Boats

[5hout]

So I bought a floating money pit boat. 1972 Starcraft, with working trolling motor, working trailer and not working outboard (will fix or replace, the price was cheap without a motor).

https://imgur.com/a/nPecV3m

Other than keeping it covered and such, what should I know as a new boat owner? Also, I suck at trailers so it's stuck between a lumber pile and a fence right now lol and to get it here I had to hook some black pipe up to the front trailer chains and DL walk it there, so you know, good for exercise at least.

I've got a lot of canoe experience, but otherwise boating has been limited to "other people's boats", i.e. the best kind. Please assume (as you all know from my posting) that I have vast gulfs of ignorance.

[JonA]

Were you able to transfer registration of the boat and trailer alright? I've had mixed experiences with older boats and other recreational vehicles. We need a bill of sale, signed, from the previously registered owner, so if you just buy a random boat from a random dude and the guy at the DMV is having a bad day, you might not be able to get it registered.

It's really common for trailers. Here, you can get a lifetime registration for the trailer, but it's only valid for the current owner. When ownership is transferred, you still need to re-register the trailer. Lots of people don't know that, so eventually you get trailers that are no longer registered with their current owner and no way to properly do it. So you paint it up nice and convince the DMV guy that it's a DIY trailer that needs to be newly registered.

[5hout]

Were you able to transfer registration of the boat and trailer alright?

I've not yet filed at DMV, but have signed bill of sale. The trailer, thankfully, is not over 2500 lbs and therefore does not title transfer, merely original registration and display of plate (per my understanding of the rules/not your lawyer/blahblahblah). I'm also fairly sure the guy sold this below market b/c he misunderstood the trailer reg requirements and thinks this is one of those impossible to register used trailers. EDIT: Also, the only 3 places I plan on using this boat for the next few years are all within 5 miles of my house.

[Allentown]

Other than keeping it covered and such, what should I know as a new boat owner?

The best two days of a boat owners life...

[JonA]

EDIT: Also, the only 3 places I plan on using this boat for the next few years are all within 5 miles of my house.

How is the trailer? Are the tires in good shape? Wheel bearings?

So I bought a floating money pit boat. 1972 Starcraft, with working trolling motor, working trailer and not working outboard (will fix or replace, the price was cheap without a motor).

It's great to see another person of great culture and sophisticated tastes....

[5hout]

EDIT: Also, the only 3 places I plan on using this boat for the next few years are all within 5 miles of my house.

How is the trailer? Are the tires in good shape? Wheel bearings?

It's great to see another person of great culture and sophisticated tastes....

Tires are ok, held up well on the 70 mile drive home (checked before and twice during drive). No weird bearing noises when moving and it rolls easy enough when I DL the front. I'd expect to replace them in a year or two just based on wear/tread quality.

Some rust on trailer, which I'll scrape and paint sometime before the heat death of the universe, but otherwise in good condition. Both lights worked yesterday, although one fell off when I got home (fucking classic) and is dangling by the wire right now. I didn't go over 65, but it pulled well on the highway, no sway issues.

Based on a more in-depth review of the process of getting the correct plates this is going to be a headache. So basically classic serf of the nanny stateboat owner problems. It's just annoying paperwork (apart from a trip to get the trailer weighed), but it drives me batty that the state needs to wet its beak in the sale of a 50 year old boat.

[mikeylikey]

EDIT: Also, the only 3 places I plan on using this boat for the next few years are all within 5 miles of my house.

How is the trailer? Are the tires in good shape? Wheel bearings?

It's great to see another person of great culture and sophisticated tastes....

Tires are ok, held up well on the 70 mile drive home (checked before and twice during drive). No weird bearing noises when moving and it rolls easy enough when I DL the front. I'd expect to replace them in a year or two just based on wear/tread quality.

Some rust on trailer, which I'll scrape and paint sometime before the heat death of the universe, but otherwise in good condition. Both lights worked yesterday, although one fell off when I got home (fucking classic) and is dangling by the wire right now. I didn't go over 65, but it pulled well on the highway, no sway issues.

Based on a more in-depth review of the process of getting the correct plates this is going to be a headache. So basically classic serf of the nanny stateboat owner problems. It's just annoying paperwork (apart from a trip to get the trailer weighed), but it drives me batty that the state needs to wet its beak in the sale of a 50 year old boat.

Go ahead and inspect and pack your bearings and replace the seals (back of the hub) now. That way you'll know when it was last done.

These are worth the money.

Always have a spare tire. Trailer tires are less robust than truck tires to begin with, and they sit for long periods of time. Blowouts are a part of life.

The spare won't do you any good if you can't change it; make sure you have the correct size lug wrench for the (usually smaller) trailer lug nuts. Keep it in your tow vehicle.

