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 beam
	reach 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 to you Hilford and to Brahm, 
	for building me such a	perfect 
	little ship.  And thanks, too, to 
	your good wife for putting up with 
	you throughout the process. 
 
      You build good boats!
	
				Parnell