Power Boats

Believe it or no, my lovely wife did not grow up in sailboats. She grew up on power boats. Her dad would sometimes crew on sailboats, but he only owned power. He liked the idea of being able get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time.

Believe it or not, I'm not totally against power boats. For some trips they make perfect sense. For example, sailboats are not great boats in which to do the Great Loop. (A round trip that goes through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi, and back up the Atlantic Coast.) For much of that trip, sailboats have their mast setting on the deck. There are too many low bridges. Might as well start out in a power boat and forget the hassle.

There's a false belief that travel on a sailboat is free. It's not. Never mind that most sailboats also have some sort of engine. Even if they don't, sails are not cheap. Rigging, both fixed and standing, winches, and all that take maintenance. Eventually they need replacement. Where sailboats really shine is on long passages. If you are river or coastal boating, power boats can often be just as cheap or cheaper to run. Okay, let's not say cheap, but no more expensive.

When he moved down to Texas, my father-in-law took one of his powerboats with him on a good sized trailer. It's sat for 25 years in a pole barn. He had a good friend with a bigger boat already in the water. My lovely wife's dad rather burn someone else's fuel any day.

So now there's this nice power boat just sitting there. He's hinted he might want to sell it. Actually, my mother-in-law really wants to see it gone. Personally, I don't think I'd want it if the boat was given to me. While the hull is nice, the motor hasn't run in decades. Even if it could be turned over, all the hoses, belts, electrical stuff, pumps, and maybe even the transmission would need work. I bet the lights and bearings on the trailer are shot too. Time takes its toll.

Good think the Great Loop is not on my bucket list. I'd be tempted more than I should be by this old boat.

-Sixbears