My boat.

[Jeff]

In 1984 I was 23 years old. I was sitting in the break room at the sawmill looking at the ad papers I had  for Spicer's Boat city. They had a sale on a 14ft 14r Sea Nymph aluminum fishing boat that ended the following week. I was a salivating kid talking outloud about how much I wanted that boat. It was just a boat. No trailer, I was the kinda kid that knew I could build A trailer.  I could buy oars and get a motor somewhere. 

As I sat there dreaming aloud as I mentioned, the mill owner says, well go buy it! I said I couldn't unless my tax return came back in time, and if it didnt, i couldn't afford it. Ray pulled out his wallet and said go get it! Pay me back when you get your return.  Everyone of you csn imagine my heart jumping with joy!  That Friday evening I went and picked up Pete my brother in law and we went and picked up my new boat. It just barely fit in my 1981 chevy bed it was such a deep wide boat.

Oops, gotta go. To be continued....

[petefrom bearswamp]

Waiting with baited breath

[goose63]

Well are you still useing it to fish with ? :D

[Southside]

I think he had to go because he had a bite!  :D

[Jeff]

Tammy was leaving to go deliver food and lesson plans to her students. I wrote the next part, but them somehow lost it. Argh! Thats okay, it brought back more memories that Ill share later today. The events of the last two days have flooded me with such.

[samandothers]

Your post about the boat reminded me of when I was a kid.  Dad had a 14' aluminum boat we'd slide in the truck bed.  We placed and inflated innertube under the bow so it would not bang in the bed.  He would put an old Evinrude 5 hp engine in the boat and we'd take it to a local lake and slide it in the water.  Good times. 

[Sedgehammer]

Nice story thus far Jeff. It's amazing how we have forgotten stuff (well. some of us really have), but when we have something that brings back a brief a part of that memory, how many more memories around that are recalled. 

[Jeff]

My first boat was an 8' plywood we used on the river. My first memories of this boat were when I was about 7 years old sitting in it holding the mantle lantern. Dad would pull it behind him as he waded with spear in hand. It was my job to hold the lantern higher if he needed it, and to put the fish in the gunnysack after he dropped them in the boat. Somehow my little boat got tossed by well meaning neighbors helping clean around my moms place after my dad passed away.   I got "pulled over"  by a C.O. while rowing that little boat on wixom lake out by myself fishing when I was maybe 10. We had been camping on a friends lake lot and we had brought the boat along. It weighed next to nothing and was perfect for me.  I didn't have a life jacket. He made me row the 50 yards to shore, get one, and bring it back for him to inspect. He then helped me fit it and put it on. I remember him being very nice about it. He then took off across the lake out of site and I promptly removed the life jacket.

Anyhow, I always wanted a proper fishing boat. I was young, I had a wife at 19 and a child at 20 and needed a boat and had one now! Hunting, fishing, cars and working have always been on the top of my list. Working began to consume the other loves and did for years but that's later in the story.

I had collected some stuff to build a boat trailer over the years because I knew I was going to want one. I had found some new 1" hubs bearings and grease seals at a flea barn in Pinconning called the "whoopy bowl"  4 of them. All new, wired together, in a cardboard box. The lady had no idea what they were and sold them to me for 8 bucks for the 4 of them. I also had an old reversible boat winch somewhere.  MY buddy Sonny Roberts gave me an old pop up camper axle and springs. It was missing the hubs and those little 500 mph wheels and tires, but it took 1" bearings so I was golden.  About two weeks after getting the boat, I met up with those things along with a set of 14" rims and tires off a plymouth belvadere at my now x-brother in law Ken's house. He said bring my stuff, he has some old steel from a travel trailer frame, torches and a welder.  I arrived at his place on a Saturday morning and left that night with a towing rolling boat trailer frame only needing supports and rollers.

Pete had a 9.9 mercury outboard that we used for the first outings until I found an old top gas tank 5hp johnson at a yard sale for next to nothing. The lady said it didn't run. I took it home, cleaned the plug, put new gas in it and boom It ran. I used that for a year or so but oars were faster.  Then the neighbors a couple roads over had a yard sale. Art and George Muscott. If you ever were into pallets in the 80's you may have heard of a "Muscott table" one of the first semi-automated pallet building machines. They were built here in Harrison.  They had a 1955 Mercury Kiekhaefer 16 HP, Mark 20 Hurricane outboard motor for sale on a stand with tank. $50 bucks. They gave it to me. The motor had an issue. It didn't pump water.  I tore it down and at an old marina on the northside of higgens lake I found impeller parts to fix it. Might not be any left in the world now, I do not know. Those motors were famous around hre for being used on hydroplane race boats. That motor was the first time I ever got that 14R up on plane. It would cruise!  Eventually, maybe around 1988 I had saved enough money and once again with a tax refundm was able to buy a proper engine. A 9.9 mariner outboard.

