i'm buying a V20!

[Kajun]

well maybe ;D .... 1987 dual console ...the boattrader one...i've been talking to the guy and i've decided to buy this boat...if the snow melts by the weekend..i'm making a roadtrip to get it(anyone feel like riding up with? lol)....i need another boat like i need a hole in my head but i dig the dually's and it would fit my fishing style, i cant do cuddy's due to excessive anchoring....the motor doesnt run...could be bad, could be simple and easy to fix...dont know....so i'm counting on a blown motor ...i'll just pull the 140 off my 18ft and install it.. the boat itself looks like its been pretty much neglected....would have a long way to go to look like lumberslinger's....he said its been sitting a for a year....alil power cleaning/buff/wax might go a long ways though.... he said boat itself is solid..no soft spots

we agreed on his asking price of $1k... i doubt if he will go lower though..i still might try to get him lower once i get there ...i'm figuring another $300 in gas round trip (Va. to chicago) $100 hotel/food....prob needs 4 new tires and 4 hubs too or might get away for just new bearings and repacking.....he said lights work but i got a extra set i'll bring just in case. so prob $300+ in trailer parts,.... trailer brakes dont work, think i need them with a F150?my v18 is 2250lbs and i dont have brakes....so cost is at $1700 + or - so far..i got the $ but dont know if i want to spend it.....plus with the move to florida..i'd have to sell my 18 or make 2 trips.......what ya think? deal or no deal?

there's like 29 pics..so i uploaded them to photobucket go here to view them...click on pic and it will make it bigger and just hit "button" to view more.

http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p252/KajunPCB/V20/

[bradford]

Hey Kajun I don't even have brakes on my trailer. Some people think it's crazy, I think it makes you pay attention!

[Kajun]

yea i hear ya..but being the winter time and slick roads might be good to have for a long trip....

can you access the pics?

[bradford]

Do i need a password to do that ??

[Kajun]

i dont know.. did ya click on the link? what does it say when you try to see the pics?

[bradford]

va to chicago is a long run too. If you're thinking of moving to fl you might want to wait and buy something down here. there's a bunch of deals with all the boats down here.

[bradford]

it asked me for a password

[Kajun]

ok fixed it...its public now


yea i'm thinking about waiting till florida to buy one...but its not often these dually's come up for sale.. and especially for $1k

[bradford]

By dually what do yoiu mean? dual windshield?

[Kajun]

yea dual console.. i fixed it.. you should be able to view pics.

[bradford]

Not bad for a 1000 bucks!

[Kajun]

well...by the time i get it home its gonna actually be about $1700..but yea i know doesnt seem too bad though....plus the engine may be a simple fix.. they guy said it's "missing" bad and his mom dont want to spend the money to fix it.....could be a simple electrical/fuel problem...but it could be blown too lol...said its been used on his local freshwater lake since it was new.

[bradford]

The only problem with driving that far is that he knows you want the boat and probably won't budge on the price, but for that price who cares as long as it's solid and workable for you.

[bradford]

The boat coming out a fresh water lake is a plus too

[msbhammer]

Kajun, 1K is a good deal, but the seller should promise that the trailer be road worthy, bearing and tires at his cost not yours. Interesting boat...worries me that the transom doesnt have a splash well. Is this normal ??
Wave over the back and you now have water on the deck. ? Is this normal for the dually's ??, I dont know.
The floor looks strange. Looking at the one pic. showing the the transom, it appears that the floor is not factory. Looks like that hard board you put on a floor for tiling. Then the whole floor is caulked along the sides. I could be wrong and the picture is decieving. Check with him about the floor. If its all cool, go for it. Just dont wanna see you make the mistake I did when I got mine Brother.
Have you fully made up your mindto buy it ?? Keep us posted.

[msbhammer]

The hull looks sweat. Virgin bottom.

[msbhammer]

The floor doesnt look right. Seems elevated as if he put something overtop the old floor. Is it me ??. Then its caulked along the sides.
Where are the deck drains ??

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p252/KajunPCB/V20/706237-R1-018-7A-1.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p252/KajunPCB/V20/706237-R1-018-7A-1.jpg

Wont let me post the pics of the rear floor near the transom. Do others agree that the rear floor doesnt look right or am I looking at it wrong. ?? ???

[TheTinMan]

The floor doesnt look right. Seems elevated as if he put something overtop the old floor. Is it me ??. Then its caulked along the sides.
Where are the deck drains ??

