my dad worked for a mercury marine shop many years ago, has had a ..'72? since it was new, i think. spent many days and nights on the river (mississipi sand bars) and many days on lakes too. anyone else have memories like this? if yes, favorite "boating" food?

I was raised on the Delaware River. My parents are on their 4th boat since I was about 7 years old. They went from a small aluminum fishing boat, to a 6 seat ski boat, to a bow rider with I/O, to a 48" twin engine cruiser.

They also got into the marine business. They do performance propeller tuning, balancing, and repair.

My grandfather was a commercial lobsterman and operated a 38-foot Royal Lowell design Bruno with Volvo diesel power for many years. My father went from an Old Town Discovery canoe to a 17-foot Sea Nymph deep V aluminum skiff with a 60HP Johnson outboard, and two years ago purchased a 1977 34-foot Webbers Cove with a 6V53 Detroit Diesel which we are in the process of refitting into a traditional downeast lobster yacht. As for me, the only vessel I own at the moment is this 20-inch Fleischmann ocean liner from the 1920's:

Until I own a house, a German tinplate wind-up toy is about all I have room for!

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by XP715

Very nice, XP!

I think about having a boat from time to time, something easy maintenance like a Seadoo.

Mom's second husband bought a gold metalflake speedboat to match her '69 Charger. When they were on high-speed runs, I used to curl up under the bow to keep my little butt from flying out, I guess. I remember slamming up and down in there, getting a headache.

Mom's third husband came from a long line of Chesapeake Bay watermen. Crabbers, oystermen, fishermen. I remember going out onto the bay, leaving at like 4:30 am on a cold October morning to go oystering on his dad's fishing boat. It's a hard life.

Mom's second husband bought a gold metalflake speedboat to match her '69 Charger.

Any pictures of the car towing the boat?

Yup, mom has them. One photo is of the two Chargers (stepdad's friend had a green '68 with the same boat, only green to match his car.) They'd have to be scanned.