HARBORMASTER My objective was to create a boat ideal for cruising in protected waters on a sunny Sunday afternoon, reminiscent of the Thames River launches of the early 1900’s. I wanted an efficient displacement hull with round bilge and tumblehome topsides aft, resulting in the look of a traditional power launch. In April, 2008 I ordered the HARBORMASTER plan from Glen-L.  Before starting I modified the plan somewhat to meet my objectives. First, no inboard, installed one, didn’t want to do it again. To lighten the boat I replaced the inboard with a Honda 8hp outboard in a motor well. The outboard weighs 120 lbs. To compensate for the replacement of the inboard in the center of the boat with an outboard at the stern, I changed the angle of the transom to bring the bottom of the transom and the hull farther aft, providing more buoyancy aft. I also lengthened the hull (and waterline) 6 inches and decreased the beam from seven feet three inches to seven feet. I removed the canopy and added a small aft cabin to provide more protection from Puget Sound weather and to give the boat more of the early Thames River launch look. I started construction in the Summer of 2008. Because the winters in Western Washington are cold and wet and I didn’t have an adequate cover for winter work (and I am getting old and slow) it took most of four years to get the boat to launch. My wife and I launched the boat June 15, 2012. Construction is strip-planked with fir. The weight at launch time came in at about 2100 pounds. Left to do; complete the exterior trim on the cabin, complete the inside of the cabin, install seats in the cockpit, install running lights, bilge pumps, and some electronics. Our longest cruise to date was from our home to Olympia, slowly around Budd Inlet, then back home, a total distance of 46.3 miles. We cruised at an average speed of 5.4 knots and used less than 3 gallons of gasoline. We love the boat!