Lynn & I had a super series of maiden voyages on Mission Bay with "Cat's Paw"...just wanted to thank folks on the list and website that generously provided info and opinioons about the area (including the archives). Bob Eeg, Natalie and Alonso at the Montgomery factory gave us a fun send-off in the parking lot. Roger at Pacific Trailers set us up with a spare tire at short notice, and gave the trailer a thorough adjustment and fine tuning before the 2500 mile trip to Minnesota. At Mission Bay, we rented a slip ($30/night) for four nights at the Dana Inn and Marina. This marina is primarily a small boat setup (due to the fixed bridge over the entrance to the bay). Even so, "Cat's Paw" was by far the tiniest lil thing in the harbor. We got lots of compliments on the boat and some stimulating conversations from long-term slip renters (mostly from Arizona, it seemed). The dockmaster there is Ted Bremer, who *really* enjoys his work. He's a crazed small boat sailor and racer. I highly recommend this place to anyone wanting a fun. "urban" small boat experience. On the way home, we stopped by Kaw Lake in northern Oklahoma. It's a Corps of Engineers project, about 20 miles long. During our visit (3 nights and 2 sailing days) the water was high and sediment-laden (i.e. brown), and the wind was mostly in the 10-15 mph range--good, challenging sailing with lots of wind shifts coming out of the draws. The shoreline is mostly undeveloped and scenic. In some of the gustier periods we practiced heaving-to; it worked fine. We stayed two nights in the McFadden campground next to the boat ramp, and one night on board at the McFadden Marina. It's a full-service place and inexpensive ($10/night); the owner/dockmaster is Terry Perry, who also does a great job. Stan Froseth M15 #616 "Cat's Paw" Duluth, MN _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail