Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

[lakelover]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Everybody stares at a classic. Great boat!

 

[eaglejim]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

If they are starring I figure they are thinking he is doing the same thing we are doing and I got a boat payment due and I know he doesn't. Really all the boaters just wave there are a couple of folks that have a boat like ours

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Mine is almost thirty and I live in a very wealthy part of town so there are tons of high dollars boats here. I am the only classic on my lake.

 

[TimBobCom]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

If anything you should probably take it as a compliment. I stare at older boats on the water just like I start at older cars on the street. There's just something about the classics, takes me back to when I was a kid out in my dad's 16' jon boat and I would watch the runabouts cruise past. Something about those old Mercs with the chrome rings around the cowling just draws me in too.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

I have a pair of running, 1958 Evinrude Bigtwins (35hp). I had them on two different boats, before going to my current "workhorse" - a 1972 Johnson 65hp engine.

The biggest problem that I had with the Rudes, was getting the oldtimers at the launch to let me get out in the boat, after it was in the water. They all wanted to chit chat about them for hours! I ended up retiring the motors, because I put them on the boat that I have the Johnson on now. It is bigger than my previous boat, so I had to go down to 13" pitch props and was still only making about 20 mph at WOT - that meant lots of fuel!

As for other people's opinions, yeah I became the recipient of some "tude" every now and again. My philosphy was "who cares." What was really fun, though, was when "Mr. Tude" (it was always guys involved) ended up with a 20 thousand dollar motor that wouldn't run. The ones who didn't want to accept a tow were the best. Usually there would be a wife, GF or someone else on the boat who just wanted to get back to the ramp. Eventually, and usually that was not a very long "eventually," that person would tell Mr. Tude to shut up and accept the tow! Chugging along, with an occasional glance backwards to make sure all was well was always fun, since Mr. Tude was usually sulking while the wife or GF continuously gave him the "you're an idiot" look!

BTW, your boat looks great! I would suspect that at least half the looks you are getting are those of admiration, not 'tude!

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

I wonder what that symbol to the left of the Crestliner script on the OP's boat designates ? I use to have a Rockwell drill that had the symbol on it, least I thought it did.

 

[kbomb]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Thanks for all the support. I'm pretty sure all the looks are those of admiration, for the most part. I do love the boat. It has been tons of fun getting the motor tuned, waxing the topside, and fixing steering, trailer, etc.

Everyone is friendly on the water and waves back to me, so no complaints as far as that goes. I guess I was just hoping to spot a few more folks with old boats out there just for additional commonality on the water.

There is a slight bit of extra pressure as a new boater and with this old boat I know I'm being extra watched and I don't want to screw up or unknowingly not follow proper etiquette. I have been out about 7 times now between last season and this year, so I think I've pretty much got the basics down pat. Just a bit nervous and sometimes self conscious, I guess.

Woosterken, I thought my location was listed by my name, so I guess I'll have to fix that. I live in Maryland and boat on the Potomac river at Dam #4. Great place for a smaller boat like mine. I love your tri hull. Great looking boat.

Scoutabout, I love that tractor. Best tow vehicle I've seen.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

I can't wait to get on the water with my 41 year old Starcraft!
I used to cruise a bunch of old cars my dad and I built..Some were rough beaters, in different stages of resto...I expect the same type of looks of "What the HECK is that..What year is she??? and the deep longing looks of "man..I wish I had one of those cool old boats!"

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

I get a similar feeling when I'm at the boat ramp with just about all new triton
and ranger bass boats. then there's me with my 1982 sylvan sportster with a 1977 mercury 850 on the back. I'd rather have my boat which I intend to restore, already did the transom, than a $300/month payment for 12yrs. I
did get a compliment on my boats' paint a couple weeks ago from a guy in a 14' tinny, although I think the paint looks crappy.

 

[ScottinAZ]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Another member of the "Old as Dirt" club here. I have a 1976 Invader with a matching 50hp Evinrude on it. First real outing with it will be tomorrow morning. Tune it up, run the heck out of it (been laid up for better than 10 years) and then make it pretty. I just wanted to get on the water, so this fits the bill without a huge monthly payment.......

 

[cougar1985]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

this is my new! boat,lol.dont really care what anybody else thinks but it sure is nice to have a guy with a 100k boat drop everything and come over to check the old girl out.this one is not even close to my other oldie which is 50 plus in years with a 1939 evinrude .

 

[cadunkle]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

I've got an older boat, not quite classic though. Personally I think new boats are pretty ugly for the most part, kinda like my view of new cars. My boat is a '89 (newest anything I own) Marlin Cobra. Nice sport lines and makes a great kneeboard/wakeboard boat without getting into the big bucks of Nautiques and Mastercrafts. It actually throws a nice clean wake too.

Regardless, I think '80s styling on boats was pretty much at the peak, newer and things get fugly pretty quick. I'd love to have an '80s Liberator with twin 460's, but that's not a very good boat for watersports and I can't have two boats now, so I'm happy with what I have.

