Hi folks and Happy New Year from Alabama. I launched my King this morning for the first time even though it needs sanding, finishing and fitting inside and out. Since I didn't have a seat or backband installed yet and no interest in swimming, I didn't try any fancy maneuvers. Just a half-mile flat-water cruise. What a sweet boat! I started building it back in May and still have a couple of months of "detail work" left. Thanks for all the great tips; there's something useful on this board almost every day. Thanks also to Shawn Baker, John Schroeder, and Joe Greenley (among others) and Nick's book for patiently answering all my questions!