bigbuck

Keep the perch and whities boyz! I'm with BillyBob!!!!

As long as she's free and clear, who cares about a few hours spent hurrying up and waiting.

Its political brinkmanship. It will. happen, its just a matter of when. The US needs our stable supply of oil and the govt knows it. Its a political football being tossed around. It will create thousands of PRIVATE SECTOR jobs, the type that actually create wealth and not suck on the public teat. The environmental concerns will be dealt with, yes a leak can make a mess but the mess can be cleaned up, we need good paying jobs now, politics be damned.

Why are you thinking to replace ALL the rivets??? Do the ones that are loose/leaking. Replace any damaged metal. A friend of mine rebuilt his Princecraft/Springbok this year (nicknamed the Titanic since it spent a lot of time under water), it cost him several hundred dollars and the whole summer getting patches welded on, rivets welded (I don't know why he had them welded but that's his business) and the thing still leaks. Mind you, for Musky fishing, it's a great boat but I won't go in it since he removed ALL of the flotation and didn't replace any at all, one big wave and it will founder and sink. Have you looked at all the new boats out there to see if any layouts could work better for you?? You may not be too happy with the final result is all I'm saying and you will still have an older boat that may have issues as opposed to a new boat with a warranty.

I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

YOU have the full warranty on the Princecraft, it has the full top which you need (how much will one cost for the Smokercraft?). The Smoker is a bit bigger with a bigger motor which is always nice but does not have what you need and canvas tops can get very expensive. Good luck and don't agonize too much, look at what fits your needs better and go with that, you won't regret either.

Buy an RESP through a Financial Advisor or thru your bank. Use a well diversified balanced fund (stocks AND bonds) and set up a monthly plan. That way you are dollar cost averaging and if the market tanks along the way, better for you, the market is on special when it tanks. For every seller, someone is buying. Patience and intestinal fortitude is the name of the game when it comes to investing. Roy mentioned gold, its interesting and will probably continue to rise for a while but at some point will begin to fall. I wouldn't bet the farm at this point on precious metals. That said, 10-20 percent of a portfolio is ok. More than that, you are rolling the dice. Don't play with education funds, its your child's future. The reason I said to buy thru the bank or an advisor is this, a lot of the trusts out there are OK if your child goes to school and if life doesn't get in the way. I have had clients have to cash out early to pay the bills due to job loss, no problem. With the trusts, they are heavily front end loaded and you will lose a huge chunk if you cash out early (as much if not more as the first years contribution). Buyer beware. Another thing, most post secondary education qualifies for the grant, your child could go to university or hairdressing school, its pretty flexible.

Which one has the better layout and rigging for your needs?? They are both great boats, they both are well built. Also, which works better for your wallet?? With 60hp 4strokes, they will be miserly with fuel. Whichever boat you decide on, enjoy it!!!

I hear ya! Just go through some of the posts that have similarities to what you are undertaking so you can avoid some of the pitfalls and mistakes.

Shop is looking good!! Just remember, we want pics of the boat resto. Don't forget that iboats.com is a great resource for your resto job whether it be mechanical structural or cosmetic. Lots of guys have done some pretty serious rebuilds of basketcase boats to like new condition.

Wayne, that's where I go watch the sunset and smoke a nice cuban cigar. A lot of sledders aren't too thrilled about the lack of snow and ice this year. Last year, there was plenty of ice up on gbay but little snow.

As long as the hull structure is relatively sound, ie the stringers and transom, you shouldn't have too many problems. Floor replacement can be done as can engine and drive. You going to upsize the engine?? Have fun, I'm sure she is going to be nice and shiny when you are done with her.

Good for you. I never smoked professionally (only socially) and when I felt like having a smoke not in a social setting, I realized I was getting hooked. So, I stopped before I really started.

If we see any appreciable inflation the price of precious metals will rise rapidly as a hedge. You don't need to buy physical gold and worry about storage. PM me if you want some ideas. I am a financial advisor and I'm not soliciting business.

That is the way the game is played. Hire a lot more staff than you need, keep them on for a couple of months and then pare back. Hopefully the next job for you works out and good luck.

Try your old charger on it. Sometimes the newfangled 'intelligent' chargers don't get a deep cycle fully charged. Your battery could also be on it's way out. How old is it?? One of the problems with the power convertor/chargers on trailers is that the charger can overcharge the battery.

Take a trip to the boat show so you can get an idea on the different features and to see what is out there. From there, you can make an informed decision and not have any regrets later. Just make sure that you hang the biggest motor that's allowed on the back. You will never regret it and when it comes time to sell, you will get more for your boat.

You can manage the type 2, eat lots of vegetables that grow above the ground, big key there. The ones that grow below have lots of sugar in them (naturally occurring) and no more soda and sweets. As for the sled, a bit of work and you'll get her running again. As for the skunk, get back out there and do some more fishing. You have the most incredible fishing waters all around you. I'm partial to LOTW but I guess Eagle is in your backyard.

Google Boat Dealers in Michigan. It will give you a list of dealers. I'd be wary of a private sale in the states cuz if there is a lien on the boat, YOU are liable for it once you take posession, it follows the boat, not the owner.

Once again, KUDOS to BigCliff!!! You have proven time and time again that you are a good man Charlie Brown!!! Nice to know that there are still a few good folks around.

I'd at least get them apart to take a good look at everything. Mine are at least 3 years old and have had a bit of grease added in the spring each year but this year, I'm taking them apart for a thorough inspection and cleaning. Just because they run cool and don't have any play doesn't mean there isn't a problem coming at some point. Preventative maintenance are the key words here. Bearings don't fail suddenly, it's gradual.

MM, make sure someone up the leadership chain, preferably the franchisee/store owner knows. Good employees like that are EXTREMEMLY HARD TO FIND esp. in a retail setting. Also, who cares what the thing looks like, as long as you are able to find safe ice with it, it's all good.

I'd stick to Lund, Alumacraft, Crestliner and Princecraft if you are looking for Aluminum. Furthermore, I'd look in the states, places like Michigan or Wisconsin for something relatively new, $30k can get you a real nice boat. Rent or borrow a pickup truck to go pick it up. Deals abound down there. A 17.5ft'r with a 115 or even better, a 150 would be great. Max out your HP, you will never regret that you did, and your boat will end up with a higher resale. Once you have a few people on board and are trying to do some tubing or skiing, the bigger motor will shine.

There is definitely a lot involved with starting something like this up. Warehousing isn't a huge expense, it will be one of the cheaper expenditures. Insurance would probably end up being a big cost. I like the idea and would support it if I could in any way. I think the manufacturers themselves wouldn't give you the time of day, it would be the distributors of the various lines of products. The distribution of the various products offered would be a nightmare at your end. Ontario is a big place and fuel and/or shipping costs would have to be factored into someone's buying decisions. While the drive to Lindsay is nice, I'm not spending $50-60 to save $20 or 30. If it's a big ticket item and I'm saving $150+, I'd consider it. But how many big ticket items like that will we be buying on a regular basis and how will it end up being worthwhile for those who are running it. I'm not a believer in free labour, everybody deserves to get paid for their efforts. Once all costs get factored in, is it really worth the effort?? Now, that said, good luck. I know you retired Cliff several times and get ants in your pants, one of my colleagues finally retired for the last time at 78 after retiring 3 times. You have to keep yourself busy, my mentor is still at it and he's going to be 79 this year and still works 40-50 hours a week (he's slowed down, it used to be close to 75-80 hrs/wk, the price paid of being a business owner).

GOOD FOR HER!!!! She can still toss it even with a chunk of her hip gone. That is strength, perserverance and inspiration for the rest of us.