helpful?
Can’t help but wonder if mjf is finding any of this helpful or if we are just talking to ourselves.
Thanks
I am finding the discussion very encouraging. I don’t feel so alone now 
Yesterday I was discouraged b/c a deal slipped through my fingers and frustrated at waiting.
I was not looking for advice on a particular canoe or kayak (there are tons of posts on that) but encouragement from others and strategies on waiting.
Unfortunately I do fall into the category of on-line shopping obsession alluded to in an earlier post.
Suggestions like getting out and actually paddling as well as involving other people are particularly helpful.
You’ve got hullabetes
There is only way to quell the symtoms. You must buy a hull. And until you do you are bound to suffer. Take comfort that some days will be better than others. But it’s a cruel, debilitating disease.
Tell me about it.
Somewhere, in some not too far-flung barn, there’s a lonely, hardly used, ca. '93 KH Malecite in “Sand” gelcoat (or, maybe red) waiting for my love.
It’s a bit sad, really.
Best be quick
I’ve got the 'betes over that one as well
If it’s wwest of the Rockies,…
…you’ll have me to contend with too. 
Or a BG Northstar…
slipped through fingers
Don’t fret, MJF - we’ve all missed deals “by this much”. I’ve been slow on the trigger on great deals on a Kev Malecite, BG Merlin II, and others. The more that get away though, the smarter you are about what constitutes “a deal”.
That deal will come.
mjf = mjflores?
MPD
I thik it depends on your age
The older I get the less I tend to put things off. Don’t know how much “active” time I will have left. Return on investment is not always about money. Rember that time is the only thing any of us truly “have”, and none of us knows how much!
Not trying to be maudlin, but that last statement is true and deserves at least a few minutes of hard consideration.
Paddle now if you want to paddle…my 2 cents worth.
Good Point
I’m also trying to figure out if this is a long term hobby/interest or a fixation of something that is just out my reach. For example I’ve been interested in wood working, bicycling, birding, and now paddling. I’ve got some tools and built a workbench (check), a bike (check), the binocs (check), now for the canoe (no check).
Frankly it frustrates my wife because I think she sees it as flitting around, she would rather I focus on one or two hobbies. Whereas I see it as trying to find my niche and what helps keep me grounded.
Your point about time and the future being uncertain are very poignant the trick is finding the balance. We have a son who is 6 months and I’d hate to not be mentally present to my family while obsessing about having a canoe. I want to enjoy them too. My wife is not super into water, I hoping the boy enjoys it though.
analytic obsession?
– Last Updated: May-19-12 1:23 PM EST –
I think it is really fun to "shop" in the sense of comparing gear, especially boats, and making charts about length, width, weight, rocker, etc. I think there is a certain analytic compulsiveness that is given an outlet in an area that is fun. The problem is that along with that activity often comes an urge to pull the trigger and purchase -- which can be fine if you are financially prepared. Another possible outlet for that type of compulsiveness is to "shop" river segments. Do the research and chart segment length, cfs at various times, class of rapids, access points, distance from home, stuff like that. Then the urge to pull the trigger is about running the river rather than making a purchase you are not ready for (of course there could be an urge to run a river segment you are not ready for!)
yep
I’m with Steve
Dear mjf,
I also think you’d be better served by starting out starting out with a decent used canoe. Get something, get in the water and see where things go from there.
You may find that canoeing is not something that you really want to do, or you may find that you love it and want to do more of it, but until you try it’s still sort of a guess, isn’t it.
By buying a decent used canoe for $ 300.00 - $ 400.00 even if you come to find out it’s not your bag you can easily recover within $ 100.00 of what you laid out. If you buy new and spend, say $ 1500.00 for a canoe, your probably going to lose at least $ 300.00 on a resale if you decide it’s not for you.
Buying used is what I did last summer and I have no regrets despite being 1/2 of what may be one of the most inept paddling tandems on Earth.
My fiance and I enjoy ourselves, and for the $ 200.00 I spent we’ve easily had several times that dollar value in fun in just a few short paddles and picnics at a local park.
Some people regret things they have done, I’ve reached the age that I now regret things I didn’t do far more. Don’t be like me.
Do the math and hit the water.
Regards,
Goobs AKA Tim Murphy
In my early 20’s
I wanted a 72 foot Burger to liveaboard like this one.
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/motor-yachts-50-74/6684-72-burger-flybridge-m-y-1976-a.html
My memory isn’t good enough to recall when I eventually faced reality. I do know that the older I’ve gotten, the smaller the boats have become.
pretty soon
all my boats will fit in the tub…
Biggest last year…28’
Biggest this year …16’
do the math
something basic and affordable for now
– Last Updated: May-20-12 4:26 PM EST –
Since you will likely (we hope) be trying day trips with a toddler and somewhat skeptical wife, my suggestion would be to start out with a basic affordable "family type" tandem like an Old Town Guide 146 or a Mad River Adventure 14 or 16. These are fairly common -- even new the Old Town can be had from sporting goods outlets for under $400 and used they run around $300. My mate and I are avid kayakers but we also have an old Guide which we enjoy tossing in the river for spur of the moment trips, even mild white water runs on fast local creeks. The newer Mad River Adventures are plastic canoes, low on glamour but with comfortable seats (and childproof surfaces) that might win your wife's approval. Yet both canoes are reasonably decent to paddle solo to just get you out on the water. I'm sure there are other "Chevy sedan" type canoes that would quell the immediate cravings and be justifiable both financially and in terms of a family-inclusive hobby not long down the road.
Perhaps akin to the young new dad craving a sports car but making the reasonable choice to buy a minivan or wagon that is actually sort of fun to drive.
Pickup instead of a Sports Car
Willowleaf, your point is well taken. I will explore that angle and appreciate the comparison of the minivan and sports car but I suppose I’m more interested in a small pickup truck of a canoe.
I had in mind a lightweight solo canoe I could carry easily on my own. My goal is to get out and unwind on the water (smallish lakes and slow creeks/rivers) where I can watch the birds, float, and maybe even take a nap. The idea is that this would be a floating retreat that would be portable instead of a camper or a cabin.
suggestion
You might consider letting folks know where you are located. Occasionally folks spot a good deal and are willing to pass it along to someone they know is looking.
I get a boat because I want to paddle
I want to be out. So I have never waited for the right boat before getting out there.
Its all about the paddler and the paddle and less about the boat.
I would like to have a WildFire and a Monarch. I don’t but still have spent most every nice day on the water.
And now I found a Monarch but won’t spend the time to go get it as I would rather be driving to the Yukon to go paddling…
It will be in a bathtub…but who cares?
curious
How did you modify the bathtub so that you could drive it to the Yukon?