• Welcome to the Checkmate Community Forums forums.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access to our other FREE features.
    By joining our free community you will be able to:

    » Interact with over 10,000 Checkmate Fanatics from around the world!
    » Post topics and messages
    » Post and view photos
    » Communicate privately with other members
    » Access our extensive gallery of old Checkmate brochures located in our Media Gallery
    » Browse the various pictures in our Checkmate photo gallery

    Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact support by clicking here or by using the"contact us" link at the bottom of the page.

So Sad....

Hack

Hack

Well-known member
The End of Summer:

The crew showed up at 0900 and broke down the lift/dock:

20160923_114528_zpsuw2r8r2t.png

Pulled the Persuader 219 after a brief 55+ mph run around a basically deserted lake.

20160923_114442_zpsy0fyhqgw.jpg

Still have the pontoon for another 3 weeks, then it gets pulled along with it's lift/dock.

Summer was too short this year....
 
Thats such a shame!! I happily keep mine on the trailer until the last minute. Last year I took it out too early, and I missed 3 weekends of 85+ weather. Im in Chicago, we have awful winters so I need as much H2O time I can get. This year Im waiting.

Have a Good One!!

Joe
 
I remember one fall when pulling the pontoon out. It was snowing so hard I couldnt see where I was going to find the boat launch. Thats how I roll ha ! Always a bit depressing the day the boat gets tucked away !
 
I'm with ya Hack, our final ride was last weekend. I have a few house projects to wrap up and a bunch of plans for the upcoming weekends (weddings and such). I'll be winterizing mine shortly.
 
We will stay in the water until the end of October, best part of the season if you ask me.
Still planing a pub crawl 8-Oct.
 
What is this thing you call "end of summer"?:p
I did the boat lift thing too back in the Midwest.
If it weren't for Hot Boat magazine testing boats in december while I was sitting in sub zero temps in Chicago, I wouldn't be here today.
 
Overspray said:
I'm with ya Hack, our final ride was last weekend. I'll be winterizing mine shortly.
Click to expand...
I learned a long time back, that the opportunities weather wise, start to disappear. Too many seasons of winterizing when it's in the low 40's. I managed to get the exterior washed today. Tomorrow I do the interior. Then it'll head out for winterizing the engine/outdrive and shrinkwrap. Hope to have it all done before next weekend. Then I get to do the pontoon....

Budman said:
What is this thing you call "end of summer"?:p
Click to expand...
Yeah.... Sucks to be us in the snowbelt.
 
That was my Saturday. Called the boat lift bubbas to get on the removal schedule, removed the 24' boat lift canopy cover in anticipation of their arrival, and then pulled 5 sections of dock on my own. Leaving three sections in and the tooner until it gets snowed on :surf:
Also set up the burn barrel and torched a bunch of brush I had to clear where the dock sections store. Sure was a good summer for growing stuff!
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    52.5 KB · Views: 20
one wrapped, one to go....

14355088_10154635756147941_1383861624973644830_n.jpg
 
Problem Child said:
I remember one fall when pulling the pontoon out. It was snowing so hard I couldnt see where I was going to find the boat launch. Thats how I roll ha ! Always a bit depressing the day the boat gets tucked away !
Click to expand...

That beats me, a photo of that would be a good screensaver.......lol Only 270 till next years CM rally
 
Chellems said:
We will stay in the water until the end of October, best part of the season if you ask me.
Still planing a pub crawl 8-Oct.
Click to expand...

I agree, September here is a great month. The girls love those 100˚+ days, with the Sun shriveling up there skin, during the summer. I like it when its only 75˚ or 80˚.
Joe
 
Hi-Po gear lube changed, 303 Protectant on the vinyl next.

Sorry about the Apple phone crooked picture...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3019.jpg
    IMG_3019.jpg
    69.3 KB · Views: 24
Was out today in central Ohio, water is also still warm for swimming - not looking forward to winter at all!
 
I managed to get the interior somewhat cleaned up today. I know it'll need another 'once over' after it gets winterized, so I mostly got all the dirt, bird crap, and spider webs cleared off. Had to change the bucket water twice because it was so dirty. I had hoped storing it on a covered lift would keep it a lot cleaner than what it did. Next season I'll be using the cockpit cover when it goes back on the lift.

