It’s not a new boat by any stroke of the imagination but it’s in my garage now and not its former resting place in Sun Prairie.
When I retired from teaching 12 years ago I decided to spend much more time on the water with fishing rods in my hands. My craft at the time was a late 1970s or early 1980s Grumman 14’ modified V jon boat type of vessel. It was equipped with a 20 HP. 15” (short shaft) Johnson outboard. It could move me up-river at about 27-29 mph and down stream under normal river flow at about 29-30 mph.
I did a lot of fishing from that vessel but needed to “trick out the boat” to be able to use it the way I wanted to enjoy the outings. I built a rod locker on the starboard side and a series of four storage boxes on the port side and one was insulated so I would not have to toss in a cooler to keep live bait fresh and beverages cold. It wasn’t pretty but it was efficient.
In 2018 the top of the outboard vibrated enough that fixing it was going to be more expensive than it would be worth. Using some funds from my mother’s estate, I bought a 2018 25 HP four stroke Yamaha outboard. It took me nearly a year to get the 10-hour break-in hours under my belt because I didn’t go very far on my fishing adventures. It took me less than 10 minutes to get to Duck Creek from the Dekorra landing, 12 minutes to the mouth of Duck Creek and about 14 minutes to get to Jackfish and Two Bob Sloughs. Many times I just fished in Davis’ slough.
As much fun as I had in that boat I yearned for a 16’ vessel which would create a better fishing atmosphere for a partner to go with me. Add to this and the fact that the outboard does not have tilt and trim, shallow water gave me some issues from time to time. I read the river as well as the great river navigators like the Kowald brothers but on a few occasions what looked like depth enough to scoot through proved to be a bit shallow. I need about 16” when on plane to skim across those shallow bars.
My great fiend Larry over in Baraboo has a great river boat that he found at an amazing price. It’s a 16’ SeaArk with a tunnel hull equipped with a 40 HP Mercury jet for propulsion. I drooled every time Larry invited me along for a fishing trip.
I started coveting a SeaArk vessel with a tunnel hull and a jet outboard but could never find a deal like the one Larry found. However, I never stopped wishing and looking at the market place and other places.
When my Grumman sprung a leak back in September I started thinking more about a different vessel to give me more adventures than the Grumman could provide. I fixed the leak but kept looking and wishing.
In late May I started to see some 16’ SeaArk boats with tunnel hulls meant for use with an outboard engine with a prop. I thought to myself that perhaps that would be OK so I started looking closer. In the meantime my friend Mike B told me about a great deal on an older bass boat with lots of bells and whistles and a 115 HP Mercury outboard. The price was a great one and I nearly sprang for that boat. However, it wasn’t really the craft I wanted to take to the dance. My heart was set on a SeaArk 16’ MVT.
On the day I nearly sprung for the bass boat I gave a final check to the market place and three used SeaArk boats appeared. I inquired about one of them and set up a time to go check the boat out south of Madison. Before I exited the market place another listing popped onto my screen. It was a 16’ SeaArk MVT – the make and model I craved since I retired. The best part was that it was in Sun Prairie.
I called Don, the owner and within a couple of hours I was falling in love with this 1998 SeaArk 16MVT tunnel hull craft. It was dressed out in an Evinrude 50 HP with a tiller, power tilt and trim and an Atlas Micro ;jackplate, a Minn Kota PowerDrive 50 lb. Thrust trolling motor with I-Pilot and a Lowrance 10” HDS fish locator. It included a Cabella’s two-bank charger, a deep cycle battery and one for starting the outboard and providing 12 volt power for electronics, running lights, a great Shoreland trailer with three new tires including the spare. Don, the previous owner, tricked out the boat with a plywood floor, carpeting, and an onboard cell phone charger that doubles as a LED battery meter.
I fell in love with that boat the moment I saw it. Before we left I’d paid for the boat and promised I’d be back yet that late afternoon to take it home with me. I invited Don along for my first river trip so he could teach me a little about operating my latest adventure creator. I bought it on June 5th and we did a river trip four days later.
When I got the boat home I petted it as if it were a new puppy. I hugged the Evinrude ETec and crawled up and into the business part of the vessel where I patted the seats and explored the cabin area. After an evening meal I got myself back up into the boat and simply sat in the Captain’s chair until after dark. While in that seat I called my great friend Bud and invited him to go for my maiden voyage in the morning. He excitedly said, YES!
I hardly slept all night in anticipatory excitement.
That’s where the next adventure really starts.
Next Up tomorrow is the first real adventure story with this latest watercraft.
Have a great day and thanks for reading.
A River Man
Bob
Oshaukuta Outdoors 
As always, a great story leaving the reader wanting more. I can’t wait for the next installment. Thank you Mr. Tomlinson for bringing ‘home’ to those who have moved away.