Beat UP

[D.W. Verts]

Yep, that's me. Because I bought yet ANOTHER stinkin' old bass boat a couple of weeks ago. And working on stinking old bass boats just hurts. I started in on it Monday, and I was in and out of it probably twenty times. I used to sell, rig and help do service work on these things. I know to pack EVERYTHING into the boat the first time so you don't have to get IN and OUT of it so many times. Reckon I've forgot.

In the old days it was a time saver to do this. After Monday I couldn't hardly move. Knees, back, wrists (my gosh, the WRISTS). I may be too old for this.

Anyway, it's still MY project. So it's all on me, and there's worse things I could be doing (I quit on it early Wednesday to beat the weather, and ended up mowing grass for an hour). I'd rather complain about working on my boat than complain about mowing grass.

Batteries, new charger, new trolling motor, recessed foot pedal tray, wiring stuff, bearings, other trailer stuff, etc. etc. A year before I get my new motor. Sigh... Maybe tomorrow she goes to the water for the first time. Maybe.







Wish me luck?

Dale

[Pat Dilling]

Looks like a worthy project, if it doesn't do you in. 

Been a while since I've seen a Tide Craft boat, and those Mariner silver bullets are pretty rare too.  Good luck with it.  Eat it one bite at a time!

[big g]

Good luck, looks like she has a lot of potential.

[J.W.]

I feel your pain. I used to do construction when I was younger. I could work like a mule all day, get up the next and do it again, no problem. Did some minor rigging on my boat a few weeks ago, and woke up feeling like I'd gone toe to toe with a prize fighter. Getting older ain't for the weak 

Hopefully you get the engine sooner than they're saying. Can't wait to see it all finished up.

[Mike Cork]

Slow down... Getting old ain't for wimps....

Enjoy the rebuild, since you have to wait on the motor enjoy everything you do.

Good luck, I know you'll love the tide craft, we have a bunch of them around here....

[Donald Garner]

Nice looking boat you got there   I like that color also   Take your time with it and have fun.  We have a few Tide Crafts running around here in my parts also.  They're all still great running boats.

[D.W. Verts]

Tide Craft built some JUNK for a lot of years, but the '97 to 2002 models (when they went under) were great hulls, at least in the 19-21' boats. I ran these the last five years I fished competitively, and in fact sold this one brand new in 1999. It's a composite boat which makes it much easier to work on. Not as much fiberglass rash on the arms.

Ran it for the first time today. The smokey old motor brought back some nostalgia, but I got over it. And it will get horrible fuel economy when compared to modern technology motors. But it ran strong- it has maybe ten hours on a fresh rebuild by my late best friend and Merc Master Tech. I don't run 'em hard any more, but it has less than a four-second hole shot with a 25" tempest without burying the throttle (also on empty livewells and maybe 25 gallons of fuel).

I opened it up once to check my numbers. No speedo or GPS, but it got to 5800 quick with room to spare. I'll be looking for a 4 blade prop too. 'Cuz I dig 4 blade props.

New replaceable cartridges for aerators and bilge pump (auto) happens next. Rod buckles came in today. New battery trays because batteries are BIGGER than they were in April of '99. A graph on the console and a flasher up front. New struts on most of the lids (sigh), Eventually new carpet/SeaDeck. And then figure out how to pay for the new motor when it gets here, plus the new hydraulic steering (this one won't work with the 4S Merc). Oh yeah- this thing has always been under cover. So I also need a cover (maybe in the fall, 'til then I'll make do with a tarp). That's at least another $1200.

There you go. It still hurts to work on it, and it hurts the wallet, but it beats HECK out of $85- $100+ thousand for new.

Dale

[Princeton_Man]

Very cool! Congratulations Dale!

We all need projects and that sure beats fixing things around the house or workin' on the truck. I see a Tide Craft over on Smith Mountain Lake just about every time I'm over there. It seems to get the job done.