first hot boat driven

[Floored]

what was the first real boat you drove. Example for me a new 1971 Howard flattie with a BBC. was 19 at the time and a friend handed me the keys and said "here ya go" at Katherines Landing. what a beautiful ride that first ride was. after that it was flatties for several years and still want to pick one up to go with my jet and o/b runabout. lets hear some stories of how you got hooked.:D

[Backtanner]

Drove = The tanner. 78 Southwind
Ridden in = Dad's new jet boat back in early 70s. Don't remember make I was 3.

[mouzer]

Im 44 now at 17 i bought a 65 steven flat powered by a big pontiac motor w/3 carbs on it.named ( BOOZER),found it at the grocery store parking lot in buena park ca. 4 sale for $1700.been hooked ever since.....................mouzer

[riverbound]

My uncle had an old Sanger flatty with a dual tunnel ram and OT's.If I helped him wash it and clean all the chrome he would take me out for rides in it.:D

[460rogers]

It was 1978 my uncle had a 76 Taylor SJ with a 455 in it.
He liked to ski and his kids scared him,so he let me pull him.
That boat is still in his yard Hasen't run in over 10 yrs.
He won't sell it.Says he's gonna redo it.I have gathered all the parts for the new motor for it but I guess he's waiting until he's 80 or something.
Oh yea boat ran @ 65 mph ( according to the sommerville police dept)

[sleekvino]

my pops had a 76 taihiti super tiger with a bbf in it .that was the one that got me hooked.ran around 66 67 mph .

[Jake W]

When I was 6 years old in 1982 my grandpa had a red and silver flaked Hawaiian had a 454 and berk pump with ots and a tunnel ram I can remember that thing looking like it was brand new we went to Lake Lavon with it ,in Texas.He was all ways a Harley man and sold the Harley he had to buy the Jet, well he only had it for about 2 years and back to the Harleys he went .The boat was soupost to be him getting too old to ride bikes but he said the boat was alot more trouble than 3 bikes at a time.He still has 2 Harleys today and rides often and when i mention my jet boat projects he just shakes his head.
Oyea my great uncle tells a good storie about a parked car jumping out at the jets trailer one time when they went to loat the boat up,but My grandpa says it was too much beer and the driver not the parked car.
Jake

[American Turbine Man]

My Dad had a new 1968 Glastron CV18 with a 350 and a Berkeley. I was 18 at the time and I can remember out running everything on the lake.
ATM

[19Kona]

My best friend and I were in our early teens (late 80s), and his step dad had a Spectra 20 (the boat was named 2nd Love). We could never figure out if the 1st love was his other boat or my buddies mom.
Anyway, I was so hoocked that I have had jet boats since I was 18 (32 now). My latest project is .... yes, a 1976 Spectra 20.

[1Bahnerjet]

I haven't driven a "HOT" boat yet...
but have driven alot of cool ones. :D

[79miller]

Same boat that I still own, 1979 Miller. My dad bought it in '91 for us, went for a 3 minute ride at Perris and never got in it again. I took it from there and eventually redid everything. Hopefully I'll never get rid of it. Dropped it off at MPD this morning for a new tail bearing seal...

[Krazy K]

Our beloved and now gone 1977 Charger with a 460 Ford, yellow w/ brown metalflake trim. I think I drove it by myself (with Dad in the boat) at about 10. I soloed at about 13-14. I sure do miss that boat!!! I hope it's still running around SoCal somewhere.....

[Clown]

a 1979 Eliminator Daytona Pickle Fork
19 Years Old
With 800 H.P
95 MPH
What a Rush.
Still Driving it.
Now Have it going 112Mph
Same Motor

[Sleek26]

I swear on everything holy that this is true. I was a telephone man in Pomona and went to install a phone in a new garage a guy had just had built. He had inherited this beautifull big house and tons of money. He was telling me about this Campbell Daycruiser he had just ordered. Sitting in the garage 20 Ft. away was this v-drive flattie. I was joking with this guy and asked him what he was going to do with it. To this day I don't know if this guy was drunk, loaded or what but, he said he was thinking about taking it to the dump and rolling the boat off the trailer and then seeing if he could get a couple hundred for the trailer.Thinking he was joking I told him I'd give him $200 for the trailer right now and save him a trip to the dump. He asked when I wanted to pick it up. I had just finished hooking up his new phone, so I called the credit union and asked them to take $200 from my account and cut me a check. It was my last install of the day and I drove the GTE truck back to the yard, went to the credit union, in the other end of the building, picked up the check and went back to his place and picked up the boat. It was registered as homemade and had a pretty healthy Buick motor in it. I've had the boats in my blood ever since.

