Anybody remember when.........

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,268
Cans were black & nuns were red.
Calling & distress was '2182' and not '16' (which didn't exist yet).
"Boaters" were straw hats and to use the term for anything else was a dead giveaway that you were brand new to the activity. We were 'boatmen'. -- Seriously, and the whole "manhole cover" vs. "poeplehole cover" type of issue is what did away with the term "boatman".
People knew how to "box the compass", and maintained deviation tables.
The most popular type of electronic navigation aid was the RDF.

What esle do people remember?
 

bkwapisz

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
441
Re: Anybody remember when.........

Well it's not boat related, but I can remember going to the local drugstore as a kid to get tubes for the TV when they blew. They had a huge panel that you would try to plug your tube into and once you found it you followed the corresponding number to the bin and purchased it. The rest was (as we say now) "Plug and Play." :)
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: Anybody remember when.........

Well...

- More wooden boats than fiberglass
- Lapstrake hulls and wide bow flares (still love that look).
- RDF wasn't really all that popular- too expensive. Almost exclusively compass and charts.
- Very few I/O's
- Outboard owners who wanted to get there fast ran Mercury's. People who wanted to get home again ran Johnnyrudes :)
- Most knew the Rules of the Road, and Power Squadron classes were packed. There were 40 people in the basic boating class I took at age 14 (1967). 3 of us when I took it again in 2008.
- Clamming in the bay was a huge business and passtime- now it's all restricted area :-(
 

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,268
Re: Anybody remember when.........

"Outboard owners who wanted to get there fast ran Mercury's. People who wanted to get home again ran Johnnyrudes" -------- Absolutely & definately! :D

More wood than glass definately!

Lapstrake? --- You mean like Luhrs, Ulrichsen, Olsen, Kulas, Hans Pedersen, Zobel's, Coast, Zuback, Bayhead, etc, etc, !

How about the Coast Guard 40 footers, they were classic. You could see them from miles away with their trails of diesel smoke from the 2 cycle Jimmy's. :)

JoLin --- for you, -- how about when Ambrose & Scotland were still lightships! (Ok, so I was a lttle kid then)
or, how about when West Bank light was still maned?
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
8,248
Re: Anybody remember when.........

* the old man that ran the little steel tug and replaced the kerosene lanterns on the channel markers
* the owner of the boatyard who knew everything there was to know becasue he was a boatman too
* putting 30 weight oil in the OB gas tank along with a 1 oz shot glass of triton supreme
* renting a boat trailer twice a year to get the boat to / from the dock.
* a bumper mount clamp-on trailer hitch that the trailer guy rented too
* straining to get the 14' cedar strip Wagemaker on the roof of the Model A to drive to the river (well, OK, saw pictures of Dad and Grampa doing it)
* going fishing into Canadaian waters and not worrying about being boarded by Homeland Security (OMG that was only a couple years ago!)
* drift fishing and having the speedboats slow down when they passed you so as to not send a big wake in your direction (mahogany speedboats, not Donzis or Formulas or Fountains or Cigarettes - the latter fiberglass models are not allowed to be courteous)
* Everybody had a beer onboard, but nobody got drunk and the Sherriff didn't bother you about it.
* we all took the fish home and ate them on Friday night
 

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,268
Re: Anybody remember when.........

Oh yes, "bumper hitches" :eek: Anyone who ever used them much was almost guaranteed to loose a trailer at least once.

How about "Gulf Marine White gas".
 

phwrd

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
294
Re: Anybody remember when.........

Kids wanted to know what we ever did before tv remotes. Why we got off our fat butts and changed the channel, one of the three avaiable.
 

Knot Waiting

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
761
Re: Anybody remember when.........

