The new boat had some minor teething troubles BUT, both the agent (Howard) and the boat builder bent over backwards to have them fixed fast and the boat was able to be tested after engine break-in.

She handled beautifully -- significantly different from my previous Fletcher Bravo 200HP mean machine -- a little slow onto the plane (as might be expected for a 90HP engine on a 1.xx tonne boat), but once there, handled
positively and thundered gently across Loch Lomond. It was a wonderful experience to at last have a vessel I could fall into bed on and have a comfortable night with all mod cons.

Main observations -- the Balloch slip mentioned this was the first Maiden voyage they had seen, and even the local Balloch Marina Owner commented "a lot of boat for the money".

For the first time in 30 years of Loch Lomond boating in small day boats or speedboats, this time, moored to the beach amongst friends' boats, I did not feel at all out of place and could hold some pride that I was now on a par
with them all (see photos).

I have made a number of minor fittings changes over the last weeks, and anyone interested in what these might have been can contact me by eMail, and the vessel is pretty much now as I want it -- and I am looking forward to the rest of this year with her.

Some final touches to the boat this year (2004) :-

• Fold-up/down shelf from the shower room wall to the sink for resting items on during washing up and cooking.
• A shelf filled in line with the wardrobe top making a 2-shelf storage over the fridge.
• An electric fuel pump to complement the under-helmsman seat tank, saves all that slow manual priming.
• Planning-only for maybe next year, stainless steel stern plate (across most of stern) to support a 150HP 2-stroke for planing - the increased
  boat weight with full fuel, food and water supplies now prevents getting on the plann with the 90HP.