V Twin

 I'd still do this, I know it works, wide is fast, wide eventually once it's dialled is easy, and wide makes access to sailing easier, true it doesn't work in light winds, but then there is plenty of stuff that does already, so I'd still have to go through with this, knowing then what I know now for sure I'd have done it slightly differently, but then I wouldn't have known all this if I hadn't done what I've done so far and like somebody back there said, I won't be told, had to find out for myself.

The only thing that is holding me back is the lack of a builder and the fact the wheels came off business in general last year and the business climate is super tough(I've lost five times its cost in bad debts alone last year), so there was never any intention of trying to persuade anyone else to buy the thing, it is purely self indulgence.

As to why it hasn't been on the water, I only picked it up when I got the call on Dec 23rd they were closing down and what I picked up was hardly a finished device, we fell out over what they were going to try and charge me to rig it (more than i could have purchased an entire boat for) the boat bit was on budget, it was a discussion as to what were and were not extras and the cost of a rig, during that contretemps, I lost interest, but since I've had it, messing about on the lake was a totally enlightening experience, I genuinely had never sailed a boat on a lake other than a gaff rigged dinghy as a kid on the Norfolk Broads, so the experiences alone have been worth the money.

Disappointment, sure I'm gutted it doesn't go in a drifter, but nor do lots of other boats (i bet that Vortex doesn't work very well in sub 5knots) Yes it's far heavier than I would have liked, but I'm glad I didn't chuck more 1000's in carbon until i found out it's strengths and weaknesses. The fact I can launch it single handed but struggle to recover isn't actually much different than a Blaze, but i can leave it at the waters edge whilst I ditch the trailer.

As to the muppets here, you can't hand out the crap I do and not expect it back and I really don't mind, provided it is couched in irony, I've never reported a post here, don't believe in it, God knows how many of my posts must have been 'reported' over the years, but the nasty ones, you have to accept their character weaknesses as part of the human condition and acknowledge that this is a bit of a bloody, doh I've forgotten the word for it now, but means self promotion in a bad way..

Whatever bottom line I'd still do it rather than buy a bloody Merlin and I'm still hopefull of handing the chuckle brothers at our club their ass in theirs over the coming weeks, if I do that alone I shall be proclaiming the answer found at the bottom of a few pint glasses I can tell you..

But thanks again I'm touched by the support, I really don't deserve it..

Way back I seem to recall waxing poetic about General Lee (It was a bright orange Merlin in Dukes of Hazard livery complete with air horns).

One of my colleagues here at work does Merlin week religiously and don't think I don't absolutely rip him apart verbally but it's all done in good humour, that's the problem with fora it's very easy to believe it to be vile and vitriolic where it isn't, hence not taking too much to heart the monkeys and atrocity's even though they are only semi literate in ironical terms.

If you met me in real life you'd get it instantly, there's always a wry comment with a wink a piss take or a means to spice any conversation with a chuckle, it's what makes the world go round and life less of a drudge. So do these places (forums) you meet loads of folk you'd never meet normally they are ice breakers, they can bring folk together who would never normally talk, at least other forums do, I've only met a few, but I feel I know lots of you, hence a little disappointed that the Atrocity fella didn't say hi, he is missing the point of all this.

Lots of us have run into each other in real life even Mark Jardine has spotted i"m not the total t**ser he first suspected and vice versa...

So if it has served as entertainment, and I've met a few folk, learned absolutely stacks that I didn't know before and am personally enriched by all this, now would that have all happened if I tipped up here and signed myself on as another 'Merlinboy'?

Nope, didn't think so.