Hello All

G

GB87

New member
I'm new to the forum but have owned my 1987 V20 since it was new. I bought it from the old Johnson's Boat Yard in Wickford RI. Right now the boat is resting for the winter in Jamestown. Looking out the window today, all I see is snow. Can't wait for spring.
GB
 
Welcome aboard... Passed up working on the boat today to mow the yard... Hopefully you will be out soon....No gnats just mosquitoes..
 
Thanks for the welcome. It looks like a great site. I know that I will enjoy talking to people who appreciate the V20 as much as I do.
We visited Savannah last year. Beautiful city. I wish that I was there now.

GB
 
Welcome to the site! I know how you feel, Im dying to take mine out. Been really busy but did manage to fill it up with premium nonethanol gas today. Gonna fill my jugs again tomorrow before gas goes up any more.
 
welcome gb, an og owner is a rarity indeed. you had a great eye for boats at an early age.
does it still have the original power? and, if you don't mind the question, what did it cost new in '87?
 
I don't recall exactly what I paid for it in 87. I will have to dig out some old records. I was looking for a used boat to replace an aging 1961 Grady White wooden lapstrake but when I saw the V20 I knew that was the one. I was able to get a good deal on the new boat with a used 115 Mercury straight six. I replaced the Mercury with a new 150 Johnson Ocean Runner in 1995. The boat currently has a 2003 150 Mercury Otimax that I bought as a new(still in the box) leftover in 2005. It has been a great boat and now my grand kids are enjoying it with me.
I will try to dig out a couple of pictures and post them.
GB
 
Hi and welcome to the site. When I was stationed in Newport at the Destroyer piers I spent many a summer's eve touring the local liquor establishments in Jamestown and Providence. That was before they built the bridge and we had to take the ferry to get across the water. Good memories indeed.

I love those old Mercury inline 6's. Nothing beats the tower of power's growl when it's running WOT. I still have a 115 that's looking for a boat to push, but my wife thinks that 2 V's, 3 rowboats and a canoe are enough. HA!! What does she know? Somewhere there's a 16-18 Airslot or Fisherman with my name on it.

Nice to see an OO here. Not a lot of you guys around. Welcome aboard.
 
I did a little digging and found the original bill of sale. I picked up the boat at Johnson's Boat Yard in Wickford RI on July 23, 1987. The price delivered including all the canvas was $12,786. I had hoped to have it earlier in the season but when I started looking, the boatyard had three in stock. By the time I finally called to tell them I would take it, they had sold all three and we had to order the boat. I remember stopping by to see how things were coming along and Bill Johnson, the owner of the yard seemed to be talking about everything but the boat. Finally he said, "look out the window" I did and there was the truck with my boat on it pulling into the yard.
GB
 
I used to take the ferry across the bay. If I remember correctly, it was ten cents. If you just wanted to take a boat ride, you could just stay on when it arrived in Newport and ride back to Jamestown for the same ten cents. Cheap entertainment!

Just got through shoveling off my roof. We are supposed to get some more snow tomorrow and more on Wednesday. I think that it will be July before the snowdrift melts and I will be able to see the boat.George
 
GB87 said:
I used to take the ferry across the bay. If I remember correctly, it was ten cents. If you just wanted to take a boat ride, you could just stay on when it arrived in Newport and ride back to Jamestown for the same ten cents. Cheap entertainment!

Just got through shoveling off my roof. We are supposed to get some more snow tomorrow and more on Wednesday. I think that it will be July before the snowdrift melts and I will be able to see the boat.George
Click to expand...


Yep.. rode the ferry many times during my enlistment. Little known note in history btw. That ferry boat was not sold for scrap nor was it sunk once the bridge was built. What became NY Waterways Ferry service from Weehawken NJ to various ports in NYC used that boat as the main NJ dock site for tens of years. They opened a new NJ terminal a few years back on the NJ side, so the boat is just sitting there now, but it's the same one we used to ride back in the 60's. There's even a plaque on it commemorating it's service from Newport to Jamestown.
 
I will have to take a ride some day and see the old ferry. Bring back some good memories. Newport was a lot different in those days. Lots of tourists now with prices to match. I was on the USS Bainbridge . Our home port was Charleston SC but we did pull into Newport on rare occasions.
I took a ride to Jamestown and checked on the boat. The snow is starting to melt. Hopefully it won't be long now.
George
 
GB87 said:
I will have to take a ride some day and see the old ferry. Bring back some good memories. Newport was a lot different in those days. Lots of tourists now with prices to match. I was on the USS Bainbridge . Our home port was Charleston SC but we did pull into Newport on rare occasions.
I took a ride to Jamestown and checked on the boat. The snow is starting to melt. Hopefully it won't be long now.
George
Click to expand...

My wife and I lived off base, on a street off of Thames St. Thames St. was nothing but bars back then... Took a vacation up there a few years back... all the bars and shanty's were gone, replaced by tourist trap "curio" shops and avant gard eating places. Talk about a transformation. Once they closed the Destroyer Piers I guess all the bars just sort of dried up and turned into shops for the rich people.
 
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