From the GHBoats Mailbag
We have lots of new stories and tidbits of information from Gig Harbor Boat owners around the world:
Whitehall on the East Coast
Lobster Boat in California
Lobster Boat in Australia
Whitehall in Alaska
Our first story comes from Father Dave, who has been rowing a Whitehall in the Great Lakes and decided last month to take his boat to the East Coast.
Greetings to you fine boatbuilders! I’ve been meaning to give you an update on the wonderful Whitehall you built for me a few years ago. She’s been gloriously plying the Great Lakes ever since. (Every one with the exception of Ontario. I’ve got to get over there one day.)
This week I brought the boat to the east coast! So now she’s been all across this great country of ours. I rowed the Potomac River in DC and I’ll take her down to the Virginia shore next week.
Here are a few pictures…first from our gorgeous Great Lakes here in flyover country. And then some from our Nation’s Capitol.
She’s such a wonderful craft. I get comments nearly every time I take her out. Folks motor and paddle over for a closer look, they cross parking lots and streets to gaze and ask questions. They can’t believe how fast she is and how well she does in the swells. She’s a real beauty! Keep up the good work!
Fr. Dave
Adrian, Michigan
Another man of the cloth who owns a GH boat is Father Robert, proud owner of a 15′ Maine Lobster Boat. He writes:
Dear Dave: Greetings from Southern California. I have owned my L15 for more than a year now and the time to share some stories and pictures has arrived. First, I wonder if the folks up in the North West receive as many complements on the boat as I do. I simply cannot go anywhere, either while I am in the lot rigging the boat or on the water, without someone asking me “what is that?” or commenting on the “handsome craft”. Looks aside, the L15 performs marvelously.
While I truly enjoy ocean fly fishing as I glide over the kelp in San Clemente with the center-board and motor up, not to mention the speed my 9.8 Nissan outboard produces in moving me there, I sail the boat most often. My sailing ground, up until last week, was Dana Point Harbor and up to 3 miles of the surrounding sea. I have enjoyed everything from broad reaches in 20 knots of wind outside the harbor to the utility of taking down the main, easily raising the boom, and rowing back to the launch ramp when the breeze stops. Indeed the long stroke of the L15 is nice but the novelty of rowing, for me, is short.
Recently, I towed the boat down to Mission Bay in San Diego. It took only an hour to set me in another completely different arena. The water was flat and the wind strong and the boat moved along rapidly. Note the picture, wing and wing in the L15. With the centerboard up, I was able to beach the L15 near the Catamaran Hotel and have some lunch in Sail Bay. You know I really enjoy my boat. Thank you for being as responsive, knowledgeable and friendly in the months after the sale as in the months before.
Sincerely,
Robert
Another Lobster Boat owner, in North Queensland, Australia, sent us some fantastic pictures of his Lobster Boat in the type of setting we don’t see much of around here in the Northwest. Bill has also done some custom electrical work to his Lobster Boat.
Hi Dave, I now have an electric outboard to add some more enjoyment to my river adventures. Just a 45lb thrust motor but very nice crusing along in the early morning hardly making a sound. The battery system I am using is a little unconventional because I have decided to have two light batteries rather than one heavy one. I found a couple of deep cycle forklift batteries. They are 6volt, 105amp/hr and connected in series to match the 12 volt motor. I can lift them out of the boat easily because they are only 15kg each, I just need to be a bit careful with them though, because they are the low maintenance type and not fully sealed.
I dont know what distance I can cover yet but sometime in the near future I hope to go out with sails, electric motor and spare gas motor.
see ya
Charles
And now, as it’s said, something completely different: Bill, rowing his Whitehall in the shadows of the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska, proves to us that summer is relative.
Hi Dave,
The Mendenhall Glacier and lake is located about two miles from my home. We had a sunny warm weekend and yesterday I rowed ‘Andiamo’ across the lake and out to the glacier. I rowed a bit over four miles and just had too much fun.
Bonnie was in her kayak and took a few pictures. The boat looks great. As for me, oh well.
I’ll keep you posted now and then as my rowing adventures continue.
Take Care,
Bill
That’s all for now! As always, we love to hear about all your adventures. Please shoot us an email if you have any fun stories or photos to share!