good morning Paul, I lose touch with how my words may sound when typed in the wee hours. Yes, yes, a gorgeous home made boat any day,any water,even on the back porch. It's just this cocaine like insistance on what is the WAY of RIGHT construction in comparison to "sub-standard" construction is so lacking in perspective. This board can be like some day paddling excursions, there is a general willingness on most participants to share a good time or at least useful info. I meant to say that something to the effect that his boat has little to do with surviving expeditions,or that his boat with all its imperfections is probably a lot stronger than he thinks it is. Heck , I talked to a guy a few days ago whose CLC 17 flew off his car with only deep scractches as the result.

So, give me the bones and skin for a boat instead of a grumman, but at least with the grumman one wouldn't try and do anything in a hurry.

Connected to nothing in particular: I worked at a kayak/canoe store in California, they provided the royalex canoe for some big hollywood movie. The canoe was covered up with so much plywood and materials to look like an indian bark canoe, we laughed our heads off because the thing weighed close to 200 lbs, the ends turned up almost 3 ft. oh reality is so cruel. I think the guy that was in "water world" or the "Postman" was in it.