Traditional boats are expensive…Mike calls them, *a hole in the water that you throw money into*. I love to go out on boats, but we’ve had to stick to going out on commercial scenic cruise boats. When we visit Portland to see the Sea Dogs play, we always try to take a boat trip, if the weather holds out. When we were there last week, the weather certainly did hold out, and we took a very nice little cruise on Casco Bay.
But how about getting your own boat? There is an affordable alternative to a traditional boat out there…inflatable boats. These aren’t cheapo *kiddie boat* things, these are sturdy, well-made boats, they even have motors. Only these motors use a LOT less fuel than that of a regular boat. With regular gas reaching nearly $4.00 a gallon, and diesel (which most boats run) going even higher, this is a very important thing to consider.
You also won’t need to use more expensive gas to haul this around, as it’s much lighter than a regular boat, and you probably won’t even need a trailer!
Also, with the high cost of gas, you may not want to wander too far for your summer vacation this year. But here in New England, there are plenty of places, not too far at all, where you can go boating with the family. Why spend the money to go all the way down to Disney World or somewhere like that, when you can take a nice boating vacation right here in New England? It’s really hot down there in Florida in the summer, anyway.
Fishing and boating are good for families with kids. Kids can spend time with their parents out on the boat, and a kid who spends time with his or her parents is MUCH less likely to get in trouble. Kids will not only learn to fish, but they’ll learn proper boating practices, both bery good skills to have.
Finally, even if you live in an apartment, you can still have a boat…if it’s an inflatable boat. I know that we don’t have room for a regular boat…but we DO have room for an uninflated inflatable boat, in our storage area.
So maybe, just maybe, I can have my very own boat after all!
Christine...seen here with spousal unit, Mike, and two very cool pieces of hardware! 
