WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

HEY LAM- I bought me a boat!

Hammer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
21,915
Reaction score
12,825
I have wanted a Hallett 300 for years. The last year and a half the wife and I have been weighing our options and what made the most sense for our family. We off-road in the winter and just recently sold our motorhome which we have had nothing but problems with. The thought of buying another one didn’t sit well with me and I honestly just needed a break. I figured, we could just rent one to go camping, we really only go 3 or 4 times a year anyways.

The other option was a house in Havasu. But then we’d be married to the current boat which I wanted to upgrade eventually, sooner than later. Bottom line was I wasn’t going to pay 600+k for a place there. We would need at least a 3/2 with RV garage and a pool. We just spent the last 4 years remodeling our house(pool,addition etc..) and I don’t care to get into a fixer upper or build a house right now. Managing it would be a nightmare, everyone is booked solid. My kids will be out of day care in a year or two which will free up a ton of cash. MAYBE prices will settle and we can decide if we want to invest all of our free time in Havasu.

The 3rd option was to buy a new to us boat even though the market was high. I was confident I can find the right deal or hold out for exactly what would fit our needs. We looked at pontoons and even a performance cat, but my kids still love to tube and do water sports, my son learned to water ski this summer. So a Daytona or similar was out. I couldn’t do the pontoon, they are cool but I’d have to get one with twins and spend more than I was willing to on something I wouldn’t love.

Now it’s not a secret that I am a Hallett fanboy. Even my wife says it would be sacrilegious to own another brand. Fair enough. I love Halletts and know them pretty well. The 270 wasn’t a big enough upgrade in size and a 340 was just too big for me. They are massive. Which takes us to new 290, 275 or a 300 which Hallett doesn’t make anymore. I kicked around going to a new 336 as well but i can’t afford to build it with the power I’d want. It’s also a BIG ASS boat!

Which brings us full circle to my dream boat, a Hallett 300! They are insanely hard to find and sell within days if not hours for full asking. You had to be ready immediately. So we started our hunt. We looked at 4 this summer, none of them gave me goose bumps of excitement. You know that feeling you get when you land that smoking hot chick that you thought was out of your league but your persistence pays off? Some get that feeling when they meet their wife. It’s a great feeling and I wasn’t feeling it.

The wife and I were on our way back from a test drive of a 300 that checked ALMOST all the boxes. I was going to settle, but I told myself I’d give it a few days to think about it. During all the searching I kept circling back to the most beautiful, stunning 300 that I screened shotted a picture of like 5 years ago. I had that tingling feeling. I knew this was the one… but it wasn’t for sale.

I decided to scour the HALLETT FB page because I remember seeing it posted about a year ago. Sure enough I found the post and he had his number on it. I decided, what the hell, I’ll call him and see if he wants to sell it. He answered, on call from some random number no less. I couldn’t believe it! Bob turned out to be the nicest guy in the world. He was 50/50 on selling it, I had to wait until august after he got back from Lake Powell. I was nervous, excited, maybe even nauseous at times. I decide I was going all in holding out for THIS boat and letting the other ones left be sold. Every few days I’d look at my phone remembering the day he was headed home. We had been talking off and on for weeks at this point. Was he going to sell it? Did I blow it on the others I could have settled on?

I was a wreck over a stupid boat I thought. I don’t need this thing, it’s too much money. Our current boat is fine. In the middle of all this one of my best boating friends who I admired and thought the world of passed away. We talked all the time about life and family, and of course boats.. I will miss his advice and knowledge. Brian Fetheroff. His services were recent. His son in law told this story during the service how he was always money conscious and was a responsible spender, and how Brian would buy things because, well, “it’s fucking bad ass!!”. Even if it wasn’t the best financial decision at the time. He did things to make memories with his kids and grandkids no matter what and figured the rest out later. I felt like Brian was telling me not to be a pussy and buy it for the kids and the memories it will bring. Fuck it, right? YOLO.

