I love my boat. Any good redneck loves his/her boat, of course, but I have a boat that is particularly good for the conditions I run in. I've been out in a variety of craft from v-hulls to jon boats, and I've never found anything better than my Gheenoe. I think it is THE best boat for exploring my area.

A Gheenoe is wider in the middle than a canoe, with foam-filled flotation pockets in the sides. It is nearly as easy to paddle one-manned as a canoe, but the really great thing about a Gheenoe is that, unlike a canoe, it will not tip over. (Ok, ok, I'm sure someone really trying could get it to tip, but I've had this boat in some rough water with airboats roaring by, and I'm telling you the darn thing bobs like a cork!)

As a matter of fact, we call the boat "Bob" (short for "Bob-era") just because of this feature.

My engine is a 6hp Johnson. It doesn't go fast, but it can go anywhere in the marsh where there is a foot of water.

The bottom of the boat is so broad and flat that 6 inches of water is enough to float her. If we want to leave the main channel I just kick up the engine and we paddle overtop the grass or muck to get to the next patch of water.

There is very little deep water in the headwaters where I am. There is a narrow channel of maybe 6-10 ft deep water meandering through marshlands and shallow lakes for miles and miles. It broadens and deepens in places, but most of the landscape is shallow water overgrown with hydrilla, clogged with submerged tree branches, and packed on top with lettuce plants and hyacinth.

My little boat has taken us quite a few places.

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