Boating

[Mister L]

I ran out of gas 3 miles down river from the ramp, me and my buddy paddled for the whole day to get back. I feel your pain.

[Good_Steward]

I ran out of gas 3 miles down river from the ramp, me and my buddy paddled for the whole day to get back. I feel your pain.

I know, right? It's always DOWNRIVER.

I am about to double my pain, as my wife has decided she would rather float on a log rather than be in the "your boat smells like dead stuff" boat. It's a fishing boat; of course it smells like "dead stuff" (obviously, I like to catfish occasionally).

So, we went and checked out a Mastercraft ProStar 190 this morning. I must be a masochist.

[Timestepper]

Hell, do what I did and buy a leaky canoe, that way it never "smells like dead stuff" because, between the leak and the resultant bailing, it pretty much rinses itself every two or three miles!

[Good_Steward]

Hell, do what I did and buy a leaky canoe, that way it never "smells like dead stuff" because, between the leak and the resultant bailing, it pretty much rinses itself every two or three miles!

Yeah, I could do that, but I wouldn't be able to buy a new boat that way.......

[Guest Riverrat]

I have a 2004 Lake Sport 20104. I've had 4 motors on it in the passed 3 years. $21,000. per motor. Only time I don't go fishing is when I can't drive to the ramp. We will drive to a ramp down river and leave my wifes car. Then to a ramp up river where I launch. She drives the truck back to her car. We have bandits at these ramps too. One time the car was sitting on the ground when my wife got back to it. And my truck, wheels missing, all glass broken and the trailer gone. The rental truck had the wheels missing while mine was having the glass replaced. So there is a big hole in my boat but I make a good living at it.

[Cannon Fodder]

Do you think all the related problems is from use or lack of use?  I'm looking at adding a Stinger 175 to the toy collection this year to float around on the lakes.

[DaveS]

Do you think all the related problems is from use or lack of use?  I'm looking at adding a Stinger 175 to the toy collection this year to float around on the lakes.

I would say "lack of use"....

 

Dave S

[Guest sL1k]

that suck creek ramp can be a pain with wind and current!

[Jonnin]

At least you got back safely. 

 

After working on them for the past few years, I have no use for a boat anymore.  And unless someone figures out how to make one as reliable as my car, that will not change.

[Good_Steward]

Do you think all the related problems is from use or lack of use?  I'm looking at adding a Stinger 175 to the toy collection this year to float around on the lakes.

 

Mine is from hard use and my willingness to hold on to things for years after their useful life has ended. lack of use is a serious killer of all things boat related if not properly maintained, however. 

[Good_Steward]

that suck creek ramp can be a pain with wind and current!

 

I actually think it's better than Chester Frost since they added the small pier a few years ago, but in can be a PIA because it drops off so quickly. 

 

However......The "River Gorge Explorer" is a death machine and runs those waters NON-STOP. It's actually amusing to watch all the boats on the water hightail it for cover (unless you are in one of them) when that monster comes through at 30 knots. 

Edited February 20, 2013 by Good_Steward

[Guest sL1k]

the raccoon mountain pump stations ramp across the river is a good one they have a dock, makes it lil easier when your by yourself.


I still havent rode the explorer lol sounds fun to me. Edited February 20, 2013 by sL1k

[Good_Steward]

the raccoon mountain pump stations ramp across the river is a good one they have a dock, makes it lil easier when your by yourself.


I still havent rode the explorer lol sounds fun to me.

 

 

I haven't ridden it either. I refuse to be a passenger on a boat whose captain is clearly a sadist hell-bent on creating nightmares for anyone on a boat less than 60 feet long... ;)

Edited February 20, 2013 by Good_Steward

[RichardR]

At the moment I just have a Mohawk 18" adventure/touring canoe & a Fischer 1432 flatbottom w/4hp Tohatsu, 30lb Minnkotta w/Lowrance DSi gps/sonar tacked on it.

Both the boat & canoe are simple, effective, reliable & inexpensive, but granted sometimes it takes awhile to get to where I want to fish at, but I enjoy the journey almost as much as the destination.

I wouldn't mind adding a larger, faster, more comfortable boat to my fleet, but I don't think I'd want the added hassle or expense of the upkeep on it.

[dickenscpa]

I have a 16' BumbleBee like the OP but with a 90HP motor. I'll ride my Harley in rush hour to commute to the office, but speed on water scares me. My boat with a 90 on it will go WAY faster than I ever intend to.

 

My son and I went fishing on MLK Day. I had the day off and it turned out to be a nice day. Didn't get a bite but had fun. Get back home to back the boat in the garage and I left the keys to the lock on my trailer on my bumper when I was hooking the boat up to leave the house. They apparently fell off between home and the ramp. Had one of those expensive hitch locks that your not supposed to be able to cut easily or get with bolt cutters.

 

Didn't know what I was gonna do. I knew I couldn't haul a boat to the office on the interstate every day. Well, that expensive lock fell victim to a dremmel and cutting wheel in less than a minute. So much for paying extra for the lock.

 

In hindsight, I should have just pulled the ball and hitch out of the receiver and kept the lock in tact on the off chance the key turned up or I could have had a new key made cheap. I was so mad at my stupidity I didn't think straight. LOL!

