# Where have all the boats gone



## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

Not a Peter Paul & Mary song but in the 60's and 70's I worked part time rigging out many a boats as sales were booming with the new lakes. Glastron from Austin, Invader from Giddings and so many more, 100hp was max and fishing styles were just coming on. Fiberglass was relatively new with floatation being in spagetti bags. Are our land fills full of boats or just in storage (beside what Flo uses). Just asking????


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

BBjim keeps a 42 year old 16' I/O mecr drive walk through windshield at Beacon Bay. Good fishing rig.

I talked to a young fellow and his wife with a brand new to them 15' Glaston with a 75 Javelin motor at Foss Lake last weekend. It was a 1974 model. It looked pretty good.
He had spent a week resurrecting it after paying $600.00. 
They were on the maiden voyage. He pulled all the rookie mistakes including leave the plug in the truck, not removing the brace under the motor before launching and not realizing that starting the motor and letting it warm up while still on the trailer is easier than swimming the boat back to the ramp because you did not buy a paddle.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

I miss some of the old Lone Star's & Glastron's I used to have but I miss teh wood boats the most. So much character... Chris Craft, Garwood, Shepard...

Oh hell, they were too much work! Simple bass boat with not so simple electronics everywhere & let me fish the computer... LOL


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

*1965 Larson Bubble Ride, 16.5 foot*

We still have Dads boat running with and old 95 HP merc.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

I see a bunch of tri hulls in the woods around me out here.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Original owner of one of the first Mako's ever made....1972 vintage Jupiter 15. Caught huge tarpon out of that rig, king fish, and more reds and trout than I can remember....and more recently many, many limits of LL stripers. 

Now its a great river boat.

If taken care of, a well made boat will last a lifetime.


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## Boomhauer75 (Jan 3, 2010)

Don't forget about the Kingfisher brand of boats. They were made extremely well. I purchased a used one as my very first boat. That boat caught a lot of crappie and bass out of Lake Fork and also those big Texoma Zebra fish.

I should have never sold it! lol


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I think building boats is totally different than cars. A relatively small business could build a very good boat. There are brands out there you may not have heard of that are well made. Some business owners had pride and wanted to make sure their name meant quality. However, like any business, it is competitive. Sometimes, a name gets to be well known and then a bigger business buys the name and the newer boats are not built as well as the older boats. No insult intended, but I think Mako is an example of that. 

Something about the boat building business fascinates me. As example Falcon, at least in my opinion, was a well made boat. At one time they were built very close to where the Pearland Bass Pro is now. The same family, I think, (Hudson) now makes Shallowsport, which are still considered quality.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

For every example, there is a counter example....yes, Mako is an example of a boat that was the highest quality originally, but sacrificed quality for price discounts under new ownership over the years. 

Boston Whalers are a counter example...as well as several others. As best I can tell, the Whalers are still built as well today as ever....the Makos not so much. If you can get an older Mako that has been taken care of, you've really got a heck of a boat.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks for the great responses & great stories out there. Beside those plywoods dad built for river I went thru bout 11 mtd with Elgins, Scott at Water, Merc, Chrys, Evin and Johns. Still think my best was the Glastron T 161 bass boat (ends by Rick Clunn) top of line in 76.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Don't forget the Raycraft built in San Augustine Texas it grew up with Rayburn !! Great boat !!


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

nikki said:


> Thanks for the great responses & great stories out there. Beside those plywoods dad built for river I went thru bout 11 mtd with Elgins, Scott at Water, Merc, Chrys, Evin and Johns. Still think my best was the Glastron T 161 bass boat (ends by Rick Clunn) top of line in 76.


Ah man, the old chrysler. We had one growing up. It was a 70 h.p. on some old walk threw my dad got. The floor was rotted and we used those 6 gal gas cans and ice chest for seats. The cover for the engine was big enough that we all used it for a diveing board. Try that with these new ones.


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## Castaway2 (Aug 8, 2013)

*1982*

I run a second owner 1982 Spartan.. I specifically search for certain hull design and took years to find it, the Spartan I bought for 600 bucks and put about another 900 into it so far. I originally wanted a dart but could not locate one in decent condition with titles so I got the same hull design and interior pretty much the same in the Spartan. Love the boat enjoy the time rebuilding it too, and most important the family likes it better than my old Ski barge *** it is not a wet ride like the ski barge was the ski barge was a 78 and cost around 500 put about 600 into it. Here some pictures. I like the older boats they come cheap and easy to work on after a learning curve and some help from 2 cool, and catch the same fish the 50-70k boats will. 
Here some pictures. Before and after of current Spartan and finished skibarge


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## 1buckfan1 (Aug 19, 2011)

I've been running an "82" Cajun with an "83" Merc IL6 thunderbolt. Still runs like a top fixed it up a little.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Just got back from a couple of weeks up in Michigan. I was amazed at all of the big wooden cruiser boats still running out of Holland, Grand Haven, and Muskegon. Saw plenty of old Penn Yan's, Chris Chrafts, Thompsons, and even a Lyman Islander type cuddy.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Now there's a trip back in time. A 5 hp scott at water and a 12ft Arkansas traveler  ah the good ole days


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

whsalum said:


> Don't forget the Raycraft built in San Augustine Texas it grew up with Rayburn !! Great boat !!


Wasn't that a favorite of John Fox TV fisherman of the time and he's still rolling


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Great pics and stories guys! My contribution-----1979 Venture-115 Merc---all stock-radar clocked at 55 mph--almost hands off steering-no chine walk. Toledo Bend-1979--Frontier Park Marina.

The Venture hull held the top speed record in the early 80's----82 mph as I recall. Hull was also known as Performance when company split up-Venture made in TN and Performance in MS I think.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

whsalum said:


> Don't forget the Raycraft built in San Augustine Texas it grew up with Rayburn !! Great boat !!


I had a place on Toledo Bend back in the 90's and Raycraft was all the guides ever used. You needed something tough for all of that "stump jumping" on that lake.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Whitebassfisher said:


> I think building boats is totally different than cars. A relatively small business could build a very good boat.


In the early 1970s, a guy who lived across the street from us built plywood and fiberglass bay scooter open sided boats in his shop. Sold about five a year.

It was his down-time business. His primary business was moving dirt but when rained out or no work he hand crafted boats.

I am still running a 1974 Monark 16' john boat. Original trailer with zero rust. They did a great job galvanizing the trailer. Only work was replacing transom plywood, re-wiring lights, and I repainted it for cosmetic reasons.

Have fun,
RFA


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## seber (Aug 11, 2014)

Some get fixed, Some get scrapped. In my time I've replaced transoms on a Boston Whaler and a Larsen. Also the sole in a Seacamper. On the other hand I've scrapped a Lone Star, a Glasstron and one unknown that I bought for parts. All three were rotted from one end to the other. I have since sworn never to buy another boat with any wood whatever. I'd rather be fishing.


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