:lolhit:

Hey Artie, did the Baja come from sandcastle marine by chance?

Sure did!

at least im 99% sure... was a long time ago, and I was quite young. I do remember going up to the factory when it was being built, and I remember a sandcastle T-shirt :lolhit:

Who can post a pic for me? I have a great one to show how it started for me.

The entire season in the white gator skin case may or may not live on my boat ;)

Hah, that's where my Dad's jet came from. I have many fond memories visiting that place. First, you never knew what you would see there! There was always something cool. I remember seeing a Miami Vice Scarab there. I always loved the one V-drive "the roach" they once had. Every time we would visit there would be a truck load of boats coming in. They had to have sold the most Bajas in those years. Can't forget all the Mariner outboards and those ugly painted Cris Crafts. They were two tone painted with a ugly dark tan and either bright blue or bright red stripe. The other memory was all the snacks they had out. They seamed to always have donuts and Conns potato chips out. The icing on the cake was al the flys landing on the snacks.

One cool memory was when my dad took the jet out for a test drive before purchasing it. It was a cold Feb day in 82/83.... Ice still on the lake in areas... Hank put the boat in down from where Charlie lived. The boat sounded great from what I can remember, however my dad was not happy with the performance. At that point he did not want it. The boat barely broke 60mph. My dad was not to happy. At that time his current boat was a 17' Kona w/ a 125 or 150 hp Merc power tower was running as fast or a little faster... Hank was not happy either. He pretty much said "well, I guess it's time to take the boat back to the shop and shave the hull". They pretty much did that and some pump work. The performance was night and day. Needless to say he went with the jet.

specialtyautowerks at g m a i l (dot) com

Had just gotten married, and decided was time to buy my first boat. Shopped around, and ended up at a dealership that carried Wellcraft. I drooled over 38 Scarab, but my budget only allowed for a 196 Eclipse (which I ended up buying). After a couple of seasons in SoCal lakes, decided a camping/boating vacation at Lake Havasu was in order. My first time there.

So day 1 of our vacation we launch late in the afternoon, at Sand Point Marina where we were camping -- looking forward to catching a beautiful sunset. I was blown away at the desert beauty of the lake. So there we are, floating in the middle of the lake all by ourselves, watching this awesome sunset -- when along come two big boats, one a cat another a v, screaming along side by side, glass water, at sunset, at Havasu. That's all it took to push up my trade-in schedule.

I2D

For me it started when I was either 5 or 6 years old. Sitting on my Dad's lap steering the boat. The first boat my Dad had was a 1964 15' Carver wooden boat with an Evinrude 60 hp top speed 32 mph. That was the first boat I rode in. The next boat was a 16' 1991 Starcraft Mercury 115 top speed 52 mph. The first boat I skied behind and learned to use the throttle and driving it. The next boat my Dad got was a 18' 1996 Checkmate with a 175hp Evinrude top speed 60 mph. That boat got me into the go fast boats. The first boat to go on solo runs with. This is how everything evolved for me. My Dad has always had a boat.

When did it start-Tomcat
 

It started for me when a Skater called Tomcat safely passed me like I was standing still.

Im incredibly jealous. What class and what year?

Im not really sure when it started, I've wanted a Fountain at least back to grade school.

Hellzyeah, brother. :coolcowboy:

Congrats! I love that Moss Brothers Bronco team.

My addiction started in the 80's. Not sure how old I was but I was just a kid. My family owns a marina here in Pittsburgh and I spent a lot of time there in the summers. We didn't have our own boat despite having the marina, so it was kinda frustrating. But, I do remember falling in love with a red hulled Wellcraft with lots of chrome. No idea how big or what year. But, I do remember is looked fast and had the "W" symbol on the side. After that it was seeing the old offshore races that used to be shown on television. I was hooked..

I as well am from pittsburgh. Growing up my dad had a 50's Coronado with a 427 chevy that did low 50's. They you sold that for a '67 arabian with thw 427 for that also did 50's just got there alot faster. Easiest way to shut 3 young kids up is the rumble of a big block with through halls. Then he bought a maxum with the 305. First ride was me and him like always. Went out go in a race and lost. Came back, he told my mom we werent boating till the boats faster. She of course won that arguement. Within 3 days he had a 350 mag and put it in. We had a 65-70mph thqt I got to drive alone since I was 12. Then I bought my arabian with a 440 for 4 years till I found the right price on the boat I have had a poster of since I was 5. The donzi 22. It looks fast sitting on the trailer
L

My family and I would always vacation in Holland, MI at Point West Resort. We would love to watch the boats go through the Harbor(Lake Macatowa?) and into Lake Michigan.
We would sit by the big red lighthouse and watch the boats get on plane. That is were it started for me!!!!!!

76 when my dad bought a donzi 18 2+3...

A dingie with a merc 9.9 at the age of 8, the rest was history!