I do love '80s styling on boats though, much nicer than the newer rounded funky looking boats. Sure some are pretty nice and look sharp, but just not as pleasing to my eye as the older boats.

I'm the same way with cars, bikes, and anything with a motor. My truck is an '86, my car a '68, my motorcycle a '71, my dual-sport bike an '82, my dirt bike a '79. The older stuff just has a much better styling. On some of the go-fast sites I peruse I see guys updating their interior/dash/exterior paint/etc. and every one I've seen so far that wasn't a restoration has made the boat look much worse (in my opinion, minority it seems) than it originally did. I guess I was borne in the wrong generation?

Anyhow, here's my junk...

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Nice woodie.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

this is my new! boat,lol.dont really care what anybody else thinks but it sure is nice to have a guy with a 100k boat drop everything and come over to check the old girl out.this one is not even close to my other oldie which is 50 plus in years with a 1939 evinrude .

Your boat is beautiful. Looks almost like a Whirlwind, but its not one. In fact. it looks liked its planked, instead of cold molded. What is it?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

yep, nice woody, agreed. also, lots of other nice cool looking old boats too. and most certainly yer's kbomb. that's a great lookin boat.
so kbomb. looks like yer not alone to me. lots of us old boat owners. we just apparently ain't all at the same lake.
i don't feel bad going to the lake with my old boat. i have just as much fun as everyone else does in their new boats. mine floats, so does theirs. mines a speed boat, so is theirs, albeit i may not be as fast as them with the new computerized hull designs and computer controlled engines. but then again, i can handle the rough seas as well as they can and i'll dare them out of the hole. my old boat is pretty light. also, my boat is paid for, don't know if them high dollar boats are or not. but then again i don't care really as i'm out on the lake just like they are. then there's the icing on the cake for me and my old boat. nobody's new speed boat has a sliding hardtop like my old boat does. the folks with the nice new speed boats sure do look cold on a 60* day, all bundled up in their sweatshirts with the hoods up in the wind, while i sit under my hard top in my swim trunks and shirtless. oh and when it rains. i really like my old speed boat. it's kept me nice and dry in the rain while folks in their nice shiny new speed boats look like a soggy doggy...
old boats have class. they have uniqueness. they're fun.
i like my old boat as it does everything i want it to do and then some more... i'm not looking for new and i like what i have.

in the end, it really don't matter what kinda boat ya have. as long as ya can get on the water and enjoy life....

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

My 1957 LoneStar turns lots of heads and someone always comes over to look at her and ask about it.-even though the paint is flaking off. it has a hard top & transom bracket. all aluminum Hull weighs 780lbs bare- 1994 115hp Evenrude-scoots along pretty well-i've had folks in $200,000 boats tell me they like it.

Why be like everyone else? most of the boats I see are the same, like import cars ,unless you read the lable they look the same, can't tell'em apart and I could care less. There are always gonna be newer,fancy-er boats every year.
alot of pepole tell me they like the "old" 1984Wellcraft.
I think it says alot about how they were built and maintained. Only dead fish swim downstream!
if i knew how I'd post pics.

 

[witenite0560]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

1968 Crestliner Del Rio. Bought it last summer and have done a lot of fixin' up on it. It came with the 1970 Evinrude 115hp, painted an ugly kind of black. I've been looking for a 60 - 70hp John/rude for it. Think I'll hang on to the 115 and find a nice old cuddy of some sort to fix up and make into a floating camper.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Over the past year or two, I've been noticing more older boats, most are pretty well kept. There's always been the presence of a few older beater trihulls or the occasional older speed boat but in the past two years I've definitely seen more older, restored boats.

My newest boat is just turning 22, with my oldest boat being over 44 years old.
The newer stuff just don't do it for me, I've always like running older boats, and older cars.

 

[cougar1985]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

Your boat is beautiful. Looks almost like a Whirlwind, but its not one. In fact. it looks liked its planked, instead of cold molded. What is it?

thanks jay.its actually a cedarstrip boat.weighs 500 lbs and goes pretty good ,the beauty of cedarstrip is the light weight and toughness and the fact that you dont need to go even close to max hp to get good performance though im there.it,s actually registered as homemade though it started life as a giesler brothers boat but has been redone strip by strip.they are still in bussiness after 70 years,and one similar to mine is approx 4500 cnd dollars.ive been looking at new motors and am shocked at how much they weigh,a 75 optimax is 375 lbs!!!! im looking at maybe a 70 direct injected nissan or maybe even a 50 nissan which would be plenty of power for her.

 

[redeye1962]

Re: Only one with a 35+ yr old boat on my lake

I love to look at "woodies".........boats that is. My wife and I drive though the marinas looking for them. We mainly see the newer boats which are nice and I wish I could afford one but there is something about the older boats that look so much better because they are classics. It is kindof like old cars, the concern for better wind resistance was not a factor. It only mattered what looked good.