Bought a canoe this weekend… old and ugly and really really beat up. There’s a hole in one side, and a number of cracks in the aluminum frame and ribs in the bottom of the boat. Oh, and it’s really ugly too.
On the bright side it’s water tight, came with oars and life vests, and was really cheap. 🙂
Heather and I took it to Fordville Dam yesterday, and today Nicholas and I floated a new 4 mile stretch of the Red River of the North. We went from South Grand Forks through the city and took out just north of town by the damn.
Getting the canoe down off of the van is tough when you’re short! |
Carrying the boat down to the river at Lincoln Park |
Our first minutes in the boat, it didn’t sink so that was a fine start! And if you’re wondering, yes. Those are yellow leaves in the river. It’s fall in ND. |
And finally we arrive at the end of our hour and a half float, just north of Grand Forks. Now it looks like we’ll be carrying the boat again, this time back up the hill! |
I have to share;
One of my friends saw the canoe on my car and she said.
“Tira I would look into getting that growth removed, it looks cancerous”
It is one ugly canoe
Hey, I’m excited for ya’ll to have a canoe! Ours was an incredible blessing to the whole family! Remember our old very hairy dog, Kellie? Well he went with us everytime and once in the canoe. . .NEVER MOVED! And yes we understand removing canoes from cars when you are short. Scott, my trick is to stand on the tailgate. However, one of our favorite memories was, transporting a 16 ft. fiberglass canoe on a 1965 VW Bug! Oh, the life we have lived! ENJOY!
It’s tough to get down when you’re short… but no tailgate on a van! 🙁 we talked about getting a stool or whatever for Nicholas. But what we really found is if dad lifts the front way up, the back goes down and Nicholas (and the girls) can easily reach it. He holds his arms up straight and just holds the canoe while dad walks sideways to get the car (van) out of the way. When I’m clear Nicholas takes a few steps away from the van too, and then we roll the canoe down away from the van (slowly) and set it on the ground.
Loading it is just the opposite. And, it works pretty good! Nick and the Heather are easily strong enough to lift the canoe straight up, Melanie struggles but can get the job done too.
Melanie and I went canoing in the English Coolees (sp?), a series of small man made lakes nearby, and she had very little trouble getting the canoe up and down by herself. Unlike Heather who I took to Fordville Lake and when lowering the canoe she dropped it. But, instead of letting go she hung on tight so it wouldn’t hit the ground. So now picture your arms straight up in the air, and now swing them down (keeping straight) and now picture an 80 pound canoe in your hands. She swung the canoe down but held on tight and it hit her legs on the way down and left absolutely the biggest grossest bruises I have ever seen on a girl! ugh!
Poor Heather. 🙂