What was your first boat?

[Kraig Clement]

I saw a picture in Scott's library of his first boat, so I thought i would ask everyone.

What was your first boat?

Mine was a 1986 Skeeter SF-80 with a 70hp Johnson... I bought it for $3000 about 5 years ago and I have been hooked ever since!!!



Kraig

 

[James D.]

$ 1,200 - 16' 1976 lunker old style bass boat with 25 hp evinrude with stick stearing. similer to scott's but not nearly as nice. i totally rebuilt the boat. added new floor, steering, wiring, new transom, seats, etc.. with a new paint job and fiberglassed it all in. used mainly for live bait fishing for crappie and catfish. i did not get the bug for bass fishin till i caught my first bass on a plastic worm (about a 3lb'er) and found out how much fun. miss that old boat - alot of good memories.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

My first boat......ahhh, a gift from my mom, the fishing machine! Not the boat, my mom is the machine, LOL you can ask Bob! Anyway, it was a 14' Grumman with a 7.5 tiller on it. No TM, I used to stand up, put the little 7.5 in gear, steer with one foot while balanced on the other and fish. It drew some funny looks from the local bass club right up until I whooped some butts doing that! I even put in some floors/casting decks, a livewell in the form of a 150 qt cooler bungee corded to the middle bench, seats on big C-clamps, a rod holder, and eventually a 30 HP, that was 5 HP over the max and coincidentally ruined the transom. I did catch an AWFUL lot of fish from that little boat though. I traded it in on my Tracker Super guide back in '97. It was quite the sight too! Looked like a hybrid, redneck, inspector gadget fishing machine!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Small 13-14 foot entry level older (used - fiberglass) something or other with a giant sized 50hp (appox) Evinrude on it. Big enough for two. It ran okay, but was mechanically a pig. Had it out once or twice and then got rid of it.



Knew right away I had made a big mistake.

 

[TrepMan]

Depends on definition of "boat"!!! Since I didn't get the fishing "bug" till late in life (25 years old and just married) it was a 10ft inflatable! I had a platic coated river anchor and braided rope, oars of course, styrophoam cooler with battery powered airator for shrimp. I fished back bays in Galveston TX in the early '91.



Graduated early in '92 to my first HARD bodied boat! A 1960's deep V rowboat (even had the oarlocks built in). Got it for $50 from a buddie at work, added a 1960's 5hp motor ($50 from a friend at work), bought a galvenized trailer and RIGGED That puppy up!! Treated Plywood floors, 2 padded swivel/pedestal mounted seats, battery, depthfinder, coleman cooler turned into livewell with 12v areator, anchor (from my inflatable), and a NEW 5hp Mariner OB! That thing ran GREAT for 2 years in the bay, caught everything from shark, to sea trout, to flounder in her! Wife and I were comming back in a pre-storm wind with white caps and split the V hull about 2 feet long. Sold her for scrap aluminium for $100!! and picked up a 14ft Jon boat and rigger her up the same, but added the trolling motor, and front fishfinder!!!

 

[TrepMan]

Clarification, the reason for the NEW 5hp Mariner was the Old Seahorse I bought for $50 only ran ONCE!!! LOL See, even then I learned my lesson on used motors!!

 

[Corey Carrico2]

14 ft Sea Nymph I bought on my 16th birthday for $400....great grandfather gave me a 9.9hp Evinrude. My father and I added the "necessary" raised and carpeted floor. Still have the motor but the boat is long gone. Kept me out of trouble for years....

 

[fatrap]

A ten foot jon boat with a 2 and 1/2hp sears outboard No nuteral or reverse just rip er and go. Fished that year with a cast from the ankle to the hip. The cast had a stainless steel polycentric hinge at the knee and its own support belt. One guy asked my why I bothered with a life jacket as I would sink to the bottom with two jackets.



Never forget that year.

fatrap

 

[Bong Reyes]

99 NX882....bought it used last year

 

[David Jordan]

12' V hull aluminum john boat w/ a 6 hp Johson tiller model engine. $600 for used boat, trailer and motor. Ran it for years then upgraded to a 14' Sea nymph w/ a 28 hp Johnson.

