Just got home with the next project involving wood... Grandpa's boat.
The motor is a '57 Johnson Seahorse 35 hp, an Dad says Gramps bought it
used, so the boat's a couple of years older, but I'm trying to track it
down based on the serial number.

The boat itself is a formed wood hull, and plywood everything else.
Watson's Watercraft from Middlechurch, Manitoba (where I grew up). Mr.
Watson bought the shells and then did the finishing work.

I'm thinking about 100 hours to make it shine, but we hope to take it
out on the water next weekend.

--
"I'm a man, but I can change... If I have to... I guess." -- Red Green

Dave Balderstone wrote:

Just got home with the next project involving wood... Grandpa's boat.
The motor is a '57 Johnson Seahorse 35 hp, an Dad says Gramps bought it
used, so the boat's a couple of years older, but I'm trying to track it
down based on the serial number.


I had a 5HP of the same vintage.

Totally bronze sleeve bearings.

Guy I bought mine from to me to mix gas/oil 25:1, NOT the 50:1 used by
todays engines.

It will smoke like hell and run forever.

Have fun.

Lew

Dave Balderstone wrote:

I'm thinking about 100 hours to make it shine, but we hope to take it
out on the water next weekend.


DREAMER! !

This is a boat you're talking about, a wooden one at that.

With a boat, unlike furniture, about all you get done with 100 hours
invested is making the list of stuff you have to fixG.

Trust me.

Been there, done that.

Again, have fun.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:
Dave Balderstone wrote:

I'm thinking about 100 hours to make it shine, but we hope to take it
out on the water next weekend.


DREAMER! !

This is a boat you're talking about, a wooden one at that.

With a boat, unlike furniture, about all you get done with 100 hours
invested is making the list of stuff you have to fixG.

Trust me.

Been there, done that.

Same here. Funny though, because even though I have nothing to show for
it I don't really look back on those moments as time wasted. :-)

Again, have fun.

Lew

As the saying goes: "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so
much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.

In article .net, Lew
Hodgett wrote:

Guy I bought mine from to me to mix gas/oil 25:1, NOT the 50:1 used by
todays engines.

Dad said 40:1... I'll have to check.

--
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Pass it on...

In article .net, Lew
Hodgett wrote:

Dave Balderstone wrote:

I'm thinking about 100 hours to make it shine, but we hope to take it
out on the water next weekend.


DREAMER! !

This is a boat you're talking about, a wooden one at that.

With a boat, unlike furniture, about all you get done with 100 hours
invested is making the list of stuff you have to fixG.

LOL!

Trust me.

Been there, done that.

I'll take it under advisement.

Again, have fun.

Oh, yea!

--
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Pass it on...

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message

I had a 5HP of the same vintage.

Same here ... used it as a teenager in the late 50's on my "duck hunting
rig" for Gulf tidal marshes, mounted on a two level transom on the homemade,
11' flat bottom Jon boat that Dad and I made out of marine plywood and then
fiberglassed ... high tech for the time.

I don't believe that I ever gave that Johnson 5hp a pull that it didn't
start.

It was a great motor to trust a solitary teenager to, in an area where the
water often disappeared when a Norther coincided with a low tide and you had
to wait until the next tide to get back in,

They'd call out the CG if that happened today.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 2/20/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)

In article 150520070754237368%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone. ca, Dave
Balderstone wrote:

In article .net, Lew
Hodgett wrote:

Guy I bought mine from to me to mix gas/oil 25:1, NOT the 50:1 used by
todays engines.

Dad said 40:1... I'll have to check.

You are correct according to the folks at http://forums.iboats.com

--
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Pass it on...

Dave Balderstone wrote:

You are correct according to the folks at http://forums.iboats.com

The guy who told me that was older than dirt.

I have learned it is not a very good idea to question old farts, of
which I am rapidly becoming onegrin.

Have fun with your new toy.

Might want to join a wooden boat forum.

Guy name Pat Ford has been rebuilding wood boats for a long time.