Bob called, literally a few hours into flagstaff as I’m looking at the Weather report wondering if the boat is getting hammered by the rain. Trying to ease my excitement and be calm, I answered. After some small talk about enjoying his trip he decided to sell it. I couldn’t believe it! Now comes the tough part, is it mechanically sound, am I inheriting a basket case that I didn’t know about? Bob had Maintenance scheduled at Hallett that week and practically let me choose what I wanted done. I also opted for a compression check and engine scan. Which I happily paid for. Got the call from Hallett on a Wednesday at like 9 or 10. I was nervous, Jeff the service manager gave me the great news that it was flawless and also told me the previous owners have had it serviced at Hallett every 25-30 hours regardless of if it needed it or not. Turns out the boat had been babied it’s entire life and 85% of the hours on it were spent between 0-1,999 RPMS! [emoji41][emoji106]

This week everything fell into place and as of this morning I am the new proud owner of my dream boat…. At 2006 Hallett MCOB 300.

IMG_5124.jpg

IMG_5123.jpg

IMG_5725.jpg

IMG_5723.jpg

IMG_5743.jpg

IMG_5744.jpg

65172457681__28E0735B-A4F1-4F41-90D1-A140B7F981D7.jpg

IMG_5745.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

LuckyStrike

Just Plain Crazy
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
5,898
Reaction score
6,167
Congratulations
Your a great guy and deserve it!!
Miss you
You need to go into the archives and dig out that rain day in Lighthouse point pad I had
Going down the dock
And getting Fucked Up in the South Florida rain
Good times


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

HighVoltage329

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2009
Messages
1,178
Reaction score
1,387
Wow, great boat, great find & story. I love Halletts also and this is a great one. Congrats!!!
 

RogerThat99

Parker Is Now OPEN
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
11,973
Reaction score
7,962
Congratulations Mike. That is an awesome boat.

Sent Using Tapatalk
 

SLEEK28

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
39
Reaction score
38
Awesome write up and absolutely stunning boat. Congrats to you and the family!
 

Hammer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
21,915
Reaction score
12,825
Congratulations
Your a great guy and deserve it!!
Miss you
You need to go into the archives and dig out that rain day in Lighthouse point pad I had
Going down the dock
And getting Fucked Up in the South Florida rain
Good times


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Miss you AJ! I want to get back to Florida and see you! That was such a blast! I almost moved there because of you, and you know who!! [emoji23]

My father in law is waterfront in Ft. Pierce.

I have business in DC and am going to try and make a trip to Florida while I’m on the east coast. Hopefully I can make that happen and see you! Been too long.

Thanks AJ!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

28Eliminator

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
11,309
Reaction score
11,060
That's awesome Mikey!! beautiful boat with perfect power. Congratulations!!
 

Emac

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
175
Reaction score
158
Great story Mike. Congrats! Beautiful boat.
 

HNL2LHC

What is right and what is wrong these days!
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
13,824
Reaction score
24,784
Nice boat that you found.
 

Marios Metalworks

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
1,811
Reaction score
3,718
Beautiful boat. Congrats on making the jump!

Can you elaborate more on the diff between the 240 and 270? What made you feel like it wasn’t a big enough jump?
 

Dettom

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
2,669
Reaction score
2,855
I have wanted a Hallett 300 for years. The last year and a half the wife and I have been weighing our options and what made the most sense for our family. We off-road in the winter and just recently sold our motorhome which we have had nothing but problems with. The thought of buying another one didn’t sit well with me and I honestly just needed a break. I figured, we could just rent one to go camping, we really only go 3 or 4 times a year anyways.

The other option was a house in Havasu. But then we’d be married to the current boat which I wanted to upgrade eventually, sooner than later. Bottom line was I wasn’t going to pay 600+k for a place there. We would need at least a 3/2 with RV garage and a pool. We just spent the last 4 years remodeling our house(pool,addition etc..)house and don’t care to get into a fixer upper or build a house right now. Managing it would be a nightmare, everyone is booked solid. My kids will be out of day care in a year or two which will free up a ton of cash. MAYBE prices will settle and we can decide if we want to invest all of our free time in Havasu.

