ATW
Well-known member
Hello all,
Longtime lurker and fan of the site. My project has taken me over 3 years to get where I am now (90% done) but I probably could've done it in a year had I busted my rear on it--but life happens and things get unfairly tossed on the back burner...like boats.
Me: 28 year old marketing manager and hot rod/muscle car & outdoors fanatic in SE Wisconsin, bought my first house in December with 3 car workshop, live-in girlfriend and a 6 year old son.
I purchased a 2001 Bass Tracker 'Pro Crappie' in the summer of 2012 with my previous girlfriend--my first real boat (aside from various puddle jumper jons I owned as a teen). It was ready to fish--but I never even launched it because we ended up breaking up shortly after and we sold it to avoid the argument over who gets what. But this isn't a tale about a Tracker...
I began my boat search again the following summer since I was single and ready to mingle. I've always been a fan of aluminum boats/bass boats because of the areas I fish and the risk of gouging glass fishing rigs. My father owned a 96 Skeeter ZX200 with a 200hp OMC that I fished in during my youth (sweet). Great boat for anything really, but semi-risky in the rivers I preferred to fish.
Browsing Craigslist in the summer of 2013, I found a local ad for a 'Sea Ark 1652 (all-welded hull), 40hp motor'. Very basic ad and no pictures. Had an asking price of $1600 for it. I could tell the person wasn't too e-mail/Craigslist savvy so I made an appt to check it out.
To make this long story short, this gentleman inherited this boat from his father-- the boat is a 1997 Sea Ark MV 1652, steering console, CMC Power Trim, 1974ish 40hp Evinrude, tilt trailer. I ended up getting the whole deal for $1200. 8)
It was carpeted from top to bottom with wood floors and some wood deck work and the trailer needed work. But the boat was last registered in 1999 so it was used only two summers its entire life--and it was in perfect cosmetic shape--not a dent. Here are some pics of when I first saw it. Don't get me wrong-- it was a hodge podge of wiring and rats nest but a diamond in the rough, none the less. Especially with a fully working power trim unit.
My plans are a fully functional, bass type boat with ZERO WOOD. All aluminum everything and everywhere.
Longtime lurker and fan of the site. My project has taken me over 3 years to get where I am now (90% done) but I probably could've done it in a year had I busted my rear on it--but life happens and things get unfairly tossed on the back burner...like boats.
Me: 28 year old marketing manager and hot rod/muscle car & outdoors fanatic in SE Wisconsin, bought my first house in December with 3 car workshop, live-in girlfriend and a 6 year old son.
I purchased a 2001 Bass Tracker 'Pro Crappie' in the summer of 2012 with my previous girlfriend--my first real boat (aside from various puddle jumper jons I owned as a teen). It was ready to fish--but I never even launched it because we ended up breaking up shortly after and we sold it to avoid the argument over who gets what. But this isn't a tale about a Tracker...
I began my boat search again the following summer since I was single and ready to mingle. I've always been a fan of aluminum boats/bass boats because of the areas I fish and the risk of gouging glass fishing rigs. My father owned a 96 Skeeter ZX200 with a 200hp OMC that I fished in during my youth (sweet). Great boat for anything really, but semi-risky in the rivers I preferred to fish.
Browsing Craigslist in the summer of 2013, I found a local ad for a 'Sea Ark 1652 (all-welded hull), 40hp motor'. Very basic ad and no pictures. Had an asking price of $1600 for it. I could tell the person wasn't too e-mail/Craigslist savvy so I made an appt to check it out.
To make this long story short, this gentleman inherited this boat from his father-- the boat is a 1997 Sea Ark MV 1652, steering console, CMC Power Trim, 1974ish 40hp Evinrude, tilt trailer. I ended up getting the whole deal for $1200. 8)
It was carpeted from top to bottom with wood floors and some wood deck work and the trailer needed work. But the boat was last registered in 1999 so it was used only two summers its entire life--and it was in perfect cosmetic shape--not a dent. Here are some pics of when I first saw it. Don't get me wrong-- it was a hodge podge of wiring and rats nest but a diamond in the rough, none the less. Especially with a fully working power trim unit.
My plans are a fully functional, bass type boat with ZERO WOOD. All aluminum everything and everywhere.