TOPIC: Go ahead... haze the newbie! :)

Hello all!

My name is Jason, hail from Wayne, MI. I've been lurking this board for awhile, and decided to join up.

Tomorrow I'm going to look at what will hopefully be our first boat. It's a 1967 Sea King 14' fiberglass. I've ridden in several friends boats, but never owned one, so I'm in the learning process. There doesn't seem to be alot out on the net about the fiberglass boats, more so with the aluminum ones, at least when it comes to Sea Kings.

Is there anything specific I should look for with this boat? I'm assuming to check the bottom of the hull for cracks and soft spots, make sure the stringers are solid, etc... but should I look for anything else? It's at a pretty much 'give away' price... and does need work (new floors, seats redone, etc.). It comes with 2 40 HP Sea King engines (one short shaft, one long). I'm not sure of the vintage, so don't know if they are Gales or Chryslers yet. The trailer has also been redone with a 2" ball tongue and bearing buddies on the hubs.

We plan on using it to fish some local lakes, and to learn boating in general. My two boys are more excited that I am, I think, and even the wife seems excited! LOL

Thank you for the forum, I look forward to being here. And for any advice you can throw me.

Cheers!

JK

Welcome aboard. I hope you come by often and for a long time. With fiberglass and a boat that will see abuse Look at wear points like the where the bow meets the bank or ramp. Look for dock rash as well. Fiberglass holds up amazingly well with normal use. Look for soft spots in the floor and transom. These are critical. Someone threw a brick in my Winner and poked a hole in it. Of course nobody did it. I appeared as a crack but upon close inspection it turned into a nasty hole. But fiberglass repairs well and a properly done job is just as a new one. Look for the hull being cupped up, or hooked as you may hear. We just love pics here. It makes us smile.

Welcome, You will find the People here extremely helpfull and polite, I always do. Good luck with your project!!

Bluegill_Bomber,

WELCOME to the forum.

yours, satx

Haze? Probably not on here, but you will always win cool points with picures though. You are lucky your wife is excited about it, I am still working on mine...
Welcome aboard.

Welcome to the nuthouse. I was in your exact position 9 years ago. Anything fiberglass can be fixed. Use the proper safety equipment and you will be fine. Come aboard and ask lots of questions. If it is a "give away" price that is the most important thing. Engines are a whole different thing. But there is help on the net if you can't get it here.

Welcome to FG.
These old boats and motors were built by humans and can be fixed by humans. You can do it, no problem.
Not to worry about hazing, unless you don't post pics!!
Neil

WARNING!!

If I don't see some pics of a boat with kids smiling soon, I might have to begin the hazing.

And as for the wife comment, I want to see a post from her stating that she is happy with the purchase, and that you are not keeping her locked in the basement, forcing her to go along with all of this.

Now I have to go before my wife catches me back on this forum.

P.S.--- If you see me on the street, pretend you don't know me.

If you see me on the street I'll shake your hand. But so your not surprised when we do I have to admit, I am not Mickey Mouse.

Last chance, Wheres the pics? I can,t sit here all day waiting, got a motor to work on. Skip.

OK, it's almost been 24 hours and still not pictues, wife musta took your camera - haze -
Cal

Hold the lynch mob for a few... I'm not looking at the boat until tonight!

Thank you all for the welcome! Believe me, I'm as excited (or more) as you all... come on evening.

At least it's given me something to think about at work all day. LOL.

If I can get decent pics, I will post them later.

Thanks!

JK

Sureeee, we'll be waiting. (In a dark corner).

Ok, lets see if this works...

So far so good...

Last one for now...

So, if you peep the first pic, on the left side, you'll see the wife. Who said "YEAH!" when the seller asked if we wanted it...

This weekend's plans include reorganizing the garage so the Mustang, Duster and boat can co-habitate this winter, then we'll go pick it up when the seller gets back from up north on Tuesday or Wednesday!!!!

It comes with a matching trailer too! I have pics of the serial number tags, but haven't uploaded them yet.

I can't wait til next week!!!!

The interior is completely gutted, but the seats are there for patterns, and the seller is throwing in plywood for the seat formers, and the original top as a pattern.

It's gonna be a long week...

JK

Well JK, it's about time. Nice looking boat there, Looks pretty clean and in desent shape. Trailer needs a paintjob but it looks fine as it is. You can post multible pics by hitting edit after your first pic comes up. You can add as many as you want doing it that way. Have fun with it and keep us posted on your progress with it. Skip.

BlueGil

I will save you the embarrassment of letting the others know that you bought the wrong boat. Just E-Mail me your address, and I will come a get it before anyone else see's it.