I loved that boat. I made little modifications here and there, like swivel seats, a gee-hah stick to steer the motor without having to reach back, remote anchor pull catch, stuff like that. The 14r is a wide stable boat. You can almost stand on the gunwales it was so solid. Then life got real.



 

In 1994 we were working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week and had been for a year with no relief in site. I had not used the boat in at least a year and my family was stuck at home all the time. My dad was looking for a boat so I made the decision to sell it to him and use the money to buy Tammy and Jeremy and Stacy an above ground pool. 2 weeks after we had put the pool in, we lost the mjor account at the mill and went back to 40 hours a week. 9 hrs a day and 4 on friday. No over time and no extra money to buy another boat but plenty of time to use one. Oh well.

Years have come and gone and I've been fishing once in the last two years. Maybe 3 times in the last 5 years and had not even bought a fishing license all of last year. This stupid Birus thing has Tammy and I both at home and we decided that it was time for us to find something to so other than eat and work and maybe sleep and work some more. We were talking about this and she said "Lets go fishing". That is when we diced to start picking up crawlers in the rain and prepare to go.  Saturday morning we found a couple of dusty poles, cleaned them up, grabbed some worms and headed for Sutherland lake where we used to take the kids to fish along shore.  No bites. we gethered up and headed to Little long lake. Still to cold for panfish in the shallows. No bites. As we are fishing Tammy says.  

"We need a boat"

I said, where we going to get a boat? She says I dunno. I said maybe we could find one on Facebook Market place. 30 seconds later she says, There is a 14r sea nymph for sale listed yesterday in Hersey, the town next to Evart where she drives.  I said a "SEA NYMPH??" she says yea, boat, 15hp electric start Evinrude, trailer, here is a picture.  Exactly the same boat I had.  She sent them a message asking if it was available yet. The lady said yes. She then asked if we could come see it. The lady said yes.  So we go home, load the dogs up and head for Hersey.  When we drove in the retired couple was in thier yard with a grand daughter.  I asked if we should put on masks, and I got a short lecture on rights and the governor and a hell no you do not need a mask from Linda and Dick.

They walked us over to their huge pole barn where their motorhome and other things were kept and showed me the boat. It was the same decal scheme and everything as my other boat. We talked about all kinds of stuff and then I asked Tammy what she thought. She said it was up to me. Well I already knew. For less money than I had in the other boat and motors in 1984, my boat is now back!!  When I stand next to it I fell like it is my old boat. It has the anchor releases, rod holders just like I had, it has life jackets. The only thing it needed was oars (he had a paddle, I know better!) and he had given the anchors back to his grandson. So, On saturday morning, we stated the day fishing and to OUR great joy CAUGHT A BOAT!!




  

 

[Jeff]

Prologue on the original 14r.  My dad loved that boat too. He kept it at my Sister Lynda's lake at the dock. Shortly before he died, my nephew made a deal with my dad to buy the boat shortly before he died. I found out the following year he never paid my dad for it, and it was left on the trailer without a cover with the plug in it over a bad winter. The boat was trashed.

[sawguy21]

That is quite a story. ;D My first boat was a 10' Springbok aluminum  duck punt that had seen better days, a truck had run over the front corner so insurance company wrote it off. I bought it for 5 bucks at an auction, I was the only bidder. 60 bucks to get it hammered out and welded, 25 for a pair of oars and I was in business. Had years of fun with that boat, it was great on small lakes but hard to handle if there was any wind. I put a 6hp Evinrude on it, that thing would fly if I faced backwards and steered from the centre seat!

[WV Sawmiller]

  I'm thrilled for you and thanks for sharing. I use an 18' Lowe boat. It has 3 bench seats and a live well in the middle. I run a 25hp Johnson on it. Two 6 gallon tanks and the battery for the motor fit in the space behind the back seat. I like the 6 gallon tanks as I run one dry, switch tanks then add a pint of oil and 6 gallons of gas for easy mixing for the 50:1 ratio required. I have a front mounted trolling motor and it is plenty deep and wide to take the grandkids safely in.

  The 8' plywood boat reminds me of the one my grandfather built when he was in his 70's. I guess he studied on that for years but he made it so it was light enough he could handle it and he ran a 3 hp, top mounted gas tank Evinrude outboard that would plane out that little boat. He used it till he died for fishing on the Suannee River there in Dixie County Fla.

  Then again I remember the old definition of a boat something like "A container made of plywood, wood or aluminum into which people pour money" :D I think I also read "The two happiest days in a boat-owners life are the day he buys and the day he sells his boat." Many of my favorite memories are in my boat or canoe

[Texas Ranger]

my first boat was a 10 foot wooden thing made by my grand father, oakum sealed seams, 1x12 side boards.  Used it on the Meramec in Missouri.  The next and last one, some 20 years later was a 16 foot Skeeter.

