Your First boat

[NicPaus]

18' Tahiti jet boat. Sold it to a member here on payments. He never paid and I had to repo it back from him. His dad was a tow truck driver and told him don't pay we will do a storage lien on it. I stashed it at my buddies casino for a while. Sure as shit when I decided to drag it to my house him and his dad saw me towing it and followed me home. His dad was 300+ pounds and tried to kick my ass at 20 years old. Good thing I had a crazy neighbor Dave from Flats that came out and put a stop to it.

 

[pwerwagn]

1985 Fineline Centurion with an 86 Merc 200. My parents bought it in ~1988 from Stepps American Marine here in Albuquerque, and it was the family boat until ~2002 when the powerhead decided it was done, and he bought a new boat. When he bought it it had an aluminum prop on it, the motor was on its lowest mount on the jackplate, and it would only run about 50mph. He messed with props, motor height, etc and its best was 77mph on radar at the "budman shootout" at the butte in 92.

I bought it from my parents in 2005 with a blown powerhead, and my wife bought me a used powerhead in Abiline for our anniversary in ~06. We used it a ton until ~2013 when I bought the 257 Carrera and it has sat in storage since. I almost sold it last summer, but then my dad got sick and I decided to keep it. He passed away 2 months ago, so my spring project next year is to get this back out and running. The steering is seized on it, so I need to buy a new helm/rack/cables, etc.

 

[Wheeler]

18' Tahiti jet boat. Sold it to a member here on payments. He never paid and I had to repo it back from him. His dad was a tow truck driver and told him don't pay we will do a storage lien on it. I stashed it at my buddies casino for a while. Sure as shit when I decided to drag it to my house him and his dad saw me towing it and followed me home. His dad was 300+ pounds and tried to kick my ass at 20 years old. Good thing I had a crazy neighbor Dave from Flats that came out and put a stop to it.

The start of the perfect "Winter Story" ...Spill the beans!!

 

[old rigger]

1976 Hawaiian Jet daycruiser with BBF and Berkeley jet. Did about 110mph.

If I'm not mistake, that's almost exactly how we advertised them.

 

[Badchoices03]

My immediate family never owned a boat growing up, but I spent all my childhood summers in Redding CA with my cousin who was in a private ski club, so through him learned how to drive a boat before I knew how to drive a car, in fact he taught me how to drive a car in his 1977 Ford Bronco just so that I can learn how to back the boat in. Started going to Havasu in high school with my friends family who had a small Omega jet boat, which ended being given to him right out of high school, a few summer on that boat and my brother and I were ready to buy something for ourselves. We went to the long beach boat show, and our budget pointed us to a Commander 22 Hawk, we looked at them and talked to Sy directly and he suggested we go down to his yard in Corona as he had a few already built ready to go.

Showed up at their showroom a few weeks later with a pre-approved loan ready to buy. Well low an behold there was this "monster" of a boat sitting in their parking lot, just sort of wasting away, there was no power, no drives, no interior, just a shell, but we fell in love with it. After many hours of back and forth, driving back to the bank to do paperwork (this was before stuff could be done easily online), we made a deal on that boat.

I wont get into the absolute nightmare it was to actually get the boat finished and delivered, NOR the absolute nightmare the boat itself was, and how my brother and Sy almost got into it at the boat show.

But we ended up, as our first boat, with a 1998 Commander 28' Signature, at that time 28' was pretty big for Havasu and we were on top of the world.

 

[84miller]

Purchased a 1959 Glasspar G3. It was 13.5 feet, flat bottom with side "spatoons" with tower of power 6 cycl 100 merc, two blade bronze prop, still have the prop. It was pretty fast, handle very well, was extremely easy to get airborne. I was 17, pulled it with a 1967 mustang. Do not have a picture of mine handy but here is advertisement. Mine did not have a windshield and was white with black stripes.

 

[F.U.IRS]

Purchased a 1959 Glasspar G3. It was 13.5 feet, flat bottom with side "spatoons" with tower of power 6 cycl 100 merc, two blade bronze prop, still have the prop. It was pretty fast, handle very well, was extremely easy to get airborne. I was 17, pulled it with a 1967 mustang. Do not have a picture of mine handy but here is advertisement. Mine did not have a windshield and was white with black stripes.

