While Theresa enjoyed some time in our room at Barony Beach Resort I took time to take a drive and scout out the neighborhood around Sun City in Bluffton. As I drove around I turned into the local Cracker Barrel and was stopped in my tracks when I saw the above. It was a beautiful Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman sitting there in all its glory. I got out and took a look before heading back to my truck to just sit and stare. That could be me and my boat one day.
Of course it’ll take some planning, and money, for me to get my sled looking like the one above. In my Jones Brothers dreams I would drive my boat down to Donnie Jones in Moorehead, North Carolina and have them return it to its original glory like when Jim Matson purchased it new in 1996.
Since I purchased the boat it has sat in my yard more then it’s been on the water. Yes, it’s seen the Delaware River and the waters in and around the New York Bight but it’s sat underused just waiting for her time to be deconstructed and rebuilt from the hull up.
Over those years I’ve washed her up and have shown her some love but what it needs is an overhaul rather then some boat soap. I started the process by removing and selling the radar and motor, which was an older 175 HPDI, and one that most boat mechanics don’t want a part of.
One major issue with these old Jones Brothers is the construction using wood and metal gas tanks. I’ve learned that around 2006 they made changes to more sustainable construction.
years to complete the perfect package. I sold that boat because I was opening my private practice and knew that one day I’d have to address the tank issue. Coupled with that was our move to Titusville following Ryan’s passing thinking I wouldn’t get much use of it out there. While most say the happiest days of boat ownership are the day you buy and then sell I have always regretted my decision.
While I prefer to fly fish with waders on there’s no doubt that having a boat can allow for more opportunities to be on the fish, and that’s no where more evident in and around the Jersey Shore these days. I’m looking at the fishery in South Carolina and a boat is a must. Fishing flood and low tides in and around those estuaries on foot can be near impossible, and dangerous at times. So, if our move to South Carolina is a go then making plans to arrive down there with a rebuilt boat will be part of the equation.
I have several friends who are Jones Brothers owners, both old and new. Some have used third parties to do the work on them but I would prefer to send it back to the Jones Brothers factory if possible, and affordable. Part of that may be stripping the boat down to it’s bare bones and putting it on a new tandem axle Load Rite trailer for her ride to whatever shop will do the work. That’ll also include repowering her with a new Yamaha 150 hp 4-stroke.
So as I tucked in my truck out of the brisk South Carolina weather and pictured that being my boat, which Theresa describes as my ongoing boat envy, I could see this becoming a reality. This persons boat is towed by a newer van, and the idea of tooling around Sun City in my current
half-handmade truck isn’t part of my dream. There would have to be a new ride in front of my new boat of course. Now I just have to make it all happen.