So I've been looking for an aluminum boat for quite awhile now, and surfing tinboats.net and other forums all along getting educated. I decided I wanted something I could handle easily with my 10 yr old son to fish out of, but not too small that we'd be cramped. There are a ton of 14 footers in my area (NE Ohio, right next to PA border) - not big enough. 16 footers are few and far between, and folks want a mint for them. I didn't want to get past a 16 footer. I definitely wanted to stay under $1000 including a serviceable trailer and decent engine. Anyway, every boat I seemed to find was too much money, had no trailer, or no engine, under powered engine, or not running junk engine, and worst of all - NO TITLE. Can't register anything in Ohio 14' or longer without a title, no exceptions, and it's a felony if your caught on the water. And folks still asking waaaaaaay too much. But I digress, I finally went and looked at 1963 Starcraft Jet (or Jet Star - not sure which) I saw online about an hour away in PA at a Marine Dealer. I was born in '63, so I thought that was kinda cool. Pretty much what I expected, but the clincher was that the 9.9 Johnson was carbed up to 15HP, and one of the lakes I want to fish has a 20 HP limit. He went to $800 including going over engine including new water pump and lower end lube. Was thinking of uncapping it to make an open floor plan out of her, but I think I'm gonna take her back to original other than the seating, which will be set up for fishing, with livewell, etc. We'll see. Even going back to original red color as in last pic. Thoughts? Ideas? I will post progress.
