Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Ever happen to you?

On the way to the river today, with wife, three kids, bikes and drift boat, there was a police man at the crossroads waiting to bust someone blowing the stop sign. (they always blow it there).

I said to the kids "Act naturally, there's the PO-PO."

A mile later, Johnny law had his lights on and was signaling me to pull over. I figured it was a trailer light out, or I lost a life jacket-m I certainly wasn't speeding...I joked to the kids that they finally caught up with me and I'm gonna have to go away for a while. hehe.

He walks up and says "you're not in trouble sir, I just want to ask you about your boat."
Officer Gibbons was a nice enough guy, and turns out hes a river runner and fly fisherman too. He has some interest in a wood boat, so maybe we'll be talking.

We live in a small rural area, our township has a pole barn for a municipal building and 1.5 officers. Finally got to meet one. haha

Float went well, lots of smallies, and I ran the kids ragged- they were all asleep on the ride home, as we did our own shuttle- We did a 5 mile float, dropped off the boat, drove the truck down to the takeout and rode our bikes back up to the put-in. We have a river trail that parallels the river.

Have fun guys.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Fletcher on July 5, 2009 at 9:21pm

That's a great story, Dave. My fishing buddy, Ken, and I drove over to the Nestucca looking for some winter steelhead a couple of years ago. I was towing "Woody," my favorite little double-ender that Ray Heater built for me a few a few years ago (Ray's a historian with a deep appreciation of these boats and he offered to build one of my recoveries, and I chose the little 14' double-ender.The boat is a treasure because it's a replica of the original, and it was built by the hands of a master -- and it shows!). She's a real eye catcher, and she caught a deputy's eye, who felt compelled to pull me over for some pretense, but all we talked about was the boat, wood, Ray Heater, and the hsitory of these boats. Actually, I have been pulled over three times; once by a deputy, once by a state trooper, and once by some wood boat nut. Be prepared....Good Wood attracts...