RE: [Paddlewise] a pretty basic question

> I would recommend the longest, narrowest boat you feel you will be able to
> manage after a few tippy weeks of learning. The Storm and the Dagger (with
> the integral rudder) look like good choices.
>
> I suspect you will quickly outgrow a boat like the edisto.

Long and narrows are often much more expensive than the Edisto.
Besides what does "outgrow" mean?   Not trying to be overly 
sensitive here, given that I paddle an Edisto....  Could I comfortably
paddle an 18', 22" beam boat.  Sure.   Would it be faster than my
Edisto?  Sure.  Is that difference worth the extra $500 - $800 in
hull cost?  Not for me.  Could I pile a couple dozen duck decoys on 
the back deck of such a narrow boat?  Not reasonably.  Could I 
bang into an oyster reef in such a narrow, deeper draft boat without 
crying?  Nope.  Is there anywhere I could go in the narrow boat that 
I couldn't go in the Edisto?  I can't think of any.   And given the 
price difference, there are things I'm *willing* to do with the Edisto 
that I wouldn't be willing to do with the sexy boat.  I can afford to 
replace the Edisto hull every 2-3 years.  I'd have to make the sexy 
hull last 5 to get similar value.  I got gadgets mounted all over the 
thing, I've got a million gashes in the bottom, it rides on my car 
200+ days a year, and I'll drag it up and down river banks 
anywhere, anytime.   And in 3 years, I might just run the Texas 
Water Safari in it; if it gets eaten by the San Marcos in a bad 
mood, then thats ok.  A $2000 long, narrow, glass boat would have
to be treated much differently, and one person trying to get an 18' 
boat down the San Marcos might be quite an interesting thing to 
watch.

My father owns a high speed bass boat, and a big pontoon boat.  
He fishes just about every day, guides occassionally, competes in 
tournaments, etc.  Guess what boat he uses all the time.  Yep, the 
pontoon boat.  You wanna catch fish, or do you wanna look cool?

In the end, in order to avoid the boat owners maximum of being 
"happy only on the day you buy it, and the day you sell it." you 
have to ask what is the PURPOSE of the boat, and how much per 
year do you want to spend on a hull to meet that purpose. Then go 
out and find a boat that fits.  The guy that wants to do weeklong 
trips in SE Alaska and will spend $500 a year on a hull is going to 
choose a completely different boat than the guy that wants to dive 
off of the beaches of Florida and has $250 a year to spend.


Richard Walker
Houston, TX
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