The 3rd option was to buy a new to us boat even though the market was high. I was confident I can find the right deal or hold out for exactly what would fit our needs. We looked at pontoons and even a performance cat, but my kids still love to tube and do water sports, my son learned to water ski this summer. So a Daytona or similar was out. I couldn’t do the pontoon, they are cool but I’d have to get one with twins and spend more than I was willing to on something I wouldn’t love.

Now it’s not a secret that I am a Hallett fanboy. Even my wife says it would be sacrilegious to own another brand. Fair enough. I love Halletts and know them pretty well. The 270 wasn’t a big enough upgrade in size and a 340 was just too big for me. They are massive. Which takes us to new 290, 275 or a 300 which Hallett doesn’t make anymore. I kicked around going g to a new 336 as well but i can’t afford to build it with the power I’d want. It’s also a BIG ASS boat!

Which brings us full circle to my dream boat, a Hallett 300! They are insanely hard to find and sell within days if not hours for full asking. You had to be ready immediately. So we started our hunt. We looked at 4 this summer, none of them gave me goose bumps of excitement. You know that feeling you get when you land that smoking hot chick that you thought was out of your league but your persistence pays off? Some get that feeling when they meet their wife. It’s a great feeling and I wasn’t feeling it.

The wife and I were on our way back from a test drive of a 300 that checked ALMOST all the boxes. I was going to settle, but I told myself I’d give it a few days to think about it. During all the searching I kept circling back to the most beautiful, stunning 300 that I screened shotted a picture of like 5 years ago. I had that tingling feeling. I knew this was the one… but it wasn’t for sale.

I decided to scour the HALLETT FB page because I remember seeing it posted about a year ago. Sure enough I found the post and he had his number on it. I decided, what the hell, I’ll call him and see if he wants to sell it. He answered, on call from some random number no less. I couldn’t believe it! Bob turned out to be the nicest guy in the world. He was 50/50 on selling it, I had to wait until august after he got back from Lake Powell. I was nervous, excited, maybe even nauseous at times. I decide I was going all in holding out for THIS boat and letting the other ones left be sold. Every few days I’d look at my phone remembering the day he was headed home. We had been talking off and on for weeks at this point. Was he going to sell it? Did I blow it on the others I could have settled on?

I was wreck over a stupid boat I thought. I don’t need this thing, it’s too much money. Our current boat is fine. In the middle of all this one of my best boating friends who I admired the world of passed away. Brian Fetheroff. His services were recent. His son in law told this story during the service how he was always money conscious and was a responsible spender, and how Brian would buy things because, well, “it’s fucking bad ass!!”. Even if it wasn’t the best financial decision at the time. He did things for his Ramiro make memories no matter what and figured the rest out later. I felt like Brian was telling me not to be a pussy and buy it for the kids and the memories it will bring. Fuck it, right? YOLO.

Bob called, literally a few hours into flagstaff as I’m looking at the Weather report wondering if the boat is getting hammered by the rain. Trying to ease my excitement and be calm, I answered. After some small talk about enjoying his trip he decided to sell it. I couldn’t believe it! Now comes the tough part, is it mechanically sound, am I inheriting a basket case that I didn’t know about? Bob had Maintenance scheduled at Hallett that week and practically let me choose what I wanted done. I also opted for a compression check and engine scan. Which I happily paid for. Got the call from Hallett on a Wednesday at like 9 or 10. I was nervous, Jeff the service manager gave me the great news that it was flawless and also told me the previous owners have had it serviced at Hallett every 25-30 hours regardless of if it needed it or not. Turns out the boat had been babied it’s entire like and 85% of the hours on it were spent between 0-1,999 RPMS! [emoji41][emoji106]

This week everything fell into place and as of this morning I am the new proud owner of my dream boat…. At 2006 Hallett MCOB 300.

View attachment 1043162
View attachment 1043155
View attachment 1043156
View attachment 1043157
View attachment 1043158
View attachment 1043159
View attachment 1043160
View attachment 1043161


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Very nice.
 

LuckyStrike

Just Plain Crazy
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
5,898
Reaction score
6,167
Miss you AJ! I want to get back to Florida and see you! That was such a blast! I almost moved there because of you, and you know who!! [emoji23]

My father in law is waterfront in Ft. Pierce.

