Boatbuilding fever WTF is wrong with me?

[squirell nutkin]

Last week I went on a short canoe trip with the various nutkins and it was fing great.

It also awakened my dormant boat building persona. I've built a Cat Boat and a wood strip canoe and worked on numerous wooden boats and have done a fair amount of deep water sailing. Now I have been borderline obsessed with building a smallish sailing dinghy (<16feet).

There are a number of realities that make this obsession really dangerously stupid, namely, I have about a year of solid work on my house before it is finished, easily an entire summer before the addition is sided. I've just resumed work on it now that my shoulders are almost pain free and strong enough to lift things overhead provided they weigh less than an average sized watermelon.

I'll post some photos later.

[BigV]

You're hosed. You are powerless against the sea, and you know it. Give in to the dark side, young padawan, we have waves.

By the way, you have any pictures of your boats?

[glatt]

You're one to talk, V. Pictures. Hah!


Nutkin, boats are fun. All work and no play sets a bad example for the little ones. Ask them whether they want a family boat or boring siding. Kids are wise. They will tell you to build the boat. Think of the fun for the whole family during the building process and subsequent messing about on the water.

Besides, it's too damn hot outside to be putting siding on a house.

[Lamplighter]

But be cool about it...

... work on it forever in your basement
... play the cello
... look melancholy when you have female visitors
... have deep love-lost memories
... occasionally consult your drunken mentor

Then get an agent and start your own TV series

[BigV]

Originally Posted by glatt

You're one to talk, V. Pictures. Hah!


Nutkin, boats are fun. All work and no play sets a bad example for the little ones. Ask them whether they want a family boat or boring siding. Kids are wise. They will tell you to build the boat. Think of the fun for the whole family during the building process and subsequent messing about on the water.

Besides, it's too damn hot outside to be putting siding on a house.

forgot to add: /channeling glatt/ in my previous post. I'm so bad.

[squirell nutkin]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I don't have anywhere near enough money to even start this project.

[TheMercenary]

Great plan squirell. Sounds like fun. Go for it. There are a thousand plans out there to build one. I just sold my Old Town 164 last month for $600 with bent shaft paddles. Hated to see it go but I have not used it for years.

[Clodfobble]

Ugh... I note all the male posters here telling you to go for it. Let me just pipe in with the rational, buzzkill female perspective (no doubt shared by your wife) that yes, this would be nothing but a huge money-suck, time-suck, and has a very decent chance of never even getting finished.

My husband's first muse about a boat-building project would be his last, no question about it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ugh... I note all the male posters here telling you to go for it. Let me just pipe in with the rational, buzzkill female perspective (no doubt shared by your wife) that yes, this would be nothing but a huge money-suck, time-suck, and has a very decent chance of never even getting finished.

My husband's first muse about a boat-building project would be his last, no question about it.

You MUST be high on crack. Do you think, even for a moment, that I mentioned this to my wife?


At this point I am content to look at boat pr0n like this:

[casimendocina]

Originally Posted by squirell nutkin

At this point I am content to look at boat pr0n like this:

Gasp! This stuff should have NSFW on it.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by squirell nutkin

At this point I am content to look at boat pr0n like this:

so is this the one you are going to make?

If you do build one, you should document the steps in this thread with pictures. I've made a stitch and glue plywood kayak. I'd love to see a thread on more traditional techniques, if that's what you are doing.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by glatt

so is this the one you are going to make?

If you do build one, you should document the steps in this thread with pictures. I've made a stitch and glue plywood kayak. I'd love to see a thread on more traditional techniques, if that's what you are doing.

I'm narrowing down my choices right now and, yes, it is all about the traditional construction techniques. I'd like to try a lapstrake boat. I'm telling myself, that's what clapboards are.

I'll post pics of the contenders soon.

[monster]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ugh... I note all the male posters here telling you to go for it. Let me just pipe in with the rational, buzzkill female perspective (no doubt shared by your wife) that yes, this would be nothing but a huge money-suck, time-suck, and has a very decent chance of never even getting finished.

My husband's first muse about a boat-building project would be his last, no question about it.

WTF? Skwurl, go for it. What the hell does it matter if it takes forever to complete ...it's not like anyone's waiting on it.

round here the rule is you want to start a large project, you have to find the space. Preferably not in the path between the kitchen and the front door.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by monster

WTF? Skwurl, go for it. What the hell does it matter if it takes forever to complete ...it's not like anyone's waiting on it.

round here the rule is you want to start a large project, you have to find the space. Preferably not in the path between the kitchen and the front door.

Build it in your basement and make it way to big to take out the cellar door.

Involve lots of sanding.