Gas Prices too High

Well, I have to admit that gas prices have just about priced me out of the boating business. In fact, my wonderful little ski boat (see pictures in this blog) has sat under a tarp almost all this season. Maybe now that the prices are starting to fall a little, I'll have more time to get out and run about.

On the other hand, we are considering selling our little boat and obtaining a barge. At least with gas prices high, we could motor out into the lake and park the boat for a day on the lake. A small ski boat is just that...too small for having the "move around" room needed.

Sorry for the delay in post and remember, I enjoy hearing from readers.

Thanks!

Vote for me! Yes, it's Vain, I know.

You didn't think old boats is all I'm involved in did you?

http://www.poetry.com/voteforme/poemvote1.asp?PID=12398499

Thanks for looking in.

Newsletter is On The Way!

We are also considering a newsletter that could develop into a quarterly or monthly mag! This is very exciting. I have found several newsletters, etc for folks who have old sailboats, or wooden boats, but that is a limited range of boats. I am also interested in articles from the rest of us. Here's a short list of things we may cover in a newsletter:
Faded Boats
Fiberglass repair
Transom repair
motor repair
The new Deck (deck and carpet repair)

There are hundreds of other topics. We could go on, and on about things that we Old Boat owners deal with, but let's hear from you. We will start putting together articles for the first issue of Old Boats soon. Everyone jump on board!

I Want To Write

I have a few e-mails from some great old boaters wanting to contribute here. If you want to add your story, advice, or thoughts to this blog, please e-mail them to me. You can click on the e-mail link and send them to me. I prefer Word Format, but can deal with most anything in an e-mail.

I'm looking for folks right now with good information on transom reinforcement, hull repairs, and tips on saving money by putting your own bilge pump in. If you have something, send it. Hey, your first writing credit could be for Old Boats!

Thanks!

The Dock Ain't for Swimming!

Okay, it’s time for a little session here. I don’t know if anyone reading this is guilty of the actions I’m about to rant about, but if you are, get a clue and stop doing this in the future.

My rant is simple. Kids. Okay, there it is and it is simple. Your kids love to go to the lake and ride around on boats, fish, ski, or swim don’t they? It’s a wonderful day to take your kids out to the lake and spend good, quality, family time together. But, that family time is not to be spent at the dock and the ramps.

A dock, near the boat ramp, is used to tie your boat off, make final preparations and head out to the main waters. This is not the place to work on your boat while your kids run wild. Just the other day a gentleman was working on his boat and his two (I’m guessing) grandsons of at least eight years of age if not a little older were busy running up and down the dock and throwing rocks. Yes, throwing rocks! For crying out loud, people are trying to get in and out of boats in this area and the last thing someone wants to think about is some brat throwing a rock at his or her boat. Now, I didn’t actually see any rocks hitting boats, but I was assured by someone else that they thought the kids were throwing rocks at some boats.

Now, if the rock thing isn’t bad enough, let’s consider those big orange signs all around the dock and ramp areas. You know the ones that say “No Swimming” and “No Walking in Water,” etc. Apparently these kids and their grandfather were unable to read. I had to wait for several minutes for these little darlings to decide they were done swimming at the dock before I could pull up. I didn’t want to bump one of them in the head as I floated up to tie off!

I made my happy way up the ramp (this is while they are throwing rocks mind you) and got my trailer ready to go down the ramp. By this time grandpa has got his own truck down the ramp and has his boat loaded onto the trailer. He is now proceeding to attempt to move his motor pin, or something. I start backing down the ramp and what do I see in the water? Two little darling kids swimming in the ramp area. I think, “well grandpa has a brain, he’ll tell them to get out when I come down the ramp with the big trailer moving toward the water where they are”. Well, I think wrong. Grandpa apparently can’t think for himself. I finally get the ramp into the water, while counting kids, and watching to ensure none of their darling, little heads get lopped off my the steel on my trailer.

