February, 2021, sold my wife’s Necky Looksha Sport and then drove 1700 km from SW Ontario to Saint John, NB, for a used CD Solstice GTS kevlar for my wife. Dropped in along the way to see my parents. Even with fuel costs, the price of the boat made the trip worthwhile. Being able to sell the Necky for almost half the price of the GTS certainly helped.
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Back in the early 90s I drove from Boston burbs down to a Bell dealership in NJ to pick up a new Magic. Enjoyed the drive except for the NJ tolls… 
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I’ve made 2 different long trips for kayaks this year as I searched for the right fit: the first was March when I drove ~6hrs round trip to pick up a great deal on a Tempest 165. But it turned out to be a poor fit for me, so I kept searching.
In June, I drove just over 8hrs round trip to get my Impex Currituck, and I LOVE it! Worth the trip for sure! Made it great that a friend came with me and we even squeezed in an hour paddle just after picking it up!
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I am an opportunistic boat shopper nearly always on the look out for the next one. I have found a great drift boat, wood and canvas OT, and plenty of other canoes and power boats and sailboats around Reno.
I had a Montgomery 15, a small cult sailboat. I sold it to a guy up north of Seattle sight unseen for my asking price. I was headed up there to see family anyway. It is 840 miles each way.
Yeah…me too! 
That sometimes leads to having ‘too many’ (a strange term my wife throws around from time to time).
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Great stories. I enjoyed the read. I’ve picked up all my boats locally but the next 3 boats I’m already searching across the continent. When I was selling my Wenonah Sundowner 18 I had someone from St Louis offer an extra $200 to hold it in the Twin Cities for 2 weeks to coincide with his BWCA trip and pick it up on the way. I ended selling it a couple of hours later to a retired guy from Wisconsin. (A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.)
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6 year old hull tops 65% of price new $3,800? Then deduct 500-600+ to repair. Then deduct 400-500 for scratches on bottom.
Max if you want it badly 1300 or less depending on the deck.
I bought a two year old Solstice 2008 MY $1800 with a bunch of gear & paddle. One tiny faint scratch on blue deck. 4 light bottom scratches used literally 2-3 times.
All my other hulls were 700-900 including 22’ Libra XT tandem.
Worst deal was a $300 CD Extreme. Parts and materials to restore it 12 years ago + -. Hours and hours of work. Learned a lot about kayaks yikes!
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Which 3 boats are you seeking now?
I ask because I’m an inveterate used boat browser too and have helped connect quite a few fellow paddlers to desired paddlecraft over the years including personally delivering two canoes and 3 kayaks across state lines as an intermediary berween buyers and sellers.
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Is that a crime transporting kayaks across state lines?
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Only if they are underage……
But what is the “age of consent” for a boat?
My “youngest” boat is 9 years old and the eldest is 48.
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Or abused.
Not to make light of other laws and crimes.
Trick is to have something you like then look for others you may like. Then you don’t feel the urgency to pounce on a sale. Hard to not pay allot more if you have nothing. We all want on the water.
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Delta 12.10. In the spring I will find it local
Carbon P&H Volan in colors that suit me. I’ll either custom order locally or road trip.
A new tandem tripping boat. If I go Wenonah it would be either MN 2 or Escape in Innegra. That I could get locally.
OR
My second option for a tripping canoe is Swift Keewaydin 17 in the Carbon Fusion. That will have to be a road trip or if I order in time for their truck they will deliver it on their spring delivery route.
Exactly. Once you have a decent boat you can afford to be picky, and patient.
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Only 9 hours round trip this time, to pick up my lasted addition. A NDK Pilgrim Exp. in the 50/50 layup. Hope to get it wet, on Friday. Fleet is currently at 8 kayaks and 1 canoe. Have a couple posted for sale. But they are still mine, for now.
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