[79miller]

See trust fund kids aren't soo bad after all....

[matt1]

78 Taylor SJ 454 was 12 or 13 and hooked for life.

[HotDogz]

37 yrs old '75 Nordic jet- this is our first boat, never driven one before. Just listening to a big bolck fire up on the water was enough to make me want one.:D
Your never too old to play!

[dmontzsta]

I was 17 years old and it was the exact same boat I own right now. My dad owned a jet boat and a small outboard before I was old enough to hit the water. Once we/he gave up dirt bikes, he decided to get what he always had wanted "a flattie". That is why when he gets his second boat for my mom and him, and I take full posession I will not let it go EVER. A lot of fun memories, I know lots of people wish they could have their first car/boat. :)

[v-drive]

First ride was in a 1959 wickens kit. It was Buick powered and even had a Dynaflo. my first boat was nothing but my second was a 1980 Checkmate (Wacker) that was scaryas the damn thing liked to get airborn.:D vdrive

[dmontzsta]

Originally posted by v-drive
First ride was in a 1959 wickens kit. It was Buick powered and even had a Dynaflo. my first boat was nothing but my second was a 1980 Checkmate (Wacker) that was scaryas the damn thing liked to get airborn.:D vdrive
Your flattie likes to get airborn too! :D

[EliminatorJet]

My parents first boat was a 16' 1976 tahiti i/o, that i just remember came damn near sinking a few times. First boat I remember driving myself was their 86 4winns ob that they had for 12 years. My own first boat is the eliminator I have now :D

[v-drive]

Originally posted by dmontzsta
Your flattie likes to get airborn too! :D
So what you're telling me is that I'm in for another midlife crisis.
I can hardly wait. :D v-drive

[dmontzsta]

Originally posted by v-drive
So what you're telling me is that I'm in for another midlife crisis.
I can hardly wait. :D v-drive
You said it...not me. :)

[Bob Hostetter]

A 1958 Merline, direct drive with a 327 chevy my dad took out of one of our sprint cars. Drove it alone for the first time sometime in the mid 60's. Been broke ever since..........

[djdtpr]

My dads 67or 68 mandella flatty with a bbc and hall craft v drive ran a whole 75 mph and only weighed like 2000 lbs i think.

[DUNDUN]

The first boat I ever drove was my dads 64' hallett flat. I was probably 7 or 8 and he controlled the throttle (probably didn't get above 2500) and I got to steer. :)

[BIGAMIST]

The first time I drove this I was 10, & continued to drive it every summer til I was 16............grandpa's boat
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/121Bear2_copy.JPG

[dmontzsta]

That thing is bad, does he still have it? what motor did it have?
seems that most people here drove an old flatty for their first time. :)

[BIGAMIST]

Originally posted by dmontzsta
That thing is bad, does he still have it? what motor did it have?
seems that most people here drove an old flatty for their first time. :)
No he sold it:( :( 468 Chevy.......I've never been in any-thing like it since then:D

[dmontzsta]

Originally posted by BIGAMIST
No he sold it:( :( 468 Chevy.......I've never been in any-thing like it since then:D
The twin turbos make that thing look like a monster. :)

[FoMoCo]

Ok I will fess up. My First "hot Boat" if you could call it that was a ratty 76 Tahiti with a 455 Olds. I was 17 and a friend said that I shoud try wake boarding, after getting in that boat I didnt even want to wake board I was just happy sitting in a "hot boat". I didn't even want to get out! My Buddy let me drive it after about 3 hours and I was hooked and wanted a Jet boat BAD. 3 years later I got one!;)

[Hallett19]

my dad's 1978 22ft Mandella, 100mph v drive flatty. I never got to open it up, but it was the first boat I drove, I was probably 11 sitting on my dad's lap and got to drive it on my own when I was 15.