That was a nice small boat

 

[Chad Justice]

Technically, my first boat is the one I have now.. '92 Astro S-15B ("Stealth Bass") w/ a smoky, unburned fuel/oil spitting, no mileage getting 70HP Force. (Arrrr arrr aarrr arrrr!!) No first timer jon boat for me... I already went through the 'boat-buying progression' as a kid!! LOL!



The first boat that I ever fished out of was my dad's 40 odd year old 14' Deep V Jon w/ a 15HP Montgomery Ward outboard and an ANCIENT shakespeare trolling motor.. Next, we got a '78 16' Trihull runabout w/ a 70HP Rudy.. Then an early 90's 18' Stratos runabout w/ a 3.0 I/O (first & last I/O experience). Traded up to a '97 SunTracker 20' pontoon w/ a 50HP Tracker by Force by Mercury by Brunswick. =P



So you see, I was already spoiled by the time I got into the market.. That's not necessarily a bad thing, is it??!?!? HAHAHA!

 

[Staci Matheis]

LOL!!



Well, if we count canoes.... First canoe was a 1979(?) 16' Coleman. Then a 17'(?) Coleman Scanoe in maybe 1982 so that I could easily put a little 2.4HP outboard on it for trips to Canadian Lakes. Finally my present 1994, 16' Old Town "Camper" which weighs in at a whopping 60#! (The Old Town is for sale if anyone is interested. New was about $900. It's in excellent condition and I'll sell it for $350.)



That first boat was a 1973 Monark 15' with a 70 HP Evinrude. I took it out on lakes, the Mississippi River and even into the backwaters between the Gulf of Mexico and the Everglades. Bought it this week of September, 1995 for $1,000. Sold it in February of 1996 for $1,500. (Boats sell much better after the shows than they do at the end of summer!)



Sold it right after I bought a new 1995 Nitro 180/115 Merc. Currently flying a 1994 Nitro2000/200 Merc.

 

[Gene B]

1985 smokercraft big fisherman with a 1962 18hp evinrude w/tiller. I hit a stump and broke the top motor mount. The only thing holding the motor to the boat was a rubber bushing on the lower unit. We finished the day w/me sitting backwards and steering as my buddy shouted directions. Then I bought a 30hp mariner and console, bass chairs and eventually a front casting deck. I have a lot of great memories in that boat. I even won a tournament in it. I'm glad I sold it to a co-worker and her husband. They take their kids out fishing and are building some good memories for their family.



Gene

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Well, in fine TOXIC fashon, my first boat was a 1976 Ebco Stinger, duck billed, tunnel hull speedboat, and sported a grand piano size 135 upright 6 merc. That boat ran like a scalded goat. You could barefoot behind it. Then one dark night some lowlifes cut all the cables and ripped the motor off of the transom. I never had the heart to fix her because I knew it wouldn't be the same.



TOXIC (snif, snif)

 

[sold boat]

My grandfather gave me a really old 14' aluminum boat with wooden gunnels,probably about 40 yrs old, and found a 1953-1957 evinrude something(had 7 1/2 painted on the side) 2 cylinder (only one cylinder worked,had to go full throttle all the time,was good for speed trolling).

Had more fun in that old boat with lots of good friends who didn't have any boats,and now we all have nice boats and still fish together.

 

[Bob G.]

Boat #1: 1970s vintage 12' Mirrocraft w/ 7.5hp Honda 4 stroke. Added a 36lb transom mount Minn Kota TM. Sold it when I was moving from California to Vermont.



Boat #2: 1972 14' Mirrocraft w/late 50s vintage 5.5hp Evinrude. Added a bow mounted Minn Kota TM. Then bought a early 60s 18hp Evinrude Fastwin. Bought this boat when a co-worker was moving away from Vermont. I sold it after I bought the Nitro.



Boat #3: 2000 Nitro Sport 185 w/ 150hp Merc XR6. This is my current boat.



Boat #4: TBD



Bob G.

 

[Rob Hochstetler]

1973 Shakespear Wondercraft, 14', 20hp Johnson

 

[Staci Matheis]

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Looks like me and Dave have about the same "boat history.

