Charley Girl was launched in the summer of 2004 and over the past winter I re-did the rudder to make it retractable because of the shallow water in our little part of Lake Superior's Amethyst Harbour. I used two stainless steel plates and stainless bolts. The boat is named after my dear wife of almost 30 years. That's her in one of the photos at the dockside christening when we sipped champagne and gently poured some of the bubbly over the boat's deck and offered at glass to Lake Superior for safe sailing.

Off and on, it took two winters in the garage to complete. I move it in and out with a launching dolly, on which I also store it for winters. (Our bay is generally ice-covered from late November through to early May. Maybe I need to build an ice boat!) This was my second boat. My first was a mahogany kayak that I paddle almost daily and last winter I restored a neighbour's 1965 cedar strip dinghy. The next project is Glen-L's Stripper canoe, built to order for a client.Glen-L has been great to work with and the plans have been clear and the occasional telephone advice friendly and prompt.

All the best,
John Ayearst
Amethyst Harbour, ON Canada (On the northern shore of Lake Superior, just northeast of Thunder Bay, about 375 miles north of Minneapolis.)