Like this?

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

1988 Bayliner 19' outboard

 

[Rayson1971]

1975 syndicate t deck pantera bottom with 200 black max. Got some pics somwwhere.

 

[Jetboatjosh]

1974 kona makai 455 olds need jet. Sold it to a co worker a few years ago when I got my challenger

 

[liquid addiction]

Yes..... the Witchcraft that felt like it was gonna flip when you turn sharp

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That was my first also. Same colors only a little different design. Had a 115 Mercury. Dam thing never wanted to fire up cold. I always had to shoot a little starting spray under the cover, and then no problems. I built a small ski pole to get the rope from the transom over the motor. It sank after sitting over night in a slip at Lake Tulloch. Pulled it out, dried everything and ran it the rest of the summer. It was a blast!!

 

[Quiet Cannon]

1978 Eliminator, Dad's 2nd and my first.

 

[stephenkatsea]

19' Tahiti by Schuster Boats of Bellflower CA. 4 cylinder 140hp, I/O. That engine was pretty much a GM 283 cut in half. Ran most of the day on a 12 gal fuel tank in the bow. Great boat. May have been 18'.

I neglected to mention this classic Tahiti also came with a tube, a very good O'Brian with a canvas cover. Our grandkids still use that tube now. Guess that $1,200 for that Tahiti was well spent.

 

[ATKpilot]

Boating all my life but this was my first boat, Tahiti Tiger jet bote being towed by my brand new 1985 Toyota 4x4. I bought the Tahiti and then sold it within a year while my brand new Bahner bubble deck was being built. The third pic is the day I brought the Bahner home, hadn't even been wet yet. I thought I was the shit at 22 years old LOL

 

[jones performance]

my first boat, 1990 Cole 20' SS jet. i pulled it with my 79 k5 blazer which was my first car ever as well. still have the k5, the cole i sold in 2000. ive seen it twice since on havasu.

 

[getreal]

 

[jones performance]

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i love the square body with the rhino axle truss and the american racing vectors

 

[SKIDMARC]

First and only boat. 2006 Tahoe Q6S. Still have it. Got it in 2010. Thought about buying a new or different boat. But its hard to get ride of something that has always been reliable and do everything we want and do it well. Well.....except go fast LOL Took this picture a few months ago.

 

[old rigger]

Boating all my life but this was my first boat, Tahiti Tiger jet bote being towed by my brand new 1985 Toyota 4x4. I bought the Tahiti and then sold it within a year while my brand new Bahner bubble deck was being built. The third pic is the day I brought the Bahner home, hadn't even been wet yet. I thought I was the shit at 22 years old LOL

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Not that it matters now (or ever) but that was a Super Tiger. The Kona a few post's before yours was the Tahiti Tiger.

The Super Tiger was of course a splash of the Southwind.

 

[Rayson1971]

1975 syndicate t deck pantera bottom with 200 black max. Got some pics somwwhere.

 

[ATKpilot]

Not that it matters now (or ever) but that was a Super Tiger. The Kona a few post's before yours was the Tahiti Tiger.

The Super Tiger was of course a splash of the Southwind.

Thanks for that info!, at the time I didn't know and later thought it was...you confirmed it! It was a really fun first boat

 

[rrrr]

If I'm not mistake, that's almost exactly how we advertised them.

Right! My Sleekcraft had a Berkeley jet, and the 440 HP BBC pushed it up to 57 MPH no sweat.

 

[LakeMead Boater]

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1990 vector


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Man, I love your boat! If you ever sell, please contact me first!

 

[Eliminator21vdrive]

Where is that photo taken?

Lahoton Reservoir in NV

 

[Boat Potato]

Bought my first flat bottom when I was 18. Never could figure out what the hull was. No HIN numbers either. Had a wood deck. I was told it was a Nordic but not sure. Does anyone have an idea of what it could be?

 

[havasuhusker]

This is the 1st boat I have bought (others have been family boats). Currently being built...

 

[nameisbond]

My first one, I was 11 on Cape Cod. How many of you can say you boated on the Ocean by yourself at 11?

