First Boat you remember or owned?

TD_Maker

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
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564
When I was a kid, my dad brought home a 14 ft Lone Star with a 40hp Evinrude/Lark Engine (Lark, is that right?) I remember it had three push buttons for F-N-R. I thought that was a cool boat back then.<br /><br />When we moved to Florida, Dad and I purchased a 1971 Cobia with a Buick 155 V-6 OMC Sterndrive. This beast was an ex- Marine patrol boat. It was also a big piece of s...! Big money problems from day one. I hated that boat!
 

SwampNut

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jan 9, 2006
Messages
325
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

Around 1978 y parents bought an early 60's fiberglass round-bottom boat of unknown make, probably 17', with an Evinrude/Johnson 35 HP. It had remote steering and controls, something that impressed me as real fancy. It used a portable fuel container but my dad quickly converted it to a built-in under the bow, and we did a lot of restoration work on it.<br /><br />It was passed on to me when I moved away from home. I lived right by the Colorado River near Laughlin, and could drive it to work, as the casinos all had docks you could use. Learned a bit about river navigation there.<br /><br />I also learned how to quickly drop anchor when the engine cracks a head, and how to repair it right on the river. With JB Weld. Seriously. And that thing held until I got rid of it a couple years later.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 30, 2002
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21,763
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

Grandma had an 11' plywood flatbottom row boat. Was scary to look at when I was older, but was great fun when I was 4. The boat was built in the early 50's, I played in it in the early 60's.<br /><br />Dad bought a 12' Meyers aluminum the year I was born, 1962.
 

magster65

Commander
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Sep 1, 2002
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2,573
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

:) <br />Cool stuff<br />My first ride in a power boat was a 1956 27' Chris craft of my gramps's, I still remember the trip like it was yesterday... yeah, it's all his fault!<br />My first boat was an inflateable 3 1/2 foot "looney tunes' boat when I was 4 or 5. It has bugs bunny on the side and was the coolest ride around! :)
 

rosco_59

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Mar 1, 2005
Messages
248
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

I remember my father had a 12 foot sears with a 5 hp I do believe, we had that little boat all over the place. many years of fun with it.
 

ob

Admiral
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Aug 16, 2002
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6,992
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

My dad bought a 14 ft. Glastron with a 40 hp Johnson that some other fella won at a then called Sigmore Shamrock service station drawing.I believe he payed the guy 900 bucks and a 20 guage shotgun for boat, motor ,and trailer.My brother,dad,and I caught many speckled trout and redfish in the Laguna Madre when I was a boy.Also learned to ski behind it.<br /><br />My first boat was a 12ft Gruhman with a 5.5 hp Eska.
 

nlain

Commander
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Nov 17, 2005
Messages
2,445
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

The first boat at my house when I was a kid was a 13foot Halsey plywood boat with a 30hp Elgin motor.
 

steelespike

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Apr 26, 2002
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19,069
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

Our first family boat circa 1948 was a tired 1936 Thompson with damaged gunnels and spray rails from too much time without bumpers.It was pushed haltingly by a 6hp Firestone we called Stuttering Sam.We were on an island on the Saint Lawrence and this was our only transportation to the island.My folks bought me my first boat when I was 6 a brand new 10 ft Sharpy, built by a man in Mexico NY, with an old 1.5 Evinrude.When I was about 9 They got me an old 14 ft Montgomery Ward Steel boat with a 2 Elgin.That big old very heavy boat with only that 2 hp was much faster than the 1.5 because of its long narrow torpedo shape.
 

John_S

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2004
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4,269
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

First boat I was ever in, was probably a 12 wood rowboat with a small hp outboard. I have no idea what brand, motor or boat. I mainly remember sitting between the seats and getting wet from water in the bottom of the boat! :rolleyes: <br /><br />First motorized non-rowboat in the family was a 1967 14' starcraft alum. Had numerous motors on it over the years. 50's 25hp Johnson, 50's 35hp evinrude, 77 Johnson 35hp, and currently an early 80's Nissan 40hp. I redid the boat floor, last year, for the first time. Boat still has many years to go.
 