[gspren]

I just saw this, I had a 14R Sea Nymph for over 20 years, great boat. I used 3 different motors through the years, 3 hp Johnson, 8 hp Mariner, 15 hp Mariner, with the 8 horse getting the most hours. I only sold it about 6 years ago when I bought a house on a salt water canal and wanted a similar sized fiberglass boat that was self bailing to leave in the water for a week at a time. Congratulations on a very versatile boat. I flipped the 14R upside down on the trailer over the winter.

[thecfarm]

Lucky you to find another boat.

[Jeff]

Tammy and I were able to sneak off for a couple hours yesterday afternoon and catch our supper for the first time from our new to us boat. 



 

 

 

[Walnut Beast]

From catching the fish 🎣 to the meal. That looks beautiful and tasty 

[samandothers]

Good to get away and have some time to chill out and enjoy.   Looks very tasty!

[Raider Bill]

What kind of fish are they?

[Jeff]

An assortment!
1 largemouth
1 crappie
1 rock bass
1 bluegill
3 red ear sunfish

[Nebraska]

Looks like a great day to me! Beats working.

[Jeff]

We left the house at 4:30 and was home eating fresh fish before 8.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I had to got put on a bib when I started drooling looking at those bream. digin_2 The bass looks good too but bluegill and redbellies and such are the best to my way of thinking. Glad you had a good time and something to show for it to boot.

[barbender]

Cool story, Jeff! I'm glad you're on the water again👍👍

[Jeff]

I have not put this boat in the water in two years. I need to catch some bluegills for my pond, so I decided to start prepping the boat. Got it flipped back upright on the trailer and into the polebarn.  I never did anything to it that first year, as it never went more than 5 miles away, but this year...
Driving to the cabin in the summer, you can almost bet, you will see a boat trailer along the highway somewhere with the bearings run out of it. I decided this year I was NOT going to be one of those guys. Glad I did!

Broken bearing buddies, and water still in the hub. Man, stuff has gone up. Over $100 for parts. Beats being stranded I guess.

[Jeff]

And yes, that pic is Feb 27th, Northern Michigan with no snow.

[jb616]

I love my 14R as well. I do have an 18ft tracker with a 90hp on it but missed my old 14R from before. Bought another with a junk motor and then got a 15hp Johnson identical to your Evinrude.   Not as much get up and go as the 15hp Yamaha from before but a good runner. Solid boats.

[chet]

I also have one of them same boats. We drag that one into those remote, hard to get to UP lakes that I won't take my Tracker. For many years now we don't even take a gas motor. Only a trolling motor to fully enjoy the solitude.   We will be able to open water fish here about 2 months earlier than normal this year do to lack of snow and thick lake ice. 

[Magicman]

I need to catch some bluegills for my pond

Divide them carefully.  A portion for da pond and a portion for da skillet. 

[WV Sawmiller]

    Re-reading this tale reminds me my old mentor made a few boats. We got one 2nd or 3rd hand one time. Sides were 1" cypress or juniper and the bottom and seats and such were plywood. Later in life he built another with a 3/8" or maybe 1/2" plywood bottom and 1X12 or 1X14 cypress or juniper boards for sides. He made removable seats and catwalks to keep the weight down. He'd slide it in the back of has old Valiant station wagon or in an old flat bottom homemade trailer. I think he had a 7.5 hp outboard made by Western Auto. I forget the brand name. He used brass screws and nails so they would not rust painted the bottom with some kind of fiberglass type paint for durability.

    One of my big regrets in life was that in my late teens or early 20's I did not get him to build me a good wooden boat similar to that. The time spent with him would have been way more valuable than the boat at the end of the project.

[Old Greenhorn]

Kick save! and a beauty Jeff! That would not have turned out well and those little boat trailer tires turn like MAD! I am looking for a trailer to buy right now but the thought of driving a couple hours to make a deal and then the chances of getting it home without fried bearings on a used trailer keep me up at night. If I wind up doing that kind of deal I may bring a jack and some grease with me, then find the closet tractor supply or auto parts store.
 Grease is always cheaper than steel.

[thecfarm]

My father always use to say, grease is cheaper then parts.

[WV Sawmiller]

    The last time or two I took a trailer in to service and said to pack the bearings they just replaced the hub with a pre-greased bearing. They say it is cheaper than the manhours to pack them.

[Jeff]

Howard, I may look that up. There certainly would of been less metal slivers in my fingers.

 With new bearing buddies if was over $110 for parts not counting carb cleaner and paper towels.

[WV Sawmiller]

  It seems a shame to throw away what looks like a perfectly good hub and bearing which just needs grease but based on the labor charges that is what it worked out for me.

