draknet
07-03-2008, 03:15 AM
OK, we used to have some really cool threads in here and they all kinda died out and all we do is work work work. And I'm bored. No tickets on the desk. So, I am going to tell ya'll about my boat.
Ok, so it's not like a "boat". (Like, a yacht-type thing).
It's an inflatable boat, but a tad bit more expensive than one you'd pick up at WalMart. We're getting the SE9 Fisherman's Dream Package (http://www.seaeagle.com/MotormountBoats.aspx) even though I don't fish - I wanted the Sports Runabout, but apparently after you pay the $2K for the boat, to actually runabout you still have to buy a $3-5K motor, and the SE9 will putter with a trolling motor (that did not cost $2K).
I wish we had the happy dance banana icon, but we don't so you'll have to imagine one here. We decided to get this after renting kayaks. There's a story here, and it may even be funny...
We rented a kayak for the weekend to go out on Lake Travis, and we were renting different ones because we'd thought like to buy one after the end of this summer. I'd never been in a sit-in kayak and was determined to get one even though we'd done really well with sit-on-top kayaks. You fall off, you get back in. No big deal and, frankly, I didn't investigate and thought that was pretty much a kayak thing. But, no, a few weeks ago we got a tandem sit-in kayak.
The sit in kayak taught me many lessons. Twenty-four to be exact.
Sit in kayaks are not good to take a ten year old out on who just wants to go in and out of the kayak so he can swim in the water.
When all three people lean right, so does the kayak.
When all three people lean right too far, the kayak leans right too far.
When the kayak leans right too far, the kayak flips upside down.
When the kayak flips upside down, it's best to not be in it.
When you flip a sit-in kayak back up, it actually holds water.
A lot of water.
Which is inconvenient when you are a football field's length away from either shoreline in the middle of a lake.
My husband was wrong about not buying the bilge pump when I suggested it.
Buying the dry bag is not the important part. Actually closing the dry bag each and every time you take something out of it is the important part.
Especially when you discover this after capsizing.
The Canon Power Shot Digital Camera is not, in fact, waterproof.
When you are with a ten year old, and your husband (who cannot swim well), and the boat capsizes, you will tow the boat, the stuff, and the people to shore because you are the only strong swimmer of the bunch.
Only after your husband attempts to bail out the sit-in kayak with a large convenience store drink cup.
Convenience store drink cups are not good for bailing out 14 foot kayaks full of water.
The dry bag, however, can hold a lot of water.
The drag when towing a 14 foot boat full of water and 250 pounds of people makes swimming well somewhat challenging.
The drag is worse when the people help by kicking in the wrong direction.
The drag eases when they finally begin kicking in the right direction.
Lifting a 70 pound boat filled with water to empty it once you can touch the bottom is very difficult.
Other kayakers do not help when this happens to you.
Other kayakers are amused from atop their very stable, self-rescue sit-on-top kayaks.
Paddling back to where the car is to load up the durn boat is nerve wracking. "Sit Straight! Don't Lean!"
But is made more amusing as you laugh at the people in the $100,000 boats paddling to the boat ramp because the goofs ran out of gas and their trolling motors are out of charge.
So, that's the story of how we went from kayaks to the super stable fisherman's inflatable that you can stand up and fish in, or sit on the walls and not tip over.
And why I didn't know a sit in kayak would fill up with water if it flipped is beyond me. I'm normally quite a smart person. :ghasp:
I'd show you pictures but... well... see Lesson #12.
Ok, so it's not like a "boat". (Like, a yacht-type thing).
It's an inflatable boat, but a tad bit more expensive than one you'd pick up at WalMart. We're getting the SE9 Fisherman's Dream Package (http://www.seaeagle.com/MotormountBoats.aspx) even though I don't fish - I wanted the Sports Runabout, but apparently after you pay the $2K for the boat, to actually runabout you still have to buy a $3-5K motor, and the SE9 will putter with a trolling motor (that did not cost $2K).
I wish we had the happy dance banana icon, but we don't so you'll have to imagine one here. We decided to get this after renting kayaks. There's a story here, and it may even be funny...
We rented a kayak for the weekend to go out on Lake Travis, and we were renting different ones because we'd thought like to buy one after the end of this summer. I'd never been in a sit-in kayak and was determined to get one even though we'd done really well with sit-on-top kayaks. You fall off, you get back in. No big deal and, frankly, I didn't investigate and thought that was pretty much a kayak thing. But, no, a few weeks ago we got a tandem sit-in kayak.
The sit in kayak taught me many lessons. Twenty-four to be exact.
Sit in kayaks are not good to take a ten year old out on who just wants to go in and out of the kayak so he can swim in the water.
When all three people lean right, so does the kayak.
When all three people lean right too far, the kayak leans right too far.
When the kayak leans right too far, the kayak flips upside down.
When the kayak flips upside down, it's best to not be in it.
When you flip a sit-in kayak back up, it actually holds water.
A lot of water.
Which is inconvenient when you are a football field's length away from either shoreline in the middle of a lake.
My husband was wrong about not buying the bilge pump when I suggested it.
Buying the dry bag is not the important part. Actually closing the dry bag each and every time you take something out of it is the important part.
Especially when you discover this after capsizing.
The Canon Power Shot Digital Camera is not, in fact, waterproof.
When you are with a ten year old, and your husband (who cannot swim well), and the boat capsizes, you will tow the boat, the stuff, and the people to shore because you are the only strong swimmer of the bunch.
Only after your husband attempts to bail out the sit-in kayak with a large convenience store drink cup.
Convenience store drink cups are not good for bailing out 14 foot kayaks full of water.
The dry bag, however, can hold a lot of water.
The drag when towing a 14 foot boat full of water and 250 pounds of people makes swimming well somewhat challenging.
The drag is worse when the people help by kicking in the wrong direction.
The drag eases when they finally begin kicking in the right direction.
Lifting a 70 pound boat filled with water to empty it once you can touch the bottom is very difficult.
Other kayakers do not help when this happens to you.
Other kayakers are amused from atop their very stable, self-rescue sit-on-top kayaks.
Paddling back to where the car is to load up the durn boat is nerve wracking. "Sit Straight! Don't Lean!"
But is made more amusing as you laugh at the people in the $100,000 boats paddling to the boat ramp because the goofs ran out of gas and their trolling motors are out of charge.
So, that's the story of how we went from kayaks to the super stable fisherman's inflatable that you can stand up and fish in, or sit on the walls and not tip over.
And why I didn't know a sit in kayak would fill up with water if it flipped is beyond me. I'm normally quite a smart person. :ghasp:
I'd show you pictures but... well... see Lesson #12.