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I did from about age 9 up. Grew up in a house on a beach here on the sea connected to the pacific ocean. Had a 12ft Zodiac with a 9.5 hp Merc at first.

 

[beaverretriever]

I'm so jealous as all you guys had such awesome first boats! Would love to have any of those bitchen rides.

I think I'm the only one on here with a wake boat as my first boat. I bought it brand new in 2003 and we used the heck out of it. That thing spent a bunch of time at the sandbar. I wake skated a ton so that's the reason I wanted it but wake skating turned in to parking at the beach and drinking more than anything.

Sold that boat about a year and a half later for more than I bought it for new; same crap back then right?


All the photos are from 2003 and 04.

I used to be pretty heavy compared to now as it must have been mac and cheese and beer. That was 2004 a deisel and it towed that little boat like there nothing back there! As for the outfit, I took a que from Dave on the shants I guess.

Flat bills and huge shorts, I was a kook then and I still am. The speakers were so huge and heavy, the spindly little tower would sway back and forth so bad I thought it was going to break out of the deck! hahahahaha!!!

Our boat definitely was always a party boat. I only know one of those guys in that photo! Haha. Sandbar circa 2004.

 

[nameisbond]

Oh, as you can see in my picture. Had a 12ft aluminum boat and canoe. Also had windsurfers, etc. As seen in the picture on side of house, had a Honda Fourtrax ATV, forget the size. I had a blast growing up. I'm still mad at my parents for selling that house!

 

[scouter]

1986 16' Seaswirl I bought for myself in 1990 after getting my MBA. It had a 4 banger OMC with an outdrive. Used mostly in San Diego Bay, but also on Mission Bay, the Lower River (where this picture was taken) and on Havasu.

 

[F.U.IRS]

1979 Glastron Carlson 16 ', was sitting behind The Jet bar outside of Norton AFB when I bought it in 81 for $1500. Was the faded green metal flake at that time. Redid the gel and the interior after about 5 years.Kept it for 20 years.lots of great family memories in that little boat.

 

[rrrr]

Around 1980. Family boat, but I used it the most. 19 foot Trisonic. Converted to jet with a 460 Olds engine. Not an easy boat for a young driver. I don't have a pic but it was similar to the one here. Same brown vinyl interior. View attachment 930159

Trisonics were equipped with jet drives from the factory, introduced in 1976 IIRC.

 

[DaveH]

my first boat when i was in my mid 20's was a rare schiada 21RC with a berkley jet. wiah i could find pics! ugly white, yellow and woodgrain.

 

[lenmann]

I'm so jealous as all you guys had such awesome first boats! Would love to have any of those bitchen rides.

I think I'm the only one on here with a wake boat as my first boat. I bought it brand new in 2003 and we used the heck out of it. That thing spent a bunch of time at the sandbar. I wake skated a ton so that's the reason I wanted it but wake skating turned in to parking at the beach and drinking more than anything.

Sold that boat about a year and a half later for more than I bought it for new; same crap back then right?


All the photos are from 2003 and 04.

I used to be pretty heavy compared to now as it must have been mac and cheese and beer. That was 2004 a deisel and it towed that little boat like there nothing back there! As for the outfit, I took a que from Dave on the shants I guess.
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Flat bills and huge shorts, I was a kook then and I still am. The speakers were so huge and heavy, the spindly little tower would sway back and forth so bad I thought it was going to break out of the deck! hahahahaha!!!
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Our boat definitely was always a party boat. I only know one of those guys in that photo! Haha. Sandbar circa 2004.
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Those look like NVS speakers on your tower. I had a 2003 Malibu VLX back then with the twin speaker versions (4 total). Lots of stress cracks in the gel around the tower mounts. Sure sounded good though.

 

[getreal]

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My second boat.

 

[beaverretriever]

Those look like NVS speakers on your tower. I had a 2003 Malibu VLX back then with the twin speaker versions (4 total). Lots of stress cracks in the gel around the tower mounts. Sure sounded good though.

Hahaha! I kept trying to think of the brand. That is exactly what they are. What ever happened to them?

 

[Happy Smitty]

My first boat sank in havasu on its second voyage. So I financed the next NEW boat. Started 100% of the time and never let us down.

