New member here from south Georgia

[Azera]

Just wanted to announce my presence on the forum and all the usual boring stuff like height, weight, distinguishing scars/tattoos, etc. but what the hell.......I'm a non-conformist so I'm gonna break with tradition and talk about my dang boat!

I said I wasn't gonna do the boring stuff, but I lied - I think it's fair you know of my skills. I've been boating just about all my life (which adds up to something like 55 years). My first real memories were of my dad and a couple of his Air Force pilot buds that had the ubiquitous 14' run-a-bout with those massive 25 hp motors. I got to help my Dad build a 17" foot outboard from a Glenn L Marine designs (yeah - I'm THAT old). That's when woodworking and the boat bug bit me big time. My Dad owned a Chris-Craft 26' Sedan Cruiser which although not fast was a looker with all it's glossy marine spar varnish over its meticulously stained mahagony wood trim everywhere. I still hate the sight of a paint scraper to this day due to all the scrapping and sanding and scraping and sanding and varnishing. Lordy that boat was beautiful when done. But getting there was a PIMA. To my Dad's credit, whenever folks complimented the woodworking, he would always say, "Don't thank me - thank that son of mine who put all the sweat in it.

The next project.....er......uh......boat was a 30' Chris-Craft Cavalier with twin 283 chevys. That boat was kinda light for it's size since the hull was plywood instead of your typical double plank layup. That boat probably only topped out some where in the upper 30's, but she was my imaginary PT109 when my Dad shoved those throttles WFO.

Me?? I've had a (gulp) 15' and a 19" Bayliner (no - I didn't learn my lesson the first time - with all due respect to any Bayliner owners here. They're just not built like I think they should be). The 19' footer was kinda fun in that I'm a true gear head. We opted for the 305 V8 with the Yamaha outdrive. And since I know small block chevys inside & out, it wasn't long before I was working my magic on that odd-ball 305 making it a torque monster. Naturally I had to let folks know I was coming (loud pipes saves lives) so thru hull exhaust was a must.

I need to take a time out here to thank my very, very patient and understanding wife. Not only is she married to a gear head engineer, she works for an engineering firm. There's a special place in heaven for women like her.

So back to the hot rod Bayliner. Once I was done with the motor and had selected some props I thought would work, I did some testing. Holy Mother of the planet Jupiter. The one thing I quickly learned was that the naval architech/engineers that designed that hull had NO intention of it being over 50mph. If you didn't know how to trim, you best send your soul to heaven. It wanted to chine walk and spit me into the next county. Although the speed wasn't there, I was able to turn a 27" 3-bladded cleaver which I could make throw a rooster tail a mile high. That boat was so much fun and as long as I was sane, the wife enjoyed it too. But don't run up on me and sneer at my lowly Bayliner because then it was "Hammer Time".

I'm gonna wrapped this up before any has to take No-Doze. In addition to power boats, I've got plenty of time in sailing craft from 12' Sunfish's all the way to a 52' Beneteau. My latest project is a pontoon rescue. But that story is in another forum.

[RcgTexas]

Welcome !

[smltooner]

Welcome to the club.
Sounds like you will fit right in.

[grouser]

Welcome from the State of Jefferson