Boating blog.

Boating blog:

Pic of our boat. http://www.lcsc.edu/rugby/matt/jetboat.htm
http://www.lcsc.edu/rugby/matt/jet%20boat%20photos.htm

Where it was built http://www.customweld.com/
Wake the snake ~ wake boarding class dson took http://www.customweld.com/

Other info: http://www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/
Chamber of commerice info. On local boating:
http://www.lewistonchamber.org/
Tours we took: http://www.riverquestexcursions.com/
Fish count page: http://www.lmtribune.com/fishlink.htm

Our boat was a 30th wedding anniversary a couple of years ago. We did this instead of a cruise, a cruise sounded kind of boring just sitting there. It was a great gift because it’s NOT been boring! We had it built after doing research and shopping. I was thinking a used boat until we learned the ropes I still think I was right about that by the way! LOL!

Dh calls this the sport U of boats. The first summer was awesome, we camped with family along the river and had a blast teaching the grandkids about learning to swim, roasting hot dogs on the beach by the river, fishing picking black berries gave us fun summer memories to enjoy all winter long. We took some fun trips with the boat up the river, and down to the dam. We camped with friends.

We had a fiberglass boat before named Titanic II we did have to get a new prop after hitting some rocks with it once but never had any big problems with it.

We took the new boat up to heller bar and stayed at a b&b for our anniversary the first year. That was great www.Vicandonna.com, we caught lots of fish that day.

We have added a small 12' bass fishing boat dh uses it when the other one is in the shop which has been quite a bit lately. On our the maiden voyage with the big boat somebody {not me} forgets to put in the plugs, the boat is good because of the sub-pump, but takes on enough water to almost take the truck in the drink with it! There is enough weight to kick off the emergency break and the truck starts to roll backwards, the door hangs up on the dock and we have to get a different door for it. I hop in the cab and jam on the breaks dh start yelling at me directions how to put it in four wheel drive something I’ve never done before to drive truck and boat out of the water. He thinks it’s MY fault because the break has come lose NOT! {Okay I count that as sinking the boat time number one!}

After a close encounter with a rock at the end of a wonderful labor day weekend camp out with a jet boating group. We hit some rocks and had to have it in for some serious repairs. The boat in front of us that "knew the river" hits these rocks too. I call this number two. ;D Son said this doesn’t count because it was never under water, his friend says it only counts if it’s in the shop, it was in the shop! So this counts to me! I decide I’m NOT going up river any more until dh (dear hubby) has had three good runs. He goes up two times things are looking really good. I’m trying to get past the fear of the rocks etc. and all that and have worked through it pretty well. Then guess what? Read on for more adventures!

They get the boat up and running last summer then in mid-July another close encounter with rocks that opened the hull up like a can opener with an eight foot hole behind my seat to right before the fuel tank. I was not there for that trip I was home doing granny duty. (Babysitting grand kids.) It was under water I call this sinking the boat time #3 (d did not stand for dear on that day!) dh does not count this as sinking the boat either. So what IS sinking a boat I ask? Not a good question for some reason he gets cranky when this topic comes up. For me this counts as strike three and your out, time to get out of boating! We are not in agreement about this topic! {Note: I never had this much trouble with motor cycling!}

By this time I am no longer holding any romantic ideas about boating! I could also title this "why I hate boating". I have a love hate / relationship with boating I love it when the water is smooth as glass and the motor is purring like a kitten. There are snakes in the rocks up river, wakes that knock you around when skiing or wake boarding and you get bumped banged up and come home with bruisers each time out.

When I tried to go tubing, new rule granny can’t do that with grand kids until she learns how to ride the tube. Opps! Big lesson someone forgot to show me how to do that, I thought you just hang not! So back to the beach I go with my lawn chair magazine to sit in the shade.

I do love to fish and the “soft” water on the lower end where there are no rapids! {I hate rapids by now} However I like to go on the tour boats they don’t tell you how many times they have wrecked, or sank a boat, and it’s not yours if it does happen.

Dh is trying to console me he found a guy that sank his boat five times ! That’s supposed to make me feel better? This is not a contest!
Some how his logic escapes me! LOL!

Last summer we were out in the river with a bunch of other boats watching the 4th of July fireworks, some guy in this large yacht comes barreling down the river and comes nearly up on the fish deck before he sees us, nearly missing with only inches spare. {More heart pumping moments.} Dh is puzzled at why I want a quiet forth at the farm this year! LOL!

We have yet to catch a salmon, I got mine at the deli! LOL, dh took some fun pics with it anyway. We are awaiting a new motor to be delivered and installed as I type this. And the rest of the family are out on the small boat there is not enough room for all of us and I get a few minutes of peace and quiet.

Wish me luck as I gather my courage another season summer of ‘fun’ boating awaits us. No we are not bored yet, and the new has not warn off. The challenge of learning the river is calling dh, but on my phone it does not ring through, I did not “get” it!

As they try to get the big boat up and running for this season, we have fun at the “bass hole”. Fishing from the bank this year. While the big boat is in the shop, dh had them add two new radios, a temp. gauge that shows the outside temp. that goes on a truck dh picked up at the truck dealership. They are amazed at the boat shop of the ways dh has come up with to customize this boat. We have added swivel air ride suspension seats in the front for the driver and passenger. Swivel folding seats are on the high fish deck on the back.

The rails are tall and we were going to have some more fishing pole holders added to it for dh’s birthday but dh has tweaked my order and they are going on the side of the boat now. Big ones for holding the sturgeon poles. This jet boating started out as a retirement dream to do guided fishing tours. I fell for it hook line and sinker! Hum I wonder if the name “Thrill seekers” dot com is taken yet! This has blasted boring right out of our lives and we have stories to tell, dh took a friend and his brother last year and they got a bunch of pics of the last snafu. He wants to go again this summer! Go figure!

I’m rooting for a sled the boat with a center console a fresh start with a different boat. But dh is not in favor of one of those. The new bass boat he got as a basic boat his Christmas gift last year was just a trailer and hull, then he added swivel seats, electric trolling motor, and wide 12” of red tape on the side, some stars the guy that makes them could not believe how much this had improved the looks of that boat! It was sitting on main street and it created quite a bit of interest. That mfg. is no longer building boats.

Sometimes we take the boat over town and drive around, one time we were at dinner with it and the kids show up we were out for our date night that they spotted the highly visible boat and dropped in to say “hi”.

For some reason dh thinks when we go camping we have to take the boat too, so we take the camper down and then come back home for the boat! It generates quite a bit of interest.

We have slept in it at the camp ground before we got the camper and when we unzip and remove the stern cover suddenly people start coming around curious, asking questions and want to know what it’s like on the inside.

At the boat show this year they wanted us to take it up and put it in the parking but Dh wanted to use in the river the weather has been mild this spring.