I was tired of my boat. I had pulled an I/O out and replaced it with an outboard, but it had a closed bow and the transom wasn't working. The motor was too short for the hull so I could never get the rpm's right and the hull at the stern looked to be buckling. Plus the bilge pump ran every 1/2 hour.

So It was time to look for something different. I knew what I liked and disliked about my boat. The closed bow was a big pain to me. The open back was great for playing a fish etc. So I knew I wanted and open bow with an outboard. Did not want to fuss with the doghouse for an I/O.

Looked at 2 different 16 foot boats and realized that, while the bow was great, the was not enough room at the stern for 2 people to play a fish. They were too small and not going to work.

An 18 foot, open bow, outboard, aluminum is what I needed.

My friend was already making a trip from Kelowna to Olympia to buy a motorcycle, so when I stumbled across this ad (which was the exact boat I was looking for) in a town about 30 minutes from where he was picking up his bike, decided "ROAD TRIP!"

He picked me up around 5:30 in the morning, and about 1,400 kms later we were back at my place a bit after midnight. He had his bike and I had my boat. Now the fun begins.

Here is what I bought.

"1977 18 foot aluminum boat. 70 hp Johnson outboard motor, new canvas bow cover and canopy. Walk thru windshield.
Vinyl seat covers are in good condition, no rips. New indoor/outdoor carpet on the floor. Very nice boat. Includes trailer. We have title. "

Well, there is a minor problem with transom flex that I need to address before I swap the 70 hp with the 115 I was running on my other boat. That will be project # 1.

It's home. Note the trailer light wiring. Of course the lights didn't work so I had to buy a set and Mickey Mouse the wiring t get the boat home.

Of course none of the gauges work :)

Got some organizing to do.

Some cleanup back here.

Splashwell needs a bit of help. That is 1/4 round wood trim under the gunk. Need to pull the splashwell and the transom together.

Other than that, I should be able to hit the lake once the boat is registered.