5 September 2004

This project turned out great - have been using it on Lake Michigan, between Milwaukee and Chicago. It is very satisfying to see how thin, floppy pieces of plywood can turn into a strong vessel. The following minor changes were added during construction:

• a. Added drain tube through the base of the middle seat
• b. Added stiffener to rear seat to spread stress and vibration expected from larger outboard motor (4 hp evenrude)
• c. Substituted a larger gun'l, which was made of laminated strips of mahogany plywood. Shape was rounded to 2" diameter. Corner braces were eliminated since the laminates were dovetailed at corners.
• d. Added four cleats on seat bulkheads, fore and aft. Cleats were through bolted and seat bulkheads were doubled near cleats to allow for hoisting stress.
• e. Deleted dagerboard and trunk, but installed the mast step in case I want to make into a sail boat later.

The hull material is Luan mahogany underlayment, and fir (local lumber yard - used for residential stair treads) for keel and misc blocking. West epoxy and additives were used. Metal fasteners were minimized. Glass cloth inside and out. The boat is slightly heavier than specified in design due to changes made. It still floats at the design water line.

This boat attracts attention and smiles everywhere I go. The design is great - the construction went very well - and this boat handles well for its size. Thanks for a great design!

Ray Boller