A note from Jeff Bittenbinder who recently joined our Sunnyland chapter to Mike Yobe his mentor at the SCAMPY shop.
Mike, I just wanted to drop you a quick note to once again say Thank You for all the work you put into helping me with my first restoration project of my Richardson Aquacraft. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate the time and patience you afforded me over the several months we worked on it together. You gave me just the right amount of guidance so that I could learn along the way, but not so much rope to allow me to make a big mistake. I must say that when I started my search for a small boat, my goal was to find a boat that would allow me to teach my kids a little about boating and fishing and give them an opportunity to grow up as I did, spending lots of time on the water. I really had no intention of taking on a restoration project. In retrospect, however, I am really happy that the timing worked out such that I was able to participate in the newly formed adult program at the SCAMPY shop as it turned out to be a very rewarding experience. It’s one that I hope I can participate in again with a new and even larger project and perhaps even get my kids engaged once they are old enough for the traditional SCAMPY program. You, and the rest of the guys at the shop really made the experience for me. It was a pleasure to get to know the whole crew there. Everyone was incredibly helpful, supportive, and just great fun to be around. THANK YOU from me and my family.
Once I finished up all the final touches, I took the boat up to Marion, North Carolina which will be its new permanent home at our cabin on Lake James. We named it the Little Bitt, put a new Mercury engine on it and launched for its maiden voyage in March over the kid’s spring break. The boat runs great and is exactly what I was hoping for. I’ve attached some pictures to show you how it looks out on the water where it belongs.
Thanks again and take care,
Jeff Bittenbinder
If you are a member of our Sunnyland Chapter and interested in working with the kids in our SCAMPY program or working on your own project within our adult program, call Lou Ronca.
