Launch day was Sunday at Flathead Lake.  We decided to go there instead of Salmon Lake because the ramps are better and we could give the boat a better trial.  We got up there about 9:00 in the morning and the wind was just starting to blow.  We checked out the Polson city ramp but decided to go up to the State dock and campground at Big Arm, about 11 miles further.  We had used the State ramp and dock before and it is a good one.  While waiting for another boat to launch, we drove through the campground and people kept stopping us wanting to look at the boat and admire it.  We weren't sure we would be able to get out of the campground to launch!  The launch went well and all systems were go, except the lift on the shift mechanism didn't work so we had to use the one on the motor.  We also had broken one of the side windows.  All else was fine and off we went!  What a lovely ride we had, out around Wild Horse Island and by the sailboat marina.  We were a little surprised at the volume of motor noise from the new generation 2 stroke Evinrude motor.  It was louder than we expected, but some of that was because of the pilot house being semi- enclosed.  The boat handled beautifully-quickly up on plane and is very smooth in the choppy water.  We found that she is tricky to handle when coming in to the dock because she is so light.  That is going to take some practice!  We did manage to get her tied up to the dock even though it was quite windy when we came in,   We had hoped to take some pictures of her zooming along in the water, but it was just too windy to drop me off on the dock and have Richard go out and zoom, so we will have to wait until next time for those pictures.
On Monday we took her in to Anchor Marine in E. Missoula because of the problem with the lift  button on the shift control.  It was an easy fix-a plug was not lined up and pushed in properly-and we also changed the prop to one with a higher pitch.  The RPM's were pushed too close to the red line. 
We also replaced the broken glass side window with an acrylic one, as there is a little distortion on that side of the window track which is what caused to glass to break.  So now all the little things are repaired of changed and Legacy is ready for the water again.  It was such a good feeling to be out on the water in a new boat, and such fun to get so much attention.  She is so pretty and so very unusual in this part of the world.  Everywhere we take her, people admire her.

  I say to Richard, "Job well done!"

We are back from our trip to Seattle and Port Townsend.  We brought home stainless rub rails, and a few odds and ends, but not much.  We got one windshield in, and will get the second one in soon, we hope.  We took the boat in to Anchor Marine in E. Missoula, to have the new Evinrude 60 HP motor installed.  There seems to always be a hitch in installing anything, and this one was no exception.  It seems that the steering arm on the port side didn't line up with the pipe we had made for it.  So it was time for modifications!  As you can see in the picture, we had to cut out the PVC pipe and move the space closer to the stern.  Richard will have to make a box to fit around the steering arm.  This was not a terrible problem, but a screw up none the less. 
While we were waiting for the motor installation, we drove up to Salmon Lake to see if

that would be a good launching place.  We think it will work, and it is closer than Flathead Lake, so we may launch there.  So we wait for the second windshield and the steering arm repair.  Oh yes, we also are having our trusty welder lengthen the part of the trailer that has the rubber bumpers which come in contact with the front of the boat.  The bumpers don't quite reach the bow.
In the meantime, we are installing the stainless rub rails, more cleats for bumpers, and are figuring out where to put the cabin reading lights.  So even though we are close to being done, we are not quite there yet.  The pictures today are of the motor and the new rub rails,(which really dress up the boat)  We also installed the stainless rub rails on the wooden rub strip towards the stern, although I didn't get a picture of it in place.  The metal should protect that wood, which doesn't have fiberglass cloth on it.
Hopefully the next posting will be of the launching.  We will see.