|
|
|
Marks Ribside (Mark Sr's Personal Page) 09/24/2009 |
|
Me on our boat in the mid 70s when my Grandfather owned it - he is at the helm in this photo. He retired as an Army Colonel, in Hilton Head Island around 1969, after returning home wounded from Vietnam. I believe this photo was taken in HarborTown, Hilton Head Island. I am the little fellow with his hand on the rail. My Grandfather sold his interest to his partner in the late 90s. The original twin Evinrudes were soon replaced with the current Johnson 70s.
My Grandfather passed away in 2004, I contacted the family friend that still owned the boat in 2005 and asked him to contact me if he were to ever consider selling the boat. He replied in April of 2009 with this above photo, and an asking price. It appeared that the forward shelter had been removed and the captains chairs added.
We bought a trailer and headed to Hilton Head Island from Virginia Beach. My father, my oldest son, and I headed south. This was the first look we had of the boat since the mid 90s.
After a stressful approach in a serious current, and after a few relaunches for trailer adjustments, we had her on the new trailer.
Time to eat, sleep, and prepare for the trip home the next day.
Good times on I-95.
After a long haul we made it home.
Per Mr. Bennett at BW - According to Whalers records, serial number 00143 was built in our old Norwell, MA factory as a 21 Outrage and was originally shipped out to a Brady Boats in Savannah, GA on 1/27/71.
Memorial Day fun in the lower Chesapeake Bay.
4th of July weekend we lost all trim/tilt fluid from the starboard FasTrac system. The drain plug (which does not exist, by the way) had disappeared.
The elusive brass pipe plug.
Trim/Tilt fixed thanks to this forum, much bug repellent, and a few beers.
Labor Day outing with my wife, kids, parents and in-laws. This is a half hour after we lost the steering system - the helm stripped out. We made it home steering with just the throttles. I have installed a new Teleflex 4.2 NFB system.
The motivation behind all the hard work.
Recent three day Noreaster that battered the mid-Atlantic. The Ribside is tied to a floating dock.
One that did not make it. It was actually a BW Supercat that had been left on the Chesapeake Bay beach during the storm.
Three hours before high tide during a brief lull in the rain.
From across the canal.
After the storm.
A November Sunday afternoon, the day after the storm. My oldest boy and his friend. |
|
|
Date Posted: September 24, 2009 - 7:34 PM
Fantastic boat, fantastic story and it looks like a fantastic family. Congrats Mark.
Hands down the ribside is my all time favorite whaler. |
Date Posted: September 25, 2009 - 5:03 PM
Mark, sweet ride there and a great looking crew !
Love seeing these boats. Never get tired looking at a Ribside. |
Date Posted: September 26, 2009 - 6:37 AM
Thanks guys. We are having a great time with it, despite the repair issues. I am fairly capable mechanically, which makes things cheaper. Access to the knowledge on this forum is nice too. Maybe down the road, as time and money permit, my boys and I will take on a restoration project. I learned much as a kid helping my Dad rebuild a 58 Corvette and other cars.
I will always carry great memories from my youth on this boat, and I am hoping our boys will be able to say the same one day.
She is nowhere near perfect. This boat was used quite regularly as a Low Country (SC) fishing vessel shared by two owners. She sat in the sun and saltwater for 37 years. With this boat I seem to have found a balance of value, nostalgia, and usability that I could not have found elsewhere. |
Date Posted: September 27, 2009 - 7:16 AM
Mark,
What a great story! Fantstic photos and a wonderful family. Keep at it and before you know it she'll look like new.
All the best,
Norm |
Date Posted: October 16, 2009 - 8:18 AM
Great story! Made my morning. Thanks. |
Date Posted: November 12, 2009 - 10:33 AM
Mark,
Really enjoyed your story,and also the pics.Btw,good looking crew!
Richard |
Date Posted: November 15, 2009 - 5:55 PM
Thanks you all, I just took a buddy and our boys out in the Lynnhaven River this afternoon, a beautiful November Sunday. We had unprecedented high tides the last few days as remnants of TS Ida provided the mid-Atlantic with a very powerful nor'easter. Lots of boats askew on their lifts, debris in water, etc. Did not venture out the inlet into the Chesapeake Bay as half of the Lynnhaven fishing pier is still floating around just off the beach. The Ribside rode it out tied to a floating dock at a friend's house, where the water rose almost to the bottom of his home's floor joists. My neighbor's trailered 20' CC has a pine tree laying on it in his driveway. We were lucky to only have some serious yard clean-up to deal with. |
Date Posted: November 19, 2009 - 6:18 PM
It is interesting to see your hull # and date of manufacture. My ribside just proceeded yours, hull #132, shipped Dec 19, 1970. Since their production was averagin 6 to 7 boats per week, there must have been a 2 week holiday shutdown back then, since only 10 boats separate our two hulls over a month's time.
Bennent told me a total of 722 were made, from Aug 1 1970- July 31, 1972, so on the average they produced about 7 per week.
I wonder how many really good ones are left. I have not been able to come up with more than 30 or so, based on what I have seen on the two websites. Where are they all hiding? |
Date Posted: November 20, 2009 - 6:39 AM
Mine was certainly hiding. The fellow I bought the boat from was in his 90s and had become disabled. The boat had been in the same place since new. I think there are probably quite a few long time owners that probably don't spend much time on the internet, don't realize the following these boats have, and may not care. To them it is just a great old boat that has served them well. |
|
|
|
You must login to post a message.
|
|
|
Not a member yet? Click here to register.
Forgotten your password? Request a new one here.
|
|