My first was a 12' aluminum Smoker Craft...had a 7.5 Mercury outboard...man that motor used to push that little sucker fast! (or at the time I thought it was fast!). Had that boat for about 4years. Next I bought a 14' Lowe (both of these boats were "Vs" by the way) with a 25hp Johnson. Liked this boat...not too big that I couldn't dump in just about anywhere, but it would still handle Lake Michigan.

Sold it in March of 2001 and bought the MIGHTY TV-18! I wouldn't go back...



az

 

[Tom Mann]

I have a post on this subject but I must post the picture to go with it!!!

It will give new meaning to "Dedicated Fisherman!"

I'll scan it and post later!

T

 

[Rich D]

The year was 1988.

The scene: A young man with his first "full time" job, living at home with money to burn.

The catalyst: A Bass Pro Shops catalog with a Tracker Topper 14' Jon boat, trailer, 8 hp Merc, Minn Kota 35, and 2 (count em, 2!) deluxe seats.

All this can be yours for $88 a month.



Hey, I make at least 4x that now! I can afford that easy! Imagine the look on my Father's face when he came home 2 days later and there was a boat in the driveway! Now imagine the look when I told him "No, it isn't your Father's day present!!"

 

[Ben Robinson]

First boat (technically) was/is a 1977 14' Stauter-Built wooden v-bottom skiff w/ 77' 40 hp merc and a console. I found it when I was 8 (back in 1982) at a bait and tackle shop in Mobile, Ala. where Stauters are built to this day. I told Dad we had to have it as the fishing bug had bitten me about 1 year earlier. He agreed and bought it! Many fine memories fishing out of that thing growing up, then it sat for about 10 years. He gave it to me about a year ago and said have fun, and I'm in the process of restoring her right now. (I'll post some pics soon in my library) Very handsome little boat, white and navy blue hull w/ fully varnished interior.



2nd boat was a 1981 Sportmaster Marlin 18 foot bowrider runabout with a 115hp tower of power merc on the back. I bought it in 1999 and played with it for about a year. Awesome running motor!



Third boat is my 1800FS!



Fourth boat will hopefully one day be a 21-25 foot center Console like a Mako or Cape Horn!


http://www.stauterboats.com

 

[Mike L.]

I was 16 years old and brought a brand new 10 Foot John Boat from Sears for $79 with my newspaper route money. That boat is now 34 years old and sits next to my Tracker.....still great for local ponds even with the few small leaks!!!

 

[stan jones]

mine was a high school graduation present. a 1974 12 ft. mongomery ward sea-king with a 10 hs. outboard. the motor died a few years ago. i still use the boat today to get to some of my best fishing places. and yes i graduated in 1974. i think the price was about $900.00. i didn't want a car. i needed to fish!! thanks stan

 

[Greg Meyer]

First boat...on my tenth birthday my Dad gave me a 16' Larsen V-bow with a ten horse Johnson...I still have the boat...45+years later. I can't part with it. It just "rests" upside down on a rack at my Brother-in-laws cabin. I've used it a few times as we had extra guests for duck hunting... It used to have wooden gunwales...aluminum now...and the seats are fabricated out of aluminum now, too. I used to think I was the fastest thing on the water... I remember as "kids" water skiing behind an 18hp Evinrude on a 14' Alumicraft..that came "next".

 

[Staci Matheis]

I get a big smile on my face when I read these stories about you guys who still have your first boats 10, 20, 30, and 40 years later! 45+ years is almost incomprehesible! Heck, I couldn't even keep a wife for more than 6!



me!

 

[Dan J.]

Mine was a 16'1966 Richline V-hull with a 1958 35HP Johnson Seahorse. (The only Johnson/OMC I've ever owned!)I got it in 1981 when I was 14 years old for $500 inc. trailer. My dad and I built an elevated front platform with a seat and a trolling motor bracket for the bow. I couldn't drive a car, so either my mom, dad or unsuspecting brother or sister would have to drive me to the lake and back. I've owned numerous boats since then, yet that first one will always be the closest to my heart.

 

[Rich D]

Scott,



That's because boats are better than (some) wives. I kept my first wife for 3 years and my first boat for 14yrs (so far).



Think about it, your boat will never complain if you bring your girlfriend along for the ride!



