How many is too many???

[Jim]

How many boats are too many? My wife has this misguided perception that I have too many boats (with some complaint about not being able to open car doors in the garage), so I am curious as to how many boats the average boater has.

For the record, I have 8. My collection is clearly old school and includes:
2 Perception Slashers
2 Millbrook Boats- a Prowler and an old end-hole, big volume C-2 (Berrigan or some such)
1 Whitesell Pyranha
1 Dagger Cascade
2 Mad Rivers- a Howler and an Explorer

I know I need to downsize. However, my desire is to downsize to a smaller boat, not to fewer boats. Anyone else having these problems?

Jim

[James]

I have been trying to keep myself down to boats that I honestly plan to paddle at least once during the paddling season. That is four right now, C1 playboat, C1 creekboat, sunburst 2 OC2, tripping 0C2. Would love to try to justify a C1 squirtboat, river runner and a few OC1s, but can`t justify the lack of use and expense.

Sounds like you have quite the collection. how often do they all get out on the water?

[sbroam]

One trick is, and I think PAC can attest to this, obfuscation. Keep them moving, hide them, create confusion as to how many there really are. It helps if you can loan them out or if you have an alternate location to store them, not all of them, but enough room so you can rotate the "stock".

Another tactic is to compare the total space taken up by your fleet to that of your average bass boat, trailer and motor. If you also do this comparison with the cost, you will probably see that you can afford more boats, since bass boats can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. My wife has not yet fallen for this but I am persistent and optimistic.

But how many is too many? My fleet is similar in size, but I can always think of more I "need". Especially since the kids will need their own boats soon...

*Perception Slasher
*Perception Whiplash (converted kayak, I'll call it sold when I get the check, so it doesn't really count...)
*Wave Sport Score (converted kayak)
*Prijon Rockit (converted kayak)
*Mohawk Viper 12 (it's almost worn out so it doesn't really count)
*Dagger Interlude (16' touring canoe)
*Valley Skerray (sea kayak)
*plastic kiddie kayak of unknown make (4 1/2' long?)
*chopped and welded Slasher (don't think it floats any more, so it doesn't really count)

But I really could use a good WW-OC-2, a slalom boat, a Viper (c-1), a wildwater boat, an outrigger canoe, a spare touring canoe, ...

Scott
boat-a-holic

[KNeal]

This is a list of what I have:

Dagger Legend (16')
Blue Hole Sunburst (I)
Dagger Atom
an old slalom Apple Try-umph c-2 (paddled by the Garvis Brothers)
another old slalom Apple c-1 (dismantled in need of remantling )
Dagger Zealot slalom c-1
Maverick slalom c-1
an unnamed slalom c-2 (purchased off the Soileau (sp?) Brothers)

This is a list of what I want:

Viper squirt c-1
Acrobat c-1

I figure what I can do to increase my boat inventory is to purchase, at least, the Viper for my wife and make sure the outfitting fits me, as well . I imagine that would make me a pig in some peoples' eyes, but that is what an addict becomes .

KNeal

[Jim]

It sounds like there are a few other pack rats around. Some of my boats get frequent use. For example, the Slasher is out 4 - 5 days/week, usually for aerobic exercise but occasionally for an appropriate workout (off to the Deerfield's Dryway tomorrow, YAHOO). Others, like the Prowler and Howler get used several times a month.

It is the oldest ones that are hard to part with because (1) no one would pay anything for them, (2) they are great for introducing beginners and (3) sentimental value.

The Whitesell Pyranha is an example of a boat that I loved paddling for many years, but now it only gets used a couple of times a year as a loaner. The least used boat is the old end-hole C-2. However, taking that out surfing is a hoot- the bow paddler sits so far out front that they get a wild ride. It has not been out for a couple of years, but sometime soon I will drag it out and use it to get someone else hooked on paddling.

Jim

[Mike W.]

I thought I had a bunch of boats. I now realize that I don't have that many. And Sir Adam has not even entered his fleet. Here's what I have:
Viper C-1
Cascade C-1
Big EZ converted C-1
Probe 11 OC-1
Old Town Scout OC-2
Wenonah Marathon OC-2
That's only six. The question is not "haw many is too many", but "how many do you need". The answer is simple, "one more"

Mike W.

[Sir Adam]

First off, you can never have too many boats...provided you can store them properly (kind of like having pets-you've got to take care of them!). Sunshine is a no-no, but other than that they're low maintenance-no messes, no feeding, they just sit there waiting for you to come play!

That said, a lot of my "museum" of functional boats contains items I picked up cheap (or were donated to me). I *think* this is the entire list, but quite honestly I'm losing track ;

Ace II (wildwater)
Acrobat (standard and master cut)
Atom
Batmax (cut down)
Blackwater
Cascade
Centaur
Fanatic II
Groove
Gyramax
Hahn
Magnet
Noah Aeroquatic factory C1 conversion (for sale!)
Oxygen
Slasher
Tomahawk C2
Viper

Not to mention the Maven I'm building, or the two molds I've got (Viper and Stealth).

Now I try and "walk" each boat at least once a year, teach people in the boats, and generally "appreciate" them. That said, I always have "favorites"-the Cascade for creeking (hopefully to be replaced by the Magnet, once I pick it up!), The Viper for all around river running (as well as the Acrobat), and the Oxygen (and now Maven) for just fooling around. The Tomahawk C2 is also a blast for introducing folks to CBoating My current theory right now is to buy boats when I can, and just not sell them. The current inventory has take a number of years to build, and has been helped along by some great folks selling their boats dirt cheap or donating them

So, if anyone is in upstate NY and wants to try something out, let me know

[Mike W.]

