My first boat was a Chris Craft Kit boat, 14 foot plywood. Purchased at Sears in about 1954, as a build it yourself project. I wanted my own boat, so Dad said save your money and buy one. I had a collection of $2 bills and some silver $$ that my grandad gave me and I used that to buy the kit. My dad and I built it in the garage over the winter and then I bought a Wizard 5 hp air cooled outboard for $5 from a neighbor who had pity on me. Well that was the most cantankerous motor ever built and I was sure glad we had some oars to go with that Chris Craft. After falling out of the boat several times, very low freeboard, my dad and I raised the sides of the boat 12 inches, added a foredeck, center deck, a steering wheel, and a Mercury 10 hp Super Hurricane. This was the first motor Mercury made with a gear shift and still had the tank on top of the engine. That little old Chris would do all of 30 mph with that 10, which was really about 18 hp. according to the specs and some tweaking my dad did to it. I The motor would turn well over 6000 rpm and was definitely not stock. I had many fun summers with that boat and many fond memories. I graduated from that to a 16' Chris Craft inboard, 1933 model, which I wish I still had. It was a beauty, double planked mahongony with a 4 cyl engine. Since those days in the 50's, I have owned over 31 boats, each one has a fond place in my heart, but the best boating is slow and easy in a Trawler. We thought this was the final boat, the one to use on the Great Circle Trip, but now it looks like we may need something slightly larger and with two cabins. That trip is still 2 years down the road, so in the meantime you just can't beat the comfort and Economy of the Mainship. Dennis & Elaine Diehl M/V Wanderer 34 Mainship I Chesapeake VA