Owners Comments

Comments by Ron Holback 2/2/90


"I'd like you to know that I'm making progress on my Flica. Not as quickly as I'd hoped though I'm sure you're used to hearing that. It's a lot of work for one person. Enthusiasm hasn't waned, and there's no doubt about finishing the project. I don't want to go further without  giving you my highest compliments on the quality of your plans. I've had the opportunity to look at other multi and monohull plans since purchasing yours and none even come close to approaching the detail that you provide. "Add me to your list of satisfied customers" is an understatement. Your design and drawings are tops!"

Then in 1994 he wrote

"I launched Toucan in August 1993. I had built the boat at home on a steep hill and getting it off our property onto the paved road was my only real concern. Most boat hauliers wouldn't touch the job, but the one I hired made it look easy. He backed his trailer between the hulls then we placed 2 steel I beams across the trrailer and set the boat down on those. At 6am on a Saturday morning we moved the boat - the truck was accompanied by pilot cars front and back and a highway patrol escort as well. We hauled it 30 miles to Sacremento and launched it in the Sacremento River. Most of the trip was on the Interstate driving down the middle of two traffic lanes at 60 mph. We launched it by backing the trailer down a ramp and floating it off, then motored to a marina for the next 4 days. After that, motored down the river 100 miles to San Fransisco Bay. Spent the next 4 months there stepping the mast, installing pulpits, sea trials etc. And of course giving tours to folks asking to see the boat.

On Dec 17th we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge and turned left, heading for Mexico. We were about 3 months late, and bringing up the end of that years cruising pack. Its about 500 miles from San Fransisco to the border. We spent Christmas in Santa Barbara, New Year in San Diego and entered Mexico a few days later.

Spent the next 10 months leisurely working our way south - currently in Panama.

The boat has beem an excellent liveaboard for Erika and I and our two boys Skip (7) and Hans(4). We have never once regretted deciding on a Flica, nor have we seen another sailboat of any size we'd consider trading for. The boat has earned you and I great compliments everywhere we've been.

We've travelled well over 4000 miles this year, making landfalls throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and now Panama, with no major problems.

It's vrtually impossible for me to recount all the fun times and compliments this boat has provided us. For us it's the perfect home, and will continue to be so for some years to come.

We will leave here around March, finish our transit of the canal, then sail down to Columbia, then up to Belize. Thanks for a great boat!!"