Boat show season is back upon us, that time of year where we recall past troubles with our existing vessels as we contemplate what life could be like aboard a different ark next season. Maybe searching out a new anchor for better holding; maybe it’s a new dinghy to make shore excursions easier. Perhaps it’s a lack of soap and ShamWows. No matter the reason we attend, the cause is the same: the need for something we don’t have.
After all these years and all those hours aboard, I’ve come to the realization that unless you own a boat dealership, your slip won’t always have that boat on that day for that outing… no matter how much you spend at the show. Sometimes life is about compromises.
My first boat was a 14-foot hand-me-down from my grandparents, worn out by the time I was old enough to ski behind her. But ski I did, along with my same-aged uncle, burning through tank after tank of fuel until our muscles gave out. Fortunately, we were small, because horsepower was at a premium back then. We had to make critical choices on what we could carry aboard or behind the boat… Type-IV PFDs replaced our seats.
Unfortunately, bailing became exhausting on those sour days. I eventually stepped up to a 16-footer, accommodating more stuff, becoming under-powered yet again. Bought a larger outboard, carried more stuff. Bought a new propeller to “optimize” the power-band, carried more stuff. Bought a hydrofoil plate, only to learn you can’t steer if the hull isn’t in the water. So, I bought a bigger boat.
That 21-foot boat was huge by previous standards, tons of seating, 300-hp in the stern. A brand new boat is the lightest it will ever be before boating stuff gathers again. Soon, a stainless steel propeller replaced the original aluminum one to get that performance back. As guessed, more stuff onboard required a new cam, intake, ignition, and fuel system burning more fuel to get back to her glory days.
A couple of boats later they call it a yacht… not because I’m Mr. Howell, but because typical insurance companies need an excuse to stop covering those kinds of losses every time someone names a storm. Now she’s too big to trailer home and spends most of her life in the water. While large enough to carry more stuff, Europe is still outside her capabilities, despite the insurance company’s moniker.
And therein lies the rub: There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all boat. Maybe a new 14-foot boat and tow-behind scow to carry all the stuff makes the most sense? Maybe I’ll just stand in line for this year’s ShamWow. Life really does come full-circle.
B.O.A.T. by Mike Edick
Monday, February 1, 2016 - 08:45
Boat show season is back upon us, that time of year where we recall past troubles with our existing vessels as we contemplate what life could be like aboard a different ark next season. Maybe searching out a new anchor for better holding; maybe it’s a new dinghy to make shore excursions easier. Perhaps it’s a lack of soap and ShamWows. No matter the reason we attend, the cause is the same: the need for something we don’t have.
After all these years and all those hours aboard, I’ve come to the realization that unless you own a boat dealership, your slip won’t always have that boat on that day for that outing… no matter how much you spend at the show. Sometimes life is about compromises.
My first boat was a 14-foot hand-me-down from my grandparents, worn out by the time I was old enough to ski behind her. But ski I did, along with my same-aged uncle, burning through tank after tank of fuel until our muscles gave out. Fortunately, we were small, because horsepower was at a premium back then. We had to make critical choices on what we could carry aboard or behind the boat… Type-IV PFDs replaced our seats.
Unfortunately, bailing became exhausting on those sour days. I eventually stepped up to a 16-footer, accommodating more stuff, becoming under-powered yet again. Bought a larger outboard, carried more stuff. Bought a new propeller to “optimize” the power-band, carried more stuff. Bought a hydrofoil plate, only to learn you can’t steer if the hull isn’t in the water. So, I bought a bigger boat.
That 21-foot boat was huge by previous standards, tons of seating, 300-hp in the stern. A brand new boat is the lightest it will ever be before boating stuff gathers again. Soon, a stainless steel propeller replaced the original aluminum one to get that performance back. As guessed, more stuff onboard required a new cam, intake, ignition, and fuel system burning more fuel to get back to her glory days.
A couple of boats later they call it a yacht… not because I’m Mr. Howell, but because typical insurance companies need an excuse to stop covering those kinds of losses every time someone names a storm. Now she’s too big to trailer home and spends most of her life in the water. While large enough to carry more stuff, Europe is still outside her capabilities, despite the insurance company’s moniker.
And therein lies the rub: There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all boat. Maybe a new 14-foot boat and tow-behind scow to carry all the stuff makes the most sense? Maybe I’ll just stand in line for this year’s ShamWow. Life really does come full-circle.
B.O.A.T. by Mike Edick