TOPIC: What do most people do with their "glassics"?

I know we like our glassics and renovating them. But I'm curious as to what do people actually use them for. Kinda dumb question but do you sight-see, cruise, fish, water-ski, sun-bathe or what?

keniskora,

OK i'll go first.

i'm redoing a glassic because i'd rather fish for trout, reds, wahoo & ling on the TX coast than eat.
(as i'm now retired on a pension, i'd rather fix a nice old boat than have to do without groceries/clothes/essentials to have a great fishing rig. also, by re-doing a glassic, i can customize my fishing rig to suit me.)

yours, satx

I just like to take my boat out on the lake i the middle of the week when all the idiots are gone and just cruise or run fast or slow. Just have the lake to myself with no one to bug me.No phones, computors or wifes nagging me. Just relax and enjoy my boat the way I built it.

Oddly enough, My favorite thing to do is WORK on them...

But, When I am using my boat, I just like to cruise. We head out on the lake, enjoy the scenery, and stop somewhere for lunch... And enjoy the looks & compliments you get in a good looking glassic!

I just use mine to cruise up and down the hudson for no better reason than enjoying the river and my old boat with its old Merc singing along.

I guess go to Boat Shows & Club Rallys would be my 1st answer..
Having Glasspars , its a big draw on the East coast. March Mt Dora
, Fla four day show , the Glasspar booth had almost 20 entries..
maybe Feather Craft only other mfg to have more than one exhibitor.
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Just cruise. We drive around the perimeter of the 14 lake chain. We stop for lunch, drinks, dinner.....and keep on going.

I'm excited to get my "new" cruier done. Then I can go out on the lake and sleep there! Maybe even eat there.

Is there a glassic equivalent of the "mile high club"....The sea level club, perhaps? Maybe I'll try that too, if I find a "friend" Hey, a guy can dream....

Personaly I enjoy having some thing that almost no one else has. There is no better feeling for me than having some one come up to me or flag me down and ask "what year is that thing". or have some old timer come over and say I remember that boat back in the day. It always brings a to my face. I just like cruising around and showing her off.

My wife and I just like to cruise around the lake and look at the scenery and all of the other boats. We take our dog and hit alot of beaches for exploring. We also do some camping out of our boat. There are several camp sites that are boat access only. We also waterski and Airchair a little. The majority of our lake has no cell service. Unplugged=Nice.
Neil

We go exploring.......




Camping........




Cruzin the islands....

Well mostly cruise and tan, I cruise the wife tans. We fish with it too. Haven't used her for skiing, yet. Learned to ski behind her when I was a kid just haven't found a pair to do it again. Dad must have gotten rid of them a while back.

Bob

My 1959 Glasspar Avalon, "Debby II" was setup for saltwater fishing in the Pacific Northwest. Mostly salmon, but also bottom fishing, clam digging and crabbing. When I first owned it during the late 1980's it had twin Johnny 20s on it. While sporting the twins, I had it out in the Straits of Juan DeFuca and the Pacific Ocean many times... in search of the big king salmon. Have pulled in several over 30 lbs. Today, it has a new Evinrude Etec 50, that is reliable and quiet. We enjoy just relaxing with a bottle of wine while we troll around the Puget Sound in search of the trophy fish.

My 1959 Glasspar G3, "Bandit" represents my 3rd mid-life crisis. I put a lot of time in this boat, and it looks brand new. It is strictly a freshwater boat. I love showing it off, and speeding around the lakes... burning up lots of gas. Occasionally I run with Dr. Frankenmerc, who I like to pretend I can beat in a race. But the only way I can get ahead of him is to sneak up on him with the surprise pass while he is trolling along. I never get very far before he spanks me hard... heh. I am very close to joining the 50 MPH club and enjoy counting the squished bugs on the bow after a fun day out rodding around. I have water skis, though didnt try behind Bandit this summer, as the motor wasnt broke in while the weather was warm... next summer for sure.

I too, got a lot of much enjoyment just doing the restoration work. I am on the hunt for a Dorsett Catalina 17 now, to eventually replace the Avalon... so we can have some more creature comforts, including the all important marine head.

Nothing beats getting a thumbs up from total strangers when your cruzen in a crowd.

I too love to work on them. They say doing puzzles stimulates the brain. These old boats are one big puzzle and when I'm working on the boat all my problems are a million miles away. I also like the feeling of accomplishment when you reach a milestone point on a restoration. You meet instant friends when you have a vintage boat or car. Perfect strangers walk up to you and start talking like they have known you forever. It's fun at the dock when you are next to a 60,000 boat and the people come up and talk to you in the old classic. I also love to be out in the water with friends and relax.

kensikora wrote:

I know we like our glassics and renovating them. But I'm curious as to what do people actually use them for. Kinda dumb question but do you sight-see, cruise, fish, water-ski, sun-bathe or what?

