Do you have a boat?

[rcsteiner]

I do not, but my Dad used to have several:

12" small silver flat-front fishing boat. We called it a pram, and had a small 3.5hp Evinrude for that, the kind with a gas tank on top and not the typical red can with a hose. Used it on Pelican Lake, mostly, mainly for fishing in the little bay on the opposite side of Breezy Point from the island in the main lake.

10" heavier (steel?) flat-front rowboat we used to use to hunt turtles with. Never used a motor with that one, just oars.

12" Sears aluminum boat. Used a 6hp Evinrude for most of its life. Used all over including Lake Minnetonka, Pelican Lake from Breezy Point, and various lakes in western Ontario. Yes, it's a small boat for Pakashkan or Lac de Mille Lacs, but we were very very careful on windy days and figured out quite quickly that hiding behind islands from the wind/waves was A Good Idea.

14" Lund aluminum boat. Used a 9.9hp Evinrude for a while, upgraded to 15hp. It went to Breezy and Ontario with us, too.

Yellow cedar strip and fiberglass canoe he built himself. Heavy, but very sleek. Mostly used on lakes, and still in good shape in his garage. I think.

Fancy bass boat. Lund, I think. I also think he's since sold almost all of the above.

Okay, I guess he had six. He grew up on Big Stone Lake and he, his dad, and his brother were all fishermen, so it made sense that boats were a part of my life growing up even though we didn't live on a lake.

[stockwiz]

Originally Posted by snofarmer

A buddy of mine had a sail boat on Lake Superior.
A hole in the lake to pour money into.


When do you get to use it.
On windy days when it looks like rain.

What do you do on those hot sunny days?
Clean the boat and then sit on it and drink.
That dock fee you pay every month=$$

The lake is not warm, you will be bundled up and or in rain gear 65% of the time your sailing.


Storms/ high winds appear out of no where and can quickly become to much for most sail boats to handle.

You need to know what your doing to be a sailor on lake superior.

If you can't afford that fancy kayak you can't afford to sail.

I argued myself out of buying a motorcycle for many of the same reasons. I don't want to gear all up every time I ride, what if it's hot, cold, raining, or I just don't want the wind in my face? I can't transport my road bike or anything on it of any size, which I like taking with me. I'd rather just put the road bike in the trunk and take the car...

Same argument with the boat too, that's why I kept it cheap and small for now. They guzzle gas and I figure are a bottomless money pit like a lot of items. I can easily afford the kayak and the mount to mount it to the car... so I haven't totally ruled out going that route. It would work my upper body and I like to exercise while enjoying myself... it would complement jogging and road biking nicely. However the inflatable setup is much more compact and has a good range with a 100+ AH marine battery. It might not look 'manly' but I don't care, I'm out on the water enjoying myself.

[light_shimmer]

I have a blow up paddle boat. Laugh all you want, but it's great! I get excercise while out on the lake, I don't have to have a trailer to haul it, and it takes about a 1/2 square foot of storage space. It's really thick too, I feel safe taking it on some of the little lakes around here that are covered in beever dams and reeds. Kinda like a Canoe....but lighter haha.