I've always had a facination for fast vehicles to include cars, powerboats, airplane and motorcycles and have operated all and owned all but an airplane. Now just because they're fast doesn't necessarly mean I approached the limits of these vehicles, maybe in my mind but not in reality. The other hang up I've had is owning multiples of the species which really gets one in trouble. There was a time when I owned a number of Spanish motorcycles that are no longer made, friends suggest I could open a museum. Except for the powerboat I'm now beyond the other stuff.

In a 1996 issue of Wooden Boat magazine ( yea, wooden boats also ) there was a story on building DN iceboats. I knew of DN's and had a supressed need for one but that article lit the flame. I ordered a set of plans from Goodwin, then another set of plans from Norton and a third set from Boston reviewed them, did materials list and dreamed and the plans all stayed rolled up in a tube because my life entered a rocky period that had no time for projects.

So fast forward to 2006, Frances and I met got married a year later, we sold two house, we both retired and bought a home in Traverse City. Since the area is a iceboating hotbed I unrolled those plans and decided to get going immediatly by buying a used boat vs. building. I jumped in with both feet and bid/bought a old DN on EBAY which turned out to be an education on buying things on EBAY sight unseen. Basically I was stuck with a junk hull with considerable damage. The Sawzall got a good workout on it. What remains is a wood mast and boom, very good sail and a set of runners that need help which I'll try to sell soon.

Somehow I fould Jack and Kelly's web site and also the Skimmer site. Family friends lent us a Skimmer their kids had run for years on Lake Lelanau and we finally did get an opportunity to bring it to Elk Lake for one afternoon and further get the bug. That afternoon convinced me a J-14/JX was the boat for me. It is a great looking hull ( read fast ) and VERY comfortable compared to a DN.

I've had some visits with Jack, made notes bought some lumber, West Systems and it begins. The hull side boards have been edge glued and cut to the rough profile. All the bulkheads are rough cut and the mast step components are all cut both plywood and foam. Today I replotted the hull profile and did a finish cut using a flexable rail and my router. Tomorrow I plan to laminate the seatback and may get the sideboards planed to final thickness.

I'm looking forward to updating this blog a couple time each week to include progress, mishaps and other adventures. I should be loading some photos Tuesday. I hope you'll enjoy my adventure.

ed.c