Stimulated by viewing the fine new BayRaider at the Boat Show, I must put on record that my Storm 15 has actually been completed and launched. It sported the Luxembourg maritime flag, De Roude Léiw, and stood out amid the tupperware, attracting lots of interest and compliments from enthusiasts.
I should point out that the boarding step I attached at the stern (see the Going for a swim? thread) was tried out by my agile daughter and found to be ineffective. By itself, it certainly is not the solution.
I am very pleased with the Swallow-designed oars (which I leathered) and the way the boat rows in general. I looked at the prices of smart brass fairleads, then made some myself out of oak off-cuts. They look good and saved me £100 for the four of them.
The Mecanorem combination trailor is great; I am glad I opted for the larger road wheels.
I am still getting to know how sail it efficiently; the lake is a dammed river and is thus hemmed in by steep hills, which means swiftly changing wind direction and some turbulence. I find that going about is very tricky in these circumstances but it is great fun learning.
Many thanks to all those who have contributed to the forum and of course to Matt for all the advice while building; as a novice and working alone, I appreciate all the help I can get.
