The new prop. Hmmm.... we're getting there.

Bear with me as I wax sentimental for a moment.

The photo may be nothing remarkable, but it's a view I worked and waited a long, long time to have:

Idling past the floating cabins at Hales Bar Marina in my Glen-L Utility.

Yes, I know I've had my boat in the water for two years now. Still, the value of keeping this kind of thing in perspective helps a person appreciate where they've come from in more ways than one. Six years ago, I took my very first ride in a handmade boat... a Glen-L Zip, at the fifth annual Glen-L Boatbuilder's Gathering. My dream of building a boat of my own was born.

This was the view when I took my very first ride in a hand-made boat 6 years ago... taxiing past a variety of docked hand-made boats and floating cabins in the shadow of the old Hales Bar Dam.

Last year, at the 10th annual gathering, I was giving rides in my own fully-completed boat, humble though it may be. I was giving rides to other people who were working toward their dream of building their own boat.

Last weekend was the 11th annual gathering, and last year's dreamers were now giving me rides in their boats. What a great experience.

Hey... if you're dreaming about building your own boat, quit procrastinating, and just do it. Get started, and no matter how long it takes, (or how little)... don't give up. Inboard, outboard, sailboat, rowboat, canoe, whatever.... you can do it. If I can build a boat, anybody can. Trust me. Quit procrastinating, and just do it.

Moving on....

G11 was a beekeeper's dream. Bees, bees, bees everywhere. In your face, investigating your coffee, following you halfway across the river. Everywhere.

Aside from that, there were some amazing, beautiful boats there. There was a group of great people who built them... people who have become friends, and who are becoming new ones.

But, I'm sure you're just dying to know how my new propeller worked. 

Well... not bad, but still not enough to accomplish the desired goal of planing with two adults aboard. 

Let me say that, if you're going to build a Glen-L Utility, and you're going to use a 4-stroke motor... get a 9.9hp. "Eight is great," or perhaps I should say "Eight is Enough" if you'll be the only person in the boat. Two people? Get the 9.9.

With just me in the boat, I found that the 6" pitch prop got the boat on plane at lower rpms than the 7" pitch. I did not attach a Tiny Tach to the motor this time. However, when I finally dared to run the motor at full-throttle, it did not seem to over-rev. Not a rocket. But, stable, safe.. and on-plane.

With myself and either of my kids aboard, the 6" pitch just didn't do the trick. Tohatsu makes a couple of 5" pitch props for this motor, so next I will try one of those... probably the 4-blade. We'll see what happens.