we returned to hawai`i with open arms and realized that icy
cold water and weather has its qualities, but cannot compare to tropical
paddling. i have all the wood you donated last fall and a pair of
freshly sawn gunwales ready for an initial building attempt this winter. even
though so much time has past since your class last fall i've been ready
to begin ever since (no more delays!). our qajaqs have outperformed all
of my expectations in hawai`i and solidified my belief in the design's
unrivaled potential. they surf like sleek long-boards, handle the
biggest swells, and have even been bow-pivoted (twice!) in exposed reef and
coral while surfing without a single puncture or gouge! anyway, your
class remains the best way to spend a week of your life!
i've been excited/interested to talk to you about other responses
to the skin boats! the sea turtles here (which get HUGE and can be
embarrassing when your surfing) LOVE the skin boats and will appear en
masse out of the deep and have followed my boat for a full hour, circling
and even brushing the bottoms. i suspose its the translucent skin and
ribs, but its amazing and consistent! the dolphins are the same and have
swam hitting our bows and circling for a long, long time...
either way, i'm not trying to impress you with creature stories, but
its an amazing reaction and a distinct difference from the plastic boats!
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