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kayaks and boats. When you buy a kayak,
you’ve paid the one major expense you’re
likely going to have. Sure there are paddles
and a spray skirt, a flotation device and
kayak pump, but those are minor, really.
Maintenance is minimal, with the odd
spit and polish and a new bungee cord
or two.
When you buy a motorboat, however, the
purchase of the vessel is just the beginning
of your financial journey. Work on such
a boat is never really done. There’s the
engine, transmission, prop, cables, hoses,
wiring, electrical parts, fuel lines, water
tanks (‘Bring Out Another Thousand’ spells
‘boat’). Compared to a kayak, a boat is a
mechanical Pandora’s box.
Wooden boats especially need constant
upkeep to remain ship shape, including
caulking, scraping, planking, painting,
varnishing, zincing and anti-fouling. Which
in turn likely explains the lower initial
purchase price.
Undeterred, I started searching for
my mothership. First I checked locally,
but whatever was available was often
better suited for use as a planter than as
transportation. So I started surfing the net,
buying boating magazines and after a
couple of weeks I located sufficient boats
of interest to warrant a plane trip to the
Mainland.
It was an eye opener. Boats that looked
great on the internet suddenly developed
major paint problems or massive rot. Others
were just too small, too old, too expensive
or just not right. I had to learn how to look
at boats. At first I would judge them by
whether they were pretty and whether there
was sufficient room to stow the kayaks. But
I got better and started to learn what to look
for, what key areas to examine. Started to
find the defects. Started to discover that
many vessels had ‘issues’.
At the end of two long, tiring days, we
managed to find a boat to our liking, a 35
foot prawn boat, newly separated from
its license. It needed some work, but the
basics were there. Nice lines. A spacious
wheelhouse. Lots of electronic gadgets. A
newish engine. It even had a shower. And
the price was right. We put an offer on the
vessel, pending a survey. Then we flew
home, eager to show our friends pictures of
the new boat and start planning trips.
The survey wasn’t pretty. Planking
problems, caulking concerns, a worn out
cutlass bearing, oil in the bilge, wonky
rudder, questionable wiring. It could all be
fixed, of course. But at a substantial price.
We walked away.
www.harbourlynx.com
I’ve learned a lot so far and for not even
all that much money. The main lesson
has been that you can’t rush into buying
a boat. I had been pushing hard, hoping
to be sailing Gwaii Haanas this summer.
That wasn’t very realistic. It’s going to take
time finding the boat that fits my needs and
budget, doing the research, keeping my
eyes open. I also learned that surveys can
be worth every penny, especially if you’re
not that familiar with boats. And I learned
that motorboats are a lot more complicated
than I thought.
My mothership is out there and I’ll find
her, one day. Meanwhile, spending time
around motorboats has given me a new
appreciation for kayaking. An appreciation
for the quiet. The peacefulness. For the
closeness to sea and shore life. For the utter
simplicity of it all.
Kayaking remains a cathartic activity
which I treasure every opportunity I get.
With or without my mother. ❏
© Berry Wijdeven is one of WaveLength’s
regular cartoonists and lives in Haida Gwaii.
Easy access to
Vancouver Island
TOLL FREE: 1-866-206-LYNX (5969)
June/July 2004 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
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