Purchasing my first boat this week

After a long divorce process, I’ve finally reached the point of being able to purchase a boat. Mind you, this is no beauty queen – the boat is a 1988 SmokerCraft Magnum 161 with a Mercury 75hp of the same year. The wood has all been freshly replaced and recarpeted, the motor has 40 hours on a semi-fresh (2ish years ago) rebuild, and the Minnkota Power Drive 55 works as it should. The electronics are very outdated, and I plan on putting my Helix 7 at the console.

I have a few questions for the masses… first, there is no windshield on the console. Am I wrong for being nervous about mounting a locator that size at the console without some type of protection? For those with similar experiences, what was your solution? Second, for those who have owned this model of boat, what issues did you experience?

I’ll be able to upload some photos (hopefully) this weekend and keep this thread open as the project evolves.

Nothing protects my lowrances on my tiller, no problems here!

First of all congrats on getting your first boat. It is a great feeling isn’t it? Sounds like a perfect boat for the MN/WI areas.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the sonar being unprotected. I have a bass boat (windshield literally only protects the steering wheel and deflects wind off the driver) and my graph sits off to the side, unprotected, and I’ve never had anything hit it or get any kind of damage. I do leave them off the boat until I reach the launch though. Just to be safe.

My boat is older as well but it’s a tiller. Congratulations on the new rig. Take the graph off in transport and you won’t have a worry

Good job on the boat. Don’t worry about the age of it, your ex wasn’t getting any younger or in perfect shape either. The boat will do everything you want it to do and cost you less money.

Dutchboy wrote:

Good job on the boat. Don’t worry about the age of it, your ex wasn’t getting any younger or in perfect shape either. The boat will do everything you want it to do and cost you less money.

Congrats, need a good graph and battery charger!? There are some great ones in the classifieds

Sounds like a nice rig-congrats!

congrats on finalizing the divorce!!! and the boat too

Congratulations Captain!

If you got a boat for the wife, consider it a good trade

Dutchboy wrote:

Good job on the boat. Don’t worry about the age of it, your ex wasn’t getting any younger or in perfect shape either. The boat will do everything you want it to do and cost you less money.

Thank you for the chuckle, Dutch!

Dutchboy wrote:

Good job on the boat. Don’t worry about the age of it, your ex wasn’t getting any younger or in perfect shape either. The boat will do everything you want it to do and cost you less money.

Dutchboy wrote:

Good job on the boat. Don’t worry about the age of it, your ex wasn’t getting any younger or in perfect shape either. The boat will do everything you want it to do and cost you less money.

These are some of the truest words ever written. My old boat is way easier to deal with then my ex, I just got over the same deal. We luckily didn’t marry, because she would have wanted my boat. But after 13 years it’s the Same sigh of relief

Congratulations on the new boat. My boat doesn’t have a windshield at the console and I have never had a problem with my graph. I travel with it there all the time. Well anything under an hour.

Anyone care to share some photos of how they have mounted their graphs?

Congrats on the boat!

Just make sure you get all the registration items taken care of right away.

1. Boat title – transferred to your name.
2. Trailer title – confirm if it has one, if yes, make sure you get it transferred.
3. Boat DNR registration – Transferred to your name.
4. Trailer registration – Transferred to your name. YES, enven though most trailers in MN have so-called “permanent” registration, it still needs to be transferred so the trailer registration is in your name.

Make sure all this gets done because there is nothing worse than trying to track down the seller years later when you are trying to sell the boat and the paperwork is messed up. This can be a huge mess.

Congrats on the new boat.

Bearcat89 wrote:

These are some of the truest words ever written. My old boat is way easier to deal with then my ex, I just got over the same deal.

In mediation this winter the ex brought up she wanted the canoe on the side of the garage. I said that’s not a canoe, that’s a rowboat, I got it for a case of beer and not sure if it floats. Its sole mission is to transport super drunk dudes on the ice. If you really want it, it’s yours.

My ex is Native, her lawyers are Native, but her lawyer looks at her and says out loud dang you don’t even know what a canoe is?!

Had a good chuckle. Soon as that was finished I got another one.

I now have 3 boats

Congrats on the boat. All 3 of mine are big piles of crap but love every inch of em

Deuces wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
These are some of the truest words ever written. My old boat is way easier to deal with then my ex, I just got over the same deal.

In mediation this winter the ex brought up she wanted the canoe on the side of the garage. I said that’s not a canoe, that’s a rowboat, I got it for a case of beer and not sure if it floats. Its sole mission is to transport super drunk dudes on the ice. If you really want it, it’s yours.

My ex is Native, her lawyers are Native, but her lawyer looks at her and says out loud dang you don’t even know what a canoe is?!

Had a good chuckle. Soon as that was finished I got another one.

I now have 3 boats

Congrats on the boat. All 3 of mine are big piles of crap but love every inch of em

Some times I think they want to take it just because they know you like it. Luckily in my case my dog came and sat by me while she was trying to lure it to her lol

Congrats on the boat ! Some of these comments remind me of a friend of mine who was getting divorced… his ex wife and her attorney put high values on his guns and toys (ATV, Boat, Snowmobile) and so he said, “perfect, cut me a check for half that amount and she can keep them !!!” They renegotiated at lower amounts.

big_g wrote:

Congrats on the boat ! Some of these comments remind me of a friend of mine who was getting divorced… his ex wife and her attorney put high values on his guns and toys (ATV, Boat, Snowmobile) and so he said, “perfect, cut me a check for half that amount and she can keep them !!!” They renegotiated at lower amounts.

got a friend’s in the divorce process, she is actually separating nuts and bolts and has gone as far as divided each and every ice fishing jig

I haven’t heard what she’s planning to do with all his firearms. I know he has a bunch.

Brandon, when you get that boat make sure if you know where your ex lives, drive by and honk.

I know I rather enjoyed my current wife flaunting my ex at my daughter’s wedding we have a camper. Or dropping off my grandson after an ice fishing trip with my new ATV

We have two boys (11 and 13) that I will be picking up from her house, boat in tow and girlfriend in the front seat

Brandon Sibert wrote:

We have two boys (11 and 13) that I will be picking up from her house, boat in tow and girlfriend in the front seat

classic!!

Brandon Sibert wrote:

We have two boys (11 and 13) that I will be picking up from her house, boat in tow and girlfriend in the front seat

Choose your battles wisely.

After a 48 hour shift this weekend, I got a chance to get a little work done on the boat today. I removed the old Eagle fish finder and mounted the Helix 7, ran the power and transducer cables, and mounted the transducer mounting board on the stern. I also bought a couple of 20# River anchors and anchor ropes, a new bow rope, and a 4-pack of Scotty rod holders. The rod holders have been installed, I’m considering grabbing two more (3 rods per angler in WI), but I’m undecided. Got the new bow and stern lights wired in, those work like a champ. Tomorrow morning I’ll run one more bead of silicone around the outer edge of the transducer board and attempt to install the high speed transducer (this model is just GPS/CHIRP). I’ll get some photos up tomorrow.