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Benchrest vs boat.

Oh I wish I never sold my sled boat and got into shooting.
I love my North River 17 1/2' skiff, I couldn't imagine of getting rid of it.
Been boating since the early 80's .Pleasure boats speed boats and fishing boats . I moved down on the Chesapeake Bay 5-6 years ago and my wife purchased a 26' deadrise. Willard Norris last 26' he had been building boats since a teenager and was in his 80's at this time. No plans , all in his head he was the last of the old boat builder of his time. This one'View attachment 1681249s my first all wooden boat and it will probably be my last. A lot of maintenance.View attachment 1681254
Beautiful boat, your wife has great taste! LOL to own a Norris especially a newly built Norris would be a joy.
 
I love my North River 17 1/2' skiff, I couldn't imagine of getting rid of it.

Beautiful boat, your wife has great taste! LOL to own a Norris especially a newly built Norris would be a joy.
Let me know next time you get out, it's been a long time since I've been past the gate. I'd like to take a ride, maybe hook into some albacore or striper.
 
Meh gotta get what makes you happy.
I can carry any of y'all and catch 20-59 lb flathead catfish and striped bass. Tomorrow

A pile just as many as most super expensive charters.........on big water

I've been on a many deep sea fishing trips on Hatteras boats in the millions with dual cat diesel engines and the wave leveling jets idk what it's called except expensive....wish I had stayed home id caught more fish in my little boat with zero traveling and gas.low stress easy

How many y'all can go out in a Hatteras completely rebuilt with dual cat turbo diesel engines....bought in Costa Rica and driven to Gulf of America then completely redone.lol


I can catch more fish in fresh water with my 18' bass boat . seriously
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It's all great but I can out fish most times these super expensive rigs.if I want to


A center console bay boat would be great but a big boat is a huge waste of money and time

Srbr rifle meh any of us on here can build one and compete tomorrow .that's the easy button for competition
 
We dont have benchrest where I live. So I bought a projet 470. Hung a tohatsu 60/40 tiller handle jet on it. Its pretty fun on the rivers around here. Hopefully it takes me into caribou and moose this fall.
 
I do miss it
17' Alumaweld formula V 115 horse jet.
We're heading to Gold Beach Thursday evening for a Lil fishing with my buddies 18' Hughes CraftView attachment 1681296
Nice. I got rid of one with the windshield and bought an open model with tiller driven, it just suited my use better and also does double duty for duck season. Then there is my other boat.
 

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I get weird looks from my friends (hunters) when I dump a few grand into a scope. But let one of them spend $100K on a boat they all smile.
I own a 20-year-old Sea Ark with a 90 Suzuki that I bought brand new with cash. It still runs like a champ. I duck hunt out of it, fish, haul lumber and materials for blinds, fill it with crab pots, whatever. It's aluminum, tough as nails, and I don't have to worry about scratches and dings.

I shoot mostly Savage rifles with after-market parts on my backyard 900-yard range. Everything is paid for, and I do what I want. Life is good.

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I learned to build boats, skiffs, from a master boat builder and built 3. Used for lobster fishing and diving. It was rewarding building them, all out of glassed plywood and apitong hardwood for the frame. Used them all then sold them. I would not buy a boat unless you plan to use it a lot. If you have the time, build one. the smallest one was 16' with a 50hp mercury and the biggest was a 20' with a 115hp mercury. All for rowing out through the surf. Launching from the beech. Back when we could do such things.
I know what you mean! I grew up on a river near the Outer Banks, which has been ruined by over development and regulations. Looking back I had as much fun in a 14ft skiff with a 10hp as with anything else; it's a state of mind.
 
Spend BIG $$$$$ on a boat? Get a look at some of the RESTORED wood boats around the Canadian side of the Great Lakes!! :cool: :cool:And you never seen any of them going faster than maybe 10/15 knots? No fishing or water skiing either. :confused:
 
My dad had a saying regarding money, "it's only green paper" but if you don't have it, life can get pretty challenging. So, living within your means creates a more harmonious life. But it's more than that.

What I learned in close to 8 decades on this planet is that material possessions such as firearms, boats, cars, and beach houses, etc. are not the true secret to happiness in life, it's the people you love and the rewarding experiences (events) that fulfill one's life.

If the purchase of a material item can contribute to that, then this it is money well spent. What I remember the most about competitive shooting and hunting was not the firearms I used, but the relationships I formed and the experiences surrounding those matches and hunts.

While I never owned a boat or beach house, I spent many summers at the Jersey shore with my beloved wife and those were great times because I was with her. In my youth, my dad would rent a boat, and we would fish various lakes in Ohio and PA. Those were some of the best experiences of my life. The boat was only a means to an end.

I guess what I am trying to say is I've known a few wealthy people in my time who had all the "toys" money could buy however they seemed to be the most unhappy people I ever met because their entire focus was on materialism.
 

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