Of the many boats that have graced my life, including those owned by my father when I was kid, just one canoe, one kayak, and a couple of paddles were purchased new. Everything else was used, usually scavenged from the back pages of the classifieds (in the really old days), from Uncle Henry's (the sort of old days), or Craig's List (modern days). I think I got my sculling boat from an Ebay auction.
I just hunted last weekend with the guy who sold me my 14' aluminum boat/15 HP 2 stroke. We were in his boat, and I remarked that it didn't look so new any more. He reminded me that he'd had it for 18 years now, and that he'd owned the boat and motor I bought from him for 10+ years before that, having acquired it used himself. I think the motor is a 1992 and the boat is older. Call me Captain Seagull.
But today, out of necessity and as Christmas gift to myself, I purchased a brand spanking new Load Rite trailer. Not a speck of rust or even dirt on it yet. It would have picked up some road salt and sand on the drive home, but it sat out in yesterday's ice storm and was pretty well glazed over except for the tires. I'm not quite sure what one does with a new trailer. Is it ok to get it wet and get mud and stuff on it?
My saint of wife s just spent an hour helping me shift the bunks and other parts around, and move the boat off the old trailer--which I'm not sure is even safe to drag to a junkyard to sell as scrap.
I'm seriously torn between wanting to get out a couple of times next week before our season closes on Jan 3, and not wanting to mess up my pretty new toy with salt and clam flat mud.
I just hunted last weekend with the guy who sold me my 14' aluminum boat/15 HP 2 stroke. We were in his boat, and I remarked that it didn't look so new any more. He reminded me that he'd had it for 18 years now, and that he'd owned the boat and motor I bought from him for 10+ years before that, having acquired it used himself. I think the motor is a 1992 and the boat is older. Call me Captain Seagull.
But today, out of necessity and as Christmas gift to myself, I purchased a brand spanking new Load Rite trailer. Not a speck of rust or even dirt on it yet. It would have picked up some road salt and sand on the drive home, but it sat out in yesterday's ice storm and was pretty well glazed over except for the tires. I'm not quite sure what one does with a new trailer. Is it ok to get it wet and get mud and stuff on it?
My saint of wife s just spent an hour helping me shift the bunks and other parts around, and move the boat off the old trailer--which I'm not sure is even safe to drag to a junkyard to sell as scrap.
I'm seriously torn between wanting to get out a couple of times next week before our season closes on Jan 3, and not wanting to mess up my pretty new toy with salt and clam flat mud.
