Boats You've Owned And Fish You Caught: Memories And Photos

It was nice, unless there was foam or algae patches. We stopped numerous times at the Jacksonville Landing and had lunch at a Mexican Restaurant there. Only once went past the EverBank Stadium (where the NFL Jags play) and under the Mathews Bridge. Went a very short distance past the Mathews Bridge and turned around and headed back towards the Landing.

One time, at the Landing, came back to the boat from having lunch and the entire outdrive was covered in foam. Yes, foam! At that time, lots of foam floating on the river. Also, a lot of Blue Crab traps set up right outside the channel coming from Goodby's Landing/Ramp and from Goodby's Dry Storage.

Due to constantly checking the Tide Tables, couldn't wait to get back to freshwater lake boating. Hoping that by the time we get ready to go on Lake Mead, the water level will be up enough at the ramp. We had the manual winch taken off of the trailer and an electric one installed. I have a hand remote to control the winch motor to bring the boat up to the trailer, but the battery for the electric winch is installed on the front of the boat trailer. IOW, if water level is too low, simply can launch our boat. Can't get that battery wet.

 

Couldn't find anyone here to "winterize" our boat, like we had done before. Places here won't work on a boat that is that old (1992). So, we took all three batteries home to keep charged up and drained the water on both sides of the block. Also, put the new Full Cover on a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't get that cold here, like in Colorado, but it does get cold. Hopefully, in a couple of months, we can remove the Full Cover, put batteries back on boat, take it to nearby water spicket, hook up our hose and drive muffs to the outdrive and start it. Then, before selling it, and everything we have that goes with it, we can take it out on Lake Mead once before we move up north.

The only boating lake in northwestern Nevada is Lake Tahoe and it's very expensive to store a boat/trailer and launch one there. So, will have to sell the boat and that will be the end of our boating.............unless we rent one at Lake Tahoe. Renting a boat definitely isn't cheap either. Hate giving up boating, but there comes a time when certain things have to be stopped due to too physical to do them.

For foreseeable future, we will keep all of our freshwater fishing gear, just in case.

 

We have learned the hard way of not docking down river.
Trying to paddle up river is a bad joke. So now we always put in upriver so if boat breaks down we can float back downstream.
We were going to take boat to the salt water, so I got a raft in case we break down. Of course beinf lost at sea in a raft is not good either, so we just don't go there.
We did start drifting out to sea about 40 years ago. Jakes brother's wife was crying," I'll never see my kids again". I told her thats the least of our problems right now so maybe put on lifejacket and start swimming.
They managed to start the engine and obviously we made it back.

 

I've seen the foam in different places at times, too, Cody; but I love rivers much more than lakes, and have skied all the lakes in Atl. Ga., while living there over the years, when I was a younger man. Been to the Landing in Jax. a bunch of times too. Once was there in my 18 ft. Larson cuddy cabin and the current shoved me straight up against a nice boat and it left a bunch of red marks down the side of it. I told them I was sorry, and they said no worries, he knew the tide had caused it. So I went on and made it another day. Currents could be really strong at the Landing downtown. Made quite a few concerts there by boat.

 

Thanks, Ivonne, it's nice to get out on the water, and the photos help us to enjoy the memory, and also we see some of the things; we didn't notice while boating.

 

Y'all seem to move a lot, Cody, as I've noticed reading your later post. Is there a reason or just like moving a lot? I like the fact that my old boat cost nothing to me sitting in the backyard until I am ready to go, guess you have your reason for moving so much. Not being smart to you, just was curious about all your moves. Marie would be the same if it wasn't for me, I am kind of a hermit I guess.

 

One was when Dicky Betts walked out of stage when Greg Alman was playing, Greg was shocked, since they hadn't spoken to each other in a while. Dickie had tuned states evidence against Greg Alman.

 

I did like to wander, but now its too dangerous.

