January is boat show month; there is an amazing variety of vessels to see!

New year, new horizons

It’s now the 12th year beyond the turn of the century, and we know that technology did not crash when the calendar flipped from 1999 to 2000. In spite of some prognostications regarding climate change, we are experiencing some pretty cold weather earlier in the year than normal on the Gulf Coast, and although the times, “they are indeed a’changin,’” nothing dramatically terrible has happened recently—at least when this was written.

Have your own boat show!

January is boat show month on the western Gulf Coast, especially in Texas, but those who want to look at boats in a less crowded setting can do so just about any time at the large number of marinas along the coast. While some marina areas might be reserved for “boat owners, crew and guests only,” most marinas have “public” areas where at least some vessels can be viewed; usually a stop at the marina office to ask permission from management will result in access to the docks—especially if you express interest in the facilities and represent yourself (correctly, of course) as a boat owner or prospective owner. Many of the boats in any marina might actually be for sale, and a call to a broker is also a good way to get a tour. Even in winter there will be dedicated boat owners on their vessels who are usually more than happy to discuss their boats (or even boats other than their own) with visitors. Typically, these folks will probably provide a more honest opinion than a commissioned salesperson might. Personally, I have spent a lot of time talking to folks on the docks when my original intention for that day was to get serious boat work done, which afforded me some enjoyable conversations; I have made some new friends by doing so.

Home grown boats

The Gulf Coast does not have a strong boat-building tradition like Florida and the rest of the East Coast, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t local vessels worthy of study, attention and ownership. For sea-kindly lines and salty tradition, the Gulf shrimp boat is in a class by itself. From bay shrimpers designed to pull nets in shallow areas to the big offshore “slabs” which often spend weeks on the open Gulf, these commercial vessels are built on designs proven to handle the conditions of the Gulf. They run from a short, close-spaced chop much of the time to downright nasty weather with considerable winds. Every now and then, I come across a former commercial boat that’s been converted into a long-range yacht that does just fine. In recreational boats, more of those designed for inshore use come from Gulf craftsmen than from the big-water versions. Texas waters have contributed the shallow water “scooter,” which is a flat-bottomed barge with an open deck. Modern versions usually have the engines mounted on jack plates and incorporate a tunnel and/or prop pocket to allow the boat to come up on a plane and run in inches of water. The Lafitte skiff from Louisiana can be found mounted with butterfly nets or trawls as well as in a layout for recreational fishing, but will always have the graceful fantail originally designed for pulling nets out of the water without tangling them in the prop. Many net boats from the Gulf coast of Florida will have an outboard mounted in an engine well-forward of the transom, also to keep nets out of the prop. But this design will allow fishermen to work the stern better and does some good things to the boats’ handling as well. Louisiana also gave us the “mud boat,” with a non-traditional “outboard” running an air-cooled engine with an extremely long shaft that can be tilted so that it just barely touches the water—or mud—to propel the boat. These are used by commercial crabbers and duck hunters alike. Though they’re not yachts in the strictest sense, they are honest and sturdy vessels all.