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p252/KajunPCB/V20/706237-R1-018-7A-1.jpg


Wont let me post the pics of the rear floor near the transom. Do others agree that the rear floor doesnt look right or am I looking at it wrong. ?? ???

I think that's normal.

If the transom and decks are solid and no fiberglass work is needed, I'd say go for it. Only problem is you can't really trust the owners word...ask me how I know :-/

If it was a cuddy, I'd say don't do it....but you are right about Duallies being rare. From the pics it looks like it's just a bunch of elbow grease. Tell him to get more pics of the keel, you can see an area forward that needs some attention, may be just some gel coat work??? Was boat kept in the water?

I'd also be leary, as you are, of the trailer...looks like dual axle, is it? Weird how the center longitudinal has rust but the rest of the trailer, from what you can see, looks pretty much rust free??? Get more pics of axles,springs, tires and hubs and ask about bearings...refurbishing a tandem trailer will not be cheap.

It's really a crap shoot. You may have an awesome deal that with little investement and some elbow grease you'll have a great boat......or, rotten transom, soft decks, shot trailer........


Find out as much as you can BEFORE you make the trip....and still plan for the worst.

Good luck!

:-/

[msbhammer]

Thanks for posting those pics. Tin. Still cant seem to find the deck drains. :-/
Unless covered by snow. :-/

[TheTinMan]

Still cant seem to find the deck drains. :-/
Unless covered by snow. :-/ There isn't deck drains, it drains through the scuppers in the motor well. There is recesses where you can add drains in the corners by the hinges of black doors...my boat has the same configuration.


Talking about motor well, is that a waterline??? It's about 2 inches above the scuppers??? Or did he have carpet or something glued back there like the step-up on the bow, hmmm.

[msbhammer]

Hopefully not Tin, guessing he had teh boat tilted up to drain, but it didnt drain and water just sat there.

[TheTinMan]

Hopefully not Tin, guessing he had teh boat tilted up to drain, but it didnt drain and water just sat there.
Maybe but I don't think so, looks like stain was when boat was fairly level...What the hell is that from??? Did he keep scupper plugs in while moored/docked and count on the bilge pump to drain??? I'm baffled. Not crazy about that though, looks like water was sitting there for awhile, which means the motors lower mounting holes were also sitting in the water. Kajun, get an explanation on that.

[TheTinMan]

Is she sittin lower than she should be?? Appears about right???

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p252/KajunPCB/V20/dually.jpg

[Seacrets]

How about debris in the drain holes. Look at the pic of the boat in the water. The tape stripe vs. the water looks good to me. That transom area looks plenty dirty. I bet he removed some junk to let the water drain out prior to the pic. Do you know if he winterized the motor and stabalized the fuel? You can't expect the owner to do much work on the trailer when he'll sell the whole package for $1k? I'd grease the bearings and buy a matching spare hub and bring a spare tire, and bring it down the road. I pull mine with a Trailblazer with no brakes on the trailer. Your F150 will stop that rig with no problems.

[TheTinMan]

That transom area looks plenty dirty. I bet he removed some junk to let the water drain out prior to the pic.

May be the case...it just appears that water has been sitting there for a long time but hard to tell from pics....that water/scum line may just wipe right off.

[msbhammer]

Hey Kajun,
Whats up with the Big Move to Fl. You moving in with Franco. ;D

[lumberslinger178]

Kajun,

You are going to love this boat,,,,, you got it rite about anchoring the thing its a breeze ...my 12 yr old does it !!! post tons of pics
I ve seen this boat awhile back... great price 1K I paid 4500 for mine... and prob would have paid more....lol
that boat will polish up like a new penny good luck with it..

[reelapeelin]

Assuming the hull IS solid and requires no structural work, it'd be hard to go wrong for $1000...

Couple of thoughts...in pic of the winch-stand appears hull not pulled all the way up on trailer...BOTH rollers on that bracket should contact the bow when all the way up...this WILL affect how it tows ...if too far back it'll be butt-heavy/ tongue-light and tend to fish-tail...something to look at...

If motor is blown and you do use your 140, is motor-shaft length compatable w/ transom height?...

V20.com member "Mirage" is in Panama City...haven't seen him here lately, but he shows up on THT from time to time...you might wanna contact him...

Keep us posted on what you do...

;) ...

[macojoe]

Unfortunately the only real way to find the answer is to go there and check for yourself!!