Rich D

 

[Brian Feist]

My first was a 12' Sears tri-hull fiberglass "flotation" boat with a 5HP Sears Gamefisher motor and trailer. I paid $400 for the package and the guy threw in the Shakespeare trolling motor. I"m on my 5th boat now and wish I had kept this one for smaller lakes...,

 

[JEFF WHITE]

12 ft v with front and rear casting decks across the seats.not sure of the make,2nd was a tracker tx-17 with a 40 rude on it.good boat,no problems.both trackers bought new

 

[Robert Spradley]

8" plastic tug boat. I used to play with it in the bathtub. Man, I sure do miss that boat. It never broke down or anything.

 

[Staci Matheis]

You're a sick and twisted, Nominal..... I like that in a person!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Hey Nominal...



I'll bet it was tough to fish out of...standing there on one foot...trying to keep it from rollin' over...

 

[Staci Matheis]

And those 10" bubble gum worms!

 

[gone bye bye]

13 foot Myers aluminum w/7.5 HP Ted Williams outboard for $350.00 from a retired neighbor. Promptly sold the OB for $300.00 to a buddy, and bought a MinnKota, battery and depthfinder! Use to "trailer" it around in the shortbed of my 1986 GMC 4x4...man those were some fun times! Still have the boat and trolling motor.....



Mini

 

[Mark Hofman]

I thought I was gonna be the smartie in this thread, but Nominal beat me to it.



First boat: 11" 1/700 scale model of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. America.



Second boat: A Tonka truck/boat combo. Threw the boat out onto Trappers Lake with a string attached to the bow so I could pull it back to shore. But the string broke and the boat was blown out toward the middle of the lake. A guy camping with us sank it with one shot from his .357 revolver.



Third boat: 16' Tracker Sportsman jon boat and 25 hp electric start Mariner.

 

[stan jones]

also not only do i have my first boat-a 12 ft aluminum rowboat. i have another 12 ft aluminum given to me when my uncle passed away that i've had for 15 years, a coleman canoe given to me by a friend 10 years ago. a 1991 18 ft arriva i bought new in 92 which i think is sold,and a year ago i bought a 1989 1800 tf bass tracker (fiberglass). the small boats i leave at my camp. the ski boat dose'nt get used much. the bass boat gets a lot of use. and of course i've owned 4 or 5 other boats over the years. i know this is more than you asked but i'm kinda bored. in case nobody figured it out. i like water. also i almost hate to admit it but in 93 i bought a new jet ski,a seadoo xp which we got bored with after 2 seasons. thanks stan

 

[Staci Matheis]

I can hear all the sailers on MO's boat..... "In-n-n-n Com-m-m-m-ming!!"

 

[Mark Hofman]

Yeah, we sent that aircraft carrier down an irrigation ditch. We had "modified" it so that there was a way to install some flammable liquid (lighter fluid, I think), and some smokeless powder from my dad's reloading cabinet. Then we lit a firecracker fuse and sent the thing sailing away.



Four seconds later, BAMMMM! F-4 Phantoms and A-7 Corsairs all over the place! It burned and blew black smoke until a hole was melted in the bottom and it sank.



(My mother quit buying me scale models for awhile after that. Never could figure out why she didn't want me to build any more. They can be such fun!)

 

[Mike Levesque]

Technically it's my current boat, 2002 Tracker Pro Deep V 16 w/60 elpto, although for years I had this 14 ft alum. rowboat, don't remember the brand, it had an ugly pale green color on the inside, teamed with an old Sears 7.5 hp ob., used it for years in Michigan on the Kalamazoo river, probably from the mid 70's until the early 90's. When my parents sold the summer home there(it was right on the river) they asked me if I wanted to take the boat& motor.......Like the non forward thinking person I am I said I didn't have room for it....... duhhhhhhh Well, my oldest daughter and her boyfriend took a ride there one day this summer, and since no one was home, walked all around the yard of the place and took pics for old time's sake....... that old rowboat is still sitting, upside down, in the sand, in the exact same spot it was always in, only now it's buried or settled in the sand about a foot.... it looks like it hasn't been touched since my parents sold the place. caught alot of big cats out of that boat, and my oldest son, who was little at the time, had a few monster cats in it....... lots of good memories from that old boat, and lots of good memories being made with the current boat too.........