[dmontzsta]

Originally posted by Hallett19
my dad's 1978 22ft Mandella, 100mph v drive flatty. I never got to open it up, but it was the first boat I drove, I was probably 11 sitting on my dad's lap and got to drive it on my own when I was 15.
22' flatty? :eek: that is big.

[mud duck]

A 1947 Chris Craft woody with a Chrysler straight six. :D

[bocco]

First boat I drove was a 1956 Chris Craft 21' Capri. Gray Marine Hemi. I swear it had 2, 2bbl carbs.
First ***boat ride was a late 60s Rayson built for one of the original owners of Marine World before the park was built in Redwood City, Ca. It was named "Miss Marine World". That was back in the day when Clear Lake was Rayson's and Maja's.

[daddy b]

:eek: :eek!: Yah man, first ride was back in 1974, my dad and I went to buy a 73 Kona Jet, and had the owner take us for a ride before buying, LS-6 454, from idle to full throttle (trying to show off) on a calm day, Lake Ming, pretty darn fast, I think it scared us both......he slapped the guy on the shoulder and made him let off. We bought it minutes later and I can remember his hands shaking as he counted out 4500.00 dollars (that was alot of money for our family back then and I think he was nervous about spending it for toys). It was the best family fun activity we every had, he still owns it, and It's still fast. We were seldom outrun and many people tried.... I now have a 78 Centurian Jet with a 468.....boating with family rules... I'm hooked, got a 68 hondo flat recently for a project....Good thread I enjoy the stories.. That was the first boat I drove at age 14 or so.
Daddy b

[Floored]

I enjoy the stories too. We all got started somewhere and it clicked something in us to spend so much time and money on it. Sometimes it just brings up the good memories of family times or our youthful lusty days, but a little good water time sure can cancell alot of bad memories(work):cry: :yuk: :confused: :) :D

[CrdStang]

First ***boat..
My '72 Marlin Taurus, just as soon as I get it back together and in the water..

[Screemy1]

First boat was my Dad's 1988 Commander... had a 350 in/outboard. The first kinda hot boat.... was when in the Navy I drove a QST33 for simulated terrerist attacks on the bid ships as they pulled out of port in Norfolf. It was to train for in attack in shallow waters. The boat was a modified deep vee target boat that was painted grey over the target orange they came with. They had 350 in/outs but we beat the hell out of them. I have done nothing scarier then launch full throttle off a wake from a sub that surfaced prior to coming to port. It must have been atleast an 8' wake.... the boat landed hard on its side, the motor broke from the engine mounts, water was leaking in, the radio operater had a gash over his face and I didn't know it at the time. but had three cracked ribs. The boat was dead right in the middle of the shipping lane for outgoing ships and we had to be towed back by my Chief that was extremly pissed.

[Unchained]

I had never rode in any fast boats before I bought a 1979 Eliminator 19' Sprint in 1984.
It was a real quality made boat with 7 color gelcoat and was a real blast to drive. I guess looking back it was probably the highest quality built boat I've owned.
That first boat purchase is where someone decides what they like whether it be a jet, vdrive, outboard, or an IO.
I knew some guys from the shop where I worked that had Vdrives and they told me how they had to start the boat in gear, had no reverse, and couldn't handle rough water.
I wanted to ski so I knew I didn't want one of them.
An outboard looked, sounded, and smelled like an oversized dirt bike engine to me so I knew I didn't want one of them.
Also the engine hanging off the back looked like an afterthought.
The jet was the best all around.

[ShowDown]

1979 Youngblood, LS6 454, I was thirteen and that was the baddest boat I had ever seen or ridden in and my dad would let me idle it out of the marina and gas it a little once we passed the no wake bouys. God I thought that was cool, Thanks Dad!!