Why do you do it?

[North Beach]

Re: Why do you do it?

I don't remember submitting anything....But there have been a few late night sessions on the puter AFTER a little too much Grey goose as E can attest.

Can you buy this calander?

 

[tgp***]

Re: Why do you do it?

Calender??? Somebody needs post this calender somewhere.

Now...... why did I do it? darn good question. I'd call it a wild hair.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Why do you do it?

Can you buy this calander?

Don S put it together. It ran from March '09 to March '10 I think. They were printed on-demand so there's no stockpile of them somewhere. It would be neat if someone did an all SC one. Don did a beautiful job. Each month has 4 boat pictures from iboats members overlayed onto a background of an iboats member submitted picture of their local water. My Jupiter is on there as well as a background picture I submitted. This was the vendor http://www.lulu.com/

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Why do you do it?

Calender??? Somebody needs post this calender somewhere.

I can scan mine and post it...we should get one going for Starcrafts for sure

 

[North Beach]

Re: Why do you do it?

Yeah guys I found it a couple of hours ago and ordered a couple. You can still purchase them.

This was the first I ever heard of it. I didn't submit anything. If I'd known I'd have been all over it, so someone thank don for including the LL.

And apologies for the hijack!!!!

 

[jetstreakdave]

Re: Why do you do it?

I have always been attracted to vintage things. I find the products that are built now are built so cheaply, sure they look nice but that is where it ends. I have a 59 -12 ft creastliner jetstreak and a 74- 24 ft chieftain. The big girl is having a facelift . I love the classic looks and the fact that they are much easier on fuel. and I can tow it with relative ease. The SC is the largest boat I have owned but it should be a lot of fun next summer. Lake Huron for the summer of 11 after that who knows, the Trent system perhaps.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Why do you do it?

I have always been attracted to vintage things. I find the products that are built now are built so cheaply, sure they look nice but that is where it ends. I have a 59 -12 ft creastliner jetstreak and a 74- 24 ft chieftain. The big girl is having a facelift . I love the classic looks and the fact that they are much easier on fuel. and I can tow it with relative ease. The SC is the largest boat I have owned but it should be a lot of fun next summer. Lake Huron for the summer of 11 after that who knows, the Trent system perhaps.

Now that's a sweet old huge tin can right there.

You can't compare a 'glass rig to aluminum for that size cruiser as far as gas consumption...a huge bonus for sure, especially if you use the boat all summer.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Why do you do it?

Yeah guys I found it a couple of hours ago and ordered a couple. You can still purchase them.

This was the first I ever heard of it. I didn't submit anything. If I'd known I'd have been all over it, so someone thank don for including the LL.

And apologies for the hijack!!!!

NB...

Old friend...LOVE THE "TARD" on your sig..lol

You just hafta laugh at this stuff.....or lock and load...ya, laugh!

 

[North Beach]

Re: Why do you do it?

Kev, I'm just tryin to have some fun!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Why do you do it?

"Why do you do it?"

Starman, you ask a such a great question!

I have seriously started and deleted a response to this thread probably a dozen times. I have so many reasons to post but I don't want to bore you guys with my ramblings!

Let me see if I can keep it to the point. Here is the scoop...

I have no money so a new rig at $45,000 is obviously out of range. A good used one at $12,000 isn't in the picture either. A well used one at $5,000 is still out of reach for me. An old beat up, used and abused tub at $2500 is even yet out of my budget! What is? A Starcraft that somebody hauled to the scrap yard to be turned into soda cans some day. Bought at $450 - sold the OMC Stringer out of it at $500, so free boat, better than free actually, ya that is in my budget - rebuild it form the ground up $100 at a time - invest somewhere around $2500 into a completely custom designed and built boat that is nearly as good (in some cases better) than the one in the showroom that had the $45,000 tag.

I really enjoy working with my hands. Building something cool out of raw materials pretty darn satisfying. Making something out of nothing is simply a fun thing to do. Planning, scheming, designing, plotting - all fun stuff. Buying gear to outfit the rig off of eBay/clist at 1/3 cost, fun too!

Then there are the intangibles, the not so obvious stuff. Like what? Well for one, I am teaching my offspring what hard work is. In today's day and age "hard work" is like a politically incorrect term. Honestly, I believe that a huge chunk of our society wouldn't know what hard work would look like if it jumped up and bit them on the face. What else? Personal character, due diligence, dealing with adversity, problem solving, anger management, resourcefulness, ingenuity, creativity, design, vision, budgeting, communication, fine/gross motor skills, and on, and on, and on. I hope they can/will use these skills in their lives. They are important.

Then there is the family fun. At some point I hope to float this rig, someday. Maybe someday I can post up a photo of me holding a nice walleye in the boat rather than another stupid photo of 30 wt. motor oil! Hauling in salmon and dragging kids on a tube sounds like a ton of fun to me! Fresh fish on the grill and diving in the cool of Lake Michigan on a hot summer day off the bow of a big tin barge. Watching fireworks on the 4th of July floating in The Bay. Anything better? Probably not.

Then maybe someday if I am truly blessed, I can give this boat away to one of my boys.

(Course, I need to rebuild another rig since I have two boys. If daughter bear takes to boating/fishing that will make three rebuilds to be given. Time will tell.)

"Why do you do it?"

Hey, thanks for asking. Great question.