When I see pics of member's boats, I know I'm way outclassed. There are some beautiful Checkmates here. Mine looks good from about 30 feet. Get too close and all the scratches, worn gel coat, peeling clear coat (shoddy half-ass job), and tarnished rails start to show. Y'all would be scared to raft up to mine for fear of catching boat leprosy. The interior, however (which was re-done), looks great. I'm thinking next spring it'll be time to break the buffer out and see if I can get the hull looking better.
 
I agree it is sad when it's time to pull out the boats and docks.

It feels like the end of something bigger than just a season.

And then in spring when putting everything back, it always feels like the beginning of something. :)

-Chris
 
Hack said:
I managed to get the interior somewhat cleaned up today. I know it'll need another 'once over' after it gets winterized, so I mostly got all the dirt, bird crap, and spider webs cleared off. Had to change the bucket water twice because it was so dirty. I had hoped storing it on a covered lift would keep it a lot cleaner than what it did. Next season I'll be using the cockpit cover when it goes back on the lift.

When I see pics of member's boats, I know I'm way outclassed. There are some beautiful Checkmates here. Mine looks good from about 30 feet. Get too close and all the scratches, worn gel coat, peeling clear coat (shoddy half-ass job), and tarnished rails start to show. Y'all would be scared to raft up to mine for fear of catching boat leprosy. The interior, however (which was re-done), looks great. I'm thinking next spring it'll be time to break the buffer out and see if I can get the hull looking better.
Click to expand...


Don't Worry, your just a member of the 60/60 club! 60 mph or 60 ft away, it all looks GOOD! I was the president for the last 5 or 6 yrs I owned my black starflite. It was so embarrassing, I couldn't ask a woman out for a boat ride, I almost got out off boating all together. I did my best at keeping it up, finally accepting the fact. In fact, when I sold it, I listed as selling my carbed 245 2.5 cle mota and throwing in the hull and trailer for free. I under priced it to move and it was off my driveway the first weekend. The buyer started questioning me about the soft floor, stiff steering and such. I was like look I'm selling the mota not the hull, you want it or not. He couldn't hand me the money fast enough! (once he did a comp. test and seen all the cylinders were with in 2-3 lbs at 127-129 lbs)
So don't fret were close enough to maybe tie-off someday- when you decide you want to hit the big water! :thumb:
 
Chris said:
And then in spring when putting everything back, it always feels like the beginning of something.
Click to expand...
I'm already looking forward (with a certain degree of dread) to next season. Always another week long ordeal getting the lifts/docks in, and setup/level the way I want them. The Checkmate will get some much needed TLC in the spring. I don't know what I can do to it, but I've gotta try... She is a good running boat (other than it doesn't want to start after sitting for a couple of weeks). I may go with an electric fuel pump. Haven't decided. But, y'all know, a boat owner is always looking for the next one.

merc245 said:
Don't Worry, your just a member of the 60/60 club! 60 mph or 60 ft away, it all looks GOOD! I was the president for the last 5 or 6 yrs I owned my black starflite.
Click to expand...
Black boats, like black cars always look good when they are clean and shiny. Just a royal PITA keeping them that way.
merc245 said:
S...don't fret were close enough to maybe tie-off someday- when you decide you want to hit the big water!
Click to expand...
Don't know how much big water this hull can handle. It would probably be fine out on the Detroit River.

I'll be keeping it another season, but I'm leaning toward an outboard powered Checkmate. Although, I really love how that BBC sounds with the thru-hull exhaust. Cruising at 50-55, puts a big grin on my face. However, the next boat will be something with less weight in the rear that doesn't need 3' of water below the hull. Or a jet. No more than 24', as my canopy is 28'. The chain of lakes that my lake house is on, is woefully shallow in numerous areas. Which makes for some real stressful boating. I've managed not to ding a prop, but I have polished all the paint off the lower part of the drive.
 
Yes, the first 15 yrs I was good for 1/2 dozen trips to Bruin,Half Moon,Patterson chain, camping or day tripp'n with up to 11 nieces and nephews. There's nothing like jacking up the plate, trimming it out,with lower pick ups, pulling up under power into 1 1/2 of water. I must of circled Bruin a 1000 times tubing. I was the tow rig and the old man with his Bayliner was the pick up boat.

P.S. the ZT is still in the garage Haven't used it a lot lately. Busy running around MI (Petoskey, Grand Haven, Northville) attending Art Show openings :( Probably winterize it next week with a low of 43 hrs this yr.

Here's beached at the rope swing in paterson oh and I did boat to Hell and back too!

022.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top