New Member from Texas

Hope this is ok here, searched for an Introduce yourself forum/thread and was unable to find one. We just bought 4 lots and a small camp house out on Lake Livingston and decided we needed a small boat for two reasons. 1 I am not familiar with the lake, depth/stumps, and 2 the wife wants a boat she can put in and out by herself. So I found this 12’ Alumacraft, don’t have the title in front of be but think it is a 05 or 06 model for $100. The next week I picked up a jet ski with trailer that was in great shape for $50 bucks, both tires were flat but I had two lying around from when I put two new one on father-n-laws pop up the last time I used it. Pulled the jet ski off (that’s it in the background setting on the ground) changed out the bunk boards made them longer, moved the bow bumper/securing station (not sure what you call this piece, see red arrow) as far forward as I felt comfortable with. I will be buying a new 3x3 galvanized joint to make the tongue longer when I get back home from work. Which I have no problem with as of right now I have less than $250 in it with boat, trailer, lights, changing ball hitch to 2” and registering the trailer. Still have to transfer title. I already have a 9.8 Nissan 4 stroke electric start kicker on my big boat (can see it in foreground of one picture) for it so no worries for power or wife having a hard time starting. What I need to figure out is how or what configuration I need for the bow bumper to secure boats bow, as the jet ski had a C shaped rubber and T-pin configuration to hold it in place (lower red arrow). Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Oh yea I will be adding some guide bunks on either side with some aluminum and boards I have laying around the house to assist the wife while loading.

Looks like a great forum! I know I will learn lots here just hope I will be able to contribute at some point also! As a side note this is my first tin boat but am already looking at another tin boat, a 1958 14’ runabout with a 1958 30HP Evinrude.

Welcome! Look at my build in my signature and you will see what I did it will be on the last or next to last place. That 9.8 will push that boat pretty good!

Thanks will take a look!

I posted this morn but it flopped I guess...WELCOME sounds like you got a plan...I have but one Sugestion Get your TITLES and LICENSE Plates straight before you do anything that cost much ,,cause so many times there, TITLES and OR TX registration and or LICENSE plates are impossible to get straight...my 2c ...cva34

Yep thanks for the advice! Already have registered the trailer and plan on going to TPWD Monday to have the boat all legal and such.

Just be careful when you take a small boat out on Lake Livingston. It is one of the largest and roughest lakes in Texas, no joke. There have been many times I've gone that I could not take my 1540 alumacraft with a 25hp out. 2 to 4 foot chop is very common on a day with any wind. I have went out when it was smooth as glass and an hour later wind would kick up the chop and made for getting to shore safely pretty tough.

Yep it can get rough!

RAMROD said:

Yep it can get rough!

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Might have to give up boating and take up surfing if you're gonna go there. :lol: