your first boat?

[Shelbysteve]

Kawasaki 550JS Jetski in the 80s untill 92 and then first boat was a 1970s 12/13 foot Fletcher with a 50hp Merc 18 years back called Heart-attack. And boy it nearly gave us all a heart attack at times in rough seas. It spent most of time as a submarine. It had to go as it couldnt pull a water skier very well.

[the edge]

A Gladding inflatable orange and green a great boat and very cheap to run ! First speedboat was a Fletcher 140 with a 50 Merc in 1982 used to keep it at Rockley in Poole cost about £60.00 for the summer storage!!

[oilman]

Originally Posted by sideways

oops here it is

Excellent, thanks for that

[Tony Davis]

Crusader 16 with an 85hp electric shift evinrude. towed with a dolomite sprint and a new clutch every 6 months, the slip at swanage was pretty steep!

[freedom]

ring 16 with a 115 suzuki called hellraiser when i was 15
the most fun boat i think ive ever owned
mines just plain scary now!

[Shelbysteve]

Originally Posted by freedom

ring 16 with a 115 suzuki called hellraiser when i was 15
the most fun boat i think ive ever owned
mines just plain scary now!

Dont tell us You towed down on a back of a capri 2.8i at the age of 15 too. Thats a cool toy at that age. we all used to get away with doing things like that.
There isnt many 15 year olds that come out of a house these days, if they do they hide behind hoodies and sit on a wall smoking pot.

[the edge]

Must have had a well paid saturday job !

[freedom]

i worked at a boat yard as my sataday job...free launching and mooring
no 2.8i capri im afraid, im only just 21 now but used to drive down on me moped with me ski between my legs
and the boat..when i got it.. was hanging,being an ex ocr or something as had all the old markings from stickers and names on the side and had been in someones shed for years
just spotted a 2 line ad in the trade it and my dad came with me.. we had a really nice fletcher at the time, but couldnt use it as he worked alot,
the engie was the only good thing about it
paid £1300 for it recovered the seats..with a staple gun, did the traior etc etc so it looked presentable. never gave me a problem until you over revved it just had a thermal cut out

sold it for a shade under £3000 the following year

[Carl_B]

My first proper powerboat was an unknown thing possibly a one off hull huge great black thing with a 3.8 jag engine with tripple carbs in it and Volvo 270 leg, I swapped it with a 71 440ci Dodge Charger as i was very into the American muscle then. Bloody thing had a snapped shaft so had to have that done. Only used it once and that wasnt very successful never got full throttle out of it carbs f***ed, got it back to shore and tried again, this time it wouldnt move in gear thought shaft gone again, got it out the water and the prop had fell off, so had to wait for the tied to go out to get it back So that was my first experience in the powerboat world but was hooked by now, so got shot of that and got a Driver 440 with a 80hp merc with no PTT but loved that little boat went like a rocket and so much easier to launch and retrieve. Now have the R20D.

[Argo17Racing]

argo 17 with 90yam on the back

[FrenchPhil]

My 1st boat was an '89 Boston Whaler 13' Super Sport with a 40 Yammie, kicked your ass at sea but was very reliable.

[Jizm]

Originally Posted by sideways

oops here it is

WOW! That is cool, 3 skiers behind it!

[Shelbysteve]

Originally Posted by sideways

oops here it is

Great picture, I had forgot about those little speed boat. I wanted one as a kid.
I recall a coupe of those going out of the hamble on there way out to the solent, i never knew if they ever got back, and one at the top end of the river in the 70s were we all used to spend every weekend picnicking and waterskiing.
I laugh at those wetsuits to that the skiers are wearing with guys walking about with those beaver tails flapping about if they weren't done up by those brass fasteners.

