Kids and boats

[garry-in-michigan]

Run an outboard by myself? When learned to swim – 4 or 5. I started early with a little 7.5 foot pram Dad brought home from the Chicago Boat Show . . . 😀

It was always my job to bail out the boats after a rain. Dad always had the latest Evinrude or Elto.

During WW2 new motors were unavailable, but Dad picked up a Army surplus Lightfour that had been used to train Army/Navy mechanics. When we got back to Michigan it was put on a 16′ Wagemaker Wolverine.

I still love those Lightfours. I ran this at one of our meets –

[rapier]

Nice, Went with a friend to collect a Handifour (and others.. 😉 ) last week – they are really nice, not too heavy either.

My childhood was spent on Lake Malawi and I was left to my own devices – hippos, crocs, no boat safety courses, no coastguard, no rescue services, a handful of boats and a lake 365miles long. No one knew how to fix that horrible MAC and I never got it running properly: which led to some scary moments.

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[eviltwin]

What a fun thread, great pics! Keep them coming.

[labrador-guy]

Wow Memories! My dad would not let me touch the controls unless he was right there with me. I had and older brother that let me go crazy! I was running along on Higgins Lake in Northern Michigan. I was about 10 or 11, driving a Borum 15footer, playmate I think was it’s name. Big old fat 50 purring along just having the time of my life. All of a sudden the pulley on the bottom of the
steering wheel fell off! The one that the cables were wrapped around. The boat made a 180 turn like a jet ski sometimes does, scared the begeezus out of me. Don’t know why the motor quit but I was glad it did! Never drove that boat again!

dale

[necks]

Always loved those boats and motors since they came out, knew I had to have one of those big finned boats with a big motor. 10 yrs old I decided to get a paper route and save some money so I could buy one of those beauty’s one day. I found a Popular Science book with plans to build a 8ft Hydroplane for les than a $100.00. My dad and I built that boat in the basement of the house during the cold Mn winter. Spring rolled around and couldn’t get boat out of the basement, after removing stairs and doors, we finally succeded. Had late 40’s 5hp Sea King, then traded for 12hp Sea King, never did get those motors to run good. Had 2 yrs then sold it, then bought a 12 ft Naden runabout with windshield, steering, remote controls, and Mark 30 Mercury, and trailer, 39 mph. My brother taught me how to start and drive it. That was the start of my boating experience.

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