[Cannon Fodder]

I refuse to be a passenger on a boat whose captain is clearly a sadist hell-bent on creating nightmares for anyone on a boat less than 60 feet long... ;)

 

I met a Capt like this. Peterson MKIII 65' patrol boat 3-8v92 Detroits.......There wasn't quite enough room for the 12v to fit for the center engine otherwise it would have been 3-12v. :lol:

 

 

Anyone have dealings with Jaco's Marine in Lawrenceburg?

[Cannon Fodder]

Anyone know how picky TWRA is on the font of the hull numbers?  I would like to match the existing factory lettering.

[DaveS]

Anyone know how picky TWRA is on the font of the hull numbers?  I would like to match the existing factory lettering.

Display of Number and Decal

The vessel’s number must be painted on or permanently attached to each side of

the forward half of the vessel (the bow), and no other number may be displayed there.

Numbers are to read left to right, be in plain vertical block characters, be of a color

contrasting with the background, be distinctly visible and legible, and be not less than

3 inches in height. The letters must be separated from the numbers by a dash (-) or

by a space the size of one letter. A validation decal must be affixed to the vessel on

each side of the forward half of the vessel immediately preceding or following the TN

identification number.

 

 

Dave S

Edited March 28, 2013 by DaveS

[glowdotGlock]

Anyone know how picky TWRA is on the font of the hull numbers?  I would like to match the existing factory lettering.

I had an old flat bottom boat I used to run up and down Duck River in Maury County. For a couple years I had my numbers written in big bold marker and colored in. My other boat had the reflective stickers on it. They never said anything and I had the registration sticker right after it. Just depends on their mood I guess.

[Guest KCampbell]

The best day of my life was when I bought a nice bass boat boat and the second best day was when I sold it.

[DaveS]

The best day of my life was when I bought a nice bass boat boat and the second best day was when I sold it.

Didn't like boating?

 

Dave S

[Guest KCampbell]

The best day of my life was when I bought a nice bass boat boat and the second best day was when I sold it.
Didn't like boating?
 
Dave S

Loved it just didn't like paying that much to play.Tournaments,gas,repairs etc

Sent from my SCH-I535

[DaveS]

Loved it just didn't like paying that much to play.Tournaments,gas,repairs etc

Sent from my SCH-I535

I know what you mean. Boats and Tillers are about the only things that break down when your not using them. Always something with them. Even new ones.

 

Dave S

[173rdABN]

I have a 1972 21' Winner Viscont that my father gave me after I got out of the Army because it sank and he bought a new boat. He repaired it while I was in Afghanistan, and when I got home I spent 3 solid months of non-stop work sanding it, repainting it, ripping the floor up to put a new tank in, you name it. Getting it back on the lake.... well, every time for the first month it would break down. After some major water coming in my dad was looking at it and found the rubber boot on the lower unit to be...bad. HA! That was an understatement. It shredded itself. Blew a prop hitting a massive wave to hard and fast, broke that right apart, happened to be on the 4th of July as well at 1:30am. Good times... There is seriously endless stories with this thing. But, that being said, I'll NEVER sell it. Its part of the family. In 1979 my dad asked around trying to find someone to put an inboard motor in it, and everyone laughed and said it was impossible. Well, in 1980 he gave up asking and took a chain saw to the rear floor boards and went to town. Now I have a nice 350 Chevy motor that's a tank, and man, is she fast. :) 

 

Best story I have with her though... Starter went out when we were about to leave the beach and head home. So, we got someone to tow us about 40 minutes to the closet dock. My step-dad was already on his way after getting my truck at the boat ramp on the other side of the lake to meet us there. I called my dad and was already looking in to a place to repair it, and he said "just hit it with a really big wrench or hammer". I laughed on the phone and he said he was serious. So I did, and boy did I feel like a jack ass. It fired up no problem. Drove back to the original dock and called it a day. Wish he would have told me to hit it with a wrench when it first broke down.... 

 

I guess thats when you know your boat inside and out. Where to hit it with hard object to make it work... haha. Ohhhhhh man. 

 

I proposed to my wife on the 4th of July as well under the fire works in front of all my friends on this bad boy too. Another reason I refuse to ever sell it. 

 

Picture time:

 

Finished back end:

 

Finished inside:

 

Giant hole...

 

My dad sent me this picture while I was deployed:

 

Needs some work...

 

Original hole. The tow bar got ripped out while towing a giant tube, apparently the wood was just to rotten and couldn't take abuse anymore

 

Motor back in:

 

The old rig:

[Guest KCampbell]

I had a similar starter situation once too.Was fishing way up river from the ramp by myself and got ready to head back because it was getting dark and it wouldn't start.The starter wouldn't engage because the actual casing where it bolted to the engine had broke.I figured out I could lay on my back and push against the starter with my foot to hold it in place but when I did this I couldn't reach the key to crank it.I finally took a paddle and tied it to the key then while lying on my back on the deck pushing on the starter with my foot turned the paddle,fired right up but I can only imagine what someone would have thought if they saw me.<br /> Edited March 29, 2013 by KCampbell