I have business in DC and am going to try and make a trip to Florida while I’m on the east coast. Hopefully I can make that happen and see you! Been too long.

Thanks AJ!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post that video if you find it
Always thought that was one of the funniest on RDs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

H20 Toie

Party on Garth
Joined
Aug 6, 2010
Messages
5,737
Reaction score
21,921
I don't know Mike, Why would anyone buy a boat in this market? I just don't get why people go over budget for a boat, makes no sense what's so ever.

Dude that is so awesome for some reason I think I can relate :)

Really good looking and perfect engine package
 

sirbob

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Messages
10,565
Reaction score
14,495
Well done - I love hearing these stories!

Congrats - She sure is a beaut!
 

Dan Lorenze

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
10,536
Reaction score
12,598
Congratulations, it was worth the wait because it's exactly what you wanted. Happy for you and your family.
 

Hammer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
21,915
Reaction score
12,825
Beautiful boat. Congrats on making the jump!

Can you elaborate more on the diff between the 240 and 270? What made you feel like it wasn’t a big enough jump?

The 240 and 270 have the same or close to the same size cockpit. 3’ in overall length wasn’t going to be a game changer enough for me to upgrade.

However, I seriously considered buying that 270 closed bow with no power. At the end of the day. I wanted something you didn’t see a lot of. A 300 is like seeing RD without a beer in his hand. Rare.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

OldSchoolBoats

No Bad Days
Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
16,471
Reaction score
24,205
Congratulations Mike, absolutely beautiful boat! Super happy for you guys [emoji3][emoji3]

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

checkrdpast

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 20, 2021
Messages
207
Reaction score
220
Not much of a Hallet guy , but that is a freackin clean one for sure. Happy times ahead
 

LuckyStrike

Just Plain Crazy
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
5,898
Reaction score
6,167
I don't know Mike, Why would anyone buy a boat in this market? I just don't get why people go over budget for a boat, makes no sense what's so ever.

Dude that is so awesome for some reason I think I can relate :)

Really good looking and perfect engine package

It’s fucking crazy
BTW I’ve got a couple of friends from lighthouse point poking around if you see a Luckystrike shirt
Introduce your self
He has a 39 midnight


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

HB2Havasu

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
Messages
4,433
Reaction score
9,631
You did well listening to yore friend. That is fucking bad ass!!
 

Mandelon

Coffee makes me poop.
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
13,963
Reaction score
18,524
Dang Hammy, that thing looks new. Happy for you!
 

steamin rice

No Bad Days....
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
3,856
Reaction score
2,142
Great story and awesome boat, congrats! I think a 30' boat with twins is a great all around boat. Big enough and plenty of power, but not so big that it's a pain to trailer, park, etc.
 

Jay Dub

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2020
Messages
1,023
Reaction score
1,171
I have wanted a Hallett 300 for years. The last year and a half the wife and I have been weighing our options and what made the most sense for our family. We off-road in the winter and just recently sold our motorhome which we have had nothing but problems with. The thought of buying another one didn’t sit well with me and I honestly just needed a break. I figured, we could just rent one to go camping, we really only go 3 or 4 times a year anyways.

The other option was a house in Havasu. But then we’d be married to the current boat which I wanted to upgrade eventually, sooner than later. Bottom line was I wasn’t going to pay 600+k for a place there. We would need at least a 3/2 with RV garage and a pool. We just spent the last 4 years remodeling our house(pool,addition etc..) and I don’t care to get into a fixer upper or build a house right now. Managing it would be a nightmare, everyone is booked solid. My kids will be out of day care in a year or two which will free up a ton of cash. MAYBE prices will settle and we can decide if we want to invest all of our free time in Havasu.

The 3rd option was to buy a new to us boat even though the market was high. I was confident I can find the right deal or hold out for exactly what would fit our needs. We looked at pontoons and even a performance cat, but my kids still love to tube and do water sports, my son learned to water ski this summer. So a Daytona or similar was out. I couldn’t do the pontoon, they are cool but I’d have to get one with twins and spend more than I was willing to on something I wouldn’t love.

