: Hi Rob,

: Don't dismiss the "fly out to NH" thing quite so fast. Last summer
: I had the same dilemma, I wanted to build a stripper but the only info I
: had to go on was the descriptions on various websites, it seemed that
: everything had "good initial stability, tracks well yet very
: maneuverable, etc..." Just for the heck of it I put in a bid on
: Priceline for 2 ticks from Chicago to Manchester and got them for 150 ea.,
: rented a Geo Metro and got a rustic little cabin for 2 nights through
: Newfound. Grandma watched the kiddies and my wife and I ended up having a
: fantastic weekend we'll always remember.
: I showed up with no paddle or PFD, but everyone was happy to lend me whatever
: I needed to test as many boats as I could. Loved the Coho, Great Auk and
: surprisingly, the Expedition Single, too. Some boats felt pretty scary,
: but I'm still on the far left side of the learning curve. I ended up
: building the Georgian Bay and have been paddling the heck out of it this
: summer. So try to make it to NH if you can, if that's out of the question,
: drive down to Chicago and I'll let you paddle my GB (bring that bottle of
: beer with you).

: Jim

Rob,

I live in Boston, and I know you can get cheap flights from Columbus, OH to Boston on AMerica West's weekly specials or from Chicago to MAnchester on Southwest. Cheap, Cheap, cheap! Comair has a coupon deal where you get two roundtrippers from Cincy to MAnchester for 300 + tax. I make this Eastcoast/Midwest flight frequently and am always surprised by how easy it is to find cheap fares.

-Mike