My dad had us on boats while we were still in diapers... found this old pic in his office, I think it was an old Corsa:confused:

1969, age four...in the red Carlson Tunnel (I hated that boat as a four year old, I would love to have it today), that is me in front seat the Donzi as at age five in 1970. Then the at age eight I became a fan of Cigarette (new 20' Cigarette my father had picture taken in Brigintine NJ). Then the the Pantera with me driving (me driving my father's Panterabehind Brigintine, NJ) in 1979, I was 14 then....

I was hooked at age 5 in the Donzi, then really hooked when he got the 20' Cigarette, waiting for each edition of PowerBoat Magazine as a kid, going to the races, yeah, I was hooked from birth...

Maybe around 6-7 yrs old. While growing up on a small lake in eastern Mass, my neighbor was a tough irish dirt contractor. I was actually a little scared of Jay. He had dark hair, mustache and plenty of ink. Smoked Camels, drank Budweiser and rode a chopper with snakes, skulls and naked women on it. Jay's boat was a blue metal flake speed boat with 2 seats, a gas pedal and a big azz merc on the back. I don't recall the first ride exactly, but remember him coming home from work while I was playing in my yard. With his deep voice, he yelled over to me. "Go for a ride Brian?" A quick nod and I was off on his heels after getting his beer from his fridge as asked. Off we go. I remember being so scared as my eyes are tearing in the wind and the boat is rocking violently from side to side, chine to chine. I like to think that he ran wide open all the way around the lake, because it sure seemed like he did. I don't even recall him smiling, just driving. One hand on the wheel and the other on his beer. When we get back, I said thank you as I shake like a leaf, scared sh**less. But the very next day I would conveniently be in my yard hanging around hoping that Jay would be home and ask me to go for another ride. Sometimes it would take weeks of me waiting at the same time everyday for that 15 min ride of insanity that would leave me shaking. A feeling I never got tired of to this day. I love to make my hands shake. Thanks Jay!

Start 'em young! Look at the training tools they have now?!?!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSoQbJorBMc

Had some mutual friends and got invited up to Lake Cumberland for a 4th of July weekend on a houseboat and one of the guys had a 28 Baja and we hung out all weekend and I was hooked. That was about 1996 or so and I am now on my 5th boat and probably somewhere between 1 and 2 dump truck loads of money... Thanks Ed

My father co-owned a boat dealership in Columbus, Ms which I worked at in from 1980 till 1985. He sold Ranger, V.I.P., and some sort of houseboat. We had our own private pier on the Tombigbee waterway called the River Rats Landing. Learned to Ski and stay in trouble every summer. Got married and my wife hated every boat I bought for the next 5 years because they where loud, rough, and obnoxious. For the next 20 years I was without a boat but as soon as I turned 50 and simi retired I said I'm getting another boat before I get to old to enjoy one. We purchased a new 24ft cuddy in 2012 (I still have it trying to sell this season) and said I needed a bigger, sportier boat and my wife wanted air conditioning and a place to relax, we compromised and found a perfect Baja 405 with 128 hours on it. I Got my eye candy and she got her air conditioning.

You have got to be kidding me, that is one of the funnest things I have ever seen. Looks like the start of a new movie for Team America World Police (Southpark Guys)

It was 1989 when my dad got the mach1 I was 6 and at 16 I took it over and now stepped up to my 33. Fast boat and hot wife is the way for me...

Lol, conception. I was 'made' on a jet boat. :)

One beautiful weekend a buddy asked me if I wanted to join him and a bunch of other boaters for a beach party. Not knowing what this completely meant, but heard the word party (17 at the time), I was in. Showed up at the pier with beer in hand to see his Sea Ray sitting at the dock with a **** load of wood in it. On board I go just south of Milwaukee he pulls his boat right up on the beach right next to about 10 others all unloading wood also. We party to sun up called another buddy for additional refreshments and took a trip to Port Washington. Party'd like rock stars (all these guys were band members) and passed out in the boat. 36 hrs later we decided to hit land. My buzz from drinking might have warn off but a new buzz was created. I bought a boat the next weekend. Thanks again Jerry.

It started for me in late 70's early 80's there where races based out of Saugatuck Michigan back. My folks would take me to the docks on Friday night and we would take our new tiara out on Saturday to watch them run. I was hooked, get days.

Hey Steve, what was the boat that you use to watch come in and out of the harbor as a kid wishing to own one day?

i wish i had the pleasure of seeing everglades marina back in the day, it must have been awesome

Hey J, good old Allez Vite, lived on lake Mac back around 1989 when she was brand new and Pete used to come in that lake for fuel. Hope all is well!

All is good! That is the one story I remember you telling me. I thought that was so freekin cool how ~20 years later you bought the boat... Real cool!

Ratman, I enjoy that boat chase in Miami Vice. Nothing like seeing two classic Scarabs.

Water is my peace in life. In it and on it. Liquid and frozen. I grew up on it (summers/weekends), drove to it all the time as a young adult, and have been living a few hundred yards away from it as an adult.

No matter what happens in my overworked / hectic life, I have water.

I will have my ashes spread on it.

Oh.........I bleed Chevy V8's..cars/ street racing /drag racing / boats....so...we know my choice of power. Wish my snowmobiles sounded the same. LOL.