Test the jack that stays in your truck too; make sure it has enough height extension to get the trailer wheels off the ground. Have wood blocks if needed. The spare won't do you any good if you can't change it.

Figure out where (in your tow vehicle) the fuses are that go to your trailer lighting. Have spares on hand.

I have a dedicated tool box with your usual general purpose tools as well as some specialty towing/boating/camping items. It stays in my truck and I DO NOT borrow from it for home repair tasks.

With that boat, you're gonna know immediately if you forgot the drain plug. If you graduate up to bigger boats, you want to establish a ritual for installing, removing, and storing the drain plug (and spare).

[5hout]

I have a dedicated tool box with your usual general purpose tools as well as some specialty towing/boating/camping items. It stays in my truck and I DO NOT borrow from it for home repair tasks.

With that boat, you're gonna know immediately if you forgot the drain plug. If you graduate up to bigger boats, you want to establish a ritual for installing, removing, and storing the drain plug (and spare).

All good points. Will get (and store in the boat) all of the above (including removed for space items).

[5hout]

Got trailer plate and boat registration all sorted in 20m at SoS, despite have a bill of sale on a medium sized St. Jude's post-it note, showing X sold it to me despite all state records indicating Y owned it. Very happy at how nice they were about it. Did my best happy and polite idiot act (might be method though) and all smooth.

[wiigelec]

Had it out on the water yet?

[5hout]

Took it out Sunday, total shitshow. Toddler screaming to be let out of the carseat and I already suck at trailer backing up. Finally get kid calmed down, take a bunch of attempts to get trailer in water with my dad and some rando both "helping". Boat is floating. Go to drive trailer forward and some part of it hooked on the boat. My dad has line in his hand and toddler so is trying to avoid being dragged in and says nothing, as I drag the ashore where it promptly falls half onto the dock.

Ok, get in the water and drag the boat till it floats, get everyone in and the wind kicks up to a sold 18-20mph. You know what I didn't buy? An anchor. Get the electric motor running. Works fine. Tool around on electric/oars for a while, but discover that a chair I had thought was movable from front to back requires ordering an adapter. So to steer the electric I have to sit on the front and with my hands operate a foot pedal steering device. Only have a tiny bit of gas b/c didn't have time to look up fuel mix before, runs fine on the tiny amount of gas so gas engine might be good to go.

Trying to get back out went somewhat better, but I did say fuck it and just carry the trailer into position instead of being good at backing up (2 boat line behind us). Discover that both headlamps are now dangling from the trailer, and one of the wooden supports in the trailer for the boat is cracked in half. 1 mile home, get trailer next to barn all good.

Only a bit of water between deck and hull, my coffee got drained into there as well, but after 3 hours there was some visible other water, but not much. Waited and see was wet on the hull after everything else drained (and moving the boat around as it dried and marked a few spots/rivets/areas connecting various parts that look to need some touching up.

Didn't sink, and no big leaks, so calling it a win. Thank god the launch is so close to the house though.

[mikeylikey]

Took it out Sunday, total shitshow. Toddler screaming to be let out of the carseat and I already suck at trailer backing up. Finally get kid calmed down, take a bunch of attempts to get trailer in water with my dad and some rando both "helping". Boat is floating. Go to drive trailer forward and some part of it hooked on the boat. My dad has line in his hand and toddler so is trying to avoid being dragged in and says nothing, as I drag the ashore where it promptly falls half onto the dock.

Ok, get in the water and drag the boat till it floats, get everyone in and the wind kicks up to a sold 18-20mph. You know what I didn't buy? An anchor. Get the electric motor running. Works fine. Tool around on electric/oars for a while, but discover that a chair I had thought was movable from front to back requires ordering an adapter. So to steer the electric I have to sit on the front and with my hands operate a foot pedal steering device. Only have a tiny bit of gas b/c didn't have time to look up fuel mix before, runs fine on the tiny amount of gas so gas engine might be good to go.

Trying to get back out went somewhat better, but I did say fuck it and just carry the trailer into position instead of being good at backing up (2 boat line behind us). Discover that both headlamps are now dangling from the trailer, and one of the wooden supports in the trailer for the boat is cracked in half. 1 mile home, get trailer next to barn all good.

Only a bit of water between deck and hull, my coffee got drained into there as well, but after 3 hours there was some visible other water, but not much. Waited and see was wet on the hull after everything else drained (and moving the boat around as it dried and marked a few spots/rivets/areas connecting various parts that look to need some touching up.

Didn't sink, and no big leaks, so calling it a win. Thank god the launch is so close to the house though.

[JonA]

Sounds like things went pretty well. I can't remember the last boat outing I had that went as smoothly as yours did.

