With clear skies and a steady breeze, I decided to seize an opportunity and take the boat for a test ride. There is much to say about this momentous event, but I decided to first post a short video, which captures the excitement, confusion, and sheer silliness of our inaugural four-hour sail.
If you are impatient for news, it’s enough to say that the boat floated, sailed, and was all I hoped it would be. Take a quick look at this video while I work on my written report.
Advertisement
And they (I) said it couldn’t (wouldn’t) be done. I lift a warm truck-bed Budweiser and half-eaten bag of Cheetos to you, Sir. Well done.
Hey, great to hear from you! I thought you gave up on me a year or so ago. Don’t you owe me a case of cheap beer or something?
Actually, I only offered the suggestion that you drink a case of Belgian beer while burning your miserable half-built boat. Obviously you failed to heed my wise counsel, and look at you now. You have only yourself to blame.
Touche!
Congratulations Paul! That film tells it all. You did a real fine job building that boat, and I know you are going to have a ton of fun sailing it.
Congratulations Paul, the video clearly shows the family having a blast, I will update the link to your page appropriately.
Cheers
Tom Raidna
Congratulations! I have been following your blog for quite a while and was thrilled to see the boat on the water. I have to say tracking this vessel under construction there I was not too optimistic about the finished product. Well I was not only pleasantly surprised but actually impressed! I thought your boat looked super. I would like to suggest a name (if you haven’t already selected one). I lifted this from one of your blogs “romantic notion”. Like you said it sort of describes to whole idea in the first place, “build a boat sail away”. Thanks again for sharing this experience with me. Happy Sailing … Ed Hollett
Finally…. congratulations. I didn’t really think you would finish it either. So, whats the next project?
Thanks. I guess I had my doubts, too. Next project? Actually, I have about ten new projects in mind, but I’d like to try a traditional plank-on-frame boat. As I’m sure you know, they are often planked with…southern yellow pine. Do you have any extra boards?
But first, I need to complete this adventure, which includes both building a boat *and* sailing away. I’m starting to plan for my mini “cruise.” I thought it would be in the Chesapeake, but I might head into the Finger Lakes and canals of New York. More about this later…