Boats and Hoes, Gotta have me some boats and Tahoes

Not a Hoe, we always went for the Long/Burb/YukonXL.
My first Suburban and with only the nose of my first Scarab peeking out the front, and then my second Scarab you can see peeking over the roof of the first truck, and then came the Yukon XL, and after a disaster trip to Havasu we put a new Triple axle trailer under the boat.
Boat was sold this last October...had it for 18 years and 2 Suburbans and 2 Yukon XL's.
Good times!

Suburban #2 and Yukon XL #2
Now days I bring Gas Money and Beer and ride with my buddies!!!

Must be different out here in the sticks. My cost is regular maintenance and gas. I leave it at the lake for 5 months on its trailer or I rent a slip. I’m with you though if I had to do all that for a day.....forget it. Mines an old 88 wellcraft a stock 350 so nothing major. I’ll hook them up this Friday.

Boat is a 1979 model. I’m 3rd generation in my family to own it. I did a full restoration on it about 8 yrs ago. Painted it complete inside outside and bottom. And put gm performance crate small block in place of a very tired mercruser 350. New seats and all new vinyl. I even painted windshield frame, glovebox, and gauge cluster. Definitely helps that I have worked as a body man and painter for past 20yrs. It would take a lot of money to get either of these from me! Way more then they are worth!!

Looks great. You can do a lot with older boats but most just toss them aside. Love the trailer too. Nice job on the paint. I redid mine with a wrap last year.

J0NN said:

Boat is a 1979 model. I’m 3rd generation in my family to own it. I did a full restoration on it about 8 yrs ago. Painted it complete inside outside and bottom. And put gm performance crate small block in place of a very tired mercruser 350. New seats and all new vinyl. I even painted windshield frame, glovebox, and gauge cluster. Definitely helps that I have worked as a body man and painter for past 20yrs. It would take a lot of money to get either of these from me! Way more then they are worth!! View attachment 223629 View attachment 223622 View attachment 223626 View attachment 223625 View attachment 223628

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You got a good look there!

Hey Brian, I too pulled my Boat from O.C. to Havasu every big weekend for 2 years with my siverado, then the trans took a shit, too much of the Cajon Pass I guess. SO, I decided to move there. Me and my girl had 6 grand in our pocket, rented a storage unit, put all of our stuff in it and rented a house for $600 a month. I spent the next 10 years on that lake every weekend of every summer for 10 years, I didn't miss one weekend ever for 10 years from Memorial day through October (Jet ski races). By October the water got too cold and put the boat away for the winter. First 4 years had a Big Block in a older Hallet, being a mechanic, I never once had a problem other than weeds wraped around the prop. Then for the last 6 years I had a 21' Centurion with a small block, only one ignition issue with a points distributer, I fixed while in the water at the Casino on the CA side. It was the best decade of my life.

I bought two houses while I lived there, and had to drive a truck over the road. As you well know, jobs are hard to come by in a small town. But I was home every weekend, and both girls had the boat stocked up and ready to go every Friday night when I got home. I got to know all the Bouncers at Kokomo's, had a permanent slip at the docks out front, and watched the town grow from 20,000 people to almost 40,000 in my decade there. I knew all local boat people, as my first wife worked for the City, and my second wife worked with Campell Boats. Yea, I got divorced because of that damn lake and the party lifestyle, quite the player I was. Never waited in line, never paid to launch my boat, and the P.D. never bothered me because I knew exactly were they were and what they were doing at all times.

I'm probably one of the few that have gone ripping through the channel at FULL Speed (50 mph) in my boat from Thompson bay, all the way past Crazy Horse, I did it several times over the years with some liquid courage if you know what I mean. I knew every single piece of that lake, from the Sandbar down past Copper Canyon. Damn, I did it all, and I had it all. No drugs, just an ice chest full of beer and maybe some Whiskey. Made a lot of friends.

I knew every low spot, rock, and every dangerous and shallow place on that lake. I got rid of the Hallet because it was too big, and too loud. The 24' big block could not get into the shallow coves if I needed to stay on the down low. So went to a 21' Centurion with a small block and mercruiser outdrive. Nice and quiet, could get into the shallows by Crystal Beach, hide from the Mohave County Sheriff's boats and stay out all weekend.

I would launch my boat on Friday night, and she would stay in the water until Sunday night when I would pull her out. I could do this all by myself. I knew the guys at Havasu Landing. I would back her down, with a long line tied to the Tahoe and let her float out. I would then grab the line off the truck and pull her over to the docks, tie her up, and go park the truck and trailer. Walk back, fire her up and off to the docks at Kokomo's. I would usually go ripping around the lake with some strange I pulled out of Kokomos or if there was no score, I would drive the boat back to the park next to Havasu landing, beach it, anchor it, and walk to my truck, drop the trailer, and go home, then come back the next afternoon, and start all over again. This was between trophy wive's of course.

My specialty was night-time on the lake of course, I knew every landmark, every little lightbulb that was lit on the CA side, and the AZ side. And I had high-power Hella lights that I had built a custom mount for, so I could haul-ass at night. But I rarely used them, didn't need em. One time in front of Crazy Horse, there were a group of assholes in a pontoon with no lights on, I came reallly close, around 30 feet or so, whille I was cruising around 40mph, and you know 40mph is fast in a boat, at least at night. I always ran my running lights, and if your not in a "no wake zone" you are supposed to have your lights on as well, even if you are not moving. Follow the rules and nobody gets hurt. I turned around and set the dumb-***** straight.

Anyway, the cops started that "Asset Forfieture" crap, taking people's high performance Tunnel Hull boats, and 32' twin turbo Eliminators etc all because they got caught with a 1/4 oz of weed. Next thing you know, a boat that you think has a bunch of people partying on it, is full of cops looking to bust you, and sure as hell can't out run them...except at night if you know the lake better than they do...Haaa!

Anyway, I knew that my luck would soon come to an end. AZ had just passed a law making "operating under the influence" the same as "Driving under the influence" (before then it was just a $500 fine and didn't go on your driving record) I was happy with the wifey 15 years younger than me that was born and raised in Havasu (nothing like small town girls). and we packed up our stuff, sold the boat, and she being a Cowgirl, moved to Utah and bought horses.

We still go back to visit her folks, and take their boat out, but nothing like the decade of decadance I once enjoyed. Thanks for bringing it up on this forum, oh the sweet memories.