We have lots of new stories and tidbits of information from Gig Harbor Boat owners around the world.

22-year-old Ultralite Found
Navigator Tender in Alaska
Navigator takes a row on Lake Union
Whitehall in California

Sometimes people ask us how long our boats will last. We tell them that one of the best attributes of a well-built fiberglass boat is its longevity and reparability. A good example is when Reid, a local boater contacted us about a dinghy they found drifted and / or abandoned on a beach. He asked if we could trace the owner so he could tell him where the dinghy was located. Using the serial number we located the owner’s last address but to no avail. Reid wasn’t too unhappy because then he could claim the dinghy. The dinghy was tired, dirty, and needed some repairs but within just a few weeks was back in service. What dinghy is it? Well, it is one of our very first yacht tenders built in the late 80’s called the 8’ ‘Ultralight. Here’s what Reid has to say about their dinghy, now called the ‘Sand Flea’:

We love that dinghy! We reported it when we found it to the sheriff’s office, luckily for us no one ever claimed it.

Looks like they will have 22 more years of enjoyment!

John Chulick, a Navigator owner, took his boat on a long adventure in Alaska. He sent quite few photos from Kimshan Cove, on the west coast of Chichagof Island in SE Alaska. Coordinates there are N57º 41.29′ / W136º 07.08′. He reported that his Navigator served admirably rowing, sailing and motoring. This particular Navigator Dinghy, known as “B. Tender,” is the tender for the Georgia B., a Hallberg Rassy 42.

He must like our boats because he subsequently ordered a 14’ Whitehall sailboat too!

Randall, a Melonseed owner, needed a small dinghy for a sailboat tender so selected a 10’ Navigator. He’s an experienced long-distance rower so we were interested in his reaction to how the little Navigator performed under oars:

I took the 10’ Navigator out for a spin today around Lake Union and I couldn’t be happier. She rows really nice and also handled some wind and chop very well. I like the longer oars and the heavy oar locks. It was really easy to put her in and out of the back of the truck. Thought you might like this picture. I also took the navigator on a shake down row to Eagle Harbor. My overall rowing speed (3.2 mh flat water, no wind no current ) was actually faster than the Melonseed! Thanks again and see you on the high seas!

P.S. I couldn’t find the beer cooler and the switch for the heater, so you’ll have let me know about that.

Mr Thompson took delivery of his Whitehall in California. Recently he stopped by to say hi and let us know how much he liked his boat. Here’s a photo from lake Beryessa, California.

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!