Hi Rich. Welcome to Net Boat Talk. And a big thanks to member Bt Doctur for telling you guys about this site. I keep the spammers at bay so we all can talk about the boats we love.
I'm a fellow buckeye, but down close to Marietta on the Ohio River. What boat do you have and where bouts do you boat?
Thank you Doc for the welcome!
I have a 2000 Chaparral, 205 SSe Cuddy. This is my second Chap. My first was a total restoration project which I bought from a fella down on the Ohio River. When I said total, that might have been a slight understatement. Everything except the gelcoat and stringers had to be repaired/reupholstered/repalced. It was a 1987 198 XL. It took about 2 years total but it was like new when I finished it. I had documented all the work on the old forum complete with pics. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. But sadly, in late 2014, a vandal torched the boat while it was parked at the park rangers' office overnight. The investigators fiured that they had tossed a can of gas on the boat and lit it. The ranger had gone by the boat 10-15 minutes prior to finding it fully involved. Sure, I had full insurance on it but that didn't pay for the blood, sweat and tears. Over the next couple years, the same guy torched other boats and the outdoor theater at the campground and he was finally caught. Within a few months, I found my current Chap south of Columbus and the price was right. It was/is in near pristine shape with only 185 hours on it so I bought it. There were only a few maintenance issues that needed taken care of and I added GPS, Garmin Fish Finder, and a Marine radio. I boat at Alum Creek Lake which is north of Columbus. I hope to be adding pictures both of the boat and the lake environs as soon as I can. I look forward to interacting with the membership and chiming in wherever I can.
Again, glad to be here and Happy Boating!
Regards,
Rich