This is a utube video that Whalen sent showing the "Spirit" from Crystal River under way. She is replica of a Civil War blockade runner/shallow water enforcer and inshore gun boat. This big tub moves right along. Steve told me that they had it up to 8 knots once on a trip up to Cedar Key. This will give you a whole new perspective on these big square barge looking boats. Kind of like a giant Puddle Duck racer. I thought they should've named it something cool like "Montezuma's Revenge" or something bad like that but they had to go with the girlie name.

Some of you folks left hot miserable Florida and went to Maine to get away. Kathie and Lance and Fland and Brenda. The weather was perfect except for one day of fog which was perfect also cause they got to see New England fog. Pox on both of you. This has been the worse summer in history here in good Florida. It has rained every day for the last month or two and the humidity is above 90 during the day and 100% at night. When winter comes and I give you guys shit about being snowed in you can remind me of this summer.

My fast commuter is not coming along worth a dam. After the first couple of week and the hull was done and deck started I was ripping right along. The cabin went on pretty fast but then I had to start painting; a screeching halt occurred. Water based paint WILL NOT dry when it 100% humidity, no way, no how. And epoxy does strange things also. You should see me out there with a hot air gun trying to get something to dry so I can get on with it. I can think Pat Johnson for the inspiration for his boat, he's a man who knows what he wants also.

When you build your own boat you can have exactly what you want. This is going to be the perfect 18 foot motor boat for normal use; as opposed to ski boats and such. I expect a smooth 30 for hours on end. If I want to go to Cedar Key by boat I can.

It'll have seats as comfortable as your recliner at home, wing vent windows like the old cars for cool air, big sliding side windows, good windshield wipers,. I hope to show you a complete boat in another month or so. I am having trouble getting a new 60 hp four stroke outboard. It seems that this size is in short supply with a long waiting list. Yes, I do have a bunch of cup holder planned.

Crazy Steve sent this to me from Canada. Looks like mine with a shorter roof.

All of you old timers know that there are a whole lot of you "Boatnuts" on this list. Some of you are traditional small boat guys but some of you are big time ocean guys; and one of you folks owns one of these. This is the boat of dreams for all would be go fast kids forty years ago. This is THE MacGregor 65. It was designed for the TransPac, a race from California to Hawaii and could make the whole trip on a plane. I once had the sales video for the boat. My friend Paul actually owns one of these beauties, the only redeeming factor is that it's in Florida which is really too shallow to run one so I'm not that jealous. We saw one in the Bahamas once and I made Helen wait for an hour so I could look at it.

Speaking of SOB's, Sandy loaded up his new van with his canoe and high tailed it up to the Adirondacks for the summer; I really should ban these wooses from coming back but I like them too much. It would be hard to collect a group as diverse and interesting as these guys.

Howard decided to fix the high range on the Gravely tractor. This is it's gear case. He's removed all of these gears and more and is putting them back now.

I'll finish with some shots of the best small sailboat there is, Roger Allen's 15 foot melonseed. He has the plans if you want to make one.