Somewhere around 14, my father got tired of me taking his homemade Geechee boat and got me a silver 10 foot aluminum boat with a 3hp turn around 180 degrees for reverse outboard. Boy did I wear those out!
Started driving and had a 1960's style 14' semi-V hull with same era 40hp Evinrude for saltwater fishing.
Some later stuff.
12' fiberglass v-nose w/7.5 Johnson
16' tri-hull w/70 Johnson
12' Sikescraft w/9.9 Johnson
15' Owlcraft w/30hp Johnson
These are still with me presently.
Flare 16' tri-hull w/70 Evinrude
14' aluminum boat w/25 Evinrude
Ashcraft V16 w/50 Johnson
17' Mohawk canoe
oh and the V!

I think i was 12 when i got an 8' aluminum pram, I had to row the first year. The 2nd year I saved up & got a 3.5 HP Eska. Wore that out in 2 seasons, then got a 4 HP Merc. this one had F N R ! The 2nd. boat was a 12' Mirro-Craft w/a 6 HP Johnson. I think I was around 20 when I when a bought a 1977 15' Arrowglass w/a 55 HP Johnson. Then around 24 I got a 1983 24' Renken w/a 3.8 liter OMC I/O. Ran the hell outa that boat for at least 6 seasons. Then a traded that in for a 1988 Glasstream w/a 3.0 Mercruiser I/O What a POS! Only 1 season with that one. Then I aquired my parents 1987 21' Chris-Craft Cavalier in 1991, It only had 42 hrs. on it. I still own it to this day. Then in the summer of 2006 I bought a 1969 12' Aluma-Craft with a 1986 8 HP Evinrude, still have that one. Then in spring of 2008, I got my 1990 V-20 with a 200 HP Johnnyrude.

My dad raised us on a early 1970s?, Tcraft, 22' I believe. I/O, four cylinder that was always breaking down and under powered.
My first boat, my 1989 V20. My dad bought it for me brand new for graduating college and we went with the Yama 225 because he wanted no more problems and lots of power.
Dad past in 1993 from bone cancer. He had it at the time he bought it for me and didn't get to go on it that much with me because of pain. He was happy to see me enjoy it...that is why I haven't parted with her(memories). The golf course he use to play at was right on the ocean and I would call him when I was coming by and he use to love watching it go by...man I miss him.

Where's Hammer w/his 1st boat??...

I started with a 16ft. Juniper homemade flatbottom boat with a 3hp Evinrude. My dad found it sunken in the Chowan river, brought it home and rebuilt it. We fished it till he passed in 1980. I kept patching it until it was totaly rotten and scraped it a few years ago. Around 1990 I was given a 37ft. Colonial with twin Chryslers 6cyls. I worked on it for about a year and had arranged to have it pulled to paint the bottom when a hurricane sank it in 25ft of water in Bennets creek in Gatesville. I tried pulling it up to the top and pumping it out but couldnt keep it up on top, so I pulled it on shore with one of our log skidders and scrapped it. I then bought and rebuilt a 1972 Carolina plyboard boat and a new 25hp evinrude, still have it. In March of 06 I bought my 77 v20 with a 170 Merc. Ive spent hundreds of hours restoring the boat ,engine, drive and trailer but now have the boat Ive always wanted.

Santa brought me a Sevylor 3 man scout raft when I was 7 years old. It was camoflage and oar powered. Mom and Dad got me a 17 lbs. thrust Minn Kota trolling motor for it for my birthday. A year or so later I found a 10 ft fiberglass semi-V on the side of the road for sale for $25. I bought it with some of my lawn cutting money and later added a 3hp sears air-cooled outboard for $40. Never could get the sears outboard to fire, so I put the Minn Kota on the back. Used it in the lakes around Stone Mountain and in the creek me and my friends used to dam up behind our house. Years later Mom accidentally backed over it in the driveway one afternoon when I was painting it. For my 10th birthday we went to the Atlanta Boat Show and Dad bought an 87 Sylvan V-171 bowrider. We took it to Lake Lanier EVERY weekend for the first few years, sometimes on both saturday and sunday. I ended up putting more hours on it than Dad even though I was only in my preteen years. Fast forward to my early 20's, Ended up living on Wilmington Island Ga. and had to have a boat again. Bought a 13ft Gamefisher with a 4hp Mariner. Paid $800. Was great to use in protected back waters, but wasn't stable enough for the girl who eventually became the Wifey. Bought a 14ft Fisher Marine with a 30hp Mariner. Paid $1300 and ran the schiit out of it almost every day sometimes. Wish I never sold that one. Bought an 86 Donzi 18 2+3 (yeah, BIG change) with 350 Mercruiser Paid $7100. Was great for hauling *** (63mph) and making a bunch of noise with through-hull exhaust. Dad talked about selling the old Sylvan and I got sentimental and bought it off him for $2000. He felt sentimental and gave a $1000 back. The wifey and I decided to move to Florida and I had to sell every thing to keep from having to move it, and also the new place didn't have all the room to park all those boats. Sold every thing except for a 90 Kawasaki Jet ski I got in a trade for the Sylvan. The Jetski was fun except everyone on a boat hates you and most jetski folks are pricks. Started reading the boat trader and looked at a couple in the 18-22ft range. After looking at 3 different V-20s, I bought mine for $5100 and sold the Jetski to a buddy of mine. Decided except for the weather, the clear water and white sand beaches I didn't like Florida so we sold the house before the market crashed, and moved back to good ol' Wilmington Island. Since being back I've acquired a 12 ft fiberglass skiff, and the twin to the Jetski I had before, both for free and a 14 ft Mckee Craft with a 50 hp suzuki for $850. Sorry to be so long winded.:beer:

