Hey All,

I'm absolutely thrilled to say that the rebuild is done. Because outside temperatures took a major nose dive over the last few days, I've kept working on her, finishing a few final touches to the superstructure and glassing. I haven't named her yet but that should happen shortly. I am contemplating naming her the "J.A. Rapid Phoenix". "J.A." are my wife's initials. I figured since we're renewing our wedding vows I should honor her in the old sailors tradition. (Psst: Just between you and I: it also helps to buy me some understanding when I tell her that I want to start building the Night Heron stripper, but keep THAT between you and I).

I basically integrated everything I could recover from the wreck, including the broken seat, backrest and front hatch. If you want to compare the original wreck to the final kayak take a look at the first pictures then compare to the last four pictures.

I have not given the JA her final fairing and graphics. I chose to save that for the long dark cold nights of the canadian winter that we are about to face. I would have launched the JA sooner but it got so cold I wussed out in favour of hoping for warmer weather. Well, that ain't a happening so I'll be launching in -10 C on Saturday afternoon. The wife will be there with me to take pics so you can see that I really did do it, and she floats.

It seems to me that if you really want to do something, it can be done. I always figured that if I could build it, I could repair it, and so I did. The total cost to me was roughly $ 300 CDN, well worth the rebuilding for all the experience I picked up doing the repair and the sheer will to go for it, despite how daunting it seemed.

Would I do it again? Well, uhm, only if I miss another sign warning me to get out and portage. You just never know what's around the next corner.

Robert N Pruden