Video or Pictures of your first boat

[oGaryo]

Lying here with a serious bout of man flu with bugger all else to do I thought I'd have a look at a few videos of boats and came across my first boat from 4 years ago in this video, a Binliner 1750LS named Little Rascal A story behind this one as it was driven by Wiggo's wife at the time after we got lost trying to meet up with him in Colwell bay (we ended up near Christchurch after taking a wrong turn at Hurst Castle!). The boat also went adrift after rafting up with Wiggo when we finally found him, yours truely not having a clue about knots at the time

Great memories of the boat and whilst only 4 years have gone by, we're now on our 4th with a growing passion for the hobby.

A bit jittery I think you'll agree but it's quite a nice vid for the memory banks. Purchased the boat in Northampton on a whim and sold her a year later to a fella in Abingdon for a life pootling up and down on the Thames, almost seems criminal in doing so after watching this video of the her doing what it is meant to do. A post from HLB convinced us a Bowrider wasn't right for us so we exchanged her for a Fletcher 19GTSC.

How about your first boat, any stories to tell or indeed show?

 

[LionsDen]

Lying here with a serious bout of man flu with bugger all else to do I thought I'd have a look at a few videos of boats and came across my first boat from 4 years ago in this video, a Binliner 1750LS named Little Rascal A story behind this one as it was driven by Wiggo's wife at the time after we got lost trying to meet up with him in Colwell bay (we ended up near Christchurch after taking a wrong turn at Hurst Castle!). The boat also went adrift after rafting up with Wiggo when we finally found him, yours truely not having a clue about knots at the time

Great memories of the boat and whilst only 4 years have gone by, we're now on our 4th with a growing passion for the hobby.

A bit jittery I think you'll agree but it's quite a nice vid for the memory banks. Purchased the boat in Northampton on a whim and sold her a year later to a fella in Abingdon for a life pootling up and down on the Thames, almost seems criminal in doing so after watching this video of the her doing what it is meant to do. A post from HLB convinced us a Bowrider wasn't right for us so we exchanged her for a Fletcher 19GTSC.

How about your first boat, any stories to tell or indeed show?

Hi Gary - Great video looks like you had a brill time on the day and I trust you had your seat belts on when crashing through them waves

Hope you get over the man flu soon

Will post about my first boat picture and photos later

 

[gravygraham]

Here's our first one. Circa about 2004.

Hope your 'serious bout of man flu' perks up soon Gary.

 

[alt]

My first boat was a 19ft lake fishing boat. My father and I 'invested' together. I was the tender age of 11 (I think) and 'invested' 200 pounds into the purchase.

Fast forward the age of 16 and I finally go out on 'my own'. A 5.75m Lencraft RIB with 75HP Yamaha. The funny thing was I couldn't legally drive so still relied on Dad:

Then was an Osprey of some sort. A bit rough but handled the chop better:

Then I saw some sense and bought my first cuddy. A Panther 19SC with a Merc 1.7 diesel - I loved this!!

Then we decided we needed more space and wanted to stick diesel, so bought a Lema Gold. I learned a lot with this boat. I did a total interior re-fit on this guy. It wasn't the prettiest boat in the world, but fitted with a KAD32 gave a lot of bang for buck

It didn't take long to get used to the space and now require some services such as decent toilet / shower / heating / cooking .... so it had to be a Sealine S23

Then we went wild and wanted some bat-**** crazy fun, so I bought a Ceasar Thundercat (still have this)

After the S23 we took the plunge and went with quite a big upgrade (for us) to a Zaffiro 34

Unfortunately the Z34 dream didn't last long as a partnership diminished so felt a bit naked. Then along came the current boat, Cranchi Smeraldo 37

I'm hitting 26 next month and reckon it's time to settle down.... then the GF decides 'we' should go travelling the world (hence the Cranchi for sale) - If we do sell we will indeed to travelling and probably settle for a similar sized flybridge when we return

 

[colhel]

My first one. A Micro-Plus with a 50hp blueband Mercury. Cica 1988 I think.View attachment 29370View attachment 29369

 

[LionsDen]

Hi Colin - Welcome back to good old blighty - trust you and H had a great time in Portugal last week.