I plan to do all of the above.

Sight-see, cruise, fish, pull folks around in tubes. Oh yeah, WOT with the merc humming right along...

What I would like to do is live near a Finger Lake. I am not a fan of the Hudson for anything other than sight-seeing and cruising.

Frank

I bought my boat in 1978 and have been working to restore it for two years.It is nearly ready for the water.It is a 1969 Glastron Jetflite V143 with a 1969 650 Merc on it.
I am restoring it to as near original as I can within my budget.
This profile pic was taken years ago but she still looks the same.I will have it in the water next season,I have all the parts that are needed, just have odds and ends to do like carpet etc.I have added power trim which is installed and working.I can't wait to have my old friend back.Ron G

Great thread Ken, I think you've touched on the heart of what brings us all together here. To me, working on my glassic(s) is therapeutic, the "trials and troubles of life" seem to fade away when you're focused on the task at hand. The only thing I love better, is cruising in one! Occasional short bursts of WOT are good for grins, but a leisurely "just planed out" pace is the normal speed, enjoying the scenery on and off the water. Normally I prefer NOT to draw attention in life, but as others have stated, the feeling when total strangers give you a thumbs up or come over to discuss your glassic is pretty awesome. Makes you kinda proud, and glad you have the "obsession" we all share.

i love taking something thats ready for(or already in) a junkyard and bringing it back to life,hopefully good enough that others like it as well.
i just think these old boats are very cool,john

acbs shows...not good for much else unless you can find placid waters. ; :

Perhaps I was too hasty in my answer. The fixing is a good part of the fun. I made the mistake of having one professionally restored once. It just isn't the same to address people who are interested not being able to say you restored it yourself. That is really fun!

Well so far the only thing that I have been able to do on my Crosby is work on it. I get a little closer every day largely due to the fact that I have become pretty obsessed with fixing her up. I've never had a motor boat and this is my 1st resto so I can't honestly say what I get the most use out of her. However I do know what the FIRST thing that I will do when she gets in the water (next spring!!!) and that is to take her out and show her off. My goal is to make damn good and sure that everyone knows that I am the best thing that ever happened to this old boat. I'll revisit this thread in about 6 months. Right now we're getting our first snow of the year. Sheesh...

One is not really a Glassic just old. Mostly I just miss it. And when I get to visit it, I run the heck out of it. I slept in the docks many times.

Once the frost melts I will be out sanding the 58. So it can get to Florida also and meet up with "Yall" at Mt. Dora

Workin' on, fishin', ski, ice cream runs, wind blowing between my ears, sometimes just sittin' on the porch lookin'.

I fish and it keeps me from killing people. Calms the nerves. And and sometimes I take pictures.

Mine have two purposes.

The outside boats are used to kill grass in big boat sized patches.

The inside boats are used to keep the pigeon crap off my barn floor.

bill loveland,

ROTFLMRAO!

yours, satx

I bought mine recently to use for Fishing / Tubing / Skiing. With the loss of the kids grandfather recently, my son asked me to get a boat for fishing out by our farm in MN. He and my daughters were grandpa's fishing buddies. I had been lurking around for over a year, but this finally pushed me into action. We plan on having many good memories once the boat is restored.

RL wrote;

And and sometimes I take pictures.

And mighty beautiful ones at that, IMO. You've got quite a knack for it Bob. I think we've all probably had those "snapshot moments" while out in a boat, but being able to capture that picture to enjoy later is special. Great work.

Wish I could get out on the water this weekend, the leaves are at peak in north GA. Just a little too windy and cool for these old bones, unfortunately. Back to sanding on the project boat.......

I use my Crosby for dragging skiers, tubers and a parasail

John : That boat is so pretty it almost made me cry - Wife walked in and I had to suck it up Lots of great looking boats and scenery in this thread !

I use my Silver Arrow to " ride it as a sportscar for the waterways"

The Aristo Craft /Mark 78 I use for vintage boat racing in Germany.

Taco.

boatmaniac wrote:

I use my Silver Arrow to " ride it as a sportscar for the waterways"

The Aristo Craft /Mark 78 I use for vintage boat racing in Germany.

Taco.

boatmaniac wrote:

boatmaniac wrote:

I use my Silver Arrow to " ride it as a sportscar for the waterways"

The Aristo Craft /Mark 78 I use for vintage boat racing in Germany.

Taco.

"Mine have two purposes.

The outside boats are used to kill grass in big boat sized patches.

The inside boats are used to keep the pigeon crap off my barn floor."

Hmm, guess Im in the same, err, boat. I use mine to daydream about actually some day getting any one of the three to run, and be on the water.

Mark thanks for your kind words but the secret is to just keep the camera handy. I take hundreds and I guess I get lucky with some.