We haven't used it too much, it got cold here in NY not long after it was completed.  Also, because I wanted to use a motor on the boat, I had to register the hull with NY state, and that process took a really long time.

I named the boat "Summer Associate."  The reason is that I am a law student (third year!), and this past summer I worked in a firm and they called people like me "summer associates."  I used some of the money I earned last summer to buy the stuff for the boat, so I thought the name would be a good one - sort of a double meaning too.  I built the boat out of luan and fiberglass.  The rails are not made out of the material suggested b/c they didn't have it at my puny local lumberyard.  Because the rail material I used was thicker, I had to soak and bend them, which really wasn't that big of a deal.  I really liked the luan, b/c it is thin, flexible, and really cheap.  The entire bottom and all seams are glassed using Bondo from the auto parts store.  It worked well, but took a little getting used to.  It is really strong stuff.  The kit and plans were fantastic, but I added one little piece of 2x2 to the ends of the middle seat supports to make them easier to attach.  I laminated the seats with the luan and stained and varnished them.  The hull is red, the sides are navy, the rails are yellow, and the floor is gray.  The colors blend well I think.  I got my registration numbers too late in the year to permanently paint them on the boat, so the boat's name and registration will be the first thing added in the spring (I'll send more pictures then).  I am hand painting them on in the same yellow as the rails.  The boat rows very easily and works much better than I thought it would with a motor on it.  We even took it on lake Cayuga (second largest Finger Lake) and it handled the waves very well.  I plan on a lot of fishing and trips to the Adirondacks this summer!

(Click images to enlarge)

    Early phases.  Sides are being attached to the bow plate and stern.
 
    Sides attached, seat supports in, and rails being attached.
Friend Alan and wife Jessica help out.

 
    Me (incidentally I am also an "uncle John."  Thought about that for a
    name, but decided against it in the end) glassing the bottom.  The bottom
    was easier than I expected to attach, and the glass holds it better than
   any of my friends believed it would.
 
    Now that it's painted, we took it to the Adirondacks.  Very fun!!

 


 

    Boat with motor waiting for fun on Lake Durant in the Adirondacks.
    Me with the boat getting ready for a row on the little lake near our house.
    The seats at this point are fully laminated and stained, but hard to see.
    (Maybe I'll send a better picture in the spring).

 
    Wife Jessica enjoying herself out on the lake.

 

    Because I have a full garage with another boat and a car etc., I
    store the Summer Associate on pulleys above the car.  It actually works
    really well.
 

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