Like all good boaters, I’m in a hurry to get my boat loaded and get off the ramp so others can load their boats. Grandpa now has several people waiting while he is still “playing” with his motor. I obtain my boat (see pictures) and attempt to load it onto the trailer. Guess what? Grandpa still hasn’t told his kids to move out of the way. I now have to contend with watching the trailer, guiding the boat, and trying to make sure I don’t run over these darling, little boys, that swim toward my trailer and back to their grandpa’s boat.

Finally after the third try (you try it with kids in the water around the boat) I killed the motor and told the kid closest to my boat, “You know, I’m not real good at this and I’m afraid that I may drift over and bonk one of you in the head.” It was time for their response. I thought sure grandpa would tell them to get out of the water. No, I thought wrong again. Grandpa and the two boys looked at me as if I had just spoken a foreign language to them.

I finally got the boat loaded, up out of the water and left the area. In the meantime I watched two other frustrated boaters try to get past the grandpa and his boys. It was not a good end to a great day on the lake.

Okay, the lesson here is simple. The government did not spend money on “No Swimming” signs so that your kids could swim around the boat area. Boats are big kids; they have props that go swish, swish, swish, and chop, chop, chop. That is dangerous. Parents take charge and tell your kids to get the heck out of the water! As for all those of you who have had this frustration before, I feel your pain. Fortunately, this is the first boater I’ve dealt with like this in a very long time. Ninety-nine percent of the rest of us want to spend as little time at the docks (be it loading or unloading) as possible. Enjoy boating!

Here They Come!

Once again fisherman, swimmers, skiers, tubers, and joy riders are pulling those old boats out. They are coming out from under covers, carports and garages across America and after routine checks, the water is splashing up and over the wheels of trailers everywhere.

I feel that Old Boaters have it the best. This is only my view, but after all, we’re the ones that have the money to spend on gas, drinks, fuel additives, and new tubes. What I call New Boaters, well you’re the ones paying anywhere from $192 a month, to several hundred a month in boat payments! Most of you are paying that year around!

Sure, we may have the occasional motor that fails to start, or our hulls may leak a little more after thousands of more hours on the lake. For us, those fixes are one-time payments. We don’t have the on-going payments. Oh, and did I mention that we also don’t have the repairs and payments during the off-season? Well, we don’t!

I like nothing more than zipping my faithful 1975 boat down the ramp and into the water. A quick adjustment and that motor fires right up and I pass that wonderful new speedboat sitting right next to me cranking, and cranking, and cranking just to get the blue smoke to puff up.

So, salute those Old Boaters everywhere. Whether it’s a wooden, aluminum, or fiberglass modern classic, it’s an old boat and it’s going on the lake. My 1975, see the picture in other articles, is counting thirty-years of lake time now! I can count that time because we’ve already been out this season. Here’s to many more seasons of a payment free old boat and this Old Boater!

The Season is Coming!

It's getting closer to the time you will be hauling out your old boat and heading toward the lake. However, there are a few things you will want to do.
1. Service the lower unit. You can do this, or you can pay a boat mechanic to do it, but just do it. It makes sense to take care of this boat... it's old.
2. Check all lines. Check those lines for cracks and if you need to replace them, do it now so you're not sitting in the middle of the lake wondering why you didin't do it back then (which is now).
3. Replace the fuel if you didn't use something to stabalize the fuel.
4. Service the uper unit as needed (see number one)
5. For Pete's Sake, clean the boat. You know it has sat there all winter and gathered dust. Let's show some pride!
6. Check tires on the trailer.
7. Check all wiring, both trailer and boat.
8. Is your insurance up-to-date? Better be
9. Check all tags, insurance, and boat numbers to ensure everything is up to your state and federal standards
10. Check the life vest.
11. Check floatation devices
12. Check fire extinguishers (look at the little gauge)
13. Check steering cables
14. Finally, check the weather! Don't go out until you know the snow, rain and spring storms have gone away and then enjoy your day or days on the lake!

