By Mike Hurd
All is Well With the Boating World
Every boater can remember their first boat. Ours was a canoe. We truly enjoyed being on the water but soon came to the realization that we needed a bigger boat. A relative told me that boating was an expensive hobby. We've all heard the familiar "A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into" saying. But in no time at all, I found a "one owner" 15 footer with a 75 HP outboard. It was love at first sight and I believed it would be very affordable to operate. We trailered it to almost every lake within 50 miles and took it on a couple vacations out of state. It was great family entertainment and all was well with the boating world. One sunny afternoon we met some friends on the lake who had just purchased a boat and were telling us what a great deal they got. I remember expressing to my wife as they pulled away "I would never spend $10,000 on a boat."
Less than 4 years later I was eating my words as I drooled over our brand new 18 footer. But it was worth it! We could take more friends, pull more skiers, haul more equipment, and not have to worry so much about 3 foot waves. I couldn't be happier and once again, all was well with the boating world. Of course it would cost a little more to operate, but we could afford it considering the added benefit it gave to our boating excursions. We took longer boating vacations and traveled even farther from home. I assured my wife that this boat should last us a lifetime.
Then two years later, it happened. We moved from Indiana to Ohio and decided to take our 18' bow-rider out on Lake Erie. We barely got out of the Maumee River when my wife exclaimed, "We need a bigger boat!" Of course, being the loving and sensitive husband that I am, I started looking right away. That winter we went to all the boat shows and decided on a spacious but affordable 20-foot cuddy. Yes, the cost was slightly more than our 18 footer but look at all the benefits! It had a cabin to sleep in and a camper canvas top so we could weekend on it and save the motel expenses. And that is exactly what we did. Every weekend we could was spent on the water and once again all was well with the boating world. We explored the Lake Erie Islands, watched the Cleveland air show from the water, and bonded as a family in our little camper on the water.
Then I read an article about a new 24' cruiser model that our favorite boat builder had just released. So I stopped at the dealership and asked about it. They told me there were special incentives on that particular model that would place it within our grasp. It must have been fate. I told my wife about it and she said something that made me the envy of every man in America. She said, "Go ahead and check it out. You know what I like. If it looks good.....buy it." When I brought it home she said something that almost brought me to tears. I was showing her the boat and explaining how it would meet all of our needs for sleeping, eating, bathing, and other basic necessities of boating life. You know, convincing her that it was a good investment for the family and how it would make everything well with the boating world. At the end of my discourse I mentioned that it was probably the last boat we would ever need to buy and that's when she said it. I couldn't believe my ears. She said, "I don't know, we might want something bigger later on." Right then I knew...........all would be well with the boating world.
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