Oh Yea! Remember to take down all your previous posts.

Just trying to help out a fellow boater.

JK
There that boat is that I have read so much about!!
Your wife says Yeah, that is great to have that support.
Looks to be a good foundation for you.
Keep us up top speed with your progress.
I just passed on to another member a 40 horse Sea King motor.
I have a couple Mercs that I play around with.
I hope that you get yours purring like they should.
Neil

Thanks guys... lol.

I'm thinking that the boat is actually a 62 or 3 instead of a 67.
Did the first two digits of a Sea King serial number have anything to do with the year? FWIW, the first two digits are 63 on this one.

In looking at pictures of similar boats, it appears to be of that vintage, not 67 as the seller thinks. It was his uncles boat originally, and hasn't been on the water since 84.

The second engine is in the hull right now, it looks completely different than the one that's on it (it's red and white, and a long shaft). I'll get into that once I have the boat at home.

Ugh. The week seems to be getting longer already.

Once it's here, I'll start a thread in the projects section. First up, a good powerwash, then I think I'm going to look into a spray on floor liner. I wanted to carpet it, but after seeing the boat, I think a spray on liner would work out better.

But, first, I gotta get her home.

COME ON TUESDAY!

Do you have the model number of the motor? It appears to be a Gale built motor and I believe 63 is the last year Gale built Sea Kings for Montgomery Ward. They switched to using West Bend as their supplier in 64 if I'm not mistaken.

Bluegill,
Nice find ! But you don't have to wait till Tuesday.... if you're like the rest of the guys on this site.... you can have 4 more boats in your yard by then ?

Nice boat. I been away a few days.

Thanks everyone!

Doug, I do not have the numbers yet. I'll know more on Tuesday when I bring it home.

It's gonna be a LONG weekend.

Thanks everyone!

Doug, I do not have the numbers yet. I'll know more on Tuesday when I bring it home.

It's gonna be a LONG weekend.

Ok, she's home! With only one minor mishap- the spare motor tipped (it was laying flat on the floor in an inner tube) and it scared me. I learned that you CAN pick up a 40 HP outboard out of a boat by yourself if you have to... LOL.

I will continue the saga in the projects section. I only have a couple pictures right now.

Yay! I'm a boat owner!

JK

It's too late for this one, he is hooked. Welcome to the club.

Ain't adrenalin great! Surprising what you can lift under stress. Your back will remind you later.
Glad to see you got it home, now the fun starts.

Rob't- I was hooked once my boss told me about it. LOL

Sabre- Oddly enough, that is the second time I was told that today. A co worker yelled at me for carrying a transmission case on my shoulder... he told me to use a cart or my back will protest.

I'm scared now... LOL.

A serious moment here please. Please take care of your back. I was once able to hug a motor block on a table and carry it. Not a big block but lets say a small block Ford or chebbie. I could run a 90 lb. Jackhammer on a wall. My forearms were the size of a good sized ham. I could put a 12 ft railroad tie on my shoulder and go. I now have three discs in my back that are worn to almost nothing. They are not ruptured but compressed. I have arthritis bad and I'm also a diabetic that does not help. I have pain 24 hours a day. I use a cane or walking stick alot. I had one knee replaced and the other one soon, after hunting season. I try to stay active.So PLEASE take care of your back. I was a self employed exterminator and worked an averge 15- 18 hour day. I'm forced into retirement and I am now only 53 years old. PLEASE take care of yourself.

Robert-

I completely hear and understand where you are coming from.
I worked on a bunch of farms as a 'kid', and am a heavy equipment/jet mechanic by trade.

I do a lot of dumb things. Especially when the adrenalin is going. But, I didn't forsee the wife or either of the boys (8 and 11) able to help me... so I did what had to be done.

Amazingly, through the grace of God, I suppose, my back has been ok this weekend. My knees, on the other hand... must be all those years of jumping off tractors and loaders and trucks and...

Thank you for the concern. And I'm sorry to hear of your disc situation. I herniated one when I was 19 throwing 8X6X12 inch boards showing off... when my farmer boss at the time was building his house. It was the most scared I've ever been- went to get up th next day and couldn't move, literally. I had to roll myself out of bed (I landed on my face because I couldn't move my arms, lol) and crawled on my elbows to the phone to call my mom... lots of ice and heat and I was able to get to the doc.

I still feel it sometimes... usually after a weekend of doing dumb stuff like what I did on Thursday.

Like Forrest Gump says "I'm not a smart man, Jenn-nay." LOL