TOPIC: People keep giving em to me - how can I say no

Just read the post by Shake - while knuckle drive & all! LOL

I have a mid 80s bayliner fishing boat - I picked it up for $500 trailer & all - clear titles but the engine was literally in boxes.

I sold the 85 Chrysler for $100 - so I'm now $400 into a "I hope it floats" fishing boat.

Now I had a 15hp tiller handle force engine I used all last year with the boat - worked great on the small lakes - kept be alive on the river - but wasn't what you would call easy to use.

I scour craigslist all the time & found a fella selling an 85hp Johnson for $50 - says it runs (ha). I go & pick it up & his wife is so excited I'm taking this 4cyl lump out of her parking spot in the garage they refuse to take more than $30.

In passing - they say I can take the 1956 boat they have outside - comes with a 1956 30hp evenrude. FREE

I white knuckled it all the way home (2 hr drive) with a 14ft boat hanging off of my 8ft utility trailer.

Cool old boat - found a home quick for a mere $250

Do the math & I'm at $180 bucks in the bayliner all told. It really is a nice boat - just doesn't move.

Anyway - I fart around with the engine & decide it might work but its more hassle than I want - the steering on the engine doesn't fit the steering on my boat- queue craigslist -

guy selling a running driving 85hp Johnson 10 years newer than my $30 version with a fresh tune up & can demo that it works. He mentions that I can have other parts from the boat as he's going to scrap it anyway. He wants $400 for the engine, controls & steering

I show up & its 18 degrees out & showing like crazy. He shows me it starts (well - it fired anyway - not like we ran it) & I say great - put it in my truck.......
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he says its too damn cold out here to mess with why don't I just take the boat & trailer too (this one has a nice trailer)!

So I drag home a mid 70's 18ft tri-hull & can't be happier - my wife is starting to wonder about my sanity.

Now this gem pushes my investment to $580 - but I'm hoping I can recover some of that when I sell the older engine, this boat & trailer.

It took me a couple hours out in the cold to disconnect the new engine & drop it onto my bayliner - I am a long way from running though - still need to connect the harness & controls & then work on pulling the steering from the old boat.

It cracks me up though - how people will just give away a boat because its cold & in their yard & they don't want to mess with it.



Wish I had some pics - but it was dark when I got home.

my goal is to have my fishing boat up & river ready in 4 weeks - sauger will be running by then

Some people just fall into it.
Great story.
Remind me not to buy any used outboards listed in northern Ill.

True some could say I fell into it! Others would say what the check am I doing out looking at boats in February when its 18 degrees!

Opportunity is where you find it

Smart people look for the bargains this time of year. Last week I sold a 41 year old BeeCraft that was all set up for fishing, rod holders, live well, plenty of storage etc. There's 2 ft. of ice on Green Bay. The guy caught the bargain, is going to use the next month to personalize it with kicker, trolling motor, beer holders, fish locater et al. He'll be fishing while others are looking. As the weather warms up prices go up. Just like convertible cars.
You did good.