My first at age 12 was a 14' wooden boat brand and age unknown I'm too old to remember and it had Johnson 10hp, I think? (gone)
Then came 1973 Wellcraft Airsolt 185 with Merc OB. Heavy boat but very dry (gone)
Infinity 19' 1992 w 140 hp Volvo I/O. Very nice fishing boat. Built by the Global Yacht Co. as a launch used on their 78' yachts. (gone)
GlassMaster 1989 w/ Johnson 65 hp (gone)
Glen-L Console Skiff 16' wood (I'm currently building this one on my shop)
Landau 1983 aluminum 16' w/Mariner 40 hp (current)
1983 Wellcraft V-20 Steplift w/170 Merc I/O completely restored at purchase. (gone but not forgotten. I am currently on the prowl for a replacement. That was by far, the best boat I every owned).

The first boat I owned was a 12' avon inflatable I got for free. I added a 10hp seaking to it for $100 I think. I fished with that one a couple times a month. It could run the whole weekend on 3 gals of gas.

2nd was a Glen-L 18' skiff with a 70 hp nissan. It was used at least every week for a couple years.

3rd's the catamaran I have now, trying to sell it.

Somewhere in there I got a 14' aluminum semi-v I believe is still by one of my lakes. Also got a stand up jetski a few months ago.

My first boat (bought by my Dad new) was a 1970 Glastron V-176 in avocado with a 115 Evinrude. Great all around boat!

I was partners on a 70's 20' Seaox with a 115 evinrude, then I had a 13' Boston Whaler then I got the V20 and Now I have a McKee Craft CC

In my teens during the 70's my Dad had an 18' Penn Yann just like this.

http://www.monkeybutler.com/help/PennYann1.jpeg

http://www.monkeybutler.com/help/PennYann2.jpeg

He had it on a mooring in the Charles River near the Mass. Ave. bridge. That was a different era in Cambridge before it became the peoples republic. I don't remember the exact fee to get a mooring but it was cheap by today's standards, something like $20. It originally had a 50HP Evinrude but one day we went to go out and noticed the boat floating a little odd. Turned out somebody had stolen the OB right off the boat while it was in the water! That was the end of the mooring and the season. Over the winter he found a 90HP Johnson that really made that boat move.

Best memory on that boat was watching the bicenttenial fireworks in 1976 with Arthur Fiedler leading the Pops concert. When I was old enough to drive he let me trailer it where ever I wanted and eventualy he basically gave the boat to my brother and I. That lasted several years but sometime in the early 80' my brother ran aground and busted the bottom up. Without me knowing about it the boat eneded up in a bonfire on Whitehorse beach in Plymouth MA on the night before the 4th. I still get worked up thinking about that.

My mom worked at Harvard U. and one of the benefits back then was that they gave employees and their families access to the recreational facilities. This included the sailing club so from high school to my early 20's I sailed O'day dinghies and Lasers there. They also had a Soling but it was rare to get to use that. It was weird, a poor city kid hanging with Harvard students but some of them really used to look forward to me showing up because I had, uhh, local knowledge of access to supplies of recreational drugs.

After I moved west of the city in the mid 80's I had at various times:

A 12' aluminum skiff with a 8HP motor.
A Super Snark sailboat.
A canoe.

Five years ago my ex-boss gave me his fathers old 13' Whaler with a 25HP Evinrude.

Three years ago I bid $750 on a 17' Wellcraft/Manatee on ebay. Here's a picture of the two together.

http://www.monkeybutler.com/boat/boats.jpg

Two years ago I bought my current boat for $2600 then sold the 17' for $1200. Also that year I gave my ex-boss the Whaler back. Long story why but I'll just say I miss that boat.

That's it. I'm happy with the 250 right now,however I would like to replace the Whaler with something similar but that's not in the budget right now.

my first boat is my V.....still got her. :sun:

First family boat was my Dad's old 1950's vintage 15' Lyman with a 40 h.p. Elgin motor. Dad traded up to a 16' Speedliner in 1972 with an 80 h.p. Mercury. He quickly traded that for a larger 18' Speedliner and kept the same motor. Had many good years with that boat, and replaced the Merc. (very troublesome and unreliable) with a 1986 Evinrude 90 h.p. with VRO that never gave us a problem.

