Toys.

[cooperhawk]

In Minnesooota almost everyone owns a boat. I have 2 boats and 2 canoes.
I keep one Alumacraft 14 ft. boat and an 18 ft. Herter's canoe down by the lake.
I have another cedar strip canoe in the pole barn that we have taken to the
BWCA, That's a primitive area in northern Minnesota where no motors are
allowed. Scores of lakes in a wilderness setting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_ ... Wilderness
But my main boat is an old Sea Sprite 16 ft. open bow runabout. I purchased it
back in 1984 and all my children, and some friends, learned to ski behind it.
Now it needs repair. It's a heavy boat made to handle rough water, and since
I seem to be getting older, I have some trouble loading or unloading it.
We toyed with the idea of trading it for something lighter, but it really is
a nice boat for fishing. Sooooo..... I went to a friend who repairs boats
for a living. What I think I will do is have a new trim and tilt system installed,
new steering cable, and he has a larger trailer with a nice roller bunk.
I think I'll also have an electric winch installed. Hook it up to the motor home
and away we go.

[markiver54]

What a beautiful and very interesting area Coop!

[cooperhawk]

What a beautiful and very interesting area Coop!

It's entirely primitive. The only aircraft allowed to over fly are bush planes.
You cannot have an outboard motor, no four wheelers, only canoes that can
be portaged. You can go scores of miles back in and have complete isolation.
We have gone to different lakes that are half in and half out, so you can
actually use a motor boat on them, but you can't go any further in.
The fishing is wonderful. On Lake Vermillion we had the run about,
and on Fall Lake, the canoe.
It can be the trip of a life time.

[cooperhawk]

They tried to ban GPS a few years back to no avail.
Vermillion is so large that one day I forgot the GPS in the motor home and we
spent several hours trying to find our resort. All the little bays look alike.
There is a radio station in Ely, Mn. that is the only one in the US that, I know
of, that is allowed to broadcast personal message to campers in the wilderness.
A few years ago there was a violent wind storm that downed thousands of large
trees. Because the Forest Service is banned from using chain saws they could not
clear it up. Years later several fires raged in that area.

[markiver54]

It can be the trip of a life time.

Sounds like a Bucket list type of a trip!
The wildlife must be amazing as well.

[JEBar]

congrats .... I really wish we could tow our boat from home to South Dakota and use it to fish the lakes around Estelline .... please record your upgrades so we can follow your project

[BigAl52]

We could use some pictures to. Just sayin

[cooperhawk]

Sure, be happy to.
His shop burned up last Spring due to a snowmobile catching fire in the early morning hours.
He opened the door at 8 AM and everything inside was melted or scorched. He is just reopening
now and we hope to get the boat in the shop next month.
The trim and tilt will be replaced with an electric system which moves the engine back six inches.
That means a new steering cable to reach the engine.
The old hydraulic system is obsolete and we cannot get parts.
The engine is an 85 Horse Johnson Javelin. Plenty of power.
We have a new bow cover and canopy along with telescoping swivel seats.
There is under the floor storage and rod racks in the rear.
It's a comfortable boat.

[cooperhawk]

We could use some pictures to. Just sayin

I'll see what I can do. It's all in storage now or under snow.

[cooperhawk]

Here's one I took a few years back. I have cousins who are identical twins and both suffer from MS.
In fact years ago the Easter Seals had them pictured when they were five years old.
They are severely crippled and we always take them for boat rides which means we have to lift
them in and out of the boat. They are a pair of jokers and crooked poker players.
That's yours truly at the wheel and my cousin Duffy is with me. The twins, Mark and Mike are
in the rear. At one point I made a sweeping left turn and when I looked back one of the twins
was gone. Then I heard laughing. He was hiding behind the seat. Scared the bejeebers out of me.

[cooperhawk]

Here's another shot.

[cooperhawk]

That picture did not load properly. The boat looks too short.

[dave77]

That picture did not load properly. The boat looks too short.

Right click and view image and it looks a lot longer.

[beaverislander]

There's a blast from the past. That 85hp oughtta make it scoot right along.

[BigAl52]

Hey that looks like some old guy behind the wheel

[Ernie]

Did the Boundary Waters trip in the 70s and went into Quetico. Very glad I got to go and have great memories of the time. Even the mile long portage and bathing in 50 degree water.

[cooperhawk]

I have a canoe that looks like your avatar.

[Ernie]

I have a canoe that looks like your avatar.

Did you make yours too?

[cooperhawk]

I have a canoe that looks like your avatar.

Did you make yours too?

No, actually a young man who worked on my team made them in his garage as a hobby. He made several
for friends. I was lucky enough to get one. If I remember right in 1990 I paid $600.00 for it.

[roddy]

The area sounds very similar to Algonquin Park, just to the north of me... https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/algonquin/activities

Funny thing...I live on an Island, and don't own a boat, lol.