Ducktrap Wherry

A beautiful boat, to be sure. But look at this letter we received: Sir: You will be edified to learn that HMCS Lindy, today passed her sea trials with flying colours, booming cannons, and blaring trumpets. She is dry as a bone.

Under oars, she performs beautifully. Tracks like a freight train and--good news for old geezers like me-- calls for a sweep of the oars only once about every ten seconds, as she carries so exceedingly well. Under sail she is magnificent! Had her geeing and hawing and pirouetting all over Westwood Lake for three solid hours in winds ranging from 3 to 12 knots with a few gusts around 15. Hard on the wind she points up beautifully. On a beamreach she leaps ahead like a thoroughbred filly. Damn near leaves a rooster tail!

On a run she's steady and smooth, showing none of the tendancy to roll and yaw that John Leather attributes to loose-footed sails. No boom will be required. Based on her performance today, she can definitely carry more than 74 square feet of sail. I'm going to start saving my sheckles for about a 90 square-footer in Egyptian sailcloth, tanbark.

Only one complaint: It takes forever to get her launched and retrieved because of all the dag-nabbed civilians wanting to drool all over her and touch her and take her picture and ask questions like, "Is that REALLY wood?" and "Is that a dory? and "Is that a whitehall?" "Where is the motor?" My favorite is "Why would you want an all wood boat? Isn't fibreglas more practical?" I love that question, because I get to answer, "Well, would you want a real woman as opposed to a plastic blow-up doll?" But one comment from the ladies really brings out the curmudgeon in me, to the extent that I've had the following sign made up:

"WARNING: Anyone overheard referring to this vessel as "cute" will be pummled about the head and shoulders with an "adorable" belaying pin!"  Thanks for building me such a perfect little ship. You build good boats! Parnell