This has been the month for getting new boats in the water, probably cause we had to get the shop emptied out for Thanksgiving. We're always ready, rain or shine.

First on the list of boats that were built here at the shop and launched this month is Jim Enyart's 22 foot Ninigret. The Atkins design is one of the prettiest boats to come out in a while. This beauty runs and handles better the best of the factory built boats in her size range because Jim kept her light and strong. Very few of these have been built, probably because they're complicated. Jim built her to his usual perfection. He fit the strakes then pre-glassed each one before the final installation. He was relentless in doing a perfect job of everything. All of the framing is carefully chosen pressure treated yellow pine that he planed down to his exact dimensions. The hidden wood in this boat will never rot. His drive for perfection took him about two years to complete working by himself about four days a week. Jim's still thinking about what kind of top he wants to put on, fold up or fixed. Our one rule and prime directive,"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT HELPING ME" really, really applies to Jim, he does not appreciate unsolicited advice more than the rest of us and that's saying something. Crazy Steve comes in a close second or maybe Stan, no maybe me or Howard and Sandy just smiles and waits for you to leave. Come to think of it, when you come to visit the shop you better just keep your hands in your pocket and tape over your mouth.

Stan's "Junk" came out of the shop this week. This was a six month build, a little longer than he usually takes because he made the whole thing up as he went along and had to wait for people to give him everything he needed for the whole boat. Actually, he really helped with cleaning up the storage sheds. We accumulate all sorts of things that we'll never use so if something's been around for more than six months it's usually up for grabs. Stan knew exactly what he wanted; a small trailer boat the was big on the inside and was the most distinctive boat at any marina. He really accomplished that one. We just backed the trailer up to the boat, hooked up the winch and pulled it up. Talk about a surprise, something worked out just like he planed it.

It launched just as easy, rolled right off of it's trailer. Notice the fold down stairs that turns into the side of the boat. "Ping" has a six hp outboard motor and a gaff sail. He can steer from the back or from up front in the cabin. We put the sail up and the thing behaved better than expected. I did my best to turn it over but she's stable as a rock. I'll send more pictures as Stan adds more to the inside, he has blue leather cushions on the couch/bunk now.

Steve made a video of this boat, here on youtube. Stan's Chinese Junk at Lucas Boatworks:

The "Mega Yacht" didn't get launched this month but it's close. Howard put the stainless rail on today and the seats are painted and about ready to go in. He's pulled out and rebuilt the hydraulics for the steering and trim tabs as well as over hauling the outdrive and engine. This build has been going on for less than a year so far. It wasn't in the shop this time last year.

Sandy can whip out one of these little beauties in his sleep. He's made many of these that are eleven feet long but wanted to lengthen one to 14 to see how it works. This one has been planked up, sanded, glassed inside and out till it shines like a new dime and is getting the rails and little decks on now. It may be better if you didn't know how long this takes him to drag one of these out, he can come to the shop only a few days a week cause he volunteers at the hospital a lot and he gets booked for lots of social events. He started this particular boat two weeks ago and when you see him out there he never seems to be in a rush. Being around these guys could give you a real inferiority complex if you didn't know better.

Okay, enough drivel about those other simple boats that anyone with half a brain could make. Here's what I'm talking about; here's a perfect boat, the only one of any actual use because it has cup holders, two of them in fact. Why do I value cup holders so much. Let's analyze this for a moment; what are boats? Why would anyone own a boat? They're useless pieces of hardware that cost a ton of money, are always needing maintenance and even then don't work when you want to use them. Here it is, the one and only reason anyone owns a boat and they don't even know it. Boats allow you to drink openly in public? Where else can you float around in a beautiful location with a cooler full of cold beer and be accepted by one and all (unless you're in Canada). No where, this is it, so boats without cup holders are useless, that defeats the whole purpose of owning a boat. Like a bedroom with no bed or a bathroom with no toilet; what's the point.

And if you're going to make one make it cool. I did three of these in a week and this one came out pretty good. 14 feet long, twenty pounds, 28 inches wide and it goes like a runaway horse; if you're into kayaks that is.