Eastern Yooper
09-15-2003, 11:48 AM
.... to my trusty old boat.
This is a 1974 18' Starcraft I bought in 1998. I spent a year doing a complete restoration: New paint job, flooring, carpeting, wiring, live well, steering, completely new components throughout. Finished it in '99 when I put a new 100 hp Yamaha 4-stroke on her.
Since then I've had it fishing all over the state: Saginaw bay, Hamlin Lake, Manistee, Bay De Noc, Straits of Mackinac, and up & down the St Mary's.
Two weeks ago I hit a sandbar and caused irrepairable damage to the hull & transom. :( Insurance totaled the boat out, and is paying for an '03 Starcraft Fishmaster. Luckily the motor was OK and that is getting put on the new rig.
This also serves as a lesson about boat insurance: When insuring mine, I had it appraised, took lots of photos, and kept every receipt of every nickel I spent building that rig. I got an 'agreed-upon value" policy which meant no dickering about depreciation, etc. Insurance was also decent enough to let me remove all the accessories like ship-to-shore radio, Eagle Optima, on-board charger, bow-mount troller.
This coming weekend I am taking her to Bay City so the marine dealer can swap the motor to the new rig.
Talk about feeling bittersweet: I'm excited about the new Fishmaster, yet I also feel like I'm losing an old friend.
It was my first decent boat. She was a damn good one.... and I'll miss her.
http://photos.imageevent.com/yooper/yooperfirstalbum/websize/999999snapshot.jpg
This is a 1974 18' Starcraft I bought in 1998. I spent a year doing a complete restoration: New paint job, flooring, carpeting, wiring, live well, steering, completely new components throughout. Finished it in '99 when I put a new 100 hp Yamaha 4-stroke on her.
Since then I've had it fishing all over the state: Saginaw bay, Hamlin Lake, Manistee, Bay De Noc, Straits of Mackinac, and up & down the St Mary's.
Two weeks ago I hit a sandbar and caused irrepairable damage to the hull & transom. :( Insurance totaled the boat out, and is paying for an '03 Starcraft Fishmaster. Luckily the motor was OK and that is getting put on the new rig.
This also serves as a lesson about boat insurance: When insuring mine, I had it appraised, took lots of photos, and kept every receipt of every nickel I spent building that rig. I got an 'agreed-upon value" policy which meant no dickering about depreciation, etc. Insurance was also decent enough to let me remove all the accessories like ship-to-shore radio, Eagle Optima, on-board charger, bow-mount troller.
This coming weekend I am taking her to Bay City so the marine dealer can swap the motor to the new rig.
Talk about feeling bittersweet: I'm excited about the new Fishmaster, yet I also feel like I'm losing an old friend.
It was my first decent boat. She was a damn good one.... and I'll miss her.
http://photos.imageevent.com/yooper/yooperfirstalbum/websize/999999snapshot.jpg