Shortly after moving here to the gulf coast, I began thinking about a boat. Well, I finally did it. Got me a nicely maintained, 1997 Stingray 19 footer. I can't wait to get her out in the gulf and see those blue waters. I hear it's like the Bahama's out there (though you wouldn't know it by going to Biloxi beach!)
Too bad I can't take her out this weekend as we've got tropical storm/hurricane Arlene to deal with! Oh well.
(see, this forum doesn't have to be dry and boring!)
error it seems i am not allowed to view or download attachments.
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Alright, I think it's fixed now. :-D
Thanks for pointing out the problem flamy.
What kinda power does it have?
Where do you plan on boating mostly in the boat?
What is the fuel capacity?
Have you had a boater safety course?
She's got a 135 HP Mercruiser Inboard and holds 23 gallons of fuel.
I plan on mostly boating out in the gulf. Once you get out to the barrier islands, the water is clear and blue. Anywhere before that though, it is pretty much silt and muck. I haven't had the safety course yet, but I do plan on attending one. I've never really boated before, so it's probably a good idea. :-o
I'm going up to the Carolinas and Virginia for a couple of weeks, so I guess I will have to wait a little while before I can take her for a spin. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!
Jesse
23 gallons of fuel isn't much. Always remember 1/3 out, 1/3 there 1/3 back. Is the picture indicitive of the type boat you bought? If so that boat wasn't made for the ocean, yet on most normal days it will be fine to run in the ocean.
Find out when the cuast gaurd auxillary is giving the classes. Don't be cheap when it comes to buying safety equipment.......you don't wanta get what you pay for there.
No, I realize it's not really an ocean going boat. The gulf is usually pretty tame. I just need to be wary of the weather before going out.
Welcome to the boating world. Looked over your photos, hope there is at least a cover for the open bow with reinforcement bows. Odds are at sometime you'll take green water over the bow, it's happened to all of us. Down on the gulf there should be a number of Power Squadron groups as well as Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas that will be giving classes, if available take the full 13 session, it adds in weather, radio and navigation. Check with the local Coast Guard Station, coasties are always ready to help. Good luck and good boating!
9th Coast Guard District, The Guardians of the Lakes
Mike ( UASF/USCG ret ) on Lake Erie
Well, I've been enjoying the boat pretty much every weekend now. Up until today, I had only gone up and down the back bay. Just cruising, no watersports or swimming or anything. Mostly just to familiarize myself with the channels and markers and such. We have seen dolphins every time we've been out too! That's pretty cool if you ask me.
Today was a beautiful down Friday here @ Keesler, so I decided to take the family out to Horn Island and do a little swimming and relaxing on the beach. Man, it was so nice to just pull up to the island, beach the boat, and hang out. There wasn't anybody out there. It was a huge difference from the Biloxi beach water too. I have a feeling I'm going to become spoiled unless I PCS somewhere like Eglin... a lake just can't touch the open gulf!
Anyway, here's some pictures that I took while we were out there.
Nice boat... I bought another Harley a few months back. An 03 Heritage Softail. Now I have two.
A few more and I'll have a stable.
I've resisted the urge to buy a boat. I hear it's just a hole in the water you throw money into... Is that the case?
A good friend of mine has a 27' Catalina sailboat, and between the storage fees, slip fees, fuel (for the little trolling motor) and maintenance, he pays a goodly sum of money every year, not to mention the purchase price! I help him do a lot of the maintenance on the boat, which is both satisfying and fun, and I must admit that a Friday afternoon on the lake, with no "stink boaters" about, and a good stiff breeze pushing you around, we have a really good time sailing. The Bose music system we installed helps, and a few good German beers after we're done ice the cake. Still, seems like a lot of money for a limited-use toy...
Quote from: docbyers on 01-12-2006 -- 09:45:39
I hear it's just a hole in the water you throw money into... Is that the case?
That hasn't been the case for me so far. I can see how it would be, but I do most of the maintenance myself. If you're paying for labor it really can add up fast. My boating season was cut pretty short last year, so I didn't really put much wear and tear on it either...
Plus, I don't really consider my boat to have been
that expensive to begin with. It's pretty basic and I got it used.
Looking forward to next season (right around the corner down here) and with all the debris, I'm not sure how much I'll be taking it out into the gulf. I probably will end up going north up the rivers to the fresh water. There are a couple of nice long, deep spots that are good for kneeboarding and tubing. I prefer the gulf, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I just don't want to have it sit around not getting any use.
