Wow, what a trip. That little bay reminds me of when I was a little older than your boys I used to spend a couple of weeks during the summer at my grandparents place on a small bay in Puget Sound. It's still one of my favorite memories nearly 60 years later - it's probably why I never mugged any old ladies.

You also have your boat set up nice. Radar, stand-up canvas, open,front on your bow rail. I opened up my bow rail and am having some trouble keeping the vertical supports from pulling out of the sockets at the bottom. I'm thinking of drilling some small holes for the point of the set screw to seat into. Did you have the problem - if so, how did you solve it.

Again - what a great trip for you and the boys. I'm down on the Columbia river and it's good, but I can't wait to get back into the salt.

It was a great trip and thank you. That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid with my son give him good life lessons and hope for the best. I haven't done a whole lot to my boat as I bought it pretty much set up as is. I'm a big fan of the open front I seen a post here a few years ago about a set of stairs to get up on to the bow prob going to copy that this fall. It slows me to storm the beaches and let my boy off the front so he can expolre a bit and get a break from tough ting fish lol. The radar arch could have been forward about 6-8" maybe I'll move my rod holders from the top to the sides. With long downriver rods and a long net handle they get in the way once in a while. Who knows you may have seen it down your way I bought it in Portland. Set screws is probably the way to go or even run a small bolt right through it with a nylon lock nut