And who's gonna be the singer. 

YOU Big Boy!!

Ha!

I do a good rendition of....

In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight

Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh

I use chainsaws a lot, cutting anywhere from 5 to 7 cords of firewood a season.  I have a class B Sawyer's License and keep it current with refresher training every other year.  Here's some things to consider;

First, chainsaws are FAR from maintenance free.  They require a lot of maintenance. Within a couple hours, you will need to sharpen the chain.  Sooner if you let the chain touch dirt.  Dirt will dull a chain faster than anything out there.  This will require a good file of the correct size.  (Chainsaw chains come in many link sizes as well as tooth spacings.)  Chainsaws are 2-stroke engines that require a mix of oil and fuel at the right proportions.  The fuel needs to be fresh; less than 2 weeks old.  That means you are going to either toss a lot of mix, or run your saw a lot.  I will work in other small gas engines like a lawn mower, but don't put it in a car.  They have too many computers, cat converters, etc, that will be damaged with contaminated fuel like 2-stroke mix.  You'll need a separate gas can and never get it mixed up with the straight gas or you will destroy the chainsaw motor.   You will also need special bar lube and if it's a manual pump, remember to keep the bar lubed by pumping the lever.  There are several safety features on a chainsaw that you need to be proficient at understanding and using.  Most important is the brake.  Knowing how to stop a spinning chain while you are tripping over a hidden limb or when the chain kicks back and tries to take your face off is pretty important. It needs to be instinctual, muscle memory, or you'll not be quick enough.  Adjusting the chain tension, learning how to start with the choke, etc. are very important to safe use.   For example; never try to start a chainsaw while holding it in one hand and yanking on the cord with the other.  Always start it on the ground, a foot in the handle, the other hand on the top grip, the brake engaged, the choke on, the fuel bulb primed, the on/off switch on, compression release activated, then tug the rope pull handle.  Whew!! 

Safety equipment; the less experienced you are, the more likely you will engage the safety equipment you should be wearing.  Chainsaw chaps, a hardhat with a face guard and hearing protection, heavy gloves are the minimum and will cost about $130 for those items.  Same for anyone within reach that is helping you, pulling out the cut material.  (That's called 'swamping' by the way.  A swamper is the guy who clears the cut limbs from a felled tree.  A bucker bucks the tree trunk into logs, a feller drops the tree to the ground.) 

Well, in a nutshell, it's very dangerous and I would not recommend to anyone with limited experience to go out and buy a chainsaw and start whacking away on a tree.  Too many people are hurt and it's just not worth the risk in my opinion. 

I would recommend; for a job such as yours, use a hand saw.  There are many fine saws out there and many have a long bar to reach into that canopy you are whittling down.  Or, find a buddy who does know how to use the saw and has the equipment to do it right and safe.  Springing for some beers and a steak dinner is much cheaper and safer than going at it alone if you aren't experienced. 

I'm not trying to be a know-it-all or smack talk anyone.  I care about all you kayak guys and just don't want to see anyone get hurt.  Go into this with your eyes wide open. 


****EDIT****
Here's a good hand saw for a decent price.  I have one of these and it rips through a 10" branch almost as fast as a chainsaw;

http://www.amazon.com/Corona-Clipper-21-Inch-RS-7160/dp/B00221Q3GU/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1358276011&sr=1-2&keywords=tree+saw


Read the reviews on this saw and you'll see it is well received.

For anyone feeling left out, there's a nice little uke on sale at Costco;

http://www.costco.com/Kohala-K2-C-Koa-Concert-Ukulele-Bundle.product.11762941.html

I'll bring my uke but be warned; I have only played it rarely and will need LOTS of instruction.  Hey....  You can teach me!!  Ha! 

Only song I know is 'somewhere over the rainbow'  I was inspired by the Hawaiian version of that song.  My wife, however, was getting sick of it, so I put it down for a while....

I'll play it a few times before Crabfest though, and see if I can at least learn the cords to memory. 

My bet is you could get a used RV trailer for cheaper than you could convert a utility trailer.  What's you budget?

Quick check on craigslist;
$3600

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/3536055143.html

Pm sent for the waders!

Waders are gone.  Donated to HOW starting a chapter in Portland. 

I'LL TAKE THE Oregon Scientific ATC 3K Waterproof Video Recorder - $50

LET ME KNOW IF YOU STILL HAVE IT.

It's yours.  You wanna pick it up at Doran?

$29 includes shipping and tax at Amazon right now;

http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Bound-Kayak-Bilge-Pump-Color/dp/B006NJENKA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=ZO07J7YSGGZ7&coliid=I2628BBM2EMBGP