Your first love

[liquid]

I mentioned this before and BB opined that it should be it's own thread where people can post pics and reminisce about the good 'ol (or bad 'ol) days.

So post a pic of the one you used to love, your first boat. It could be the one you grew up with or the first one you did work on or even the first one that was just yours... or post them all, who cares we all just like looking at pictures of boats amiright?

So here she is... 1985 Century Riviera 5 Meter. Sat low in the water and flew. Rebuilt quite a bit of it and was about to rip out the stringers when I realized it was time to move on. My father was genuinely mad. My brother offered to buy it. No. It was sad to see her go as I always planned on fully restoring her but it was the right choice. So here's to you Catamarina, you pain in the ass, I'll always love you.

[Big Block Power]

Ok this is my second boat. It was actually fate I was at the Chicago boat show in 2000 looking at Donzi. Well I loved the z20. I sat in it at the show did some boat show dream driving. Grab a brochure and went home. Two years later my buddy that owns Shipyard Marina got one in and I was freshly single and I went to look at it. That was a mistake. At lunch I went home to see if i still had that brochure. Well I did of course. I don't throw anything away. So went to look at the boat it was 2 years old and only has 45 hours on it and what do you know it's the same one as on the cover of the brochure.lol oh I still have that brochure at work. So here is a few pictures of my true first love.

[Humble]

I grew up in Manistee, MI where Century boats we were manufactured. Here are a few pics of the assembly line.

[Humble]

A few more Century boat pics

[Ytmsn]

I want to play! Does this count?

[liquid]

YTMSN - Absolutely! Were you ever afloat in that?

Humble - awesome pics. My father's first love was a 1978 19ft Century Raven (90% sure about that). That was the boat I grew up on until divorce ripped it out of my little hands. I love Century's with the exception of their tendency to stringer rot... although that's pretty much every boat with wood stringers.

[Ytmsn]

Liquid unfortunately I haven't been in the water with this ole girl. I just fell in love with her when I found her behind an old barn. She's coming up in an auction soon and hopefully this will be my next project!

[liquid]

now that's a rebuild I want to see.

[Tuscany]

Chaparral Sunesta 233.
I don't even have a pic of my first boat because of a crashed computer.
I found her on an on line dating site called boatrader.com.
I thought I would take a quick peak at her gunwales and transon while in the area. As I spoke to her father, I found out that she was recently divorced due to their prior legal spouse not paying support. (Repo).
She was a little young, at one year old, and was only on the dating site less than 24 hours before I found her.
I'm someone who never jumps head first into a relationship head first, but as I enquired about her availability, I found out that not only was she clean, bright and beautiful, but she came with a trailer.
I fell in love because I knew she was a cheap date, and bought her immediately.

[liquid]

Haha! Good stuff.

My father always says "you don't go to look at puppies, you go to buy a puppy".

[kevsgone]

img025.jpg

Parents special ordered this 1966 Fiberglass Century Resorter FG17. It is 1 of 1. I bought it from them in the early 80's and kept it until 2008 when I sold it to my brother who still owns it today.

[liquid]

That thing is sweet. Lots of Century's rolling in.

[Big Block Power]

Great thread. Sweet boats. So cool.

[liquid]

Not my first love but I found a pic of "Duct Tape".

This is after my dad sold his Century... Not sure what this thing was - kind of blocked it from my memory...

Anyway here she is not looking so crappy, with two dogs that are no longer with us. The pug just passed this year

[Southernboatman]

I don't have an actual pic of us but hope to find one. Anyway here is another pic. First boat that was my dads and mine by way of his brother- (thanks Sonny). Loved this boat! We were cc before cc was cool! Had the only one in North AL I ever saw. Trailered it to the gulf a few times per summer to fish before we moved down there. Man that thing would fly...literally! My reason I'm volvo all the way. Now back to that trailer story I've been avoiding. We picked this boat up at my uncles house and brought it home which was about 200 miles away. Been sitting unused at least a couple years. Needed a redo and maintenance and some adds to deep sea fish. So added saddle tanks for range, electronics, rod holders and a small side kick plate and backup outboard (never had to use it once). Boat shop friend did the work and engine maintenance, which was only an oil change, new belts and new impeller. All brand new heavy trolling rods and penn reels and other gear was bought. We were ready! Our mechanic was going! He did the work and he liked fishing! So after dad got off on a Friday we set off to Destin (still just the small "fishing village" at the time). from North AL down I-65. Left a little late but 400 miles later we would be there get some sleep and go out early. Well it was already dark just north of Birmingham going down a big hill, 3 of us in a truck and then a thing whizzed by us port side and sparks started flying in the rear view mirror! Pulled over and saw one of wheels had come off and zinged past us and one of the axels on the tandem trailer was ground down about half way through from dragging the asphalt! Well now crap...it's 9:30! Unhooked the truck and Billy went back to the shop 100 miles away to start working while we looked for the wheel the ground off the bearings! Found it in the median about a mile ahead of us. About 4-1/2 hours later we were back up and running and arrived in Destin not too long after sunrise. No sleep today! Ouch! Even though they were repacked a bearing went out. Kept a closer check on packing wheel bearings after that! Many trips after this firstone were made and memories for a lifetime with my dad!