I'm talking to people who are anxiously awaiting this years boating season and I'm not hearing as much talk of gas prices as I thought I would be. In fact, what I'm hearing is the unmistakable symptoms of two-foot-itis. I'm looking at boats that are for sale and I'm often hearing a common if surprising theme running through conversations with sellers, “It's a great boat but we've already bought something bigger.” “Doesn't that mean burning more gas?” I ask. The answer is always pretty much the same one, “Yes, so?” Of course, since I myself was looking for a boat to buy, I was probably dealing with a distinct set of people who are willing to take the risk and gain the advantage of depressed pricing. On the other hand, it seems that the water draws people who feel that it would be nice if fuel were a better price, but the sacrifice is worth the gain. One man told me it's just worth the price to be comfortable, he and his family spend every spare moment on the water. This sounds like “primary dwelling” talk, the kind of thing you hear people say about their homes and cottages, and it is. Just as cottages are the primary dwellings of many folks for at least one season of the year, so to is the family boat.

There is, of course, the cottage boat, that venerable old work horse that takes innumerable visitors out to see the sunset from the best vantage point around, spends hours trolling for the big one and pulls the kids, young and old, on tubes, boards and skis. From car-toppers to huge pontoon boats, some fitted out with many amenities and others stripped down to the bare necessity, these vessels are loved, sometimes grudgingly, but loved just the same for their tenacious character and stalwart persistence in serving the bit of shoreline they belong too.
But the cruiser is a different approach to the bay, an amalgamation if you will, of all that is good of the cottage, the family boat and the summer season. Combining the changing scenery affiliated with a camper, the privacy of a remote cottage and the adventure of the open sea, a boat is a great choice for your home away from home.
There is a boat to suit any need, from light duty trailerable weekenders to large cruisers able to move around the Great Lakes for up to 8 months of the year. From boats smaller than twenty feet, equipped with porta-potties and Bar-B-Ques to marine mansions stretching from 30 feet to 100 plus with state rooms, en suites, showers, sun decks, full galleys and crew quarters. If you're looking for a boat then somewhere within this broad spectrum there is a boat out there for you. The Canadian Power Squadron defines a boat as a compromise between what is desired and what can be afforded. They go on to point out other compromises in their introduction to boats, stability versus shallow water navigation, power versus noise and speed and so on. If you consider dealing with these compromises as part of the challenge and fun of boating then you're already on your way to enjoying the bay from the wet side of the shore.
I'm down sizing in an odd way. My last vessel was a 30 footer, a 1933 Hamilton Boat Works cabin cruiser that displaced 7 tons and made 12 knots at cruising speed and 15 if pushed flat out. Huge rolling waves in excess of a metre in height could pile themselves up against her massive freeboard and cause a shuddering thunder throughout the boat but they were helpless in their efforts to deteriorate her forward momentum. A six cylinder diesel made her the brute she was and I loved her dearly. Unfortunately I found my sea roving life was not a fit for a young newly married man and so I bid my cedar planked beauty goodbye and settled into the life of a landlubber. That was 25 years ago and I'm now looking at semi-retirement and a triumphant return to the water. The old wooden boat was a wonderful introduction to cruising but my memories of the maintenance it required haunt me. I've turned my eye, grudgingly at first, to fiberglass and have been acquainting myself with newer boats. It seems I can get more room on a shorter boat these days then was available back then. Broader beams and miniaturization have been good friends to marine design. My quest well begun, I have been questioning boat sellers about all aspects of their nautical adventures and as I said at the beginning, I'm hearing lots of talk about the up coming boating season and it's almost all positive.
Kevin is originally from the east coast, a farmer who raises Bruce County beef and loves to be out on the bay with his family. His ready wit and quick smile show him to be a gentleman who enjoys life whether it's at the cottage, at the farm or out on the water chasing fish in one of our famous Georgian Bay derbies.
Mark likes to set out on the bay on weekends to unwind from a stressful job. His boat is a popular place for family and friends to meet. If you're a member of this group you're very familiar with the waters Mark sails. Tubing en route and picnicking on uninhabited islands are almost always part of the itinerary.
Although he has a berth at the yacht club Randy rents a slip at the marina when the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular Fishing Derby is on. He takes his family to the derby activities there every year and he says being on site with the boat is worth the “dime” for parking. They make the boat home base for the duration, living quarters when in harbour at night and fishing central during the day. Just one example of how the boat plays a part in his families life.
A local personality in Owen Sound has often been heard to say “When everyone is greedy be fearful, when everyone is fearful be greedy.” He's talking about investments, stocks and bonds and fund management, but perhaps there's more to the advice he is offering us than he realizes. If this economy turns around, and history has taught us that it will, the price of boats and boating will rise. Perhaps now really is the time to consider that bigger boat, when the dust settles you'll be ahead by two or more feet, you'll have paid less than you would have during a stronger economy and you will have played a personal roll in the ending of this recession by setting a positive example. Perhaps now could be the time to “be greedy.” Then again, I'd hate to see the recession end and gas prices go up before I fill up the tank on my new boat. Perhaps you should wait,... just a little.