Catch up soon - T

 

[matt13]

My first boat was a Karnic 2050 and ironically was named Little Rascal as well, here's a photo of her in full flow

And my first ever boat video

 

[gravygraham]

I'm hitting 26 next month and reckon it's time to settle down....

Blimey, you've done well for yourself. Are you a bank robber or summat!

 

[LionsDen]

alt must be a bank robber if he is thinking about settling down @ 26 years of age

 

[NoIllusion]

Why is it that your 1st boat always brings back the "best boating memories"??. Our 1st serious boat was a Mariah 215 with a 4.6 V6 petrol lump in it........good for over 40kts and the only creature comfort was a porta-potti!!!. We trailed it for thousands of miles from our home in Chippenham...Falmouth being one of our favourite destinations. Longest passage was Falmouth to Mevagissey and back. Bought a Fairline Targa 31 (1996 vintage) next with KAD 42s........again a very quick boat........did 2 Channel Island trips in that boat.........and will always remember doing St Peter Port to the Needles in 3 hours dead!!!.......a great boat in good sea conditions. Moved onto a Fairline Phantom 40 which was of 1995 vintage......built like the proverbial brick sh*+th*$se...."......TAMD63Ps......never missed a beat.
Current boat was always our dream boat......P42 Fly........still regard it as one of the best looking boats afloat.....love it!!!...............but eagerly awaiting to see the new Princess V48 in the flesh!!!!..........

 

[gravygraham]

Current boat was always our dream boat......P42 Fly......

Ah, it's not just me who dreams then.

 

[CX54WEK]

Our first and only boat so far Naughty-Cal, 2003 Sealine S23.

Almost five years in and we are still happy with the choice we have made. NC seems to fit the bill for how we use our boat. Cant see us changing any time soon.

 

[kashurst]

This was our first boat, a 1981 Princess 37. We stripped out the interior and relined the walls, ceiling etc. Had a lot of fun on that boat, went seriously aground a few times (note do day skipper first before or soon after buying boat). She's still around, although these days she is treated more carefully. Engines are Ford mermaids - smoked like hell, changed injectors etc made no difference at all. We used to untie all the ropes bar one, start the engines and go. Smoke stopped when they were properly warmed up. Its amazing to see how far Princess boats have moved on.

 

[Tender_aft]

My first boat trip was probably in Christchurch on those little runabout motorboats, which strangely enough is what I think my first boat was. Bought it out of the classifieds in Amsterdam for 2000 guilders (which I think was £700) in 2000. I had never driven a boat before and the guy that sold it to me launched me off in it on the north Amsterdam shore just as it was getting dark. No experience, no lights, no knowledge, no survey and no idea whether it would sink or not. I tootled across the basin to the city and used the street names to find my way home. tied up outside my house and had a year and a half of learning close manoeuvres on the canals with the Amsterdam tour boats (they always feel like sharks when they are coming at you). That was great training for when I finally did a powerboat level 2, I sailed (!) through the reversing through buoys part. BTW I knew it was rubbish at the time, the same as bicycles in Amsterdam a boat with any extras or looking good will get stolen.

 

[Tender_aft]

Since this is rolling along, with boat video threads and first boat threads, how about a "one that got away" thread...I have a story for that, I just need to dig out a photo.

 

[epervier]

Not My First Boat.................But................

About 1977/8 it's a 17' Bill Picton Sidewinder projectile pushed with 175 Mercury gee gees to about 60mph not exactly quick by todays standards, but she was no slouch back then, and before video cameras that joe public could afford, so it has to be three old foxed marked prints instead, happy days.

 

[oGaryo]

I never tire of seeing that 3rd picture David you're a lucky man back then and now mate

 

[ricky_s]

My first boat, feels a long time ago now!

 

[epervier]

I never tire of seeing that 3rd picture David you're a lucky man back then and now mate

When I look at them, the same thing comes to mind, although today my mind writes cheques that my body can't cash!

 

[PCUK]

My first. Built about 1910. Original engine VEM petrol/paraffin which gave up after about a year of regular use and replaced with BMC 2.2. Took two years to get back to sea worthy condition. Went all up East Coast and around Thames estuary. A great sea boat but very wet in anything over force five.View attachment 29396