Looking for a boat, maybe

[juanbenae]

The eagle has landed....

Gunna run over a few things before I dunk it for the maiden run like I would with any used vehicle, especially something like a 39 y/o boat. Ran it today when picking it up, but don't want to need a tow in the 1st time out. Got the original owner's manual and all of the receipts of work done over its lifetime that I will be going through over the next few days.

A couple splits in the driver seat, and a few other distressed seams on a couple seats, but very nice in all. I'm hoping that usage will not start more problems with the interior seams, but it would not surprise me if it did. I got a bunch of nice beach towels to spread about the vessel....

[onewhippedpuppy]

Congrats!

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Congrats!

Thanks.


Check it out! 14k posts even!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Post some feedback once you get her out on the water. That sort of boat looks fun, like a little sports car. A lot of our boating is rough water at Lake of the Ozarks, that would get sketchy fast.

[Scott Douglas]

Congrats!
Very cool boat.
Don't neglect the trailer wheel bearings. Sorry, that's ingrained in me by my dad.
Hope you enjoy owning it for a good long time.

[berettafan]

A trailerable cover? That is pretty cool!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by berettafan

A trailerable cover? That is pretty cool!

We always had them on our boat, typically custom made so they are pricey. Nice bonus to get one included.

[KFC911]

Score! Soooo.... when are you taking us boating ?

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by berettafan

A trailerable cover? That is pretty cool!

It is, however towing it home yesterday I removed it and put it back on once I arrived home. My gal's son took the roadie with me yesterday to pick it up, so I needed to get it back on while he was still here, all 6'+ of him.... It also has a year old bimini top that I have yet to unfurl. Need to put a big F on the front of the cover in sharpie so it's not a monkey and a football like it was reinstalling yesterday..

Will be looking things over the next couple days, cooling, intake & other hoses to see that they are not aged out. If they look questionable I may look to see if an entire kit is available & replace them all. Gunna put an inline flushing/land running unit so I can push anti-freeze in it for winter storage. Empty/clean the trans cooling bowl & filter, and dump the fuel moisture separator. Motor and trans oil are only about 5-6 hour runtime old. Got a fuel system cleaner I will dump in when I fuel it along with some Stabil Marine stabilizer.

Also need to do an inventory of vests to see I have a full complement if 5 or so to stay in line with requirements. My chick has a few in her storage and is going to see what she has this weekend. Anchor too. Came with a couple tow ropes, but need a couple dock bumpers as none were included. Was kinda hoping all that would come with it, but no dice.

[KFC911]

LOL ... is Sunday afternoon too soon?

[berettafan]

Never had a trailerable cover, would've saved a good amount of money on vinyl, electronics and waxing to get the chalk off gelcoat!

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by KFC911

LOL ... is Sunday afternoon too soon?

What time should I pick up at the airport.....

[onewhippedpuppy]

I did the antifreeze flush for a few years and then was convinced by a friend that I’ve been wasting my time and money. Now I just pull the plugs and leave them out, never had an issue. But I do understand the “better safe than sorry” aspect of it.

[JeremyD]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Looks very nice for an old ski boat. I’m sure you plan to go through it carefully (plugs, wires, fuel lines, filters, impeller, fluids, linkages, etc), before dropping it in the water. Tuned and running reliably, looks like a vintage 911 for the water. Have always loved the old Mastercraft Stars & Stripes boats for the same reason.

I honestly wouldn’t own a boat if I had to launch, load and store every time. Enthusiasm for such tends to wane over time. YMMV, of course.



Will be watching this thread to live vicariously through your adventures. Keep us posted.

Me neither - love the old Master Craft



Had this old stars and stripes next to my boat that I ended up crawling all over

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Next is your California boating card.

As of January 1, 2025: All boaters, regardless of age, are required by law to carry a California Boater Card.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by 3rd_gear_Ted

Next is your California boating card.

