Old School

[redhotsommer]

I am hereby stating my claim to OLD SCHOOL status. 2012 will mark 10 summers of performance boating for me. The spring of 2002 saw me alternately training for the Chicago Triathlon and having heart palpitations resulting from the horribly nerve-racking experience of being a new boat owner. I was CERTAIN that every moment my boat sat in the water at Hammond, it was going to sink. After about a month of constantly being freaked out (and religiously cleaning the bottom), I gave in and dropped $10k on a Hydrohoist...which prompted me to worry about IT sinking. Yeah...I was a paranoid individual. And I still am.

I didn't know anybody with a go-fast. I was afraid to talk to the T-dockers at Hammond. Everyone on my dock was either a blow-boater or a cruiser. I didn't know how to dock. I didn't know how to throttle. I busted the microwave and the refrigerator from their mounts the very first time I took the boat to the city.

The next season, I decided to do a COPS run...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here's some "old school" pics and a chronicle of my years of terrorizing the waters in and around Chicago (and occasionally Missouri).

This is the day it all began: Picking up our 1998 Powerquest 290 at Yacht Basin in Holland, MI. It was 45 degrees...notice Michelle in her ski jacket. We ran it on Lake Macatawa for the sea trial with the previous owner and froze our butts off. I borrowed a friend's brother's Ram 2500 to tow it home as I didn't have a truck myself!

[redhotsommer]

Some more from the Powerquest days...
Had to have all the friends out on the new ride...
Our first trip to Boater's Beach...

[rschap1]

Nice
Congrats

[CruiserJohn]

You were like Dan, anchoring a mile out and not near any other boat! lol

[ICDEDPPL]

Cool story Mikey!
I`m gonna write my 10 year memoir .. only 7 years to go

John thats you buddy, I`m bringing some to watch you anchor for the first time with a boat twice the size. Its going to be an instant You tube hit!

[MILD THUNDER]

Cool! I see Mr. Cigs boat is in the backround, Mike's Magnum, Ryan and his dads old Checkmate.....

Auntie Michelle and Uncle Mike were just pups then. I still don't know why Tall keith and I refer to you guys as our aunt and uncle, but for some reason it sticks whenever we talk about you guys!

[redhotsommer]

Dan that avatar kicks a$$.

On with the tale:
2003 I decided to pull the trigger and jump in on a COPS run. My experience running with other go-fasts was not exactly comprehensive...I ran with the T-dock crowd to the old poker run on the Calumet River at the end of the season in '02. Scared the CRAP out of myself as the very first time I ever rafted off anyone...it was my favorite boat of all time...Jimmy Vos' Fox Hunter. When I did it successfully at Skippers, my very first Downscope tasted extra-special good...that was a wobbly ride back to the marina after dark! At any rate...COPS run. We had our friends John and Roxanne on board (the best man and maid of honor at our wedding, who had since gotten married themselves). Met up at Diversey with a TON of other boats...I was in AWE. I went to help Steve Dowding bring his 50 Nortech in to the dock, and ended up getting dropped in the drink! Met a bunch of new people and ran to Michigan City...it was a good day...

Couple of my pics from that day: ATTACH=CONFIG]72806[/ATTACH]

[redhotsommer]

Some more COPS 2003 pics: Mike, Mark, Steve

[redhotsommer]

BZ, B-rad, and Frankie 10X

[redhotsommer]

Steve's Royal Flush, Magnum Mark's "Lucy's Special" 41 Apache, Candyman Dan

[redhotsommer]

Look familiar Ryan? Tag and Release in her earlier days as "Crazy Horse." Dave, the guy that owned the boat at that time, was the brother-in-law of the guy I bought my Powerquest from.

[redhotsommer]

Smilin' Bob, Don, and...the Predator.

[redhotsommer]

Last ones until lunchtime....gratuitous Predator shots...

[Underdog88]

Good Stuff... keep it going.
We started about the same year.

[Ratickle]

Last ones until lunchtime....gratuitous Predator shots...

OMG, those girls aren't wearing life jackets.....

[redhotsommer]

2004 rolls around and guess what I did...I FINALLY got a ride in a bigger boat. Specifically, Jimmy's Fox Hunter. Then Steve's Donzi. The Mark's Flatdeck...when I REALLY did the right thing and got Michelle to come along. Whist flying through 4 footers, my lovely and talented wife turned her head and yelled into my ear the sweetest thing a guy could hear: "Our boat is a piece of $hit, we need something bigger."

So...I started shopping. Here's a couple that I WAS looking at...I'm still bummed I missed out on this one....

[redhotsommer]

What I REALLY wanted, though, was the big #1. Had a deposit down on this boat pending the sale of my PQ...1991 Cafe Racer w/500s.

[redhotsommer]

In the meantime, we enjoyed yet another summer on the PQ...took it by water over to Saugatuck...we also took it by water to Milwaukee for Summerfest. Gas was a bit cheaper then!

Then one late summer/early fall day, we jumped on Candyman's 35 and went downtown to pick up his wife. He let me drive. I rather liked it.

[MILD THUNDER]

What was the story on the all red 35 with the SSM III's?? Im diggin it!

[redhotsommer]

What was the story on the all red 35 with the SSM III's?? Im diggin it!

Knew you would, Joe. It was up in Wisconsin...and it was an 89 or 90 38' with HP500s and IIIs. It was one of the first boats I brought to Michelle's attention, but didn't elicit enough of a response to go look at it. Plus, I think they were asking a bit more than I could afford. I have a couple more shots of the cockpit and interior...DAMN it was a nice boat...even had a fridge!