I bought that boat from Dad when he purchased his (now my) V20 in 1991. I gutted the old gal and put in new carpet, seats, etc. Believe it or not, that old plywood floor was still solid when I sold it in 1996 and bought a 20' Formula sunsport with a 265 h.p. Mercruiser. I still have the Formula.

I inherited my Dad's V20 in 2002 and still have it. I had to repower in 2006 with a new 4.3 litre 190 h.p. Mercruiser.

Anyone familiar with the Speedliner hull? I wish I had pix. Y'all would immediately recognize the similarity to the V20. It was a very good solid boat.

If we're going into family boats it was:

1974 Duo 17' trihull with a 115, we went out every weekend and once caught some sunfish.
Some 80s 17' I/O ski boat, used once
16' bass tracker with a 50hp merc, figured out how to catch fish in this one.
18' bayliner bass boat with 125 force
1993 20' regency sunbird with 200hp I/O, lots of good times in this one, about the time I turned 16
2001 21' ebbtide with 200hp I/O, fell off the trailer but had a thick hull
2001 tige 21v, dam wakeboard boat
2006 malibu v-ride, dam wakeboard boat
2008 23' malibu, not sure what it is, rides good and good for drinking beer

The malibus will turn as quick and sharp as you can throw the wheel, much quicker than unsuspecting passengers can stay in their seats. 330 hp also.

My parents have lived on the river most of my life so either me or my father had a boat.

1975 My first boat 12' John Boat with a Sears 9.9 (8 or 9 years old)

1980 I purchased a 14 Jon Dorey (spelling) with a 25 hsp Evenrude. I would also use that Evenrude on my 12' John Boat and it would fly (around 14 years old).

1984 My dad purchased a brand new 19' Cudy Cabin Bayliner with an AQ125 Volvo I/O we ran the dog crap out of that boat for about 10 years before it died.

1996 I purchased a 1983 20' CC Sea Ox while on vacation at the Outer Banks.

1996 One month after I purchased the Sea Ox I purcased my 1983 V20 CC which had a one month old 150 Johnson and sold the Sea Ox. I was not looking for a boat but was out with a buddy who owned the V20 and when he said he had to sell the V20 and then the price I just said "sold". I gave him $500 more for the works then he had just paid for the new motor but I did my good deed and helped out a friend. The boat still runs great and is sitting in my yard ready to catch some more stripers. I am now 44 and maybe one day I'll grow up.

First boat I had was a Chris Craft kitboat 8' pram. (oars) Built it with the help of my father.
After the pram I spent most of my time on the water in sailboats. They were:

Lippincott Comet - Cedar construction
Star - Olympic class boat with a full keel
Flying Dutchman - Sloop with a masthead rig. Had spinnaker, 140% jib, etc.

In the middle 50's i got into stinkpots and the first was a 16' Lyman klinker built, much like Monkey Butlers Penn Yan. Power, 22 1/2 HP Evinrude. No gears, just forward, no recoil starter, just rope wound around flywheel. Getting underway was an experience. Re-powered with an Evinrude 25 Bigtwin with forward, neutral, and reverse.

Went on with some larger boats such as a 32' Owens inboard with twin 283 chevvys.

About 12 years ago I got into building cedar strip canoes and kayaks. Built 2 canoes and 3 kayaks.

I have had my V20 Cuddy for about 8 years. The first 4 years I was in V20 partnership with my brother-inlaw. My V20 is as follows:

1984 V20
Bimini Top w all stainless hardware. New Sunbrella cloth this year.
60 gallon tank with added 24 gallon tank for far off shore fishing.
Raw water washdown
6 added rod holders in addition to the 4 gunnel holders
15' gunnel mounted outriggers
Anchor Ball
Porta Potti
Sitek VHF Radio
Garmin GPS
Sitek Loran C
AM, FM, CD radio
3 step stainless steel ladder on swim platform

I am currently working on rebuild and re-finish teak on rod boxes. I hope they will be ready for spring season. Refinished teak cabin door, teak gunnel treads, teak bilge door. My goal for all of the wood on the V to be done this spring.

I have an Easy Loader tandom trailer that the V lives on. The trailer is an ongoing refurb project. So far I have replaced the following:

Manual winch with a Dutton Lainson electric winch
All 32 rollers
All lights with leds
Jack
All bearings
4 tires

Original 1985 Yamaha 150 2 stroke, Repainting the leg and cowling as we speak. I am using computer matched Yamaha acrylic blue lacquer w/clear coat auto paint.
Racor 10 micron filter

Like they say, a boat is a hole-in-the-water that you pour money into!!! To me it is money well spent.

Geek

Not counting the canoes and dories I had as a kid my first real boat was a 1969 16' Bonita I just sold about a year ago. Had it for over 30 years. Motors on it were a 90 'rude, 115 'rude, and then a 90 yamaha.

I bought the V-20 when I moved here. The Bonita was Ok for Biscayne bay but, too small for offshore up here.

Here'a a pic.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...l/DCFN0001.jpg

and the 1977 165HP I/O V-20,...( 6 hp kicker)

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...al/Fantome.jpg