 

[mash on it]

My first boat was a 73 tri hull, don't remember the name, 302 ferd, cracked block. Put in a 67 289 out of a wrecked mustang. Tested it in lake Mary in January, started to snow that day. Had it all over, Mohave, lake pleasant, lake Powell, Parker strip, Bullhead City to Havasu. The outdrive went out the second season...sold it (broken) to the guy for the note on the wrecker. Still have the wrecker.

Second böté has a pump in it. Glencoe.
And 3rd. Saguaro.
And 4th. Eliminator.
And 5th. Miller.

Dan'l

 

[SpectraPat]

1969 Regatta

 

[lenmann]

Hahaha! I kept trying to think of the brand. That is exactly what they are. What ever happened to them?

Duane (cant remember his last name), the owner of NVS, was doing wake speakers as a side hustle while working a full-time EE gig in silicon valley. I met him when I bought my first set for the VLX and then when I bought a second set for my 2011 MB B-52. These turned out to be one the last Gen II's he made. He never really could get to scale doing it part time and Wet Sounds came on strong about the same time and he shut her down. Both Gen's were kick ass speakers though.

 

[Ballyhoo]

We found this 24 Schiada in 2000 after looking for a 21 or 22 for over a year. It is our first and only boat.

My sons have grown up with it, learned to ski and wakeboard on it. They have also learned how to operate it, tow it and take care of it. Over the years, my family has made many memories on our boat.

Between 2004-2006 we completed a pretty major restoration that included an engine rebuild, full interior, all new seat bases/seats/hatch, carpet, gauges, fuel systems, some electrical and a new Ellis trailer.

With no plans to switch it up, we are looking towards some upgrades in the future, including a new complete drive and new power.

 

[25Elmn8r]

I'm so jealous as all you guys had such awesome first boats! Would love to have any of those bitchen rides.

I think I'm the only one on here with a wake boat as my first boat. I bought it brand new in 2003 and we used the heck out of it. That thing spent a bunch of time at the sandbar. I wake skated a ton so that's the reason I wanted it but wake skating turned in to parking at the beach and drinking more than anything.

Sold that boat about a year and a half later for more than I bought it for new; same crap back then right?


All the photos are from 2003 and 04.

View attachment 930513

Nothing wrong with that being your first boat, that's exactly what we've been rocking the last 2 seasons. For us it's the party boat that I'm ok with my kids taking out any time they want to. Inexpensive, dependable, and does just fine on our little local lake. With as short as our season is here in N Idaho, I can't justify the expense of the newer boats. Especially when they're gonna sit for 8 months out of the year.

 

[Done-it-again]

I'm late to the game, as this is my first.... All others were my fathers for the big blue.

 

[samsah33]

2003 Tahoe 222 deck boat, not quite the history and nostalgia as others here, but the I was sold on the name (wife, not so much...)! I consigned it in LHC a while back, so I think it's floating around there somewhere...!

 

[ATKpilot]

We found this 24 Schiada in 2000 after looking for a 21 or 22 for over a year. It is our first and only boat.

My sons have grown up with it, learned to ski and wakeboard on it. They have also learned how to operate it, tow it and take care of it. Over the years, my family has made many memories on our boat.

Between 2004-2006 we completed a pretty major restoration that included an engine rebuild, full interior, all new seat bases/seats/hatch, carpet, gauges, fuel systems, some electrical and a new Ellis trailer.

With no plans to switch it up, we are looking towards some upgrades in the future, including a new complete drive and new power.



View attachment 931470

That's a beautiful boat you got there i would like to see some more pictures of the interior etc.

 

[BajaMike]

my first boat, 1990 Cole 20' SS jet. i pulled it with my 79 k5 blazer which was my first car ever as well. still have the k5, the cole i sold in 2000. ive seen it twice since on havasu.


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Nice Blazer, nice boat.

 

[5250]

1976 19’ Miller. bought it when i was 17 for $2900, wish i never sold it though...

 

[Bobo57]

Off brand hull, 460 built Ford.

 

[Ballyhoo]

That's a beautiful boat you got there i would like to see some more pictures of the interior etc.

 

[ATKpilot]

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Very nice