In a message dated 3/30/04 8:29:45 PM, montgomery_boats-request@mailman.xmission.com writes:
Bruce Bingham, there's my man . . . I love his sketches . . . I have his odds 'n ends boat projects book, forget the name . . . Wish I hadn't let my "MAIB" subscription slide, so I wouldn't have missed the Robb White series! My Flicka partnership plans to put our '78 model back in the water this Spring: It'll be the first time since the Fall of 1999!!! Bruce Bingham and Lyle Hess: Two of my heroes . . .
Craig: That would be Bingham's 'The Sailor's Sketchbook.' I have been following the dinghy thread with interest (again--seems like this comes up often!). I agree that hard dinghies are far better for rowing and towing, but I will continue to use an inflatable on both the M15 and the Flicka in spite of this. Some of my reasons for this compromise are: 1) I have crossed/will continue to cross open bodies of water where towing would not be advisable (and thus I would have no alternative but to cut a hard dinghy loose if conditions deteriorated). 2) I have cruised/will cruise in areas where a 20' tide range often requires carrying the dinghy up or down long shallow sloping shores. 3) I like not having to worry about the dinghy banging against the hull of the mothership. The inflatable is, for all purposes, one big fender! 4) I trailer long distances, and with a lot of gear, and it just isn't practical to transport a hard dinghy as well. Having had both hard and inflatables, I am fully aware of what I am trading away. On occasion, I find myself in envy of the grace and ease of a passing hard dinghy such as a Fatty Knees, Cherub, Trinka, etc., but have made peace with my present setup. Ditto your hero list! Scott M15 #478 'bebe' PSC Flicka (unnamed)