Log 01/ Cumberland River · Clarksville, Tennessee
The purchase story
Every messy step of shopping aluminum boats and finally landing on a Raider Coastal 230, told the way it happened.
Photo: Hull in the build jig · Jul 20, 2026
Mile 01
Before the buy
Wanting the water every day
I've wanted a boat for about 30 years, and after I sank a Sea-Doo on the Red River I wanted one that could take river chop and still feel like home on the Cumberland. So I shopped hard and asked a lot of dumb questions and tried not to fall for the first shiny listing I saw.
Mile 02
January 2026
Weldcraft enters the chat
It started with a Weldcraft 210 Revolution build request, and Reed Yacht Sales followed up fast. That one was a real option with workboat bones and a serious fishing layout, and it made me get specific about what I actually wanted.
Mile 03
Late January
Raider shows up, and so does everything else
Around the same few days Pop Yachts was sending me used Raider 210 Explorers, Tobler Marina had a Duckworth in the mix, and Kylo Matlock at Selkirk sent over a Raider 21D / Delta build sheet, plus the insurance intros started, so the shortlist got kinda loud.
Frames and stringers clamped and tacked · Jul 20, 2026 Mile 04
February
Delta options, then Coastal 230
Lots of back and forth with Selkirk and a $1k show deposit to hold a slot, and then I sized up to the Coastal 230 with pretty much the same options I'd picked for the Delta, the Honda 350 and Kraken and second station and Shockwave seats and AquaTraction. The final build sheet came together in late February.
Mile 05
March → June
Deposits, Doreen, Ride, shore power
The down payment went in in March and I traded AquaTraction samples back and forth, then put the name Doreen on the fishbox lid. Seakeeper Ride trim tabs went on the contract along with extra sea-trial time, and in June I added the full shore-power package so she can live in a slip. The Build page has every piece of gear.