New Tinman

[pool4shark]

I'm new to this forum and don't actually have a qualifying boat yet. I just layed away a 2004 14-ft MirroCraft model 3654 deep V boat with a 2002 Yamaha 15hp 4-stroke long shaft motor. It will be my first "tin" boat in about 30 years. The first boat I ever owned was a 15-ft Alumacraft canoe that I sold when I got the 17 ft kevlar canoe that I still have now. We've also owned a 19-ft fiberglass sailboat and a 26-ft cruiser, and I still have a 14-ft poly kayak.

The MirroCraft and motor seem to be in near-new condition, and I really like some of the features for such a simple boat. It's got a floor made of 1/2" marine plywood wrapped in vinyl. Instead of a center bench seat, it has a live well on the port side and a small (seat size) storage box starboard. That leaves good walk through space for our two dogs. It also has a bow storage compartment.

I plan to keep it in a slip at Wabasha, MN. That's a small town toward the downstream end of what's called "Pool 4" on the Mississippi. Pool 4 is about a 44-mile stretch of the Big River between Lock & Dams 3 and 4, which includes a major bulge called Lake Pepin. So, I'm going to call the boat "Pool (4) Shark." Any other MirroCraft 3654 owners in the House?

We've had a wicked Winter here in Minnesota, and boat shopping has helped keep my mind on warmer times ahead. I'll try to attach some pictures. Wish me luck

Sam

 

[1957Crestliner12]

Very nice sled...keeping it in a slip in Minnesota?...not priceless...

Rod
Oriental, NC

 

[pool4shark]

1957Crestliner12 » 15 Feb 2014, 00:33[/url]"]Very nice sled...keeping it in a slip in Minnesota?...not priceless...

Rod
Oriental, NC

Thanks...I think.

Pool 4 is a pretty amazing place. In addition to Lake Pepin and the main channel, there are lots of great backwaters, plus access to about a dozen small towns with an assortment of watering holes and near-shore campgrounds. I got a two-finger, covered 16-ft slip for $275 for the short Minnesota season, 5/1-10/1. I don't want to spend half my rare free time trailering. We had a 26-ft cruiser in a slip at the north end in Red Wing for a couple seasons. I didn't like having such a big boat; but I love being on and around the Mississippi. I want to keep things simple and reliable this time around.

It's a tight money venture, though, so I'm trying to buy carefully in case I need to turn the boat/motor back into cash. I'm paying $2250 for the boat and motor without a trailer. NADA average retail is $2325, not including the 2 good seats that are in it, the battery, and the automatic bilge pump that's wired and plumbed at the transom. The dealer provides a 30-day warranty, and will loan me a trailer to get the boat to the slip. I have access to friends' trailers for pulling out in the Fall; but, I'm also considering buying the new-looking Yacht Club trailer that the boat sits on for $350 (NADA avg retail @ $345, or $505 if you can believe an extra $160 for the fenders). We already have a small travel trailer and an enclosed trailer for my business; so I'd like to avoid owning/registering/insuring/storing another trailer.

I can't make the Minnesota boating season any longer; so, I'll do what I can to sweeten it a little.

Sam

 

[DrNip]

Very clean boat!

 

[Keystone]

FYI Sam, you can buy a new 600 lb boat trailer for not much more than the dealer wants for the used one. Check out HFT, Mills Fleet Farm or the Lowe trailers at Cabelas.

 

[masterbaiter]

nice boat! I like the layout with the split bench

 

[1957Crestliner12]

Very nice boat for the money...you did good...I'm just not a fan of bottom-painting aluminum boats...

Is that trailer the boat is on now galvanized or painted?...If it's galvanized, the price for the trailer is good.

That's a perfectly sized rig you have there...

Rod
Oriental, NC

 

[pool4shark]

Keystone » 15 Feb 2014, 08:55[/url]"]FYI Sam, you can buy a new 600 lb boat trailer for not much more than the dealer wants for the used one. Check out HFT, Mills Fleet Farm or the Lowe trailers at Cabelas.

Thanks for the tip, Keystone. I haven't focused on trailer prices yet, so this helps. If nothing else, this convinces me that I don't need to make a decision right away. If the trailer it's on sells before I decide to buy one, it's good to know I have your suggestions as an option.

Sam

 

[pool4shark]

1957Crestliner12 » 15 Feb 2014, 11:55[/url]"]Very nice boat for the money...you did good...I'm just not a fan of bottom-painting aluminum boats...

Is that trailer the boat is on now galvanized or painted?...If it's galvanized, the price for the trailer is good.

That's a perfectly sized rig you have there...

Rod
Oriental, NC

Hmm...bottom-painting. That's a subject I haven't allowed myself to think about much. Is there something about bottom painting aluminum that's worse than fiberglass? The boat isn't bottom-painted now, of course, and I wasn't planning to do it. In the Fall, I planned to take off the motor and store it in my enclosed trailer, then flip the boat over to leave it stored bottom side up under our deck. With the boat upside down, I thought (rather casually) that I would scrub the season's river crud off before shoving it under the deck. The thing I hated most about scrubbing our cruiser's hull was having to duck and squat to get under the thing. Do you think I'm underestimating the job?

With regard to size, thanks for the reinforcement. That's just what I thought. I expect to use the boat solo a lot, or with one of our dogs. The maximum would be both our dogs (a German Shepherd and a Welch Corgi), my wife or a buddy, and me. I don't fish, but I like shuttling around The River - aka, bar hopping - and photographing and video recording wildlife. A 14-ft boat seemed like the smallest that would do justice to my intended uses. A 15 hp motor looked like the sweet spot between too heavy and too weak. I'm generally aware of the trade-offs between 2-stroke and 4-stroke, and I prefer a 4 for fuel economy, quietness, and reputation for reliability; so, a 25 hp would just be too heavy. Given the Mississippi's current and the big boat and barge wakes to contend with, I thought a 10 hp might feel marginal at times. I also want decent speed to take advantage of the whole 44-mile pool.

I don't know if the trailer is galvanized. I only know that it looked brand new - the paint finish really popped - and it has 12-inch tires, so I'm sure it has a 1,000-lb capacity. The boat/motor/trailer package was available for $2600. When I asked about the boat & motor only, the dealer knocked off $350 for the trailer. He' been excellent to work with; so, I may just ask if he can hold the $350 price for me until the trailer sells or I decide to buy, whichever comes first.

Meanwhile, I'll include a picture of the name tag I've come up with for the stern. Please humor me a little. It's a long winter, and I need a few distractions.