40 years in canoe, new to forum

[floating doc]

Hello all, I'm in east central FL (western volusia county). I have a 16 foot fiberglass canoe that I bought new in ~1973. I've caught a lot of fish from it, but haven't had it out much in recent years. I have owned at least a half dozen boats since then, but now I'm down to just the canoe.

My canoe is a Grundquist 16 (I can't imagine anyone has heard of it), made by Buddy Bond who was a boatbuilder here in Daytona. He was better known as the builder of a small sailing cat called a Matrix 5.5. This is me with my son on a local lake. It's his first time out in the canoe (a payoff for good work at school).



I'm going to start a build thread next. Check it out.

[scuba steve]

Hey floating doc!!! WELCOME!!! I just joined this site myself and I myself am a canoe man myself! I've got a 17.5 ft green ABS plastic hull Coleman canoe. It is a beast!! I've had this boat for more than 18 years now and would trade it for the world. I would someday like to get a kayak but I'm just fine with my canoe. Take care floating doc and hope to see you out on the water sometime.

Scuba Steve

[floating doc]

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply. You've got one of my favorite canoes.

I grew up on the Sunset Beach area of Treasure Island, then moved back to Pinellas County to go to college during the 80's. I know the area well.

I also lived in Sarasota and Manatee counties from 97-06, so I know the west coast a bit. Have fun!

[scuba steve]

I'll tell ya, back in the late 80's when my grandmother bought the canoe, she paid $236 for it. Now in today's market they Coleman or anyone else for that matter doesn't even make a canoe that size anymore and the 16 ft ABS canoe they have now are running at like $1,600 to over $1,800!!! Last year I had thought seriously about buying the same exact kind og canoe but those thoughts were quickly dashed when I started looking at sticker prices. Yes, Sunset beach is one of my favorite snooky spot in the summertime. Especially blind pass there. You take there doc and let me know if your ever in the St. Pete area and we'll go fishing.

[floating doc]

Thanks for the offer. I haven't fished there in many years. My grandfather built a little efficiency vacation rental place. It was called Pine Cove Apartments, until Hurricane Donna washed over the island in 1960 and the salt water killed all the Pine trees.

He changed the name to Five Flags Apartments, after the five nationalities that have governed FL since the Spanish arrived. As far as I know, it's still there. He sold it during the early 80's.

[poppawheelie]

welcome to both floating doc and scuba steve. At least we are few but still many with canoes! I thought I was the only one in a 17 foot canoe but
i'm seeing more on the forum. maybe when i veture to the east side I'll look you up.. scuba steve if you head into bullfrog area in hillsborough give me a pm. and welcome again.. Ben (poppawheelie)

[scuba steve]

Thanks poppawheelie!

[floating doc]

Thanks, glad to be here!