I'm 57 and avoided boats for years, we seemed to get enough invites to lake days and Shasta vacations without buying a boat. On a vacation to San Diego in March our hotel deck sat right on Dana Bay and I was watching boats come and go all day. Being a compulsive Craigslister I started looking for boats back in Eugene Or. With grown kids and grandkids all living in Eugene, I thought maybe I should buy an old boat. I mentioned it to my wife and to my shock she was more excited about a boat than me. She said, I'd love to float around the lake and enjoy the sun. So I called a buddy who has a large warehouse and asked him if I bought a boat could I store it with him. He graciously agreed and told me to call a mutual friend who was wanting to get rid of his Blue Water ski boat. The friend said he needed to keep the boat for 2 church ski days a year, but I could use it anytime I wished and much as I wanted. So my boat shopping was done... but not according to my wife, she hates to borrow.
Making a long story longer, I kept looking and in April I found a 1990 20' Bowrider located in Vancouver Wa. I called the owner and bought it sight unseen. I drove up the next day and was pleased with the boat. He was a stand up guy, he had 37 more calls and cash offers over the asking price of $4000. I am the 3rd owner, it has always been garaged, only 220 hours on a new 4.3L Alpha 1, dual axel trailer and fully outfitted... dozen jackets, skis & ropes/handles, tube, anchor and moorage lines, fenders, tow lines, bimini, spare prop, tools and original manuals.
We've taken it out 4 times, yesterday we cruised 67 miles on the Willamette from Portland up to Oregon City, back through downtown portland, out to the Columbia, up to Tomahawk Island for dinner at a cute little restaurant (Island Cafe), and back to Portland in heavy chop. A great day, and the old girl performed like a champ. The Lowrance Elite-4 Sonar/GPS I installed worked great, the charts were very helpful.
I changed the oil/filter today, thinking it would be pretty straight forward... the brass fitting on the hose would not fit through the drain plug hole (new motor old hole?) so a funnel and smaller hose was used and it took a long time (open to suggestions).
I had a bow cover made, and we are contemplating taking it up to either Puget Sound or the San Juans... but more lake days prior to that. I will mostly lurk on the forum learning from "old salts". Here are some pics...
Making a long story longer, I kept looking and in April I found a 1990 20' Bowrider located in Vancouver Wa. I called the owner and bought it sight unseen. I drove up the next day and was pleased with the boat. He was a stand up guy, he had 37 more calls and cash offers over the asking price of $4000. I am the 3rd owner, it has always been garaged, only 220 hours on a new 4.3L Alpha 1, dual axel trailer and fully outfitted... dozen jackets, skis & ropes/handles, tube, anchor and moorage lines, fenders, tow lines, bimini, spare prop, tools and original manuals.
We've taken it out 4 times, yesterday we cruised 67 miles on the Willamette from Portland up to Oregon City, back through downtown portland, out to the Columbia, up to Tomahawk Island for dinner at a cute little restaurant (Island Cafe), and back to Portland in heavy chop. A great day, and the old girl performed like a champ. The Lowrance Elite-4 Sonar/GPS I installed worked great, the charts were very helpful.
I changed the oil/filter today, thinking it would be pretty straight forward... the brass fitting on the hose would not fit through the drain plug hole (new motor old hole?) so a funnel and smaller hose was used and it took a long time (open to suggestions).
I had a bow cover made, and we are contemplating taking it up to either Puget Sound or the San Juans... but more lake days prior to that. I will mostly lurk on the forum learning from "old salts". Here are some pics...