Hi Everyone,
Three years ago, I posted a comment and photo about a 1977 18′ bowrider I had just purchased in Illinois. At the time, the boat had just 150 total hours. In the subsequent three summers, I’ve added slightly more than 70 hours, mostly doing Coast Guard Auxiliary patrols on the local lakes. The old gal still looks and runs like new. She still turns heads, and has captured the attention of the local chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. I’m going to replace the lower side stripe and enter it into the Unrestored Original class at the Portage Lakes Boat Show, here in Akron.
Take care,
John Smith
Akron, OH
Beautiful boat!!! I was fortunate enough to come across a 1974 (I believe) Cobalt Tri-Hull and noticed it looks almost exactly like your boat. I got extremely lucky because a buddy of mine gave it to me since he bought a foreclosed house at auction and the previous owners left the boat in the garage!
I am new to boating and have zero experience. I was wondering if you could give me any good advice on how to get the boat up and running. The boat looks like it was winterized and stored for a long period of time. Fortunately, it was stored inside the garage.
I gave the boat a good washing down and the interior cleaned up pretty good. The floor might need to be redone but it is still pretty sound. The exterior of the boat doesn’t show any major damage or large holes. However, there area a couple of small holes from where a ladder used to be mounted on the rear end.
As for the engine, it is a Mercruiser(302 Ford???) but I have no idea what I need to do to get it running. Additionally, I don’t know anything about what needs to be done to the outdrive.
Any advice or help on the matter would be greatly appreciated. I plan on getting her up and running for Summer 2011 and taking the family out for some long overdue family time on the lakes in the area.
Thanks
do you have a thru-hull exhaust on that ? i have a 76 and hard to find for me.
No, Greg, it still has the original exhaust system. I’d thought about installing a Captain’s Call exhaust, but they’re outrageously expensive, and would ruin the originality of the boat. This summer, I am going to install a 1200-watt, totally concealed Kicker Audio sound system, to fully enjoy my favorite oldies and big band music.
Beautiful boat. I own one identical to yours. I’ve been restoring it for beginning now year four and I’m almost done. I also have a brown 1976. I live in Wichita KS. Mine has a Mercruiser 302 Ford with 351 heads 188 HP. My 76 had the original owners manual still in the box. That was a big help getting the correct prop size on it. Runs great!!
Thanks for the compliment, Lyle. She really turns heads. I really wish mine was a MerCruiser, instead of an OMC, but converting it would require completely rebuilding the transom. A Coast Guard veteran outside of Akron, owns a boat salvage yard, and he has a nearly-new OMC outdrive on “Standby”, just in case mine decides to give up the ghost. Even with the 351 four-barrel, I still cruise an entire weekend on the inland lakes, on a single tank of fuel, but that’s probably because I keep my “foot” out of the secondaries. Wide open with just me in the boat, the speedometer tickles 60, and that’s plenty fast for me, especially since there’s no brakes.
Hey John check out SEI Sterndrive Engineering Inc. They manufacture an OMC to Mercruiser conversion kit for $350 and also manufacture complete sterndrive replacements. If and when your OMC dies you have other options to easily convert to Mercruiser or SEI sterndrive products.
John,
Beautiful boat. Are you still cruising on Portage Lakes? You didn’t happen to go to MHS ’83 and OSU did you? If so, I went to school with you.
If you ever decide to sell, please contact me.
Dave Wolfe
I have the exact same boat but with tan interior in equally excellent shape. However, last year I came in a little fast to the dock and bumped the front end of the boat and damaged the rub rail pretty good. A chance you might know where I could find a rub rail that would fit this boat.
Thanks,
Richard