I will do that, Scott. I plan to post pictures of the build as I work on it. I think the Solace 18EX would be a great tripping boat...has about the same volume as the Lightning 17 which has served me so well over the years. You do need a rudder on the 18, it doesn't take to turns quite as easily as a 17 does but man, it sure does track well.

Incidently, I was in Jasper, Alberta with Linda last weekend to help her celebrate her 50th b-day. The VJ and Nick's Night Heron got huge interest from passersby, especially the Night Heron because of the interesting design. This interest kept me talking for some time. Also, Linda and I paddled Maligne Lake, a huge alpine lake which contains the world heritage site "Spirit Island". We didn't get as far as Spirit Island because Linda's endurance is the same as mine but we had a great paddle. Pix to follow some time later. Right now, I am preparing to head off to the Ft Carlton 200th Anniversary and Pruden Clan reunion. My slide show is finished: had it prepared by a skilled 12-yr old. I am thinking that once I return, I will post the slide show somewhere online where it can be viewed by private invitation only. Since I will be using it for further public engagements, I should most likely keep it out of the general online population's sight. When I get back from the reunion thing, I will immediately start working on the Solace 16 EX build. I expect to post pics on progress every odd day. Linda and I will definitely let you know what we think of it. Linda is hoping to do some wood burning into the deck for art work which I will fill with some thickened epoxy to help keep it highly visible and smooth looking.

Robert N Pruden