It was with a touch of sadness that I watched my first real bass boat pull out of my driveway for the last time earlier today - with someone else towing it. 
I think my son put it well in the wisdom only a 6 year old can impart: "I have a lot of memories on that boat." The Tracker is where he caught his first fish (a yellow perch) and his first bass (done solo while mom and dad were busy discussing something a whole lot less important than him!). We also toured a LOT of Lake Anna as newbies - both the cold side and the hot side (thanks to Bill in VA's generosity!). We swam off it, fished off it, had BOTH dogs on it and generally had more fun with it than we ever could have imagined.
The boat ran flawlessly from day one. It never had any real problems - only adjustments that were quickly worked out the first few months. It worked liked it was supposed to year after year and never required more than routine maintenance. After leaving the dealer from the prep floor where I first found it, it never had to go back. It also taught me about boats and let me practice all the great advice I got from this board without endangering me or the family - ever. I learned about trimming a boat engine, balancing throttle and tilt, weight distribution, batteries, solo launching and power loading. It gladly transported me, the family, friends and colleagues. It let me learn to be a better fisherman with all the time walking its decks and running from spot to spot (at a stately 25 mph!). It delivered what it promised and more. For all those doubting Thomases that think Tracker's are junk (obviously, nobody on THIS list!) - you couldn't be more wrong. I will miss the old boat (as will the family). As I watched it go for the last time, I could only think that it ain't true - one of the two happiest days of a boat owner's life is NOT the day he he sells it. The day was not a happy one, but it was right. The G3 will create its own memories, but none like my first!
Fortunately, this is not an obituary. The boat will live on for Rob - a young fisherman from Maryland (Silver Spring) who was as happy to buy it as I was when I first picked it up from the dealer. He will be fishing tournaments (amateur) on the Potomac, Lake Anna and Deep Creek - so if you all see a PT175 with 40hp and bimini top, be sure to say hey to Rob, and try not to run him over!
I think my son put it well in the wisdom only a 6 year old can impart: "I have a lot of memories on that boat." The Tracker is where he caught his first fish (a yellow perch) and his first bass (done solo while mom and dad were busy discussing something a whole lot less important than him!). We also toured a LOT of Lake Anna as newbies - both the cold side and the hot side (thanks to Bill in VA's generosity!). We swam off it, fished off it, had BOTH dogs on it and generally had more fun with it than we ever could have imagined.
The boat ran flawlessly from day one. It never had any real problems - only adjustments that were quickly worked out the first few months. It worked liked it was supposed to year after year and never required more than routine maintenance. After leaving the dealer from the prep floor where I first found it, it never had to go back. It also taught me about boats and let me practice all the great advice I got from this board without endangering me or the family - ever. I learned about trimming a boat engine, balancing throttle and tilt, weight distribution, batteries, solo launching and power loading. It gladly transported me, the family, friends and colleagues. It let me learn to be a better fisherman with all the time walking its decks and running from spot to spot (at a stately 25 mph!). It delivered what it promised and more. For all those doubting Thomases that think Tracker's are junk (obviously, nobody on THIS list!) - you couldn't be more wrong. I will miss the old boat (as will the family). As I watched it go for the last time, I could only think that it ain't true - one of the two happiest days of a boat owner's life is NOT the day he he sells it. The day was not a happy one, but it was right. The G3 will create its own memories, but none like my first!
Fortunately, this is not an obituary. The boat will live on for Rob - a young fisherman from Maryland (Silver Spring) who was as happy to buy it as I was when I first picked it up from the dealer. He will be fishing tournaments (amateur) on the Potomac, Lake Anna and Deep Creek - so if you all see a PT175 with 40hp and bimini top, be sure to say hey to Rob, and try not to run him over!
