Lapstrake Canoe lost on I-85 Georgia

[Mick Herron]

Last night (November 26) My recently completed 13.5 foot Lapstrake canoe came off our trailer on I-85 southbound in the area between the GA/SC border and milepost 155.

The canoe is a 13.5 foot McGregor with a white hull and bright interior. The breast hooks have a dark rosewood strip on the centerline.

A passing motorest flagged us down around 20 miles from where the canoe landed. The canoe survived intact. We could not locate the canoe in the dark and by daylight it was gone.

Any assistance in locating my boat would be greatly appreciated. Those of you who have taken the plunge know how personal a boat is when you have built it

Heart Broken in Atlanta
Mick Herron

[John Bell]

Have you called the State Patrol? A patrolman could have dispatched the GDOT to pick it up as a road hazard.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

This is the stuff nightmares are made of :eek:

Good luck, I sincerely hope you recover it.

[ssor]

Oh man that's the worst kind of news. :(

[Tom M.]

I feel for ya man.

One of my greatest fears is losing my own Mac going down the freeway. Please do call the highway patrol. If nothing comes up, put an ad in the lost and found in the paper.

Best of luck.

[StevenBauer]

I felt bad when I lost a hatchcover. :( Good luck with your search.

Steven

[skuthorp]

Mick, as a Macgreggor owner I sympathise greatly. I hope she comes back to you soon.
Jeff

[cedar savage]

Ouch. This hurts worse than my finger. Sure hope you find it.

Is there anybody out there better at ebay than I am (almost anybody else) able to keep an eye out?

[Mick Herron]

Thank you for all your support.

I did contact the Georgia State Patrol, while they were sympathtic they didn't see anything. I have also posted descriptions in the Yahoo sailing canoe group and I intend to persue the local paddling groups.

If anyone in the group is more e-bay savey than I can you tell me how to post a watch there. I can't stand the thoughts of it collecting leaves and rainwater in someones back yard.

Please keep an eye out, the canoe will likely touch water somewhere.
Thanks,
Mick

[Graham Knight]

Set up an eBay "favourite search", use a simple keyword like "canoe" and you'll automatically be sent every new canoe listing daily for up to 6 months. There may be hundreds but your boat may be one of them!

Good luck.

[ 11-28-2005, 09:02 AM: Message edited by: Graham Knight ]

[Thorne]

Mick -

Can you post some photos on the web, either on your or a friend's website, or on imagestation or www.picturetrail.com? (http://www.picturetrail.com?)

That would allow your emails on the subject to reference actual photos and an *exact description* - allowing a more definitive ID of the boat if it ever appears on eBay, Craigslist, etc.

[ 11-28-2005, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: Thorne ]

[uncas]

It's hard to imagine that someone else would be so crass as to basically steal someone's canoe that way.
It was obviously a well taken care of canoe and the A******ole would have had to figure out that owner would want it back.
Good luck...I really hope you find it...This is a real bummer...

[Paul Scheuer]

Two questions - and please don't read anything into this.

How was the boat tied on?

Did/does it have registration numbers on it ?

I'd suggest contacting service stations along the route. Maybe during the same work shift. Someone might remember seeing something or perhaps there are surveilance photos.

[Mick Herron]

Thanks again, for support and suggestions!

to my shame, I was the one who tied it.

I had both a kayak and canoe on a flat utility trailer. The kayak (Yar design) was porpoising on trip north.

I usually lash the canoe bow and stern to the trailer cross supports, with two crossing lines between across the hull.

I made the mistake of running the line holding the canoe around the trail end of the kayak to steady it. I hadn't taken the line to the cross member first.

She just slipped out the back into the night.

[Gary E]

That's a shame...


She just slipped out the back into the night. If an 18 wheeler was folowing you it's most likely splinters...

[Mick Herron]

I have posted several pictures of the canoe. They can be viewed at
http://www.picturetrail.com/mickherron

[Graham Knight]

Lovely looking boat too, I'm thinking of making one of these myself. Really hope you manage to find it, at least it's readily identifiable, not some anonymous mass produced plastic crap.

