I found a couple of pieces of wood in my workshop, and cut a couple of new narrow transom spacers, treated them with some deck seal I had, and installed them on the transom where the old rotted piece was (the piece that covered the hull ID #'s). I also welded / repaired / painted the tolling motor mount, picked up a quick release pin for it (to make popping the trolling motor on and off much quicker), and got that installed. All was well, and the hull ID # was easy to see. I tossed it back on the trailer, and headed off to the local DMV office. Upon arrival, the agent searched the number, and told me the boat was not listed as stolen, but it had not been registered since 1992. Now, I was informed I had to put together a list of owners and contact info, dating back to the last registered owner, to prove that I truely owned the boat. WHAT!!! Yikes... Here we go again. This thing had changed hands a BUNCH over the last 18 years, so I set off on that trail.
There was still so much on this boat that had to change to make me happy....example: those black switches in the photo below were literally stuck to the wood with double sided tape and were already falling off in the summer heat. Honestly, almost nothing on this thing was installed the way I wanted it, but the bulk of the parts were there, so at least I had something to work with :-)
Here's where the drain plug should have been (and is now). Someone had stuck a bolt with a couple of big washers, a nut, and a huge glob of bath tub caulk all over it. I cleaned all of that goop off, picked up a 5/8" drain plug from Walmart for about $1, and it was back as it should be.
A lot of the ponds we fish in have no ramp, so you have to pick the boat up and set it in the water. Debbie is about 5'1", so it is important that the boat be light. That's one of the things we liked about this Landau...very thin hull and the boat only weighs 62 lbs without the motor and battery. 31 lbs each is an easy tote from the trailer to a farm pond! Check out the little black handles I added to the hull, near the balance point of the boat. I did this on both sides, and it made it easy for us to pick up and carry.
Now, on to my previous owner search...
