearing out my wife's Windstar, hauling the boat around. I needed a full size truck with a V8.
Anyway, the 12 year old boat was pristine, I'm the third owner, the first two were both pilots who took meticulous care of their equipment. At least 2 grand of boating gear thrown in to include VHF and GPS.

I've never had so much fun. I run aground everytime I go out. It takes me two hours to launch and three to get her back on the rollers. My family got me a Captains hat as a joke and they regret it. I wear it everytime we go out, no matter how big the yachts are in the marinas we stop at.

Aye, to have the wind at me back and firm plank beneath me legs!

 

Take a look at my web page has some pics of my Boat, a 20' Wellcraft Nova Spyder.It is a awsome cruising boat,is fast(60 mph) and handles rough water real well. It is not a fishing boat(no road holders)but if I want to fish I'll go in my friends boat.
The only thing I hate to admit is it has a chevy motor in it. I had no choice, thats what it came with, a 350 4 barrel. http://sites.netscape.net/dhco/pic

 

I would love a boat, especially a Bass boat. But that's probably never gonna happen. One thing though, when you have a boat, you seem to have a lot more friends, ever notice that?

 

Raoul
You crack me up. I can picture you runing aground wearing your captains hat, and trying to get the boat back on the trailer.
Then I read your profile and it all makes sense.

 

I have a Sylvan Explorer 1500 with a 30hp Mariner engine. The boat is an aluminum V hull, fully carpeted, sterring console, live well, lots of storage, casting platform on the front, 3 swivel captains chairs with 4 mounts in the boat. I upgraded the trailer from the steel painted one to a galvanized trailer (I live in Canada, we get snow and bad weather) and I put a $150 Hummingbird fishfinder in it.

I mostly fish in the Bay of Quinte and on Lake Erie for pickerel/walleye.

cd

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Silver 99 F150 XLT 4.6l 4x2 Sport Extended Cab with Flare Sides...
Mods: K&N Air Filter, Tinted Side Windows, Flowmaster 40 Series Catback System, Reese Class 3, Airbox Mod's, Fiberglass Tonneau Cover, B&M Tranny Cooler, Tranny Temp Gauge, Water Temp Gauge, Autometer A-Arm 2 Gauge Pod Kit, Auburn Limited Slip Differential, Ford Bug Deflector, Alpine Deck, 6 Disk Changer & Subwoofer Processor, Zapco AG750 Amp (times 2), Zapco AG360 Amp, JL 10W3 (times 4), JL Audio VR Series 5.25" Component Speakers (times 4), JL Audio VR Series Tweets (times 2), & 1 Farad Cap (times 2)
Coming soon: Spray-On Bed Liner, B&M Electronic Shift Improver, Headers(?)
Coming this Spring: Kenne Bell Supercharger, BellTech 2"/4" Drop Kit, New Wheels & Rubber

 

OK, now this is right up my alley.

The world headquarters for Wellcraft, Chris Craft and Donzi are about five minutes from my house. The Gulf of Mexico is about five minutes the other direction. My best friend is an international rep for Genmar, the mother company to Wellcraft, Ranger Bass boats, Pro Line, and many others I can't remember.

Don C, I have been in several Nova's including a 88 Spyder with twin 350's. We hit 75 with about 6 people on it. I love the Nova Spyder, it was a great boat. I think they still make the hull as another model. I also rode in a Scarab 38KV (the Miami Vice Scarab), Scarab Super Sport, Scarab Sport, and the Scarab 5000 Meteor. The 5000 Meteor had a 12' beam, was 50' long, and had triple Lamborghini V-12s with 1000 HP ea. It was a prototype boat when those engines first came out. Regular Meteors came with triple 454's. That boat was a blast, it would do 60 in 8'waves. It was like a speed yacht with a full cabin. I loved it. They stopped making it too.

I love boats and boating. I am hoping to buy a Pro Line 24' walk around cuddy next spring or maybe a center console. Either one will be twin outboards. It depends on what my friend can get me factory direct. He can get me a level two (factory blemish) for about a 40% discount. My first boat was a 76 Wellcraft Airslot bowrider. It was a neat old boat.

