What was your first boat?

[Widespread Panic]

56 Smoker craft 15' flat back canoe (still have)

Mid 80's Perception kayak

97 Tigershark jet ski

67 (I think) 13' Whaler

00 13' Gheenoe

94 19' Dusky

96 25' Parker CC

02 Lagoon 14' Sprint

90 29' Mirage Express (still have)

01 15 Lagoon Classic (still have)

70 24' Hydrodyne Flat Top 24, actually wife's boat(still have)

88 16' Hobie cat (still have)

08 Hobie Getaway (still have)

Dream boat, 38' Stolper

[SCAngler]

1957 polar 13 1/2' semi v aluminum boat with a '57 evinrude 10. My dad gave it to me & we put a 9.5 evinrude on her in '71(we put the 10 on another boat ). We ran the crap out of that boat and even skied many hours on her. I still have the boat and both engines.

[Mike Carrigan]

Did Montgomery Wards sell SeaKing outboards in the 50's?? If so we had one on a 8' jon boat I used to drag to the water three blocks from my house. I was 9, and got tired of fishing from the Ballast Point pier in Tampa, so I started to take my dads boat out. I rigged two bicycle wheels to a broomstick, made a rickshaw to tote it the three blocks to the water. I fished a lot in Tampa Bay for the next two years. I had to drag it home along the mangroves a time or two when it wouldn't start. I cut my mechanical teeth on that old rig.

Our first new family boat was a '72 Westwind with a 50 Evinrude. My first new boat was a 1986 19' Traveler with a 90 Yamaha.

Yes, SEA KING, GALE, were "JOHNRUDES" in the 50's.

I spun wrenches on them in the early sixties.

GALE was actually the parent company of JOHNSON/EVINRUDE.

It was the GALE CORPORATION.

Also, yes.

About 1955 or so, Clearwater Beach.

What is now Island Estates were mangroves.

My first was wood, have no idea the brand name, 15 H.P. EVINRUDE, in and out of all those mangroves.

Cleaned bottoms, painted bottoms, and what ever else at Clearwater Yacht Club for gas $$$.

Would hitchhike across the causeway to where the SEA FEVER tied up at the city docks and pick up a few bucks from Captain Devlin when he returned from fishing. Could never get the MISS BUCKEYE to give me any work.

So, here I am, sixty four years old, still in the boat business?

Why didn't I listen to my mother?!?

Mike Carrigan

[Mike Carrigan]

Cool. I went to college with the daughter of the guy who owned the company. This was around 1979-81.

Bad site for me to be on.

I'M AN OLD GUY!

Frank Caccatori, CACCI CRAFT, built in Tampa.

Terrific guy!

Great sence of humor, alot of fun.

Never did any business with him, we were, during the sixties, competitors, but hung out togeather at boat shows and the like. Drank a beer or three togeather.

Mike Carrigan

[Grunt]

15 ft. MFG w/60hp Johnson. Approx.1972 vintage I think.

[Mike Carrigan]

15 ft. MFG w/60hp Johnson. Approx.1972 vintage I think.

I've really enjoyed this post.

A friend talking about his time on Tampa Bay, maybe about the same time I was running around Cearwater Bay, we're talking about the fifties here. To me, thats some fun.

Now and then, a contributer on another site, ABOATER, who falls into our "old guys" catagory, contributes.

My guess would be that the time we're talking about in Florida might run a pretty good parallel on the Pacific Coast.

The time I've spent there is quite different, also pretty exciting. We dont have alot of Seals in Florida.

I think it would be welcomed for him to jump in.

It's a nice post.

Mike Carrigan

[Murphinator]

Bad site for me to be on.

I'M AN OLD GUY!

Frank Caccatori, CACCI CRAFT, built in Tampa.

Terrific guy!

Great sence of humor, alot of fun.

Never did any business with him, we were, during the sixties, competitors, but hung out togeather at boat shows and the like. Drank a beer or three togeather.

Mike Carrigan

Frank had his business on Fowler Ave I think. I would go there for parts. Frank was a super guy.

[SLOWOUTBOARD]

Early 70's 12' Sears Gamefisher with a 9.9 Sears engine. Bought with lawn mowing proceeds when I was 14. My parents were/are not into boating, but my dad would drive the boat to the lake on his way to playing tennis so I could fish with my buddies. That was 34 years ago, damn I'm getting older.

HAD THE SAME BOAT BUT WITH A 7.5 TED WILLIAMS OUTBOARD AS MY FIRST

[Stebo]

First Boat - Annie Laurie - 26 foot Barnegat Bay garvey, 1 1/2" cedar planking with a Hercules straight 6. My dad and I had a ball with this one bought it around 1966 - guess I'm an old guy too.

[FlyMag]

1984 Mako 171. Wish I still had it. Great boat, needed everything done to it!

1980 17' Mako Angler! Still have it and its under the knife:

http://classicmako.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24596