No mice nest in the air intake? No gummed up carb discovered when the trolling motor battery dies? No anchor tied on only one end? Not rusted out seat post that punches a whole in the bottom of the boat when you sit down in despair after breaking the starter rope?

[5hout]

VIDEO

I'm crying actual tears of laughter at the moment.

No mice nest in the air intake? No gummed up carb discovered when the trolling motor battery dies? No anchor tied on only one end? Not rusted out seat post that punches a whole in the bottom of the boat when you sit down in despair after breaking the starter rope?

I know! and "all" I have to do is buy an anchor and tape up the lights and we're good to go.

[Root]

Took it out Sunday, total shitshow. Toddler screaming to be let out of the carseat and I already suck at trailer backing up. Finally get kid calmed down, take a bunch of attempts to get trailer in water with my dad and some rando both "helping". Boat is floating. Go to drive trailer forward and some part of it hooked on the boat. My dad has line in his hand and toddler so is trying to avoid being dragged in and says nothing, as I drag the ashore where it promptly falls half onto the dock.

Ok, get in the water and drag the boat till it floats, get everyone in and the wind kicks up to a sold 18-20mph. You know what I didn't buy? An anchor. Get the electric motor running. Works fine. Tool around on electric/oars for a while, but discover that a chair I had thought was movable from front to back requires ordering an adapter. So to steer the electric I have to sit on the front and with my hands operate a foot pedal steering device. Only have a tiny bit of gas b/c didn't have time to look up fuel mix before, runs fine on the tiny amount of gas so gas engine might be good to go.

Trying to get back out went somewhat better, but I did say fuck it and just carry the trailer into position instead of being good at backing up (2 boat line behind us). Discover that both headlamps are now dangling from the trailer, and one of the wooden supports in the trailer for the boat is cracked in half. 1 mile home, get trailer next to barn all good.

Only a bit of water between deck and hull, my coffee got drained into there as well, but after 3 hours there was some visible other water, but not much. Waited and see was wet on the hull after everything else drained (and moving the boat around as it dried and marked a few spots/rivets/areas connecting various parts that look to need some touching up.

Didn't sink, and no big leaks, so calling it a win. Thank god the launch is so close to the house though.

Was it more or less enjoyable than the gigantic smoker grease fire?

Boat launch + lawn chair + cooler of beer = cheap entertainment

[5hout]

Was it more or less enjoyable than the gigantic smoker grease fire?

Boat launch + lawn chair + cooler of beer = cheap entertainment

I would say it was more enjoyable than grease fire, but the brisket was still really tasty so it's hard to say. Boat more fun, less tasty. Also, my coffee spilled and so I had 1 sip and had to endure the rest of the trip with coffee.

[wiigelec]

Boat ramps can definitely be stressful. Don’t let the jerks get you in a rush, but also make sure you’re not taking any unnecessary steps while launching like loading and unloading the boat with coolers and fishing equipment. Do that before you back down the ramp. Just like everything it takes practice. As long as everyone is, for the most part, having fun that’s all that matters!

[5hout]

Boat has gone out a few times this year. None of the launches have been particularly problematic, nothing like last year. I added a new brass drain hole and a 12v battery powered bilge pump to the boat (was working about 1 inch of water per 2 hours before I JB welded a bunch of sprung rivets/random spots).

The motor, after a lot of work over the winter (cleaning inside out, new oil throughout it and running a lot of aggressively stabilized recreational fuel through it in a fairly rich mixture with synthetic oil, works like a fucking charm. HOWEVER the fuel tank can be hooked up backwards, it's a 2 prong system and locks into place just fine backwards. The engine does not run well with the fuel tank hooked up backwards. In fact, it doesn't run at all.

Only real issue is the lack we go on is super weedy and the motor isn't strong enough to really plow through them, also there are 2 adjustment knobs for how lean it runs and both of them wiggle free so I need to fix the set screws somehow (both broken). But, I've spent some good time tooling around the lake, fishing and generally enjoying the boat instead of cursing things.

When I found one of the sprung rivets I pointed it out and my 3YO said "get the JB weld!", so he's learning a lot as well. I need to build a little kid sized bench/seat up front, right now not a great seating selection for fishing with kids. The best part is that b/c the boat was so cheap it's proving to be more of a "bust out another Twenty" kind of situation. Although, I do need new tires for it...

As time permits I'm drafting plans for a little fiberglass 1 mast sailboat for the boys. I have all the parts to make it, just need time. Going really simple, ideally something I can haul on the "big" boat so wife and I can be on that boat and 1-2 of the boys can be on the other boat (eventually). Many projects ahead of this in the "things to build order", but I'm happy to have the fiberglass and wood set seasoning in the barn.