The Mighty Vessel

Chris and I are proud owners of a pontoon boat. Let me tell you, it was in decent shape when we first laid eyes on it, but it definitely needed some TLC. The first order of business was getting that boat registered, which we took care of at the local DMV. Then came the real challenge - tackling all the repairs and updates.

I quickly realized that this project was no walk in the park. The boat had been out of commission for quite some time, so we knew the Mercury Bigfoot Outboard motor needed some serious attention. We replaced spark plugs, changed the oil, and even ran a few cans of Seafoam through it. And let me tell you, the wiring situation was a whole other beast. We ended up replacing every single wire on the boat, along with all the switches in the console. We upgraded the radio and speakers, got new batteries, and added lights galore - whip lights, headlights, reverse lights, deck lighting, you name it.

Oh, and let's not forget about the trailer. Rewiring that thing was a whole different kind of headache. We even threw in some chicken lights along the sides to ensure we'd be seen while driving at night. And since we had everything torn apart already, we decided to replace the running and brake lights too.

Despite all the blood, sweat, and tears we poured into this project, there's still more work to be done.

Now, it was time to gather all the necessary equipment for our boat in Oklahoma. This included personal flotation devices, a throwable flotation device, navigation lights (which we already took care of), and a fire extinguisher. And that's just the beginning of the list!

Who knew that owning a boat could be so costly? It's starting to feel like maintaining a boat is even more expensive than owning a car!

We're still fine-tuning the motor, but hey, we're officially seaworthy! This is a huge win for me because trekking down to the lake's edge is a no-go. Thanks to my medical woes, long walks are out of the question. So, lounging on a boat is my go-to for fishing fun, especially since handicap-accessible lakes are few and far between in my neck of the woods.