Boats, boats, boats

Spending so much time at the coast can get a person dreaming of owning a boat…

Boats, boats, boats!

…but knowing a few boat owners helps prevent daydreams turning into reality. They’ll often tell you the best two days of boat ownership will be the day you buy one and the day you sell it! And then there’s the cost or costs – I bumped into my buddy R on his way to fill a few jerry cans with marine fuel, and he just about managed to avoid bursting into tears at the price…

Aluminum – practical and lightweight!

Another friend told of how, when she was growing up, she’d “enjoy” sailing trips with her father. Today, her partner would like to buy a small sailing boat, and when I mentioned how they might enjoy sailing together, given her nautical family background, she laughed (or grimaced?) and said yes, she knows which rope to pull and where to square things away, but sailing is not necessarily fun for her. It’s task, task, task, and then task, task, task.

Dreaming

Oh! Maybe our (Your – Mrs. PC) boat dreams will remain on hold for now? And possibly forever?

Speedy? Pricey!

In the meantime, we can always stroll around the inner and outer harbours in Ucluelet and admire boats we’ll never own – sailing boats of all sizes, aluminum fishing boats, fibreglass fishing boats, wooden boats, rigid inflatables with enormous outboard motors, small paddling boats for pottering around the inlet, and those vessels that are rusting and flaking away – RIP Tromso!

Old photo – she wasn’t there this visit, sob…

I can, and have, wasted hours hanging around marinas and harbours admiring boats. I love the busyness of it all, the screeching gulls, clanging masts, creaking ropes and splash of water. The aromas aren’t always pleasant, but they’re certainly distinctive; seaweed and salt, fish guts and cigarette smoke, bird shit and marine fuel. Lovely!

Distinctive

Boats, boats, boats! I do have my Small Vessel Operator Proficiency certificate, and the boats I admire are all less than 12 metres long and under 15 tonnes and— (Nope, not happening! – Mrs. PC)

I mean, is it that expensive, really? (Yes! – Mrs. PC)

We’re away from the coast now, and with each passing kilometre the allure of boat ownership diminishes (You’ve got that right, mister! – Mrs. PC) and common sense returns. Time for something more manageable – now, where are those canoe brochures?

“Get a boat! Get a boat!”

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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plaidcamper

I am a would be outdoorsman - that is if I had more time, skills and knowledge. When I can, I love being outdoors, just camping, hiking, snowboarding, xc skiing, snowshoeing, paddling a canoe or trying something new. What I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm and having a go. I'd never really survive for long out there in the wild, but I enjoy pretending I could if I had to...

12 thoughts on “Boats, boats, boats”

  1. I so enjoyed reading your boat post, pc, have a smile on my face. I really like to hang out down at docks, too, and you did an excellent job of describing it all here. And oh how I like to be on the water. I really enjoyed and studied your photos too. It’s all so alluring, isn’t it? Cheers, my friend.

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  2. Love this post, Adam. Your humor makes me smile. It’s fun to walk around a marina admiring the different types. I have fond childhood memories of riding in my grandfather’s boat.
    I just read Marriage at Sea…that’ll make one think twice about sailing in the ocean!

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    1. Thanks, Jane! I might look up that book – but I think a marriage at sea would end with me having to walk the plank… definitely a case of needing a bigger boat…
      I imagine you’d have a splendid time capturing and creating nautical images!

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    1. Thanks, Jane – I’m no poet, but there is something magical in the sights and sounds of nautical life that encourages the imagination!
      I hope your week is going well – finally had a more seasonal fall morning here, temperatures a bit lower (at last!)

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  4. I can relate to the want of owning a boat, but not wanting to commit to all the work. I do not have the knowledge to do any repairs myself, so it would get really expensive, I imagine. I too enjoy walking through a beautiful marina, and tag along on a boat ride from time to time. Kayaking is something I do enjoy, and one can rent those at many places in lakes both near and far. I even saw a kayak rental in the centre of Stockholm on a visit earlier this week.

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