JOY DE V-DRIVE
Boating|March 2023
A BOAT RENOVATION PAYS OFF WITH ADVENTURE IN THE HIGH SIERRAS
JOHN L. STEIN
JOY DE V-DRIVE

The old gear lever for the Hall-Craft V-drive, a 10-inch chromed tube with a steel cue ball welded on top, isn't pretty. After a half-century, it's corroded and worn, and its simple pivot-hidden beneath the boat's distressed plywood floorboards-is equally sloppy. But then, the shifter needn't do much-simply take the V-drive in and out of gear. Need reverse? Grab a paddle.

I found it remarkable how much power this ancient shifter held over me. But why? For three years after acquiring the boat, I'd anticipated the day when I'd start the engine, survey the water, and push that lever. For 56 years I'd wanted a V-drive of my own, after first seeing a Howard Custom Boats ad in a 1960s magazine.

Finally, it was happening. On a remote lake in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, a fresh wind had brewed, sweeping across the launch ramp, latching onto the boat's low silhouette, and pirouetting it away from shore. The blower-a recent addition hummed deep inside the bilge. So, I set the choke, swatted the big gas pedal, switched on the ignition and fuel pump, then turned the key to light off the old Ford 289. Laboriously, the V-8 stumbled and then caught, settling into a noisy, cantankerous idle and spewing water and exhaust through the transom. I had to pinch myself.

HOT RODS OF THE SEA

This story is from the March 2023 edition of Boating.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2023 edition of Boating.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BOATINGView All
AFFORDABLE SATCOM
Boating

AFFORDABLE SATCOM

Communications devices using satellite technology are more abundant today than any time in the past. What's more, many are portable, ultra-compact, affordable relatively and designed for boating, dispelling any perceptions that you need a big, expensive dome antenna aloft to access satellite communications.

time-read
2 mins  |
August/September 2023
IN THE BEGINNING
Boating

IN THE BEGINNING

REPOWERING FOUNTAIN HULL NO.1

time-read
8 mins  |
August/September 2023
NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0
Boating

NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0

Engine charging at 48 volts could be a game-changer.

time-read
3 mins  |
August/September 2023
PROPS FOR INNOVATION
Boating

PROPS FOR INNOVATION

Sharrow MX3 propellers live up to most of the company's performance-improvement claims.

time-read
3 mins  |
August/September 2023
MERCURY RACING 500R
Boating

MERCURY RACING 500R

Supercharged power for a variety of boats.

time-read
2 mins  |
August/September 2023
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Boating

FLIPPING THE SWITCH

Much reporting focuses on reasons why one might choose electric marine power. The issues of range, speed, noise levels, winterizing and ethanol challenges, lake restrictions, environmental concerns and more all must be resolved on an individual basis. Little gets said about how a boater choosing to repower with electric actually gets that accomplished. Is it DIY? And if not, how does it get done?

time-read
2 mins  |
August/September 2023
TOW-VEHICLE TECH
Boating

TOW-VEHICLE TECH

If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks

time-read
2 mins  |
August/September 2023
MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER
Boating

MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER

Three Boating greats offer advice for a perennial reader query.

time-read
2 mins  |
August/September 2023
STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.
Boating

STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.

My brother-in-law likes to fish offshore reefs, and the process once entailed navigating to a mark, dropping a float, and idling upwind or up-current to drop the anchor in hopes the set would drop us back to the float.

time-read
3 mins  |
August/September 2023
FOR WANT OF A CLAMP
Boating

FOR WANT OF A CLAMP

When 100 miles from shore, home and help, this boater’s preparedness prevented potential catastrophe.

time-read
1 min  |
August/September 2023