Might be a short paddling season

[Andy is OptiMystic]

Went in for a cortisone injection this morning. Same shoulder was injected last Summer. Doc had the shot on the tray and was just finding the spot on ultrasound when he noticed the tear is bigger. No shot for you! MRI and surgery.

I won't know for sure until he sees MRI, but the recovery will be somewhere between 1 and 6 months before I would be able to paddle. One of my paddling buddies responded to my pity party email to remind me he bought a 19' center console over the winter. Might also be bugging Jeffrey sooner than I thought since some other plans may get scuttled.

[Andy is OptiMystic]

A little more trivia...

Gheenoe licensed some boat makers to make Gheenoes and Riverhawk was one. They had some quality issues in the early years and Gheenoe cancelled the license. Riverhawk made some minor design changes and quit labeling them as Gheenoes. They are little companies without much lawyer money and Gheenoe didn't go after them; just figured the quality issues would doom them anyway. They were right, but someone stepped in, bought Riverhawk, improved the quality and survived.

[Slip Sinker]

I eventually want both boats… Im leaning towards Gheenoe 13 first on my hit list… I already have a motor lined up for it. I use my boats a little differently I guess… I depend on public access and don’t portage… I hit many shallow spots that I cannot get with my jon boats all within a couple miles or closer to the accesses… its just absolutely fun for me. First bass I caught with a kayak was literally in the bushes… an experience I will never forget. I take that same kayak and then will go open water vertical jigging. To me the Nucanoe is completely different style of fishing… still a sneak shallow water predator but you sit in like a boat… a different feeling. I have specific plans to do a lot of shallow water night fishing with this future rig.

My wife and i eventually wants to add a pontoon boat to the convoy so we can all fish together.

Without the trailer i would be lifting and loading

[Slip Sinker]

Gheenoe is a southern boat... very tough to find up north here.... i keep looking though

[Andy is OptiMystic]

There is a 15 not far from me right now:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/4890459060.html

[Andy is OptiMystic]

the shallow water is where the Gheenoe/RiverHawk design has a slight advantage. they will draft about 1" less than the NuCanoe. Either way, you are probably looking at less than 6" draft even with a pretty heavy load so this in not significant IMO. The lower sides of the NuCanoe are a slight advantage in wind I guess. 

[Andy is OptiMystic]

BTW, "because I like NuCanoe and I look better sitting in one" is a valid reason to prefer it. They are sexier than Gheenoes.

[Andy is OptiMystic]

Kind of a dark horse additional choice are the tunnel hull square sterns from Indian River Canoe. 12' Otter and 14' Outdoorsman. They are just either side of $500 new because all they are is fiberglass hulls with slat seats and a little foam flotation. So way at the low end, but very light and the hull is very similar  Also a Southern thing and not a lot of dealers. 

[Slip Sinker]

this little gheenoe is saying "look what i can do without a paddle!"

[Andy is OptiMystic]

If you do happen to look at Indian River, note that the rest of the line is "regular old tippy canoes" and even though they make a few other square stern models only those two are anything like a small stable skiff.