I’ve been using my new ultralite Hornbeck canoe a fair bit since picking it up last month in the Adirondacks on my way back to Connecticut from Texas. Read about the shopping trip here. It’s light, paddles fast and, as I had known it would, scratches far easier than aluminum. I am still getting the hang of getting into and out of it efficiently (it’s a matter of how old folks’ legs work).
The whole point of getting a new canoe was to get something I can carry around.
At 15 feet long, 24 inches at widest point, and weighing 24 pounds, it is a huge change from the Grumman at 17 feet long, 36 inches wide and 75 pounds. I miss the luxury of the super-stable, SUV-like Grumman, but I don’t miss pushing it around with a paddle. And I certainly don’t miss moving it around on land either! Keeping it for sailing, trash pick-up trips and when I have a passenger, of course.
So I now am a two-canoe family.
The Urge to be Someplace Else 
Congratulations, Ron. I’m this very minute watching my new Robot clean my condo.
Absolutely amazing. Should have invited my friends over for a cocktail & entertainment.
Happy 4th.
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Show off!
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Congratulations, big brother! It’s just awesome! Can’t wait to see it up close.
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Congratulations on the new canoe, Ron! (I hope you already got over suffering the first scratch on it by now.) I am off to Big Sur for a few days with my girlfriend Roseanne. We are meeting David Grayson, and wife Linda, from Half Moon Bay, a 1970s northern California bandmate of mine and avid 67-year-old surfer, who knows all the best breaks in that area. I am bringing my newly acquired fast Sigma 600mm lens (and monopod/tripod) to shoot David surfing, but primarily to (hopefully) shoot Calfornia condors, which was why I bought the lens two months ago. We may only have a 33% chance of even seeing any condors on any one particular trip. My friend David has surfed Big Sur area a couple times/year for many years, and has never seen one (nor was he looking). We shall see. David and I are both bringing acoustic guitars to see if we can resurrect some of our old band material. Should be fun. Have happy/safe holiday. Best, Franklin
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