Hey All,

I finally launched my Cirrus today. I'll post pics on Monday.

Yesterday I drove out to Newfound Woodworks in Bristol, NH to pick up a seat/backband combo and some hip pads. I had never seen such nice boats and it really raised the bar for me when I finally sand out and varnish this boat.

The boat felt decent in the water though the only thing I can compare it to is the plastic Current Designs boat I trained in last fall. It tracks very true but did respond to leaned turns. The lake had a bit of chop and white caps so I took the opportunity to see how it performed in the wind. It does tend to weathercock a bit but I had the seat fairly far forward. I can pull it back as much a 3" before I glue it down. More testing is in order. In all I paddled it on the lake for about an hour and to say the least am delighted.

A funny thing happened this evening while it was still on my car. I took my wife to see "Finding Nemo" and after we stopped for Ice Cream. I brought the dessert back to the car and stared in wide eyed wonder at my "Peanut Butter Cup Sundae". As I contemplated just how to tackle the formidable mound of Peanut Butter sauce and whip cream someone spoke through my window..."Did you make that or buy it?" As I swallowed my first spoonful and thinking some fellow spyed my sundae and wanted a line on just what I had there I replied "What's that?" . "The kayak. Did you make it?" he continued..."Oh, the kayak!" I replied and fumbled with the door and my sundae to get out and tell him all about it. The guy was really interested in how I'd built it, materials etc... He made no comments about the epoxy drips at the bow or the sanded through veneer I can't avoid staring at. All he could say was how cool it was and told me I'd done a good job.

And so it starts...

I'll take it out again tomorrow and play but then it will come back indoors for finishing.

Dave