The guy wants to sell and he doesn't care what he says as long as he gets you there.

I think its going to be a great boat for you, but you are going to have to work at it before you make the ugly duck a Swan!!

If you are serious go look!! If you don't you will never forgive your self! As there are not many Duals around!!

If it was me I be there already!

Good Luck!!

[reelapeelin]

Only thing I'd is consider going w/ an open mind...once you've gotten there, if ya see a boat you DON'T want, be ready to walk away...I know if it were me, after the trip etc, I might be tempted to buy no matter what I find ... it'd be tough to drive back w/ nothin' ... but still better than towin' home more probs than you're willin' to deal with :) ... Maco's right...there's only one way to really find out... ;) :D ...


We don't have a member in that neck of the woods to check it out for ya?...

[rhahn427]

I would wait ....... it's been sitting for a year it will probably not sell soon over the winter ...........

I told you my experience with buying boats long distance ........... that's a heavy boat to be pulling through the mountains in the winter without brakes ......... and besides ...... there's a whole lot more boats down south ........

[Seacrets]

Anybody know anybody in the Chicago area that might get Kajun some good info on this thing? How about hiring a local marine mechanic to inspect the package. One or two hrs charge for labor is better than a whole lot of gas and aggravation (sp).

[phatdaddy]

Kajun. looks like a good deal , except for the road trip. I've only seen 1 dual console for sale here in Panama City. It had a sea drive on it and was pretty ragged out. Single axel trailer and one of the windshields was cracked. The guy was asking$4500. It set at a boat repair shop for 18 months and I noticed it was gone a couple of months ago. I don't know if it sold or he just moved it. I sent flounder some info on it, but I haven't heard from him since Katrina.

[regidog]

Kajun, I would be sure the hull is worth the trip. If when you get there its not, turn around and come home without it. All you lost is your time and $100. There will be others.

[Kajun]

thanks for the opinions...i got some more questions for him when i talk to him next time...still undecided though...but i'm leaning toward going get it....i can always get a second job during holidays to replace the cash or sell some accumilated junk.

i'm figuring $1700 total to get it in my yard...so its gonna be a bit more than the $1k asking price...

i seen that water line too in the splash well...i think thats from being tilted back and leaves clogging the scupper drains..if not there would probably be a water line coming out into the cockpit .

right now i'm waiting on a call from the guy to tell me the snow has melted in the yard...the boat is in his mom's yard on top a big hill...and he said noway i'd be able to get it out until snow melts....if it melts this week..i think i'm gonna go ...and if i drive 15hrs..its coming home lol unless its a total POS when i get there.

[macojoe]

I agree, there is no sign of a ring in the boat except the rear.

Go get the thing and you can always sell to me for $50 if you no like it!! ;) ;D

[msbhammer]

So whats the quickest way from Va. to Il. ??
Guess there is no chance of him meeting you patial of the way?
What about flying out to check it out first. ?

[Hammerhead]

va to chicago is a long run too. *If you're thinking of moving to fl you might want to wait and buy something down here. *there's a bunch of deals with all the boats down here.

Ditto to that. Wait till ya move. For all the work involved I wouldn't take the boat if the guy paid me. Not to mention the risk involved in even transporting it this time of year.

[skpablo]

So whats the quickest way from Va. to Il. ??


I made that drive last summer. My brother lives in Chicago. There is no easy/simple way to do it.

[Kajun]

msbhammer...quickest way is about 14hrs up through 70...on the way back i would come straight down 65 to louisville,ky and then hit 64 east to norfolk...i'm hearing less mountains...the weather forecast is looking good for entire trip..no snow..48 degrees in IL on friday..60's rest of the way home during day...i'll prob travel at night..less traffic...i'm off work from 1pm thursday till monday at 3pm..so i got the time...i'll like to be in his yard friday morning...the road trip will suck.. going solo.

he wont meet me halfway..the guy is like a 20yr old kid..selling it for his mom, he's kinda like its a $1k ..take it or leave it.....flying to check it out is too much extra $$ into the deal. if its really bad i'll just turn around and just lose gas money.

hammerhead i would wait till i get to Fl.(august 07) but these dually's dont come around much,its a good winter project and i want one cuz they offer the open fishing space of a center console and the ability to have a full enclosure like a cuddy....in the year i've been watching for v20's for sale i might have seen a couple ..and they was expensive...but your prob right ... prob more headache than its worth...but i cant say i've had a stellar year with my v18 :)..i'm also hoping for a simple fix on the motor. its basically a big gamble .. could be a big steaming pile of crap or a dirty diamond in the rough.