- CD's were the best way to listen to music but walkmans were still alright
- The Simpsons was the newest most awesome cartoon
- GM built only one ugly boxy car and rebadged under every one of their marques
- Grunge was replacing hair bands and there were some New Kids on the Block
- Nickelodeon was the first cable channel aimed at youth
- Nerf was cool but Gameboy was cooler
- TGIF was the Friday night line up and made 'Erkle' famous
- Jean jacket? Hell yes. How about a denim hat too.
- Spuds Mckenzie drank beer
- Gas was cheap
- Marty McFly, Indiana Jones, Crocodile Dundee, and Arnold Schwartzneger were heros
- Boating seemed.... pretty much the same as it is now

........or am I from a different generation, lol.
 

DianneB

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
303
Re: Anybody remember when.........

I am not saying I am "old" but I remember BEFORE there were fibreglass boats - just wood and steel. A real "boater" was a mariner or a (commercial) fisherman, or a sailor. There was no plastic of any kind on any boat. I never knew anyone rich enough to have any kind of electronics on a boat (except radios on LARGE ships). Only inboards had power to run any kind of electric lights. Ropes were all natural fibre. Never saw an I/O until years later.
 

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Re: Anybody remember when.........

I remember renting a clamp on towbar and clamp on hitch from uhaul to tow one early 70's truck with another..... worked fine too... of course that was when you still had to learn to check the oil in a vehicle WAY before you were allowed to operate it
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
8,248
Re: Anybody remember when.........

I thought this was an "oldie" discussion....yes you ARE from a different generation....LOL.

TV remotes...OMG...we didn't even have a TV....thats why the whole family went out in the boat.

If I ever said rope my father would slap me.....Its a line.
 

CATransplant

Admiral
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
6,319
Re: Anybody remember when.........

I remember learning to waterski behind a 13' plywood kit boat with a 50s 25 hp Johnson on the back. And my dad was running it with a tiller. I was 13, and the year was 1958. Took be about three tries. I actually dropped a ski and went slalom behind that same boat.

Another time, my sister and I were both up behind that little boat.

And now, we get asked if it's possible to ski behind a 120 hp I/O. Funny.
 

Bluegills Unlimited

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
76
Re: Anybody remember when.........

- CD's were the best way to listen to music but walkmans were still alright
- The Simpsons was the newest most awesome cartoon
- GM built only one ugly boxy car and rebadged under every one of their marques
- Grunge was replacing hair bands and there were some New Kids on the Block
- Nickelodeon was the first cable channel aimed at youth
- Nerf was cool but Gameboy was cooler
- TGIF was the Friday night line up and made 'Erkle' famous
- Jean jacket? Hell yes. How about a denim hat too.
- Spuds Mckenzie drank beer
- Gas was cheap
- Marty McFly, Indiana Jones, Crocodile Dundee, and Arnold Schwartzneger were heros
- Boating seemed.... pretty much the same as it is now

........or am I from a different generation, lol.


Hey KNOT- - - I'm with you!
 

jack gardner

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
40
Re: Anybody remember when.........

uhh no tv at all just radio .boats in the bay with oars .gas 18 cents a gallon .white gas . high octane.dial telephone and mable got u the nu and listend to ur talk.sub watch on sandy hook .sneakers not allowed in school as shoes were better 4 u. just at recess .those days all were healthy and worked hard for what we got today its the entitled generation
 

DaNinja

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
1,407
Re: Anybody remember when.........

This could be it's own thread and I'm sorry for the wall o' text...:D

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?
29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.
31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my *** everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
 

26aftcab454

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
1,510
Re: Anybody remember when.........

GPS.......was was Grand Paw Sense:cool:

and a boat that would do 40mph was unbelievable!:eek:
 

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,268
Re: Anybody remember when.........

..And the only people that said they 'drive' a boat were the new inexperienced ones, once you knew better you 'ran' the boat. -- Well, you don't drive an airplane do you?? If you were at the helm you were running the boat. (ok, unless you were operating a legitimate race boat, then you drove the boat.)
 

BTMCB

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
761
Re: Anybody remember when.........

I remember when someone big asked me to build a huge wooden ark and put two of each species of animals on it and then it rained....
 
Top