Sir Adam, you are my hero If I counted correctly, that's a heck of a bunch of boats!
It's good to see that you walk each one every year. I did that last year. Today I walked the Viper It's funny to watch the reactions of the fishermen when you stern-squirt that baby
Mike W.

[Sir Adam]

And it's equally amusing to cartwheel a Viper in front of some Yakkers . There's nothing like an 11' boat arching gracefully through the air

In case anyone's curious and is "new" (past few years!) to the Forum, my intention is to "collect" one each of every REC C1 made. So, if you know of anyone trying to get rid of a Wide Ride, Hornet, Aerobat, Edge, Meltdown, Sith, or Sage, let me know...right now $$ are kind of tight, but I like to know where they are for the future .

[PAC]

Obfuscation – who me! Never!!! I firmly believe that moving boats around is good for you and for them. You learn better tie down methods, rotate the stock, and when you do this you tend to take what ever boat you are relocating out for a “Walk” (per Sir Adam). Besides my wife is way too smart to fall for that (I’ve been busts from time to time (.. but I still try - ). Also you never know when a friend in need will borrow one from the quiver (ask Warren)!

My current count is:
Michacraft aluminum open canoe – family cruiser
Max II C1 - old racer
X – Converted C1
XXX – Converted C1
Xeno – Converting to C1
Xeno – Shell so doesn’t really count except the kids love to beat the living daylights out of it.
Zwo – Converted C1
Zwo – Kayak – Yes I own one. It’s only been paddled once! On the Cheat by a friend (who was served up to Big Nasty and Neal had to save – the boat, the friend was on his own). This is sort of the wife / kid’s boat (and a future “stock piled” C1 if need be - ).
Gemi – C2
However the wish list is long and includes: A kayak for my boy (Number one on the list - looking at a Inazone 212, Evo, Dynamo or smaller boat for an 8 year old); a kid’s C1 (working on that and I’ll keep you posted); a Viper (I’ll get one one of these days); a racer to replace the MaxII (which way past the end of it’s life cycle); a racing C2 and (#2 on the list and #1 in my heart ) a squirt C1 (keep those Maven updates coming Adam).
So the answer, in my opinion, is NO - you can never have too many boats! And using Adam as a bench mark – I have a way to go with my collection!

[Guest]

In my line of work ( therapist) I frequently hear addicts say "ones too many and a thousand is not enough" as they reference their drug of choice- perhaps that can apply to boaters as well.

Brendan

[adkSara]

Sigh... the collection of boats that Sir Adam "has on display" in the museum... otherwise known as our extra living room is always changing I think that at one point we were up to nine and now we're down to five on our front screen porch. Including of course the very interesting looking Maven Two are for me to learn with and the rest are for Adam to play with... But Adam's right... they're quiet, they don't have to go out at 3am, and if they are "walked" every now and again it keeps the boat and boater happy!!!

As long as I don't trip over them too much I have a feeling that the collection is going to keep growing

Best of luck collecting to all...

[NZMatt]

I alwasy feel I have lots of boats until I see other folks list theirs. As to the wife, well, Jo has one of her own and the tandem (still unoutfitted) was a joint purchase

My list
Detonator OC1
Bliss Stick Blitz Special C1 (conversion)
Bliss Stick Lifestyler (kayak - currently trying to sell)

Plus
Dagger Phantom (Jo's)
Mad River Outrage (awaiting outfitting as an OC2)
Old Town tripping OC2 we're looking after for a friend

I'm looking for another boat though.... something more aggressive as an OC1: Prelude, Ocoee, Prodigy, Zoom. The Detonator just lets me be too lazy! Fine on the easy stuff but sooner or later it'll but me in the arse on the hard stuff. I also had a real blast paddling the Viper and would love to try a smaller long glass C1 and/or the Groove. I'd also love to try the Massive Air OC1...some many boats so little time! A sea kayak (or C1? - has anyone ever tried that?) could also be really cool.

So I really don't have that many boats, but I have a complication...I'm trying to graduate (also a student = funds are tight) and will be moving across the country soon, or maybe around the world back to NZ, so I'm trying to keep the fleet small. Of course if I go home to NZ I'll have to take some OCs and maybe some glass C1s with me since I won't be able to buy any down there. DouH! Do you reckon they'd believe me if I told them the Detonator was a surfboard?

Matt

[Camille]

just for a second let's pretend i'm not a college student, without a job, and without a garage built just for boats.

i say it's important to have a quiver of boats for 3 reasons.
1. who knows what boat you (more specifically -your knees) are in the mood for from day to day.
2. if you live next to a reasonably good river (or amazing river - you lucky bastards) then eventually you're going to know every dam line, eddy, rock, hole, and surfwave on the entire thing. spice it up a little with a different boat. it'll be like a whole new river.
3. the c-1 community is small. there are hundreds of kayakers out there just waiting to be converted. it is our perogative as c-boaters to educate the masses and it is a well know fact that a variety of "tools" will only speed the process along.
besides-everyone knows the best part of the armada is the boat swapping


with that said- here's what i have.
pyrhana inazone

camille

[aldenb]

hey jim, did we meet at a slalom race somewhere? im from barkhamsted, so that's why it rings a bell. have you been paddling the farmington lately? would love to paddle with a c-boater from my home state when i get back in sept. drop me a line abird@middlebury.edu if you ever want to talk CT cboating!

well we definitely have some impressive collections of craft on this board. i definitely commend people who have more boats than years ive been alive, there is nothing better to spend your money on!
long live cboats!
Alden