Tinman.....the guy said there is a small piece of gel coat missing in the front keel..he said it doesnt go into the glass...my 18 has same thing....he also said they keep it in the lake slip for 2-3 months during summer...then when they pull it out he brings it to get muratic acid washed before storage....i think thats why the trailer has those rust spot right under the keel and the engine has those white splotches ..i asked about soft spots and he said there is none.. i asked about if they had cracks on the transom or movement and he said no that the hull was solid everywhere.....i asked about the trailer..he said its in "fair" condition..that he has bearing buddys on them and keep them greased..said it prob needs new tires though....but that the lights worked fine.

gonna talk to him tommorow..if the snow is melted i'll be on the road thursday afternoon.

[Mac_Attack]

I like the boat. Splash well is the same as mine also. Duallys are rare and a fresh water one to boot. Drive safe and wave as you pass Michigan. Ken is a member here and lives in the Chicago area PM him. Billy Mac ;D

[reelapeelin]

Sounds like yer goin' ... have a great trip...take some pix along the way ... is trailer single axle or tandem?...


...if ya gotta buy tires ... and all the mileage yer gonna do to VA, then FL ...might as well go w/ a set of Goodyear Marathon Radials ... I've been runnin' 'em for years now ... and FLAWLESS ... you won't regret it ...and don't fergit the spare ;) ...

[Franco]

Kajun, you can always check out the boat and then have it delivered to you. I had a marginal trailer under my V20 when I left Virginia. I hired a company to deliver it and figuering my time, gas, and everything else it was just a couple of dollars more to have it done that way with no worries of trailer related problems.

[macojoe]

Tow It, Tow It, Tow It

I not scared!! I would tow it in a new york min! But I tow my V20 90 MPH down the highway!! :o

good luck!! want to see all the pic when you get back! Cause i know you buying!!

[reelapeelin]

I tow my V20 90 MPH down the highway!! :o








;D ...Hope yer kiddin' ... ;D ...

[Franco]

Hey MJ, I know you got a lot of balls, I've seen the extra pair you had hangin' on the back of your truck. That being said, you service your trailer, you know what shape it's in and how it tows. Better safe than sorry!

[macojoe]

Rap yes I have hit 90 a few times when I am trying to get home fast!

Franco, yes I have a brand new trailer, plus it is a tandam, well two years old with not even one season use cause of all the motor problems.

And you are right I can tell you were every bolt is, and the last time it was checked!!

But I would still tow that puppy home, maybe not 90mph but a quick ck of all systems and your off!!

[Kajun]

well MJ...i will be doing that friday :) just finished talking to the guy on phone..snow is melted.. asked him to clearify just what was wrong with motor and he said after the season was over they took it in to mechanic to winterize it...and the mechanic said it was missing but said he could still use it like it was, but his mom didnt want to pay the mechanic the extra $ to diagnose/fix it and she said to just sell it...so whos knows..it might be a good engine afterall!

i told him only thing i was worried about was trailer at the moment..he said all he would do is put new tires on it...and that every year he greased the bearings buddies and never had a prob....and that all lights work on it....i'll do some basic checks and bring it to a tire place and have tires replaced...hubs checked and then hit the road.

so..i'm leaving tommorow at noon...headin to somonauk,Illinois to rescue this old dually from a life of kid skiiing lake duty and put her to work catching fish *;D hopefully its an uneventful trip back ...but i'm gonna try to plan and bring extra stuff..like a spare or 2..hubs and stuff.


anyone know the dry weight of this boat and trailer? approx?

[lumberslinger178]

sweet we want pics of the whole trip........ ;D ;D ;D have a safe trip ..... oh i forgot the v-20 gods are watchin over ya...lol

[Seacrets]

Hey Kajun, do you have 14" wheels on your 18' trailer? Why don't you block it up and throw both tires in the back of your truck.

