Test Drive

We went down for a test drive of the boat we've had our eye on this morning. The boat dealer is conveniently located in front of a Marina! It's part & parcel of their business, The Viage Group in Sarasota, FL. They deal only Scout Boats, Beneteau and Chris Craft, wow! We are impressed. Our test ride with one of the owners Barry, was fantastic. 

The Scout Boat we took out is not large. It's just 17-1/2 feet, but it's bigger and more substantial than the skiff we own. It has a center console, more seating & more comfortable. Our skiff is under 16 feet and has a 15 hp motor, while the Scout 175 has a 90 hp motor and can go 40 mph. The skiff is also a flat bottom, small boat which is not as good in any small waves we might encounter on the rivers (tidal rivers - flow to Gulf of mexico/Tampa bay).

It has been pretty stormy here locally, so we were lucky that there was no rain or thunderstorms this morning. The water was a bit choppy, which is not my favorite ride . . . I like nice smooth water! But it was actually good that the conditions were like they were because it was a great test run, for me especially. To see how I could stand it! (I could). I felt much more secure in this more substantial boat in comparison to when I have been in small waves or boat wake while in our skiff. The Scout is also a very dry boat. Even in the waves we encountered, there was no splashing in the boat! 

Our decision??

Can you guess??

Does Steve collect boats?? :o) 
Does he like to fish?? 

Well . . .  we bought the boat! It will arrive on Friday! The skiff we have will probably not get used anymore. It will either get sold or we might import it into Canada to use when we visit the family property on Wolfe Island. Our boat Chelsea is a different story . . . while she has already been removed from the lift to make room for the Scout, we will still go out in her (top speed is 5 mph!). Right now she is on a trailer in Steven's back yard shop area till we figure out how to juggle all these boats. 

But we are happy, quite happy and Steve is wondering why we didn't have a boat like the Scout before? He will tell you that it's, "all Lenna's fault" and that he said, "There's no way we are buying a new boat" -when I mentioned how much I liked the looks of this boat at the boat show. Well, it's not new, it's used! (2015). We will enjoy. A few photos of the test ride in the "extras". I will be back to visit your journals soon, sorry for the delay!!