What memories do you have of your childhood

[RacerxV6]

So my brother sent me and my other brothers a picture of the boat that my dad found half sunk in Biscayne Bay back in the late 60's.  He paid several hundred $$$ to get it towed out and got it on a trailer and that was the beginning of our life on the water.  He spent the next several months and year i guess rebuilding it.  I was a little thing then being the youngest of 4 boys.  I do know that it started out as an outboard.  He ripped out the transom and closed it up and slapped an 80 gal tank in the back.  He then ripped up the floor and mounted a Chylsler 440 Hemi in with a straight shaft.  That was the fastest 24' boat on the bay.  We would lift it in and out at Pirate Spa Marina, now known as Black Point Marina.  My dad passed away almost 6 years ago and my brothers are still cleaning up his property and she is now headed to the dump.  Brother is pulling the motor and tranny, plus the shaft and prop plus rudder.  This pic Just brought back a flush of memories....happy and sad...Here she is...

Please share your memories and pics....Enjoy

[RacerxV6]

We had her for over 45 years  

[Lap it Up]

Sad to hear your dads boat is going to its final launching, but I'm glad you had such great family memories with it.   

I too came from a family of siblings.  3 girls and 2 boys.  We grew up boating and skiing in Biscayne Bay and at our camp on the Kissimmee River.  My Dad always had boats and always tinkered on outboards.  All of our boats were either aluminum or wood when I was young.  I even had a 9' APBA wooden hydro with a 9.9 Chrysler when I was 7 years old!  I got to get my parents to dig up pics of that thing!

One of my favorite boats growing up was one of our smallest.  1979 14.6 DuraCraft Jon boat.  We spent countless weekends and hours in the backcountry of the glades and all thru the canal systems of Dade County.  We literally wore out tiller engines on the back of that boat.  When we got older we moved on to fiberglass and moved into flats boats.  My Dads DuraCraft was left to sit in the yard under trees for years and years. 

A few years back I pulled it out of my parents yard and took it home to assess what needed to be done to get it going again.  It was used so much in salt water that 90 precent of the aircraft grade rivets were rotted away or loose.  I ended up fully restoring the boat for my Dad (All new bucked rivets, new marine ply transom, backyard spray booth painted and replicated original decals and FL's)  

One pic shows the boat when I first completed it.  The other is a pic of my old man and my oldest daughter a few years ago cruising the oxe bows of the ol Kissimmee. 

[fin-addict]

Very cool. My best memories are spending the summers at my uncles cottage at the jersey shore where I learned to fish and boat from the age of three. Started to run boats from age 4. From skiffs to a 25 Chris Craft. Due to that I have owned boats from 12 to 37 feet. Also led me to become a yacht broker in my older years. Now my entire family has the love of fishing and boats. My son at the age of 9 could back down a 37’ sportfish into a slip. It was amazing to watch. Could not imagine life without it. 😀⚓️🙏 fin

[Capt. Troy]

14 hours ago, RacerxV6 said:

We had her for over 45 years  

That hull almost looks like a Sea Craft. What hull is it?

[lurem]

My grandparents live on a lake in SC and this was there boat. We went there every summer and the whole family could water ski. This is a picture of it and what I learned to water ski behind when I was 8 YO. It had a 35 HP motor and the hull was aluminum. Something happened to the 35 hp and the next summer I went they had a 33HP outboard. Lots of memories for sure.

 

 

 

[smilemaker]

Lurem What lake in SC. I remember many a summer day on lake Murray at my grandparents.  In the mornings we cut grass planted bushes and did anything my grandfather needed done. All so we could go skiing in the afternoon...  many memories but as my brother and I  look back my grandfather won out with cheap labor.

[MuddyBottomBluz]

On 4/30/2020 at 10:47 AM, Lap it Up said:

We spent countless weekends and hours in the backcountry of the glades and all thru the canal systems of Dade County. 

I hear ya! We ran Jon Boats up and down the canals in Dade. We would drag them across Kendall Drive drop it in the Snapper Creek canal run out to the old Parrot Jungle *** on 57th Ave, drop'em in on the other side and fish the bay all day. As a matter of fact I am still running those same canals at 51 years young today! Growing up in Dade County back then was a blast, my how things have changed.

[lurem]

They live in bonneau, SC and that is lake moultrie.

[RacerxV6]

On 4/30/2020 at 11:22 AM, Capt. Troy said:

That hull almost looks like a Sea Craft. What hull is it?

I honestly don't know!!!  I think at one point in his years he mentioned Northwestern.... I don't even know if they existed.I wish I knew.  Ill have to see if my brother still has the title.  

[RacerxV6]

On 5/2/2020 at 11:38 AM, MuddyBottomBluz said:

I hear ya! We ran Jon Boats up and down the canals in Dade. We would drag them across Kendall Drive drop it in the Snapper Creek canal run out to the old Parrot Jungle *** on 57th Ave, drop'em in on the other side and fish the bay all day. As a matter of fact I am still running those same canals at 51 years young today! Growing up in Dade County back then was a blast, my how things have changed.

Know the area quite well.  found memories of the canals and swimming at the tressel.  

[MuddyBottomBluz]

Older brother threw me in the canal and said swim, guess what; I did. Most kids start off in a pool, not us South Florida kids!