[Kajun]

hmm dont know..i'll check it soon as i get home....the guy just called me back and gave me the tire numbers on his trailer.. they are 215-65R15, but he didnt know if they was 5 lug or 4 lug....i have brand new tires on my trailer C rated...and i also have another set of brand new trailer tire/rims..but they B rated....i was bringing the B rated ones ..but i might just take all 4 now..good idea.

lumberslinger...what is the dry weight on the 87 dually? ya aint got to worry about pics *;D you know i got that covered lol

[msbhammer]

Kajun, Your totally Hardcore. ;D So your gonna go for it. ;D ;D Good luck, stay safe, and the V-Gods will be waiting to hear from you Grasshopper ;D. Seacrets had a good idea. Grab the tires off your 18' and take with ya. Most of all, if your not happy with what ya see when you get there, dont be afraid to just walk away. When I bought my V. I sent the guy a deposit. After seeing the boat, I felt a bit stuck with it. Dont make the same mistakes that I did.
The boat looks good, hopefully just some good hard cleaning and teaking. The Gods want lots and lots of pictures now of your V-20 journey. Take a lap top computer with ya if you got one, to keep us all informed. ;D

[macojoe]

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

As far as weight goes, I would say you are no more then 3500# Boat is like 2200 and 1000 for trailer, 400 for motor give or take a few.

F150 will tow that like nothing!!

[shicks007]

Go git her Bro! Have a safe trip.

[lumberslinger178]

hmm dont know..i'll check it soon as i get home....the guy just called me back and gave me the tire numbers on his trailer.. they are 215-65R15, but he didnt know if they was 5 lug or 4 lug....i have brand new tires on my trailer C rated...and i also have another set of brand new trailer tire/rims..but they B rated....i was bringing the B rated ones ..but i might just take all 4 now..good idea.

lumberslinger...what is the dry weight on the 87 dually? ya aint got to worry about pics *;D you know i got that covered lol

Iam not sure would that be on my title???

[Kajun]

hammer..i dont know about hardcore....maybe crazy..obsessive ..implusive yea lol

thanks MJ..i thought it was around 2300-2500 or so...my v18 is 2200....i can stop pretty quick too without brakes ...so this shouldnt be hard to pull at all.

lumber..it might be on your title

i'll bring my laptop..if i stop at a hotel with net..i'll upload some pics :P

[msbhammer]

Kajun, so what happens if the trailer is shot ??
When I bought my V, I just made it into the driveway before the tire fell off. I was lucky.

[Kajun]

i'm bringing it too a tire place or trailer place if i can find one to have all 4 tires replaced.......i'm also gonna buy a couple extra hubs...and prob repack all bearings before i leave.....if it breaks down...i got 7 days vacation ready to go into effect when i call work ..then i fix whatever is broke and continue on....also have roadside assistance and seatow trailer care......at this point, all i can do is pray is its in decent enough condition to make it back and i dont kill myself or someone else lol...bags are packed...truck is loaded...it's on!! next stop podunk,Il ;D

[TheTinMan]

Good luck Kajun....bring a grease gun for bearing buddies. Feel the hubs for excessive heat after the first 10 minutes or so of highway towing and every gas stop.

[reelapeelin]

Good luck, Kajun...

[Franco]

Happy Hunting Bro, get back safe

[bassarama]

Good luck and watch out for State Troopers :o ;D

[C YENSEN]

i always wanted a dually, i am jealous! :'(

[Kajun]

thanks folks..i'm off! ;D

[msbhammer]

Kajun, its 8:20pm, where are you ?, what state are you in. ;D ;D ;D
This is one devoted guy. ;D

[msbhammer]

Almost 4 am. You must be be 80 mph, a coffee in one hand, and a donut in the other. OOPS, $hit, thats me at work. ;D ;D ;D

[Kajun]

wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll......i PULLED IT!!!.....i was 50 miles from indianapolis and I pulled it!.....that WILD HAIR IN MY AZZ!

i just walked in the house at 8pm....long story..short of it is..yesterday when i drove over the applachian mountains i got cold feet ...basically there was no way in hell i was pulling a 3500+ boat across those mountains with no brakes!...made it too the kentucky line and pulled over at a rest stop and called the guy and told him i was having second thoughts about it because of the mountains and no brakes thing.....he called some places and either they wanted a arm and leg to fix everything or they were booked up....but then he said he would knock some cash off the price...he went down to $700 and said he would help me fix everything and get it ready for the road by saturday afternoon....i took the bait and agreed.. and took off again determined as ever to pull it back....

12hrs since i left norfolk...700+ miles into the trip at midnight 50 miles from Indy..after much stress and thought i made the decision to turn around..anyway i thought about it , i could not justify towing this thing back with no brakes across those hills and mountains and did not want to chance being stuck there for days trying to get parts and crap for it.... or paying the outrageous prices for someone to fix it...turned around and headed back.....

about 2am i stop outside of lexington,ky..got a room and slept till 1030 this morning....called the guy when i woke up and told him the deal....he said no problem he understood...got back on the road headed home...:(


i had big kahona's sitting in my computer and thought i could do it.......i have never driven or been across these mountains in my life.......i definetly under estimated them...not to mention that the whole state of west virginia is mountains...and most of kentucky is big hills.....so it was like 400 miles of mountains and hills.......i wouldnt tow MY boat across this..hell i wouldnt tow anything across them lol......anway..i chickened out..i'm a WUSS! 2 days of my time...$250+....1400+ miles on my truck to learn that i didnt have the ballz to do it lol..i'll chalk this one up as a valuable lesson and "scenic" roadtrip lol....i'll get me a V20 one day...but it won't be this dually!

[bassarama]

I hear you bro.

when I was going down to NC to get mine I got some really strange thoughts. I like to think I was lucky not to find BIG surprises. Hey, you did what your heart told you to do, that's the main thing.

Keep looking, one of these days you'll get rewarded.

Good luck

[macojoe]

Wow!! Thats to bad!! :'( :'( I wish I was there I would have towed it for ya!!

O well if it was meant to be it would be in your yard right now, so I guess it wasn't.

O well there will always be a next time!!

I just don't see what the problem was? Truck 6000# = Boat 3000# almost 10,000#

Just think 1/2 of that was uphill and you did not need breaks!
So that was only 200 mile 10,000 pound sleigh ride ;D ;) You old guys have no adventure left in ya! :-/

[frayed_knot]

I'da done it. ;D I understand your concern, and applaud you on your decision. Most wouldn't have done that. But I'da done it. ;)

[msbhammer]

WoW, you turned around. :-/
Why are all the good deals so far away. :-/
You'll find something in Fl. when ya move. So how much for your 18 ???

[Kajun]

yea i'll prob regret it for the rest of my life but even now i still feel it was the best decision.....i cant put into words how uncomfortable and stressed out i was with those mountains...all i know is i'm out a couple hundred bucks and some time....and still alive lol

[phatdaddy]

When are you moving to Panama city? I'll keep an eye out for one down here. I'll see if I can locate the one that flounder was looking at. If the vibes were bad, then it probaly was a good reason to back out. I know when I pull to the keys its a hairy ride and there is only about 100 ft elevation rise & fall in 750 miles.

[Kajun]

i will be in PCB no later than july 25th...


i'm not gonna look for boats anymore until i get down there...lets just say this trip "cured" me of the gotta have a another boat" disease lol gonna concentrate on fixing the 18 to sell and getting my house ready to sell...prob will get a second job to pad the v20 fund..that way i'll be ready for when a nice CC or dually comes up.

hammer..i got about 8k in my 18...hoping to get about 4000-4500 for it....4500 is what i paid for it...would dip down into the 3800's if not i'll just tow to Fl and use or sell it there.

[TheTinMan]

So close...yet so far. Sorry it didn't work out. :'(

[lumberslinger178]

man i thought i had another dually brother :-/

[TheTinMan]

I can understand the no brakes concern....coming down out of the mountains can be scary.

I had an F250 with a 10 foot slide on camper, coming down a mountain pass in CO I lost my brakes, pedal went to the floor....talk about sphincter factor:O. I was able to pump them quickly and get enough pressure to stop but was scary as hell.

[skpablo]

Kajun,

I think you made the right decision. Like I had said, I made that trip last summer and there is no easy /flat/level/direct way to do it from here in Tidewater.

On the way up was better becasue I went via Youngstown Ohio and then Michigan first. Coming back though (the more direct way) was hairy even in just a car coming through West Virginia especially. I had my hand held GPS with me and at times it was reading that we were on mile high mountains.

Like others have said. If it was meant to be it would have happended.

[reelapeelin]

Don't regret it for another minute!!...It's in the past and no harm/ no foul ;) ...the right boat and situation will come along...pleanty boats in FL !!... ;D ...

[TheTinMan]

Smart move, really. Unless you went down the passes in first gear @10-15 mph, you would've had your hands full, even then the sphincter pucker factor wouldn't be worth it. Those runaway truck ramps are there for a reason! Flat ground or some hills are no big deal without brakes, but not those passes! Glad to see you used your head!