Might be a helpful kind of guy, if you can find him.

Lew

Dave,

Something to keep in mind when you become a boat owner: A boat is a hole,
surrounded by water, into which you pour lot's of money.

I've owned one most of my life, since my teens. It's addicting. My present
one is much larger (much larger money hole). I started off whith one very
close to that size. They're probably what have kept me from becoming a
millionare, but I don't think I would have it any other way.

--
Charley

"Dave Balderstone" wrote in message
news:150520070755100179%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderst one.ca...
In article .net, Lew
Hodgett wrote:

Dave Balderstone wrote:

I'm thinking about 100 hours to make it shine, but we hope to take it
out on the water next weekend.


DREAMER! !

This is a boat you're talking about, a wooden one at that.

With a boat, unlike furniture, about all you get done with 100 hours
invested is making the list of stuff you have to fixG.

LOL!

Trust me.

Been there, done that.

I'll take it under advisement.

Again, have fun.

Oh, yea!

--
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Pass it on...

Charley wrote:
Dave,

Something to keep in mind when you become a boat owner: A boat is a hole,
surrounded by water, into which you pour lot's of money.


No kidding. I just had to put a new engine in my 21.5 footer because it sprang
a water leak in an exhaust riser. When I would park the boat, a little bit of
water would run down into the exhaust manifold, and then into #5 and #7
cylinders. Funny part of it is that the Hobbs meter showed 222.2 hours.

So I get the engine in and running good. We go up to a lake and start running
around a little. Beautiful day. Just cruising around the edge of the lake
probably 300 feet from shore when all of a sudden it sounded like something hit
the bottom of the the boat (something small), but the boat kept on motoring
along ok. Got the boat back out of the water and about 10% of one of the prop
blades is gone and the other two are damaged. It ran very smoothly for so much
damage, but there went another $200.

SO we are pulling the boat onto the trailer and I see that one of the front
bumpers is missing. WTF??? I assumed that maybe it was stolen or something.
Only held on with a cotter pin. With that bumper missing I couldn't get the
boat all the way onto the trailer or else the steel pin that the bumper was
connected to would gouge the boat fiberglass. Had to keep it back about 4".
WHOLE lotta fun towing that thing 150 miles back home with the weight shifted so
far back. Anyway, start looking at the trailer and find that there is a big
problem with it. The 4" square tube that the hitch is welded on to is rusted
through. There was another $500 repair bill.

Then I noticed that the flexible hose that runs from the filler neck to the gas
tank has a leak. Man that sh** is expensive.

Then . . .

Well, you get the idea. And I haven't even made it to the canvas that needs
repair yet. Or having to replace all the wiring and lights on the trailer. Or
the upholstery that is starting to go, or . . .



Wayne

WOW ! It sounds like your money hole has a money vacuum built into it. Mine
has cost me a bunch to keep it running, but so far, not at that rate.

--
Charley

"NoOne N Particular" wrote in message
. ..
Charley wrote:
Dave,

Something to keep in mind when you become a boat owner: A boat is a
hole,
surrounded by water, into which you pour lot's of money.


No kidding. I just had to put a new engine in my 21.5 footer because it
sprang
a water leak in an exhaust riser. When I would park the boat, a little
bit of
water would run down into the exhaust manifold, and then into #5 and #7
cylinders. Funny part of it is that the Hobbs meter showed 222.2 hours.

So I get the engine in and running good. We go up to a lake and start
running
around a little. Beautiful day. Just cruising around the edge of the
lake
probably 300 feet from shore when all of a sudden it sounded like
something hit
the bottom of the the boat (something small), but the boat kept on
motoring
along ok. Got the boat back out of the water and about 10% of one of the
prop
blades is gone and the other two are damaged. It ran very smoothly for so
much
damage, but there went another $200.

