Stop Lurking and Start Posting!! Introduce Yourself Here!

[uglystick]

Hi all,
I just joined the Classic site. I have an 87 Osprey 200. and the following is the basic story.

  I splashed my boat  1987  20 ft. Osprey  the 20th of last month. for the first time since I bought her.
I ran her the 6 miles from the ramp by my house through Biloxi Bay to the city small craft harbor,  where I had secured a slip with a parking space in front. That was good luck for me as that slip was just vacated the day before and they're all usually full there.  Prime spot.
 I took the boat out by myself a few times checking her out over the next week. Since I have only returned to Biloxi since this last January, I am not familiar with the waters post-Katrina. I did live here prior to Katrina,  but she changed everything.
I did not go out into the Ms. sound more than a few miles because I was not familiar with the boat and didn't trust her yet.  I mostly stayed fairly close to shore and in the channels. Checking the  motor,the Garmin-- which I was unfamiliar with and don't particularly like- and everything else.
One day I went about 4  miles out in a short, nasty chop. Very windy here at present. Gulf here is very shallow too.  Got a little wet from wind spray only. The boat didn't seem to notice the chop.
 Last Thursday a new friend and I went fishing.  He was supposed to know the area very well.  We headed out to Ship Island, which is about 12 miles offshore. The boat handled beautifully. The 150 Yama purred on .... Mostly clouds and no real hot sun.
 We left the Marina at 5:15 AM. We got to the island around 6:15 because we stopped at channel markers and buoys to check for Triple Tails. No luck. We went to a spot my friend said he had fished many times in the past and swore by.  After about 30 minutes a pod of Dolphin showed up, so there went any fish. We waited a while and the Dolphin moved on so we fished some more but did not have much luck because the water here is only about 7 salinity due to so much rain last week.  Very few shrimp close in .  No shrimp, no bait, no fish.   Small shrimp in the bait shop $3.50 a dozen. I just won't pay that for shrimp the size of a 3 year old kid's little finger.  We fished with frozen Mullet. Caught a couple of lady fish which we used for fresh cut bait. The only hookups were with Sharks.  My friend hooked up with a 60-80 pound one, brought it to the boat but it cut loose at the boat we did not have any shark leaders as we weren't fishing for them.  All the Sharks we hooked cut the line and  so no fish boated. The Solunar calender said poor fishing that day so it was very right.
Around noon we gave up.
We headed back to the Marina and about 4 miles from shore here come all the tournament  boats.  
This was a million  dollar plus Billfish Tournament so all the boats were pretty large. The smallest about 36 ft the largest over 60.
There were 64 boats headed our way making huge wakes and all traveling fast.  The channel is only 70-80 ft wide at +/-15 ft depth. and only about 3-4 ft  depth outside the channel.  The areas  outside the channel have a helluva wake wave with just one large, fast boat plowing water ---much less 64 of them!
So the Osprey handled the waves like a champ. Only one barely broke over the bow, it didn't even get the windshield wet.
My friend ran the boat and I tried to take some photos but too much bouncing, so I got blurry ones only. I forgot to switch the camera to sports mode. Actually I was trying not to drop it or get it wet. I couldn't even hold it still long enough to switch modes because of the  4 ft waves coming like a machine gun firing.
 So,  my opinion of Aquasport has really improved. I always liked the hull configuration and thought they were a lot like Mako.  I now think they're a bit better and dryer than Mako. I will beheading back out tomorrow if the salinity improves a bit. Wish me luck.
Thanks,
Uglystick.

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard Uglystick.

[brian]

Hi Guys,

Just recently joined the Aquasport forum.  I recently purchased a 1994 Explorer 225.  I spent a good deal of time reading up on the Aquasport boats on this site before making the purchase.  I have only had it a couple weeks now, but so far love the boat.  This is my first boat over 17' so a lot of the features and functions are a bit foreign to me and I will likely have a handful of questions.  Looking forward to a summer of good fishing with the family.

