This is cool!

[BaySport]

Okay, a friend of mine, Larry, who is in his seventies, offered me a piece of history. In 1980, he slid his father's boat under his cabin, in the mountains of Southern Utah. The boat has remained there ever since. This past Memorial Day weekend I visited Larry's cabin to check out the boat. I ended up staying for two days and having a wonderful time. Oh, the great stories I listened to. Larry's father worked on Boulder (Hoover) Dam. The family lived in Boulder City. The boat was purchased in 1960, although Larry could'nt recall if it was new or used at the time. Anyway, Larry and his dad plied the waters of Lake Mead, and Willow Beach for more than a decade, enjoying some of the best fishing our area had to offer! After his father died, Larry"s interest turned to Southern Utah, where he built a large cabin. The old boat was used to fish the local lakes until it was shoved under the cabin in 1980. The following pictures show a boat in need of some TLC.


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The aluminum is in excellent shape, with no major dents, holes, or missing rivets. I have a 2003 Mercury 4-stroke 15 hp outboard that would look good on her. What do you think? Is she worth the effort to see her fish Lake Mead again?
BaySport
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[steveweston]

[unsure]Nope.

I wouldnt do it.

Been there.
Done that.

Best to buy what you really want.

The effort isnt worth the outcome...

Unless you just like to work......
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[BaySport]

Nice reply! My wife agrees with you. "Spend your time fishing, not working on an old boat". I just think it's cool!
BaySport
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[steveweston]

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I didnt mean that as a negative but I ve gone thru this type of project before.
First you picture how its going to look after completion. It wont look like the picture in your mind, believe me.. Then the cost.....
Plan on at least twice the cost you figured......
Then what ??
There you have a so so boat that cost mucho time and more money than if you just went and bought a newer and finished boat.
Your 15 HP might be too much for the narrow boat in the pictures.
Add fife jackets, floation cushion, fish finder, oar, and all the other "stuff" that should come with the already finished and newer boat.
There are many, many aluminum boats on the city lakes that get sold after about three years of use. These sell at about $200 each.
Some are nice and some junk. If you time it just right you can have a good Gregor aluminum 12 foot boat for the $200.
Again I ve tried these projects before and every one of them cost at LEAST twice of what I had planned...
Sorry but thats my opinion. Say hello to your wife.....
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[stripercraze]

Hello BaySport,

I think it is a personal choice. Some things are not about money or time. They are about history or memories of loved ones. People Restore cars and motorcycles that cost them ten times as much as the item cost new. I think you should do what your gut said when you first saw the boat.


Stripercraze
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[steveweston]

[cool]
Kinda like my wife.

Not much to look at but damn she is a good cook...

She does cost me lots tho. But for $200 I can get a pretty companion in Las Vegas....

So, your correct. An old ugly boat can make some happy.....

Keep the ugly one and rent a pretty one when your friends are in town and want to go fishing...

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[tubeN2]

Nice piece of history and a nice hobby boat for when you are experiencing some bad weather and can't fish.[cool]
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[BaySport]

Don't worry about being negative, I asked for it. Your right in every respect. Thanks for the warning!
BaySport
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[reellittlephish]

I got to agree with Steve. Don't go for that old boat. Even in acceptable renovation condition it appears to be round bottomed and narrow beamed.
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[BaySport]

Thanks for the input. My wife thinks it might look good in the side yard with flowers planted in it!
BaySport
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