[Don P]

It's 56 here this morning, so what to do but watch boat videos 
Jeff, pause when he opens the lid, that's a marine Chrysler flathead 6.

I'll snap out of it, snow by tonight

[Jeff]

It's 56 here this morning, so what to do but watch boat videos 
Jeff, pause when he opens the lid, that's a marine Chrysler flathead 6.

Don, if you want to see an overload of the real thing, come up to the cabin with me the second saturday in August.

LES CHENEAUX ISLANDS ANTIQUE WOODEN BOAT SHOW & FESTIVAL OF ARTS.

[Texas Ranger]

Cheaper to repair than repack?  Back in the day I repacked aircraft tire bearings and would take maybe 5 minutes to clean, inspect and repack each bearing.  Cost of replacing the bearing was not on the books.

[YellowHammer]

Very good catch on the bearing.

I don't repack either, when a bearing gets water in it, then there is a leak, and it's likely that unless it is found, it will leak again.  I put several thousand miles on my boat trailers every year, and at best, as Jeff says, a bearing failure on the road is a bad day, but at worst, it can be potentially life threatening.  So I also stopped replacing bearings and now replace the entire assembly.   

I think the costs of insurance claims are forcing the trailer companies to pick up their game a lot, and the new breed of boat trailer hubs and assembles reflect significant advances.  Permanently sealed from the factory, zero maintenance, thixotropic grease that turns to oil as the hub rotates, then thickens back to grease when the it cools, pressurization indicators on the hubs, and even multi year zero touch, zero maintenance warranties.  I had a Dexter bearing and brake assembly lose pressure a couple years ago, and the dealer replaced it (would not let me do it) on the spot.

Anyway, yes, being on the side of the road with a dead trailer is not a good way to spend a fishing trip.   
   

[SwampDonkey]

Getting the itch for some boat'n and fish'n are we? There's an aluminum 16 footer here and a 22' canvas back canoe. 7.5 hp motor as well. Ain't used them for years. Don't feel much like drag'n on all the gear on a weekend after working on a saw and tramp'n woods all week. :D . It's a lot different now than 45 years ago. :D

[Jeff]

We also have a 17ft old town canoe here acquired in a trade. It used to be green. The mildew from being upside down in the shade of red oaks has made it mostly black.

Never had it on the water.

[K-Guy]

Years ago an old mechanic showed me the easy way to pack bearings. He had an old electric hotplate and a stainless bowl with a flat bottom. He put the bearing on top of the hard cold grease in the bowl placed on the hotplate and turned it on, then left it over night. The next morning the bearing was packed and he let it cool. Just make sure you get you heat right as it is a fire hazard.

[Jeff]

Cutting grease into a roller bearing in the palm of your hand is kinda satisfying. 

[gspren]

Cutting grease into a roller bearing in the palm of your hand is kinda satisfying. 

Not only satisfying but in just a few minutes you know the bearing is full. I've heard people say they just pump it in through a bearing buddy, etc but I only know it's full when I cut it in myself.

[Jeff]

Our autoshop teacher would thump you if he caught you spinning up a bearing at any speed with an air hose. We were expected to blow the solvents out, but holding the bearings still. 

[Jeff]

(And, yea, he might of thumped you with an air hose)

[21incher]

And the grease we had years ago made your hands sooo soft   after the gas we used to clean out the old grease dried out our hands. 
What did you name it? Every boat needs a name  .

[Jeff]

I think I have a problem.

https://youtube.com/shorts/k7JYsfdm6QE?si=Kx1KjsWhszZSfxkK

[YellowHammer]

Is the water coming from a manufactured hole in the foot?

[Jeff]

Yes, both sides. I've watched a couple youtube videos that first, said put it in gear stupid. Well, I guess I said that. 

It appears, that everything is as it should be, and that that engine does have a spray and not a stream up top. I also remember noting in the very few times I've had to run it, that that (tom) non-stream spray was, well, notable.

[YellowHammer]

Yes, it all seems normal.  With older water cooled outboard engines, that is the water pump leg vent, and it serves several purposes, most notably is that when there is water peeing from it then it means your water pump is wet and building pressure.  It will also tell you the water pump is wet before you crank using motor muffs, so it will not be operated dry, which will ruin your water pump within a minute or so.  When the engine is in gear, a pressure valve bypasses most of the water through the exhaust hub.   

I have not owned that particular engine, but it does not have a cowl mounted telltale hole at all?

[SwampDonkey]

I've got an '81 model of the Johnson/Evenrude 7.5 hp. Very low hrs. I do need a new tank because i think it is all corroded inside, it was undersized for it anyway. The older ones had a tank twice the size. Last I tested mine was 25 years ago. :D