Regards,

Brian

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard Brian.

Look something like this?
viewtopic.php?p=37022#p37022

This is in my opinion, my 210 with the euro transom (introduced by Aqua in 94).
A very good hull for the size and a dance floor for a cockpit. Move up to the 245/250EX (based on the original 230)and you have more.
Hell the old 230s needed a guide back there.

Post up some picks!

[Osprey17]

Hi all -

I am new to this forum and I am excited to learn from you.  I have a 1985 Osprey 170 with an old 1985 Mercury 90 that I am ready to re-power.  I am installing a 1998 Johnson 115hp.  I am wondering what the prop should be?  Any thoughts?

[captholli]

Hey there Forum members!
I just joined classic A/S a few days ago and have been surfing through the forum adjusting to its use and postings. I've owned a '87 22.2 Osprey for ten years now & use the boat in Stuart, Fl offshore and in the ICW to fish and of course take the dogs and girlfriend to the local sand bar to party and people watch. the boat was pretty much a basket case when I picked it up. I rebuilt the transom and pulled the console and replaced the fuel tank, re wired and plumbed and gave it a couple coats of 545 and then topcoats of Flag Blue AwlGrip and new T top and leaning post etc. this boat gets more thumbs up out on the water than any other boat that I've owned and people who know these boats seem to appreciate seeing them restored. I look fwd to posting photos and being an active member and can only hope to contribute and or learn from the rest of y'all. Now all I have to do is figure out how to resize my pictures to fit the pixel requirements here!!
captholli

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard to Osprey17 and Captholli.  

Capt. please see the Posting Photos topic pinned in many of the forums. By using the Photo Gallery, sizing is handled automatically.
Using a third party host (Photo Bucket is very popular) you should size your pics on that site to 640 x 480. Pretty standard accross the internet but the Photo Gallery will size larger on its own.

Osprey, I started a new thread on your prop question in the ......Prop forum.

Good luck to you both.  

[willie mckoy]

Hello everyone!

Just joined the site and have been looking mostly at the great rebuild projects y'all have undertaken. I don't have a boat right now, but plan to have one by next spring. I am debating between buying a turn key boat and rebuilding an older classic. I really like the looks of the older boats and like the idea of building it exactly how you want it. Plus I like doing stuff myself. On the other hand between career, family, and hunting season don't have a lot of free time.  I am inspired and intimidated at the same time looking at the projects here!

Willie

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard Willie.

You shoot pool too?

[willie mckoy]

Don't shoot pool as much as I used to. Not as skinny as I used to be either!  

[chandler]

Hello a new member here .I am picking up a 1979  aquasport 222XF this weekend having a hard time finding this model . the boat has been in dry storage for 20 years at a marina here in the chesapeake bay .
i have my work cut out for me but it looks like a great boat to go out in the bay and rivers and fish once i give it the once over  . Most models i see have outboards  this one has a mercruiser stern drive with a 260 horse 350 chevy . getting a great deal {i hope  lol } picking up  everything boat and trailer for under 2 grand . the thing i really like about it is the bottom has never been painted .
 i am going to spend the next couple weeks buffing ,cleaning,repairing  and making sure engine and out drive are good and servicing all systems and bringing boat back to life after a 20 yr rest i have worked at a marina on and off for 20 yrs on top of my regular job

[redemn93]

welcome!

doesnt look beat up.  should clean up pretty good.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard chandler - nice looking boat - we don't see too many I/Os.
As Jason said, it looks like it'll be a pretty easy cleanup.
We'll merge this post into the "Introduction" thread soon, so if it disappears, that's where it'll be.

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard Chandler.

It a 1980 model but very similar.
http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery ... 80&cat=572

[chandler]

thanks guys i really like outboards though but 350 chevys are easy to work on and parts are plentiful my last boat was a 19 ft checkmate with a 200 Yamaha man was that boat fun . going tomorrow to pick this boat up cant wait to get started on it  should be a great boat in the Chesapeake