Boating is more Satisfying when the Boat is your own Design

 

I designed and built this 18.5-foot-long runabout which was completed in 2014.  Size-wise, it has ample space for up to six people.  The 75 HP engine is good for about 35 MPH, although altitude, load, prop pitch, and even wind resistance can be factors.  Someday, I would like to run it at low altitude to see how much more speed might be attained.  It is light and easy to tow, due to the wood/epoxy construction, which is important because here in Colorado there are very few nearby lakes.  We have towed it as far away as Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.   Being light also means that it takes less horsepower to move it through the water, and it is very fuel efficient.  The only drawback to being light is that when maneuvering for retrieval to its trailer on a windy day, wind can push it off course when at idling speed.

Behind my runabout in the above photo, "Mountain Dancer", the larger green and white boat is my brother's 27-foot Sea Ray cruiser.  It is ocean-capable and has twin engines totaling about 450 HP.  

This past weekend, we ran the boat on Ruedi Reservoir (7,800' elevation), near Aspen, Colorado.  The weather was perfect except for an uptick in wind speed during retrieval of the boat.  The weather this past weekend was unpredictable with quick shifts between sun and clouds or rain.  Fortunately, everyone did their part to properly position the boat and trailer.  The dock at Ruedi is pathetically small which didn't allow much space for handling of the docking lines.

A few years ago, when my brother, Jay, and I both had our boats on Jackson Lake, Grand Teton, NP, his wife, Connie, made a short video of my runabout on the lake.  The scenery there is spectacular, and you can see the runabout moving smoothly across the lake's surface.  If we are lucky, you may be able to view this video on YouTube at the following address:

 https://youtu.be/X1m7WiJS7S8

                  

We have the full canvas enclosure for our runabout in case of bad weather or the rare choice to sleep aboard.