Good luck old boat fans. If you have a wooden boat, you'll also want to check the wood for any signs of problems from the winter. If you have something to add to this, please let us know!

Thanks for reading, you mean a great deal to Old Boats everywhere!!!

Wondering About The Reader

After reviewing my site for a while here, I've discovered that I can't really tell if anyone is really reading this Blog. My hope is to build a community of old boat lovers who will share ideas, stories, and other information related to old boats. If you have been reading, and simply not left a comment yet, please drop me a line. Otherwise, I'm afraid Old Boats Blog may have to go.

Thanks

A Few Tips

I wanted to share a few short tips that have helped me with my old boats. I hope that others will add tips,or if you're shy, then please e-mail them to me at qmrp@valornet.com.

Tips:
1. After your first wax coat, use baby oil to continue that great new looking shine. It's true, plain old baby oil (the cheap stuff) can do wonders to improve and bring out the shine of your boat.
2. Use Petroleum Jelly on the inside of your boat snaps. This allows even old snaps to go and off easily and may save you the time of replacing them sooner than you would like. Just a little bit on the end of your finger and inside the snap does the trick.
3. On older motors always unplug the gas line at the end of the day and wait a few extra minutes on the trailer (with the motor still running in the water). When the motor stops, then haul your boat out. This allows the older carbs and reserves to burn out and keeps your carb from getting stuck or sticking as easily later.
4. Always use a new or newer gas can. Do not depend on older rusted cans unless you use a filter to ensure no rust by-products sneak into your motor. I prefer to use a new plastic can to run the boat with a new bubble and hose. This will help reduce leaks as well.
5. Remember, even when you're done, your old boat is still a project. Just like the one above where I will soon be painting the trailer and doing some hull touch up!

Thanks for reading again.

What are old boats?

For the majority of the people, running down to purchase a boat can sometimes be as big a deal as purchasing a house or a fine car. It doesn't have to be. You don't have to spend $20,000 or more for you family to have a boat to use.

Think about it for a little while...okay, times up. You use a boat for fun. You want to get out on the lake, ride around, and then head home. You don't live on it (most likely), you don't drive it to work, and you only use it for about three or four months out of the year. That is a small amount of time for an item that can cost big bucks.

Sure, if you want to go out and buy a new boat, go right ahead. After all, you can afford the payments of somewhere between $175 and $350 a month. I can afford them, but I don't want them. I want a boat that I can maintain, enjoy and pay cash for up front. I don't want to tie myself into a loan on an item that drops in value the minute I hit the lake.

So, this brings us to this "Blog". I didn't know what a blog was until Mac Addict ran an article on them. But, I do know it is hard to find information about old boats. I can find a great deal of information about wooden boats, but I'm talking about the old boat that you see sitting in a field with weeds growing around it. I'm talking about the boat that you pick up off E-bay for $50 to $250. I'm talking about the old boat that by summer will be cutting across the water with two huge differences between it and the newer models. The differences are simply cheaper insurance and no payments.

This blog is for people interested in old boats. I want ideals, stories, guys and gals who have either taken an old boat and restored it, or they want to read what other people have done to restore old boats. I have had the chance to own six boats in the last ten years. One was free, one cost $75, one cost $200, one cost $400, one cost $500, and one cost $1000. I have never paid over $1000 and all the boats I've had came with trailers and only one lacked a motor (the free one). I've rebuilt, cleaned, put new floor in and had a blast. My current boat is a 1972 Ebbtide with a 70hp motor. It was kept in the garage for years and has less than two hundred hours on the motor. Oh, and it was the $1000 one, but that still beats the heck out of $20,000 or more.

I'm interested in feedback and building a reader group. So feel free to contact me or send me your post. I want to build this into a great network of people interested in old boats.

Thanks for reading!