SO we are pulling the boat onto the trailer and I see that one of the
front
bumpers is missing. WTF??? I assumed that maybe it was stolen or
something.
Only held on with a cotter pin. With that bumper missing I couldn't get
the
boat all the way onto the trailer or else the steel pin that the bumper
was
connected to would gouge the boat fiberglass. Had to keep it back about
4".
WHOLE lotta fun towing that thing 150 miles back home with the weight
shifted so
far back. Anyway, start looking at the trailer and find that there is a
big
problem with it. The 4" square tube that the hitch is welded on to is
rusted
through. There was another $500 repair bill.

Then I noticed that the flexible hose that runs from the filler neck to
the gas
tank has a leak. Man that sh** is expensive.

Then . . .

Well, you get the idea. And I haven't even made it to the canvas that
needs
repair yet. Or having to replace all the wiring and lights on the
trailer. Or
the upholstery that is starting to go, or . . .



Wayne

Charley wrote:
WOW ! It sounds like your money hole has a money vacuum built into it. Mine
has cost me a bunch to keep it running, but so far, not at that rate.


It really has this year for sure, but to be honest and fair, it went quite a few
years without anything but routine maintenance (I bought the boat new 20 years
ago), and only the last few years have required anything more. That doesn't
count the things that you add on like radios (VHF and AM/FM, etc), maybe even a
tv, New custom tires and wheels for the trailer, cup holders, depth finder/GPS,
all kinds of assorted fishing accessories, toys, interior modifications, and on
and on. Not to mention gas now either. Make sure you have enough gas for the
day because if you have to go to a marina to gas up it will cost you. I don't
know what it actually costs now, but I would guess in the vicinity of $4.50 a
gallon for the 87 octane, versus about $3.50 on land.

Now that I think about it, there is (or hopefully WAS) one recurring problem
with the particular outdrive that I have. My boat has the OMC Cobra system in
it. OMC came out with the Cobra in 1986, and made some changes to it for the
1987 model year. Mine is kind of a hybrid being a 1986 1/2 model with some of
the 1986 parts, and some of the 1987 parts. One thing that both years had
problems with was the shift cable. They didn't do a very good job of keeping
water out of it and it would rust out very quickly. Had to replace that cable
every couple of years until they finally came out with their second cable
upgrade. It made for some very "unorthodox" docking maneuvers idling up to the
dock and all of a sudden you can't even get it out of gear, much less into
reverse. :-)

It's just that the hole has opened quite a bit more that usual this year
(someone must have found the switch to the vacuum). But even with all that, I
still would not trade it. My family and I still like it a lot. We have had a
whole lot of fun it it. Going fishing. Just going cruising. Or going out on
the Sacramento River and watching fireworks as they are going off almost
directly over your head. Where I am located I have my choice of going down to
the San Francisco Bay (or even out into the ocean although my boat isn't really
equipped for ocean use), to inland rivers and reservoirs, to mountain lakes.
Thousands of different places to go from a 5 min drive to . . .say . . .4 hours
tops.

And speaking of fireworks, At a place called Mandeville Cut on the San Joaquin
River in Northern California is a huge boat party on July 4 (or so). Might even
see Howard Arneson's jet powered offshore race boat. THAT sumbich is just plain
KOOL!!! Check this out for starters: http://www.deltaboating.com/news3.htm

Guess I have blab'd enough. Whoever reads this, go enjoy your boat whatever
kind of boat you have.

Wayne

Here is the rule I go by, Too much oil, will foul the plugs, to little will
burn up the motor, you decide.


"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news
Dave Balderstone wrote:

You are correct according to the folks at http://forums.iboats.com

The guy who told me that was older than dirt.

I have learned it is not a very good idea to question old farts, of which
I am rapidly becoming onegrin.

Have fun with your new toy.

Might want to join a wooden boat forum.

Guy name Pat Ford has been rebuilding wood boats for a long time.

Might be a helpful kind of guy, if you can find him.

Lew

Websters:

Boat: noun, derived from the latin "well it seemed like a good idea at
the time"
definition: A hole in your driveway into which you shovel money.

On the other hand, the therapeutic value of ANY for of woodworking -
priceless.

charlie b