Subject: one of your boats
Date: Thu, 13 May 1999
From: Shelby Dean Aaron

To Mr. Glen L. Witt,
I purchased your 22 ft. Hunky Dory plans for aluminum in 1991 to build a rugged, simple, dependable boat. I now have a computer to see your site... the world turns, does it not. Anyway, I believe I have a humdinger of a testimony about how idiot-proof your designs are. I built the craft with the intention of making a sensible fishing boat. I welded it up with a 3/16" hull and center console. But along the way, somehow I ended up with a 150hp Mercury V-6 on it. After I realized what I had done, I said, well lets see if I can tear up this man's design. I'm here to tell you that your craft are immune to crazy people. I have made by accident, this 22 ft boat fly like a bird; to say it is extremely fast is putting it mildly. We have even driven it (accidently) upon parked black barges at night, that just appeared. That was not me, but a buddy who did not have the halogen lights on... go figure. I know a man of sound judgement like yourself, and your fellow professional designers would not do this, but we have not had the first leak on the hull. ...The pictures I took in '91, before the initial launch.

P.S. The boat was just sitting idle in the driveway one day, when a tug captain who had hurt his back and was disabled, wanted to know what I was going to do with the boat. I asked why and he said he could haul groceries to the area tugs and support his family. So I sold it to him 6 years ago, with the 150 on it. It is working 7 days a week on around the clock call, still to this date. By the way, it was the tugboat captain who was trying the boat out upon purchase, with me in it; after I said not to turn this boat at wide open throttle, did so. Ha, you ought to see how a 70 mph boat stops in less than 1/2 boat length after it comes down from being airborne. I doubt Boston Whalers could stand up to this punishment.
I just thought you would enjoy my note about one of your vessels. It is all verbatum and true, as I have said.
Shelby Aaron

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