The New Canoe
She’s gone. Dan picked “To Blave” up one bitter, cold day in April and headed for Wisconsin. He sent us a note; he and his son finally went sailing after picking up a new battery and repairing the gas tank.
Meanwhile, we bought a 14-foot, red Old Town canoe and have been going out to Bald Eagle Lake in Northcentral Pennsylvania. We wanted something simple and easy and quick for the summer. We plan on replacing our zippy little Precision K15 but with what, we’re not sure. I’ve suggested we go to a few boat shows — the Annapolis Bay and Boat Show, the Newport Boat Show, the Baltimore Boat Show … the list grows.
Truth is, I like going to boat shows and stroking shiny gel coats, sniffing that new boat smell. I like all boats — big ones, little ones. Fat ones, skinny ones. Wooden ones, glass ones. Boats with masts and boats without. We’re leaning towards a powerboat now so we can travel the canals throughout New York and Canada. It’s also easier to pull up to the pier in Georgetown on the Potomac if we’re not fighting bridges and shallow drafts.
I’ve been admiring the Ranger Tug for a few years. Now wait, before you point out that this site is “Small Boat Sailors” keep in mind that you can still be a sailor on a power boat — just can’t sail it. And the tug is trailerable, coming in 25, 27 and 29-foot lengths, so it is small.
Plus, we could ship the Ranger Tug to Europe and sail — err, navigate — the canals in France, scoot along the coastline of the Mediterranean, hangout in the turquoise bays of Greece, then back up to the UK and cross the channel and spend the summer over in England on the Thames.
In our own backyard, here in the United States, we can make the Great Loop. I just read an article about a man looping in a pontoon boat.
So, tucked away in the back of our minds is the upgrade to the Precision 23 (Boat No. 2 — the canoe doesn’t count) and then, when there’s a bit more cash in the stock fund, trade up a few more feet for the Ranger Tug. It’s a plan.
Ranger Tugs
