BoaterFord
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2013
- Messages
- 16
Guess this is the right spot? I like the custom of introducing myself on the first post. Pay my respects to my forum elders. Sooo -
My name is Randy. And I live in North Central Arkansas. I am an Industrial Systems Control Technician. And have ben in the electrical industry for 30 years. I have several nice lakes within a couple hours driving distance. And my favorite Out of all is Lake DeGray in Arkadelphia ( furthest one away from me ). Reason this lake is my favorite is: This lake is my earliest referance to boating. My father loved the water too ( ex-Navy ). So he purchased a 60"s model Try-Hull Glastron when I was About 10 y/o. And we took her to the lake every weekend. My father tought me and my younger brother how to ski on this lake . And he tought me many things about boating. I was very honered when I was given responsibility over the boat during loading / unloading. And I actually became very masterful at loading this boat.
Boating hasn't always been apart of my life. But water & sun have. My firts boat purchase was a new 1999 Bayliner Capri 1750. She was a nice craft to reacquaint me with the water. Plus I learned how to do my own service on her and the trailer. She was a very good family boat. I tought my daughter how to ski out of this boat ( guess which lake ). And we enjoyed here for several years. Everyone knows the old sayin about the best two days in a boaters life. Well that last day was a sad day for me. We all know how life changes things. Guess it was just fate.
That brings us up to present. Life events have possibly given me an avenue back into the boating world. So I have a renewed intrest in owning another boat. The oppertunity is still a few months away. But this gives me the oppertunity to really figure out what type of craft that I really want. And can afford to maintain and opperate. I chose the Capri because of her sleek styling. And my intrests haven't changed in that respect. But I would like to have a boat with a little more spirit than the previous. And being that my finances will still be fairly modest, my attention has moved towards an older ( classic ) boat. And that is how I found myself here.
I've always been a little bit leery about buying used. Especially a boat. Because there are so many important areas that you just can't see on a boat. One of my few "trusted" boating resources once told me that: the worst thing you can do to a boat is get it wet. And this still makes some since. Anyway, so I decided to educate myself on things to do / look for when buying an old boat. And that is when I came across "Jay" ( aka: FriscoBoater ). This guy is absolutely amazing for what he has done to expand the knoledge of "wannabes" like me. And the reason for me joining this community. THANK YOU is not nearly enough to say to this person. No disrespect to the collective knoledge of this board. I'm quite sure that it is vast and deversified. But for what ever reason he does it, Jay really has gone "above-and-beyond". So I now have a burning passion to own a classic sport boat. And I now believe that it's within my skillset ( and budget ) to own, opperate, maintain, and even restore if necessary, one of these classic boats. I am leaning towards a jet drive ( spirited ) system. But I will need a little more education on these system. So I have plenty of "crusing the form" to do. Hope you have enjoyed this read ( and it wasn't to long ). And thanks for any warm replies in advance.
Hopeful of making new friends.
Randy
My name is Randy. And I live in North Central Arkansas. I am an Industrial Systems Control Technician. And have ben in the electrical industry for 30 years. I have several nice lakes within a couple hours driving distance. And my favorite Out of all is Lake DeGray in Arkadelphia ( furthest one away from me ). Reason this lake is my favorite is: This lake is my earliest referance to boating. My father loved the water too ( ex-Navy ). So he purchased a 60"s model Try-Hull Glastron when I was About 10 y/o. And we took her to the lake every weekend. My father tought me and my younger brother how to ski on this lake . And he tought me many things about boating. I was very honered when I was given responsibility over the boat during loading / unloading. And I actually became very masterful at loading this boat.
Boating hasn't always been apart of my life. But water & sun have. My firts boat purchase was a new 1999 Bayliner Capri 1750. She was a nice craft to reacquaint me with the water. Plus I learned how to do my own service on her and the trailer. She was a very good family boat. I tought my daughter how to ski out of this boat ( guess which lake ). And we enjoyed here for several years. Everyone knows the old sayin about the best two days in a boaters life. Well that last day was a sad day for me. We all know how life changes things. Guess it was just fate.
That brings us up to present. Life events have possibly given me an avenue back into the boating world. So I have a renewed intrest in owning another boat. The oppertunity is still a few months away. But this gives me the oppertunity to really figure out what type of craft that I really want. And can afford to maintain and opperate. I chose the Capri because of her sleek styling. And my intrests haven't changed in that respect. But I would like to have a boat with a little more spirit than the previous. And being that my finances will still be fairly modest, my attention has moved towards an older ( classic ) boat. And that is how I found myself here.
I've always been a little bit leery about buying used. Especially a boat. Because there are so many important areas that you just can't see on a boat. One of my few "trusted" boating resources once told me that: the worst thing you can do to a boat is get it wet. And this still makes some since. Anyway, so I decided to educate myself on things to do / look for when buying an old boat. And that is when I came across "Jay" ( aka: FriscoBoater ). This guy is absolutely amazing for what he has done to expand the knoledge of "wannabes" like me. And the reason for me joining this community. THANK YOU is not nearly enough to say to this person. No disrespect to the collective knoledge of this board. I'm quite sure that it is vast and deversified. But for what ever reason he does it, Jay really has gone "above-and-beyond". So I now have a burning passion to own a classic sport boat. And I now believe that it's within my skillset ( and budget ) to own, opperate, maintain, and even restore if necessary, one of these classic boats. I am leaning towards a jet drive ( spirited ) system. But I will need a little more education on these system. So I have plenty of "crusing the form" to do. Hope you have enjoyed this read ( and it wasn't to long ). And thanks for any warm replies in advance.
Hopeful of making new friends.
Randy
Arkansas Traveler in a slip at Cricket Creek Marina on Table Rock. Not sure where my old man found the money, but we made some great memories on that lake. I still get up to the Buffalo whenever I can, but it's not as often as I'd like since the admiral expects me to log some lake time with her. DeGray used to be known for unbelievable fishing, but the old timers insist the Corps has ruined it with their meddling. No idea whether that's true, but if you want to travel that far to boat you need to spend some time on Ouachita. Makes DeGray look like a mudhole, and having been on all the big Arkansas impoundments it still may be my favorite, although if Table Rock were closer it'd be a tough call.
