What do quasi empty-nesters do with all their new spare time? Well one thing you can do is buy a boat….which is exactly what we did! We have never owned a boat before and took a chance buying one off Craig’s List. Here is a pic of our new toy:
We spent a week cleaning it up and waxing the oxidation off to bring out the shiny red fiberglass.
See the difference?
I read up on boat safety and bought or borrowed all the things we needed to get our boat ready for its maiden voyage. I even bought some vinyl lettering and named the boat “Happy Endings” which is also my blogs tag line.
We had two brave souls ready to go out with us and show us the ropes (they were previous boat owners)! I was so excited to get this thing out on the water; I had always dreamed of owning a boat. One of our favorite past-times is to go up to Put-In-Bay on Lake Erie. I love the lake atmosphere – lots of fun in the sun!
We headed out early one Saturday morning and were at the lake within an hour. We got her off without a hitch and explored most of the lake within a few hours. We docked the boat and ate lunch at this cute little restaurant. After lunch, we headed back out.
This is where the trouble begins….
About 10 minutes into our ride, the engine stopped. Hubby looked down to discover we had been taking on some water – oh crap! The guys lifted the engine compartment and there was lots of water….the bilge pump was not working. We waited about 10 minutes and got the engine started again. We slowly made our way back to the area where we had parked but before we could get there, the engine died again!
Luckily, hubby knew someone else at the lake who had a boat and was able to find us and tow us to our dock. Boaters in general seem to be pretty nice, there was at least three other people that stopped and asked if we needed help – made me feel much better.
Once we got the boat out of the water and on the trailer, we noticed that the propeller blades had been damaged by the low water levels on the lake! Another set-back. Fortunately, the previous owner had given us a brand new propeller when we purchased the boat. I just didn’t think we would be using it so soon.
Bet you wonder what was I thinking on the way back....
Yep, I’m ready to get rid of this thing already! Our first day out was supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing and it ended up stressing us all out a bit. I know it was worse for hubby since he was doing all the driving, backing up the trailer, etc.
We got back home and talked about it; hubs is taking it as a challenge! He wasn’t ready to give up. He said the first couple hours were so much fun and deep down, I knew he was right!
I learned a lot from that conversation. I was ready to give up on the first weekend because things didn’t go perfectly. I sometimes give up way too easily. I need to take on his attitude when things get tough.
So you see, owning a boat has already taught me a valuable lesson. Here’s to hoping our next trip out has a “Happy Ending.”
We spent a week cleaning it up and waxing the oxidation off to bring out the shiny red fiberglass.
See the difference?
I read up on boat safety and bought or borrowed all the things we needed to get our boat ready for its maiden voyage. I even bought some vinyl lettering and named the boat “Happy Endings” which is also my blogs tag line.
We had two brave souls ready to go out with us and show us the ropes (they were previous boat owners)! I was so excited to get this thing out on the water; I had always dreamed of owning a boat. One of our favorite past-times is to go up to Put-In-Bay on Lake Erie. I love the lake atmosphere – lots of fun in the sun!
We headed out early one Saturday morning and were at the lake within an hour. We got her off without a hitch and explored most of the lake within a few hours. We docked the boat and ate lunch at this cute little restaurant. After lunch, we headed back out.
This is where the trouble begins….
About 10 minutes into our ride, the engine stopped. Hubby looked down to discover we had been taking on some water – oh crap! The guys lifted the engine compartment and there was lots of water….the bilge pump was not working. We waited about 10 minutes and got the engine started again. We slowly made our way back to the area where we had parked but before we could get there, the engine died again!
Luckily, hubby knew someone else at the lake who had a boat and was able to find us and tow us to our dock. Boaters in general seem to be pretty nice, there was at least three other people that stopped and asked if we needed help – made me feel much better.
Once we got the boat out of the water and on the trailer, we noticed that the propeller blades had been damaged by the low water levels on the lake! Another set-back. Fortunately, the previous owner had given us a brand new propeller when we purchased the boat. I just didn’t think we would be using it so soon.
Bet you wonder what was I thinking on the way back....
Yep, I’m ready to get rid of this thing already! Our first day out was supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing and it ended up stressing us all out a bit. I know it was worse for hubby since he was doing all the driving, backing up the trailer, etc.
We got back home and talked about it; hubs is taking it as a challenge! He wasn’t ready to give up. He said the first couple hours were so much fun and deep down, I knew he was right!
I learned a lot from that conversation. I was ready to give up on the first weekend because things didn’t go perfectly. I sometimes give up way too easily. I need to take on his attitude when things get tough.
So you see, owning a boat has already taught me a valuable lesson. Here’s to hoping our next trip out has a “Happy Ending.”
Comments
blessings,
karianne