As of January 1, 2025: All boaters, regardless of age, are required by law to carry a California Boater Card.

Got my temp in hand waiting on the card to be mailed.

The other thing is the mussel inspection stuff that is limiting where you can boat without an inspection and then a 30 day wait period. Once the wait period is over, they put a band on the boat/trailer that if removing the boat it has to be cut. If you launch at the lake your inspection was done at they reband it at the end of the day for reentry into that lake only. There is one local lake that allows self-inspection and no banding but you have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and leave it on the tow vehicle dash while out on the lake. It's a big reservoir that due to the inspections elsewhere has become very crowded. I will likely launch there the 1st couple times so if I have any problems there will be assistance in towing back to the launch.


As soon as I build some confidence in it I will be going to a couple smaller lakes up here where there are no requirements. For now anyway.... Both are pretty remote, and not really any people there mid week when I will be doing most of outings. Cherry and Beardsly Lakes here in Tuo*Co.

[juanbenae]

Getting very close to crushing a bottle of champagne on her bow..... All the cooling system hoses check out and have obviously been replaced at some point which is encouraging. The current issue, and likely last before I'm comfortable floating it is the bilge only works on auto and the dash button for manual is broken. I will be replacing both push button switches for the bilge operation and have gotten what I'm sure is a superior pump that I will install when the new switches arrive tomorrow.



Aside from the update, which I would not have done if I did not want to ask the boaters who've participated thus far here a question. Insurance is not required here in CA but was thinking liability coverage is a good thing. Do you guys with boats pay for insurance? Was quoted $100 through Progressive qualifying for a multi policy discount due to my DRZSM being insured by them. Don't recall the coverage limits exactly, but the personal property coverage was $100k so if I dent a new boat most on the lake should fall under that umbrella... There is uninsured boater coverage in the policy, along with medical limits that were, well limited in value per person.


What are you guys doing, or have done? I am also going to call my homeowner coverage policies to see if a stored boat would be considered personal property for coverage. Thing is due to wildfire I have two policies and prolly do not want to rattle that cage for a <$8k vessel...

[onewhippedpuppy]

Definitely get at least liability insurance. Crap can happen on the water, and it’s cheap. I’m shocked with all the CA rules that you don’t have to have insurance. I’ve never had to deal with a state boating permit or any of the mussel inspection nonsense.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Definitely get at least liability insurance. Crap can happen on the water, and it’s cheap. I’m shocked with all the CA rules that you don’t have to have insurance. I’ve never had to deal with a state boating permit or any of the mussel inspection nonsense.

Ya, I spend more than that hundred on hookers and blow in a weekend... Will probably just get signed up with Flo and throw the paperwork in my dash compartment....

I'm all for the mussel inspections. Let's not get all PARFie here, but they are already in the Delta and affecting pumps, pipes, canals that irrigate the central valley crops. They were 1st discover like 6-7 years ago there and there are millions of them now. The San Juaquin valley Delta has dredged channels for a rather large container port in Stockton and they are sure the boats there pumping ballast & bilge tanks is what introduced them. The big concern up here is if they get into the hydroelectric revisors they will completely gum up the works.

My family had a lake house at a No. Cal Lake that when I was a kid in the early 80 we could catch a hundred blue gill without even baiting a hook from the shore. Well by the late 90s so many live bait wells of pike being dumped in the lake completely depleted the blue gill and the planting of trout by the state had to be adjusted to only larger fish that the pike would not molest. Hatchery sweet spots are like a 7-8" plant fish, larger takes significantly longer than the year the 7-8 inchers take.

Hate invasive species.

[onewhippedpuppy]

We have mussel issues here too but minus the inspections. It’s very well known that all boaters need to drain their bilge and live wells after pulling their boat ashore and I can’t recall seeing anyone not complying. I think the vast majority of boaters are very respectful of the lakes they enjoy and genuinely care about conserving that environment. We now keep our boat at the same lake so that’s less of an issue.