[smilemaker]

Lurem

My dad is career  Navy.

Always looked forward to the  ships crew parties ar Short Stay. In the 60s and 70s it was a bunch of old trailers to rent and the ball field and grills for the sailors. Always had plenty of  steaks burgers and beer for the men.

All fancy now, hope they don't let the developers get a hold of it.

[THE OUTLAW]

Kickin azz n takin names !

🇺🇸🏴‍☠️

[RacerxV6]

43 minutes ago, THE OUTLAW said:

Kickin azz n takin names !

🇺🇸🏴‍☠️

I rode mine in the house, down the hall way around into the kitchen and then back again .  up until my grandmother threw a butter knife at me and it stuck in the wall and said get the h3ll out of here...Lol  

[smilemaker]

My son rode his so hard and skiding and spinning that he wore flat spots all the way thru the plastic. He is 35 and i think it is still in the attic

[mulligan]

I had my first "vehicle" accident on a Big Wheel.  My dog used to pull me around on one.  Lets just say a dog chasing a squirrel with a kid in tow and the squirrel ran up a big oak tree!

[RacerxV6]

Here she is in her final resting place.  High atop the only mountain in South Dade.  !!!!

[jh141]

My best friend and I had Big Wheels. His dad worked on the Alaska Pipe line. When we wore flat spots and holes in our front wheels he brought home what he called scraps from what I know now were square rubber gasket seals for the pipes and fixed our front wheels. We had the fastest Big Wheels in the neighborhood. No slip on take off and they lasted forever. 

Its amazing the things you remember from when your age was a single digit. 

[all wet]

Lots and lots of good times growing up in Ft. Lauderdale.  I remember my dad getting me out of school so I could go with him to pick up new boats.  John Allmand, Seabird, Enterprise, and a 32 foot PermaCraft they used to build in Hollywood.  My buddies and I would terrorize the canals in 13 ft. Boston Whalers, could get under any of the neighborhood bridges.  I'd throw my surfboard in and cruise down to Whiskey Creek and Dania Pier, or hit the spoil island just outside Port Everglades inlet.  Fishing, diving, skiing, surfing, beach bum then, beach bum now. 

[geeviam]

On 5/3/2020 at 5:57 PM, MuddyBottomBluz said:

Older brother threw me in the canal and said swim, guess what; I did. Most kids start off in a pool, not us South Florida kids!

As kids in the 70s we swam and rope-swinged in just about any lake, canal and golf course pond we could find from Pembroke Pines to Homestead.  That took a back seat to fishing, diving, spearfishing and bully-netting lobster in The Keys in the 80s.  Good memories for sure.  But, I wouldn't advise swimming in those same lakes and canals in South Florida today!  They were safer back then when they were newly dug-out, but have since then, been taken over by big gators and big snakes!

[Lap it Up]

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2020 at 11:38 AM, MuddyBottomBluz said:

I hear ya! We ran Jon Boats up and down the canals in Dade. We would drag them across Kendall Drive drop it in the Snapper Creek canal run out to the old Parrot Jungle *** on 57th Ave, drop'em in on the other side and fish the bay all day. As a matter of fact I am still running those same canals at 51 years young today! Growing up in Dade County back then was a blast, my how things have changed.

I am only 37 but I still cruise the canals quite frequently.  Here was some Quarantine cruising and canal clean up from a couple weeks ago.  My kids like to collect lost toys and sprouting coconuts!!

I used to own a townhouse on the water in Kendalltown.  My buddies and I also dropped many Jons over the spillway on 57thave.  I have stood on those flats outside Matheson all night drinking and fishing, good times. 

[RacerxV6]

3 hours ago, Lap it Up said:

I am only 37 but I still cruise the canals quite frequently.  Here was some Quarantine cruising and canal clean up from a couple weeks ago.  My kids like to collect lost toys and sprouting coconuts!!

I used to own a townhouse on the water in Kendalltown.  My buddies and I also dropped many Jons over the spillway on 57thave.  I have stood on those flats outside Matheson all night drinking and fishing, good times. 

 

 

That is absolutely awesome.......I miss those canals...

[MuddyBottomBluz]

I still remember skipping school with one of my best friends and took his F-100 with 44" tires down the R/R tracks (84-85) to go fishing in "one" of those canals. We were catching big large mouth (no peacocks back then) my buddy goes, I just got picked up and set the hook! Huge bass, I am down on the bank trying to lip it and we get it in, 11 POUNDS! Were so excited we jump back in the truck to race home and show his Dad, the man could cook a Bass! Jump out of the truck and the Ole man is in the garage and he is looking at us, we jump out, DAD look at the bass I caught...............................That's a nice fish Rog, but aren't you supposed to be in school, as he spits out his sunflowers seed casings. I look at my buddy, he looks at me and I say, I gotta go! We got so excited we forgot we were skipping school! By the way they never called my parents and they new my parents very well, they had 3 older daughters and I had two older brothers, I'll just leave it at that! I just grabbed my rod and went fishing until it was time to go home.

  Best fresh water fishing in my neighborhood and a bike ride to some of the best saltwater fishing! I still live here and miss it, the good old days that is!