So, I bought a boat...

It all started in June when I came upon an ad on Kijiji.  I was surfing through the boats for sale section, when I came found it.

Now, I've never owned a boat before, but I've always loved boats.  I don't like swimming.  I love boats.  I hate getting wet.  I love boats.  I hate money pits.  I WANTED a damn boat.
Anyway, there she was.  A 23 foot Sangstercraft.  Never heard of the company?  Me, neither.  There was something about her.  She's 23 feet long with an 8 foot beam and from what I could research through the net, the company originally built boats on the west coast of Canada in Vancouver. 

Part of the reason that I've started this blog?  I need to know more about this company.  Who they are, how they started, who founded them and what happened?

Any photos that I've found of Sangsters all show the boats to be in either really bad shape cosmetically, or on a trailer and pretty beat up------and you'll hardly ever find a pic of a cabin cruiser on the water.  My boat is the Chinook model that (I think) was first built in 1977.  As I spend more time doing research, I'm sure I'll find out for certain.  Nevertheles, this company seems to have just disappeared from the Canadian landscape---without a trace. The Google Oracle hasn't even been able to help.. 

I hope this might bring some people out who may have worked at the company or know something about these really cool boats.  Anybody?  Bueller?

So, as my story goes, I found this boat listed for eight grand on Kijiji.  Then I see it come down to six grand.  Then I see it come down to forty-eight hundred bucks and I send the guy an email.  He was real polite and so was I, but I knew full well that I would never buy a boat for that much money.  It just didn't make sense.

Over the course of a summer, we conversed regularly and built a friendship.  Then in September I got a call.  "She needs to go," he said.  "You can have it for $1800.00 bucks." 

It took me about a minute...

I drove up that Saturday and the picures matched the product.  She was running, sitting high in the water and she proved herself on the water test.  She wasn't fast, but she ran smooth.  Perfect for my first boat.

She sleeps four, has a stand up head, kitchen, fridge, swim platform and a hard top with a canvas top for the rear salon.  She screamed my name and the deal was done.

In the coming months, I hope to share my tales of embarking on all that one must do in Ontario, to travel the great waterways that the province has to offer.  I too, hope that, I'll be able to converse with others who know ANYTHING about Sangstercraft Boats or can share a story or two. 

In the meantime, here are some pictures and I'll be back when I can.  The boat show is coming up in Toronto in the next few weeks and I'll be looking to outfit the boat with a chart plotter and a GPS.  I'm on a budget, so tell me, if you can, what the best options are, and what to look out for.  Maybe someone knows where I can buy some second hand stuff from a reputable retailer in Ontario.

Until next time...  Cheers!