[Steve Lansdowne]

I once lost a mast on the highway and went back but couldn't find it. I put an ad in the local small town paper and eventually the guy who had picked it up and sold it to another guy contacted me and I got it back. Whoever picked up your canoe might be a good samaritan trying to find you. Good luck!

[Old Bingey]

That's pitiful. I wish I could quit looking at this every time somebody offers condolences just because I hope for some good news.

[L.W. Baxter]

Yeah, that the pits. I had a strip canoe crushed by a falling tree branch about 4 months after launching. It's hanging from the rafters in my shop, as a reminder of the temporary nature of things.

Oh, sorry Old Bingey, I haven't seen it either.

[John Bell]

Seems to me that you need some publicity. How about contacting the papers, TV, and radio stations to see if you can find a reporter/producer somewhere who'll pick up on the human interest aspect this story and print/air the details. It would make it easier to find.

www.ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com)
www.wsbradio.com (http://www.wsbradio.com)

[joejapan]

.
Mick, I'm really sorry to hear about your canoe and I sure hope you get lucky and get it back.

BUT, it reminds me of something that happend to my brother and myself....... smile.gif

I loved my old cypress skiff but it just got too heavy to load anymore 'cause my brother put an iron rack on his truck and the skiff had to be loaded up on top. So, I got myself one of those super lightweight silver aluminum john boats at K-Mart. Really easy to put up on top. :cool:

We finished fishing one afternoon and loaded the boat, face down, up on top and my brother tied the line to the front of the rack. Well, we got to going about 60 on I-10 and came upon a couple of 18 wheelers so my brother pulled over and speeded up to about 70 to pass 'em. I guess the knot slipped 'cause we heard a horn honk and looked out and saw the boat floating along above us, just to the side of the truck.

I yelled " Don't slow down...!" :eek:

Too late ! :rolleyes:

The john boat dipped a bit, then floated out a bit and then took a nose dive. It began to beat hell out of the side of the pickup and my brother started pulling over to stop. Well, the knot gave about that time, the boat shot up skyward,fell down toward earth, skipped a time or two and then that big ol' 18 wheeler got it square between the two big tires.

The boat was "squashed" like a stomped on beer can and the side of the truck looked like used tinfoil !

Interstate highways are tough on boats ! :D

[Mick Herron]

OK spring is here.

I am seeking any information that would help me recover the McGregor lapstrake canoe that I lost on I85 North of Atlanta GA.

This canoe is white lapstrake with bright finished interior. There are dark rosewood center strips in each mahogany breasthook.

Thanks

You can reach me via mickherron@yahoo.com

[Bill Perkins]

I'm a member in good standing in the Georgia Canoing Assoc. We're mostly about whitewater canoing in synthetic boats ,but there are flat water trips scheduled too . If you explain your problem I think they would let you post a notice in our monthly news letter . We've got allot of eyes on the locally paddled water .

www.georgiacanoe.org

There is also an Atlanta Wooden Boat Association . A damaged boat might well come to the attention of one of those people .

[John Bell]

I'm a member in good standing in the Georgia Canoing Assoc. We're mostly about whitewater canoing in synthetic boats ,but there are flat water trips scheduled too . If you explain your problem I think they would let you post a notice in our monthly news letter . We've got allot of eyes on the locally paddled water .

www.georgiacanoe.org

There is also an Atlanta Wooden Boat Association . A damaged boat might well come to the attention of one of those people .

Small world. A long time ago circa 1990-1991 I was the kayak training director for the GCA.

[Bill Perkins]

John ; from your previous home page ,I guess, I was aware you'd run part of Tallula Gorge . You've got the Gronicles! I'm an open boater , and have enjoyed the lovely Upper Tallula .I do have a sea kayak ,which I'm trying to learn to roll . Maybe get with the GCA roll practice .