The Story Of Greenhorn I From A Dream To A Plan By John Hayes I had never been what I would describe as a boater, but boats had always held a fascination for me. Over the years I’ve collected many good memories that were somehow boat related. As a young boy, some of my first memories were of trips to St Lawrence Seaway locks near our home to watch the ships go through. I continued to be drawn to the water and boats, but regular types of boating didn’t appeal to me. I’ve never been a big fisherman. Much as I enjoy sailing, I don’t always like being so dependent on the available winds. And I could just never accept the fuel consumption of fast powerboats. The year I turned 40 I stumbled across PMM for the first time, while on vacation. Here was a magazine dedicated to a different type of boating. The more I read the more I realized this was precisely the type of boating that did appeal to me. PMM had only been publishing for a few months at that time, but before my vacation was over I had read that issue cover to cover, ordered the few back issues available, and subscribed. A couple of years went by and somehow during that time an old dream was rekindled and redefined. My dream was not unusual: It was the standard “trade house for big boat and wander the world chasing pleasant weather and interesting places dream. My wife pointed out something that I should have realized but somehow hadn’t stopped to think about. If I really wanted to end up traveling on a big boat, it was going to require some preparation and planning. She had highlighted for me that to make the jump from the dream to reality I would need a plan to get me there. She also suggested that if I was ready to spend some time on the water, perhaps I should talk to my Dad about finishing what has always been known in my family as “the boat.” “The Boat” In 1967 my family moved to Ottawa, Canada, at the north end of the Rideau Canal. My father saw the potential of the canal system as a wonderful opportunity for recreational boating. He came across plans in a magazine for a 25–foot David Beach designed cabin cruiser. Now he didn’t have the space to build a boat that size, but being an engineer, he didn’t have much trouble adapting the plans to suit his available garage space. In 1968 he started building an 18–foot plywood and fiberglass boat with lines that might be best described as being tug–like. He planned her for an outboard motor with sleeping accommodations and a head. She would be ideal for day, weekend, or even week long trips on the 125–mile–long Rideau Canal system. But the boat wasn’t always his first priority and the demands of family and career often delayed construction. When my wife suggested I finish “the boat” in 2001, the hull had been completed and fiberglassed. There were no cabins yet....

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