 

I often wonder if things are worse or if are we more informed with all the new technology and media. The Bible says there will be an increase in knowledge and we will be further from the truth.

 

The Sante Fe is a nice river.





It has a steady flowing tide and is clean, so pretty.

 

Went to the Landing to see a Christmas Boat Parade and Fireworks coming off of three barges and two bridges. We never took our boat out during darkness and never will.
Also went to the Landing for a Halloween Party. I was wearing an older/cheaper Darth Vader costume and my wife was wearing an old Princess Leia costume. After that year, there were no more Halloween Partys there due to a party for the Gator vs Bulldog football game.
One other time, went there to see Grand Funk Railroad in concert. Now, THAT was a concert!!

 

Now, a little off-topic, but to answer Jake's question about how much we have moved around:

For a number of years, I had wanted to move out of So. California. I done some traveling twice, to relocate, but both times came back to So. California.

To make a pretty long story short, we were always looking for a "cowboy/western" area to live in and still are. Certain states were a "heck no" by my wife, which included Texas. Anyway, moved/lived along the Front Range of Colorado (Englewood and Parker). Due to myself falling in snow/ice by the driveway of our house in Parker, that required a rotator cuff surgery, we both decided to quit our jobs and move to Huntersville, NC.. During our first year there, we found out that there was a Nuclear Power Plant next to Lake Norman there and my wife didn't like that at all. I couldn't find a job there that was aligned with my experience and my wife was laid-off from hers. So, we went to a Christmas Boat Parade in Charleston, SC and then headed to Jacksonville to look at apartments. The following January, we moved to Jacksonville. Had already sold our old Bowrider in Colorado, so we started to look for another boat in Jacksonville. We found the one we have now.

After 10 1/2 years in Jacksonville, we decided we had enough. For almost that entire time we gave up "cowboy/rodeo/western" stuff and found out that we shouldn't have. My wife missed The Rockies and wildlife, so it was back to Colorado, but the northern part this time. Had the boat we bought in Florida transported there. After four years, we had enough of the Colorado winters and ended up here in Henderson, Nevada. Had our boat/trailer transported from Colorado to Lake Mead Recreational Area Dry Storage. We had never visited Henderson before and, now, wish we had. We would've never/ever moved here. It's like Jacksonville, when it comes to rodeo action. Jacksonville had none, and it's only in Las Vegas (20 miles northwest of us) for 10 days in December. Have already been told by a number of people that we should've moved to Carson City/Reno/Sparks area instead of here.

And, believe it or not, Jake, this is really the "short" part of a bigger story of our moving. And, of course, we are most definitely hoping this move to northwest Nevada, aka Carson City/Reno/Sparks will be our last. We know they have a winter there, but nothing like we had in Colorado.

 

Sounds like y'all figuring it out to me. I had just noticed there was a lot of moving and thought to ask. Jax is not what it used to be back when you or I were there, now, crime. Charleston is close to where I was born. From S.C., I moved a few states, but unlike Marie, I don't like moving at all, and she has lived here longer than she has anywhere in her life, thanks to me.

 

Jake, when we live there, just north of The Avenues Mall, there was quite a bit of crime on the Northside. Some of that crime was already down on the Southside when we moved there and more was there when we left. Heck, there was even crime hitting the Town Center when we moved. We were told, when we first moved to Jacksonville, "where Jacksonville is located, hurricanes don't really hit." Well, Hurricane Erma went right over our apartment complex. Uprooted a lot of trees and blew a transformer that left us without power for a couple of days. For the 5 1/2 years we lived in Colorado, we never once had a power outage due to a snow storm or blizzard.

My wife had always wanted to either live in Vegas or close to it. Now that we do, she doesn't like it and neither do I. We just thank the Good Lord that we haven't completely "settled in" to the apartment we got here. We have taken down any pictures we put up and are packing some clothes up in Wardrobe boxes.

Anyway, back to the thread about boats and fishing!