AJ168

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 30, 2005
Messages
295
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

Although this wasn't that long ago, When I was about 10 my dad bought a 12' aluminum flat bottom Starcraft. When I was 12, I bought myself a 1964 Johnson 5.5 for it for $50. Still play with that boat quite a bit. Great backwater boat for crabbing and fishing. So light that I can carry it anywhere. <br />Currently that motor is the kicker on my 18' aluminum.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,771
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

Rebuilt a wood Thompson lapstrake (year unknown but restore was done in 1965). Boat had a gazillion little brass bolts and nuts holding things together. Powered by a 25 HP Evinrude. Had to shorten the stern a few inches to get to good wood for new transom, had a local wood-smith form a new keel. Tightened every screw by hand. Stripped the varnish from the interior and refinished it. Stripped the externior and applied new paint. Smooth riding boat that was used for years and eventually sold with the cabin.
 

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Mar 25, 2001
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45,907
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

First boat I remember was one my dad built in Grandma's basement. It was around 14-16', cedar strip over bent oak frames and with a partial deck. One of his hobbies was building and restoring fine furniture, so the boat was simply gorgeous, with a highly polished varnish finish.<br /><br />He had a little opposed twin outboard (Elto?) but usually preferred to row. I think he took me out in it two or three times before he gave it to a friend as a tender for a big sailing vessel.
 

Surffx

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 10, 2005
Messages
133
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

My first boat was about 3.5 inches...seriously. It was a bathtub toy I got for Christmas when I was maybe 3 or 4. It was a bright yellow replica of an offshore racer with a windup Mercury outboard on it. I was hooked after that. I tried to convince my parents many times to get a boat but they had no interest. I had to wait until I was 27 to finally get a real one. Now my parents bug ME all the time "When are we going out on the boat again?" HA go figure
 

Mischief Managed

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Dec 6, 2005
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Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

First boat I remember was my uncles mid 60s 16.5' lapstrake Grady White Pamlico witha 40 HP Evinrude. My Dad bought that boat from my uncle in 1974 or so. He later replaced it with a similar vintage 24' Trojan cruiser. That lasted a couple of years and we ended up with a 1966 27' Grady White Catalina flybridge sport fisherman. Had to sell the Catalina when my parents divorced and then it was rowboats and canoes until 1994 when I got back into motorboats again.
 

Solittle

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Apr 28, 2002
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Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

The family bought a 16' lapstrake Thompson with one of the first Johnson 50s on it. My guess is that was around 1959.<br /><br />My wife and I bought our first boat for $100 in 1970. It was a home made 11' centerboard sailer. our son was 2 at the time and it didn't take long to realize tha little sailboats and a family didn't mix. On to powerboats - - - -
 

Pogo123

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
177
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

1953 - my 12th birthday present was a Wolverine 14' lapstrake Mahogany with an 18 HP Merc. Dad got it free from an Uncle of his and it's still in the family and still running.
 

Pogo123

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jun 7, 2005
Messages
177
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

Forgot ... The first boat I remember was Dad's Lyman Islander. Wasn't allowed along until I could swim 2 laps of the YMCA pool ... did that at 5.
 

NOSLEEP

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Oct 30, 2002
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2,442
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

My first memories of boating and fishing salmon<br />were on my Grandfathers old wooden trawler made<br />by Boeing when they were in the boat building<br />business. <br />I am not sure of the year of manufacture,<br />but it was already very old in the early 60's <br />when he would take me out in Cowichan Bay fishing<br />off Vancouver Island. I have the bronze manufacturers<br />build plate today mounted above my work bench.<br />She took on water and sunk in 1967 off the C.N.R.<br />rail yards.And at low tide you could still see<br />her sunk in the mud in the 80's the last time I<br />was in the yards.
 

Boatist

Rear Admiral
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Apr 22, 2002
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4,552
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

First boat I remember a 16 foot Wood boat my dad built. Had a motor well 4 foot foward of the transom and a 5 horse Sea King with no gear shift or netural. To back up turned the motor around backwards. Even took that boat out in the ocean.<br /><br />Second boat one My uncle built out of 2 54 chev car hoods welded together. No motor just paddles.<br /><br />My first boat a 1967 Klamath 14 foot delux and I still own it. Lots of hard hours on that hull with a 9.5 HP Johnson then a 15 HP Johnson.
 

Northern Eclipse

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
665
Re: First Boat you remember or owned?

My first ride came when I was 2 weeks old in '65 my father had a '58 15.5ft Peterbrough Mahogany moulded ply runabout with a '63 40hp Johnny Sea Horse, he bought the boat when he was 16 in '63 it had fire damage to the Deck, He rebuild the deck and continued to use the boat until '72 that's when the marina dropped the boat from a lift to the ground and broke the keel.
 
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