[Tremlett 15]

First boat was in 1968, built during 1967/68 by dad, brother & me & yes it was "based" on a Tremlett

the hull shape was "copied/taken" from the Tremlett shape but we built her in plywood clinker on oak, with a 40hp Johnson "electramatic" o/b ( still have the original o/b parts catalog )



dad & brother in boat, me taking pic.......8th July 1968





we were involved is "local" speedboat racing doing timekeeping & scrutineering, so we had to then start racing, we redecked the above boat & race her, yes went ok but the engine was not on par with the Merc 500s, so plan "B" took off....





in 1971 we bought our first Tremlett hull, a stage 1 bare hull & fitted her out as a true Class 3A race boat, we cold moulded the transom, o/b well ( both curved ) & deck on to the hull and race her in Ireland as a Class 3A offshore boat or as a ET single seater, yes she was fast......... one of the first boats in Ireland to have tofnol reed valves!!






in 1973 we bought our second Tremlett hull, again as a stage 1 hull but 15' , had great plans BUT my brother had a very bad accident while racing in another boat....so T 15 was fitted out as a ski boat

again we cold moulded the transom, o/b well ( again both curved ) & deck & after a while was fitted with a "new" 1976 Mrec 500, which is still in as "original" condition running on original spark plugs & 17" alum prop !!!










I am still using T 15 today, try to get to one classic speed boat rally in England/Scotland each year......

I have original Tremlett brochures from late 60s > ealy 70s, original 1968 Irish Powerboat Association rule book, original RYA 1971/72 Class 3 rule book, original 1973 RYA powerboat racing handbook & original ( BIP ) 1970 Class 4 rule book,

and recently have taken an liking to powerboat racing, again; nearly bought a Ring15/16 a few months ago..........as a restore project.just wait

[Jon Fuller]

In 1973 my brother bought a 13'6" Danvercraft, with Johnson 40 'Electric'.

It was a 1970 motor I think, and just like yours in the pic, had 4 stars on that front pull down door and 'Electric' alongside them. If I remember correctly, those 40's didn't self charge, well, my brothers didn't anyway.

[Tremlett 15]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

In 1973 my brother bought a 13'6" Danvercraft, with Johnson 40 'Electric'.

It was a 1970 motor I think, and just like yours in the pic, had 4 stars on that front pull down door and 'Electric' alongside them. If I remember correctly, those 40's didn't self charge, well, my brothers didn't anyway.

ours was a 1967/68 which we totally rebuilt, electric gear change ( electramatic ) some say these were xxxx but ours was great, yes the front door etc, we repainted ours with BMC snowberry white paint for the lid & this "new" hammerlite" silver paint on the leg etc..

these old boats....great...must run for this 12 o'clock thing

[Jon Fuller]

Those electric gear shifts were something eh. Actually a great idea, as at least in theory it snapped the dogs together nice n quick, rather than all that k,k,k,k,k,k,k,k,k,k,k,klonk of someone 'thinking' they're being gentle with their gearbox, by shifting slowly.

I thought those electric shifts were 70's rather than 60's. a pal had a Rude triple, 55 I think, that was electric shift, but I can't remember what that was badged as 'Lectrashift' I think....Eric???

Our 40 was white cowl, dark green tray/leg 1970 15" Had a ridiculous cast alloy box of tricks at the end of a heavy loom, within the boat that contained the solenoid I think. We had it moored at the end of our garden on the Thames, and it was FOR EVER oiling up the plugs through too much slow running.
Happy days.

[Tremlett 15]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

I thought those electric shifts were 70's rather than 60's. a pal had a Rude triple, 55 I think, that was electric shift, but I can't remember what that was badged as 'Lectrashift' I think....Eric???

see.......

[Paul E]

13ft dory with a 30yam and a centre console. 12 years old and used to beat my dad to herm in his sunfury with twin 145 volvos. The most fun though was our 8ft zodiac dinghy with a 5hp mariner. Started out with a malta but it wouldn't keep up with the rich kids on their bombard AX2 with a 4hp yam, so my old man did a dodgy deal with his mate at the dealership and we ruled herm harbour in the early 90s. Good times!!

[Jon Fuller]

Whilst 'googling' for some Johnson 40 pics, I stumbled across this website for collectable toy / replica OB's, plus a few restored 'real' ones.

Be sure to click on the outboard tab to see all. There are literally hundreds to see on there.

http://toyoutboardmotors.com/