Now it’s not a secret that I am a Hallett fanboy. Even my wife says it would be sacrilegious to own another brand. Fair enough. I love Halletts and know them pretty well. The 270 wasn’t a big enough upgrade in size and a 340 was just too big for me. They are massive. Which takes us to new 290, 275 or a 300 which Hallett doesn’t make anymore. I kicked around going to a new 336 as well but i can’t afford to build it with the power I’d want. It’s also a BIG ASS boat!

Which brings us full circle to my dream boat, a Hallett 300! They are insanely hard to find and sell within days if not hours for full asking. You had to be ready immediately. So we started our hunt. We looked at 4 this summer, none of them gave me goose bumps of excitement. You know that feeling you get when you land that smoking hot chick that you thought was out of your league but your persistence pays off? Some get that feeling when they meet their wife. It’s a great feeling and I wasn’t feeling it.

The wife and I were on our way back from a test drive of a 300 that checked ALMOST all the boxes. I was going to settle, but I told myself I’d give it a few days to think about it. During all the searching I kept circling back to the most beautiful, stunning 300 that I screened shotted a picture of like 5 years ago. I had that tingling feeling. I knew this was the one… but it wasn’t for sale.

I decided to scour the HALLETT FB page because I remember seeing it posted about a year ago. Sure enough I found the post and he had his number on it. I decided, what the hell, I’ll call him and see if he wants to sell it. He answered, on call from some random number no less. I couldn’t believe it! Bob turned out to be the nicest guy in the world. He was 50/50 on selling it, I had to wait until august after he got back from Lake Powell. I was nervous, excited, maybe even nauseous at times. I decide I was going all in holding out for THIS boat and letting the other ones left be sold. Every few days I’d look at my phone remembering the day he was headed home. We had been talking off and on for weeks at this point. Was he going to sell it? Did I blow it on the others I could have settled on?

I was a wreck over a stupid boat I thought. I don’t need this thing, it’s too much money. Our current boat is fine. In the middle of all this one of my best boating friends who I admired and thought the world of passed away. We talked all the time about life and family, and of course boats.. I will miss his advice and knowledge. Brian Fetheroff. His services were recent. His son in law told this story during the service how he was always money conscious and was a responsible spender, and how Brian would buy things because, well, “it’s fucking bad ass!!”. Even if it wasn’t the best financial decision at the time. He did things to make memories with his kids and grandkids no matter what and figured the rest out later. I felt like Brian was telling me not to be a pussy and buy it for the kids and the memories it will bring. Fuck it, right? YOLO.

Bob called, literally a few hours into flagstaff as I’m looking at the Weather report wondering if the boat is getting hammered by the rain. Trying to ease my excitement and be calm, I answered. After some small talk about enjoying his trip he decided to sell it. I couldn’t believe it! Now comes the tough part, is it mechanically sound, am I inheriting a basket case that I didn’t know about? Bob had Maintenance scheduled at Hallett that week and practically let me choose what I wanted done. I also opted for a compression check and engine scan. Which I happily paid for. Got the call from Hallett on a Wednesday at like 9 or 10. I was nervous, Jeff the service manager gave me the great news that it was flawless and also told me the previous owners have had it serviced at Hallett every 25-30 hours regardless of if it needed it or not. Turns out the boat had been babied it’s entire life and 85% of the hours on it were spent between 0-1,999 RPMS! [emoji41][emoji106]

This week everything fell into place and as of this morning I am the new proud owner of my dream boat…. At 2006 Hallett MCOB 300.

View attachment 1043162
View attachment 1043155
View attachment 1043156
View attachment 1043157
View attachment 1043158
View attachment 1043159
View attachment 1043160
View attachment 1043161


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Twin 525's?? wow beautiful boat
 

OCMerrill

All in...
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
26,698
Reaction score
9,853
Way to go Hammer. A timeless piece of badass for sure. That thing looks very well cared for.

...and motorhomes suck. Boats do not.
 

OLDRAAT

inadequate member
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
2,617
Reaction score
4,068
That's a nice ride Mike. Glad you waited until you found your dream boat. Blue engines too boot.👍
 
Top