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Why do you do it?

Psychological answer;
We guys can not give birth. Deep down in our inner minds this leaves a void in our life. We fill this void with projects, like restoring an old boat. In other words we give birth to our businesses, our hotrods, woodshops and most importantly our Starcraft boats.

Spiritual answer;
God created the world in six days. He created the birds and the fish and even man. He is a creator and we strive to be like our father, a creator.

Penny Pincher answer.
Cause I'm broke and I ain't paying $30,000 for a new boat. That cuts way into my beer,truck, fishing tackle, and tool money.

Best answer I've read so far;
"Cause I want to". Now ain't that just the truth.

Lots of good answers. This is a real funny thread. I suspect this is the meaning of life.

 

[Beezerchris]

Re: Why do you do it?

Interesting thread here. I've been asked this by friends quite often. For me it's partly the money, partly not wanting huge dollars tied up in something I use lightly and partly the fun of making it the way I want it. However, I look my garage and I'm lucky to have an old motorcycle and an old car as well so what's the pattern here? Well I think they are objects that I fixated on at a certain age and can now afford. They also look the way I feel these things should look, not all plastic and molded and full of computer chips and mystery boxes.

I think it's because they were made by people and made to be worked on by your average guy. Back then men actually worked on their stuff and knew how it functioned. They maintained it proudly. You can see how it's put together and how it comes apart. You can modify it. It lasts and can be rebuilt.

Now people buy things, turn the key and when it stops working they throw it away and if, like us, you try to rescue it... good luck to you.

Call me nuts but I can relate to these old boats and have a bond with them.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Why do you do it?

I totally forgot the "how" portion of the equation too...

Not possible (at least for me anyway) without the cool fellas around this place. The amount of information located right here on iboats is amazing! So, thanks a ton for making it possible guys

 

[barato2]

Re: Why do you do it?

wow....lots of good philosophy here, and lots of people expressing what i feel, albeit more eloquently. my reaction to many modern boats is "ugh!", even before i find out they cost more than my home (literally) or see the choppergun construction. we also own a 1985-vintage 25' MacGregor sailboat, and it's depressing to be inside the cabin after the Starcraft.....molded-fiberglass Motel 6 shower stall vs Real. Wood. Cabin.

Well for one, I am teaching my offspring what hard work is. In today's day and age "hard work" is like a politically incorrect term. Honestly, I believe that a huge chunk of our society wouldn't know what hard work would look like if it jumped up and bit them on the face. What else? Personal character, due diligence, dealing with adversity, problem solving, anger management, resourcefulness, ingenuity, creativity, design, vision, budgeting, communication, fine/gross motor skills, and on, and on, and on. I hope they can/will use these skills in their lives. They are important.

Jas, wish more parents in this country felt that way. most Americans have no idea how spoiled they, and their kids, are. here's to ya for deliberately teaching your kids many good things, including the concept of FINITE ($, fuel, etc etc). you think YOU'D like to have a pic of you in boat with nice walleye? imagine how your kids will feel when they're the one with the walleye, AND can tell their friends they helped build the boat! this may seem far fetched, but the things you teach them with the tin crock will reduce the chances of them living on your couch, or being my clients, when they're 35. my spoiled nephew got more in [mostly disposable] xmas gifts this year ($800+) than many of us spend buying a boat.......

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: Why do you do it?

Well - we had one when I was a kid....my new fave TV show is Cafe Racer - where they take old motorcycle and strip them down - all on a very low budget. I am always more impressed by doing more with less than unlimited budget resto's or builds.

Plus - I would like to do a car someday - but I can pretty much do a complete SC restomod in my garage with limited tools!

 

[Starman8]

Re: Why do you do it?

I started this thread for the purpose and reasons that I have been reading. You folks are A1, see my request about STARS.................

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?453698-Poll-Location-2011-Great-lakes-region-meet

That said, my dad was a tinkerer, as is the dad-inlaw with the woodshop. Seems to me that regardless of how we may be doing financially, personally, or professionally, we all revert to feeling useful, productive, appreciated, creative, proud, perceived as amazing by some, useful, smart, hard-working, and all the same time responsible, and relish in the "simple" things.

A thought crossed my mind the other day. It was about money, or the lack thereof. It made me reflect on the type of person I am when financial times were good, and when they were(ARE) bad.

In either situation, I always did(and still do) for others any chance I could. That is Me, and I get the feeling all of you are the same. I know that because I choose to post here.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Why do you do it?

Starman8 I am with you on that...the reason I bought a Starcraft used was because I always wanted one as a kid seeing tons of them around the Great Lakes.

But when I really started doing research on how to restore an older one that I could afford I ran into all these guys like North Beach, Ezmobee, CheapBoatKev, RickAirMedic, Chinewalker, Bob_VT and others that were already knee-deep into almost the exact same project

Good folks around here for sure, and I'm glad that the amount of new projects never seems to slow down.

Great thread, as mentioned.

 

[mphy98]

Re: Why do you do it?

Because it is quite simply the best built fishing boat out there. High gunwales, deep v, best for walleye fishing for me.

 

[veilside180sx]

Re: Why do you do it?

For me the most important aspect for me, is the ability to set it up exactly how I want.

 

[barato2]

Re: Why do you do it?

good article on the Beeb recently regarding the psychology:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12108000