Here is a pic of my friend and his last boat, a 23' Scarab 350 V-8, taken on Sarasota bay off Beercan Island.

[img]//www.geocities.com/globaljosh_online/summertime.JPG[/img]

[This message has been edited by seacrow (edited 12-21-1999).]

[This message has been edited by seacrow (edited 12-21-1999).]

[This message has been edited by seacrow (edited 12-21-1999).]

 

Seacrow
I love the pic, especially the girls. My parents live in Sarasota also, I get down there a lot in the winter.
You probably see my father out on Sarasota harbor, he has a 25' Donzi center console with twin outboards, it is called the pisces2
I ordered my boat direct from Welcraft and went to the factory while they were building it.
When I come down there in January, you should introduce me to those young ladies, hehe.
Boy I wish I was in Florida for the winter, but if you like to ski, you have to deal with winters.

 

Living in Colorado we don't have the surface area to have the big boys, but I love to fish and in 97 I bought a new aluminum bass boat 16.6' long with all the fishin' essentials. It's been a great boat and I plan on keeping it for another 2 years then trading it in on an 18 - 19' bass boat.

 

I'm boat poor.
1. 80 Mako 23', twin 140 Evinrudes, center console, tower with launchers, leaning post, fighting chair, outriggers, downriggers, GPS, Loran, paper graph, color depth finder, VHF, etc.,etc.(set up for off shore fishing)
2. 97 Smoker Craft Pontoon, 22', 75 Force,sink, grill, portapotty, 4 speaker stereo with 100 watt booster. Room for 10.
3. 96 Yamaha 1100 Waiveraider.
4. 97 Kawasaki STS.

We probably enjoy the pontoon boat the most. We will take it to the lake or bay and anchor, light up the grill, put on the tunes and it becomes the island to park the jet skis and party. We have also taken it on water camping trips and spent up to 3 nights on the boat.

The F-150 will pull both boats but it is a little light, especially with the Mako. Do most of the towing with 3/4 ton Chev. Van(sorry).

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98 Nascar Edition, Superchip, Airaid, Flowmaster 70 series, bedliner, in bed tool box, Profile bug deflector and window vents, Class III receiver hitch.

 

I've got a 1961 Hydrocraft (16') ski boat w/ 1964 85hp Merc, no I don't ski. I bought the boat for $1 and the trailer for another $1 ... although I think I paid too much for the trailer. After 3 years and several hundred dollars I finally got it to the water. It has 2 speeds: stop and haulin' ***. My boating skills are just a touch below Raoul's, loading the boat on the trailer usually attracts a crowd with cameras and frightened looks.
I have a friend who likes to say "a boat is just a hole in the water you pour money into." Well, he's right, but dammit it's fun.

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1999 Lariat Super Cab, S.B. 5.4L, 3.55 LS
and everything but the leaky slider window.
Bright red w/ gold 2-tone, Leather Captain's Chairs
Mods: Duraliner bedliner, Bugflector II, Hide-a-hooks.
& a leeetle chrome tip on the exhaust.

 

One of the most difficult things to learn is backing the trailer down the ramp. I solved this problem by adding a ball to the front bumper of my Lariat. Now I just turn around when I get there and push that sucker in. Also, I'm thinking of getting a pop-up camper and with the second ball I'll be able to take both with me as with the camper in front it will be plenty low enough for me to see where I'm going.

Hey, that's not illegal is it?

[This message has been edited by Raoul (edited 12-21-1999).]

 

Raoul, you better not do that! Those nuns will catch up the next time they see you! LOL... you're too much!

On a serious note, backing a trailer is easy. If you're just learning how, hold your hands on the bottom of your steering wheel and move the bottom of the wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.

 

My dad has a 91 Stratoss 290 FS w/200hp Evinrude. Heres a pic of one, but ours isnt as new or as clean. Didn't have it out in 99. [img]//www.omc-online.com/boatImages/stratos290fs.jpg[/img]

 

My dad used to have a 95 stratos 201 pro with a 225 hp evinrude out back. She would run 80 mph with no problem at all. We just all got busy, and it sat in the drive way too much, so we sold it. Sure was a nice boat though

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BigBunnell

98 F150 4X4 XLT flareside V6 5sp K&N Flowmaster and some other goodies