Why Build Boats

[raymacke]

I recent news item caught my interest. The story concerned the annual reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware River in 1776. It mentioned this year boats were being provided by the Philadelphia Waterborne which is a non profit that teaches boat building skills to middle and high school students. I looked at their web site and there was an explanation of why they chose boat building.

The first four paragraphs are probably the most definitive statement I have read on this addiction of which many of us suffer.

http://philadelphiawaterborne.org/wordpress1/?page_id=251

[JoeM]

Very interesting read. Thanks for posting it!

[Bill Edmundson]

Thanks Ray.

I think as you build a boat, you feel a kindred spirit with all boat builders. When you start making frames, assembling them, seeing the skeleton of the boat, and especially when fairing, you feel the boat and the relationship with ages of builders. I've thought about Noah's build. I saw a grove of trees that had been bent over many years to be ship ribs.

There was a post the other day about being related to a Viking builder, Floki. Maybe so. I've been told that I'm Scandinavian.

Bill

[slug]

I remember sitting inside my completed bare hull on my steel Kaiulani 34 foot sailboat. It was an awe inspiring moment, as if I was inside a giant whale. I'll never forget that moment.

Doug

[raymacke]

For me that "memorable" moment during construction of the True Grit was when I completed the framing for the inverted hull and stood back and looked at the robust yet gracefully sweeping lines of the wood structure I had created. I have built a lot of things big and small but nothing matched the feeling that day.

But even better, eight years later I still get that feeling of awe every time I push away from the dock and point the bow towards the open channel. Yes, this is a very rewarding hobby we have.

[Oyster]

Its hard to say that building wooden boats in particular is any more rewarding to the builder than say carving ducks, for an example. I feel a similar kindship or a feeling of reward and attachment exists in both people as their finished product comes to life. But with boats and as Ray speaks about, with every launch the feeling returns. And in some cases "these addicts" will actually end up headed back to their shops to begin another one. Its an illness I tell you. Happy new year to you guys and hopefully spring will be sooner than normal this year.