RECOVERING BOATAHOLIC FALLS OFF THE WAGON
I swore “no more boats” a few years ago. (It’s not important how many I have; don’t ask.) But there are no “former” boataholics, only “recovering” boataholics versus those who have fallen off the wagon. I fell off the wagon last week. I confess (sob) I bought another boat.
I could blame fellow Scuzbum Jeff Clark. He’s the one who told me about cheap boats and boat stuff for sale on the “craigslist” website. For those unfamiliar with this website it’s a free online classified ad system which operates worldwide, but organizes its ads in local/regional pages. Cruising the ads became regular “entertainment” until the inevitable happened. If you’re a recovering boataholic and you want to remain recovered, then I suggest that you stay away from craigslist.
So let’s put aside my shame and regret and I’ll tell you about my new $50 boat. It’s a little under 14’ long x 32” wide, fiberglass decked canoe or fat kayak, depending on how you look at it. It’s very light, easy to hoist on my shoulder and carry. It’s not quite what the ad described, but after driving 60 miles thru southern California Saturday traffic to look at it, going home empty-handed seemed worse than spending $50 on not exactly what I was hoping for. (See, boys and girls? That is the great trap of craigslist. Stay away!)
The attached photo makes it look pretty good, after hours of cleaning it up. My plan is to make it into a multi-purpose craft that can be paddled canoe or kayak-style, rowed or sailed, and have enough stowage space for bare-bones camp-cruising. My friend Joe Millard is going to loan me a little lug sail rig to experiment with. Of course I need another boat or another boat project like I need a hole in the head. If any readers feel themselves falling in love with the photo, feel free to contact me through this message boards Private Message System. For me, parting with this craft would be the path to recovery.
Kim Apel
Attachment: Kim's New Small Boat.JPG (Downloaded 23 times)
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