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Spring sprung a bit early this year in New England and I wasn't quite ready when ice out came on March 23rd. I got to fish Merrymeeting Lake Friday April 20th and Winnipesaukee Saturday. It was my first chance to try out my newly restored/modified 17 Outrage I. It was a great success! The boat performed flawlessly, with all the work performed I would have expected a hiccup or two. I have to say that the one thing that I anguished the most about was removing all of the crazed nonskid and going with the Awl-Grip sand finish in whisper grey. I love it, and I'm a purist at heart. It was so nice on my feet and easy to clean (one salmon was a real bleeder!). I would still prefer an original pristine boat, but this finish is really nice. In addition to the complete interior refinish, I replaced all fuel lines, cleaned up all wiring, installed new electronics (Humminbird 788CI HD), bildge pump, new prop, new cushions and cooler, and installed new down riggers. Everything worked perfectly and I caught a few salmon to boot. Here are a couple of cheesy phone photos of the boat in use, I wish I had a few of the fish but I was solo and had my hands full when I hooked up.

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