Overall, I'm still happy with the purchase and would do it again. It opened up a whole new world of recreation to me and the family.
Nice boat! I would like to have one myself, but here in Abilene, we are kind of short on bodies of water, lol. A few, but no great ones nearby.
Just thinking about boating again. I count 66 days to current launch up here on Lake Erie. My chart is up on the wall, already plotting the late spring and summer cruises. When I find some good photos, I'll post to give you idea of boating up here on the Lakes.
P.S. For you fisherman out there, the walleye start their run in a couple of weeks, there will be wall to wall fiherman on th Maumee half way to the port.
Coastie-
I never fished the Maumee...wanted to find out some info though. The spring run is the spawning run right? When you say wall to wall fisherman...how difficult is it to get a boat in there? How long is the spring run? How's the fishing? Do you still use erie dearies during that time or is another bait effective? Any info is appreciated.
Quote from: NRA4Life on 03-06-2006 -- 08:53:03
Coastie-
I never fished the Maumee...wanted to find out some info though. The spring run is the spawning run right? When you say wall to wall fisherman...how difficult is it to get a boat in there? How long is the spring run? How's the fishing? Do you still use erie dearies during that time or is another bait effective? Any info is appreciated.
You right this is the spring spawning run. The area we see the most action is far upstream, starting at Waterville and going down past Fort Meigs in Perrysburg. To get a boat bck in there is going to be rough, plenty of shoal water, small rapids and lots of rock. Most are waders, knee to chest deep out in the river. Boaters put in well upstream and come back past the I75 bridge. You can expect to run to last until mid- April before they are out to the mouth where the bigger boats are. According to the Fish Wrapper, the fishing is supposed to be better this year, more and bigger fish. Most are using live bait, although I have tried spoons with limited success.
As of this weekend, water temp was 34°F, light pack ice was coming in.
Many of us wait out the run until they are out on the lake, alot of our boats can't make it in, we draw to much water. My prefence is to through a line over the stern and troll on a refed jib and no main.
We were up working on the boats this weekend. The Maumee is high and rising fast, and there were a couple hundred walleye fisherman out in the river. Also check out couple of launch sites, one is in Waterville on the west side of town on 24, the other is near the west side of Perrysburg on 20.
Well, the boating season is just about upon us again. Not that it really ever goes away down here on the south coast...but, I thought I'd revisit this thread and get all the boaters geared up to get out on the water.
As you probably recall, I've never owned a boat until I moved down here to Biloxi, and picked up a nice used bowrider shortly after arriving. It was ok for a while, but I quickly came to realize that it just wasn't the right boat for me. You couldn't really use it for fishing. Mostly just cruising around. So, I found myself not using it that much. In fact, I had it out maybe twice last year. I spent most of my time out fishing on friends boats, while mine sat.
So, this year, I decided I would sell the bowrider and get the right boat this time around. One with an eye towards fishing.
I went to a couple of boat shows in search of this perfect rig and finally settled on the NauticStar 20' offshore. It's a center console setup for fishing, yet it has about the same seating options as the old boat. So, if the family wants to go for a ride, we still can.
Anyway, I should be picking up my new baby next week sometime and I can't wait to get it out on the water. Here are the specs and some stock photos:
Length -- 20' 3"
Beam -- 102"
Motor -- Yamaha F150 4-stroke
Transome Height -- 25"
Dead Rise -- 19 Degrees
Approximate Weight -- 2200 lbs.
Fuel Capacity -- 75 Gal.
Rear Live Well -- 20 Gal.
Fish Box -- 45 Gal.
Persons / Total Weight -- 8 / 1200 lbs
Let me know what you think!
~Hoopty
Nice boat.
Now park it in the yard and come join us on May 19th for a day of fishing.
Just rub it in, we still have ice on the water. I'm jealous. :cry:
Don't think I can make it up there MIRCS, wish I could. You know I'm always down for a day of fishing.
Sorry coastie... didn't mean to rub it in. When's the earliest you can usually get out?
Hoopty,
We went up to check on ours, ice was out 3 to 4 miles before we could see any open water. We'll be lucky to launch by late April or the first of May, isn't warm enough yet to start hull waxing and bottom painting. Season is short up here if your lucky in by mid-April out mid-December, unless the west winds pick-up, then your setting on mud.