: What is Rendezvous

: Rendezvous is a tribal ritual, its a gathering, ita great cup of coffee,
: Rendezvous is awesome technical sessions informal conversations with
: designers. Its breakfast with a bunch of folks who just drove 2000 miles
: to be there. With 6 yaks stacked on a Pinto. Rendezvous is part new car
: (boat) show room ....done barefoot in the sand. Rendezvous is a place were
: a Fortune 500 CEO starts taking notes when a college kid with just enough
: dollars for a few tools starts talking about how to get past that skeg
: without breaking strips. Rendezvous is story telling, Its the best trip I
: ever took and the time My sander went right through the wood.

: Rendezvous is knowledge and being in the company of people who are open to
: learning new things. And sharing what they know. All those books you've
: read on boat building.... They are the high school diploma of boat
: building. Rendezvous is graduate work. You can get a PHD worth of material
: in a weekend Its courses in artistry. Every day you have to figure out
: which sessions to see because there are so many... Each taught by a
: professional who is giving his trade secrets away for free.... All because
: he or she is desperately passionate about other building the boat of their
: dreams.

: What is Rendezvous.......Rendezvous is about friendships and community. Its
: about finding paddle buddies and e-mail address exchanged. Its about the
: fusion of ideas yours with others for something totally better.

: Ever feel like your the only person in your world that would rather build
: your toys then buy them?...... Have you ever been called an eccentric? Are
: you the only person at work who knows what German steel is? Do your
: neighbors wonder about all those weird things you keep in your back yard?
: Rendezvous is hanging out with 300 people who you just met, but feel like
: you have know all your life. I can't tell you how many times Iast down
: last year to a bunch of conversing boat builders only to find that I
: wasn't the only guy to build his own log cabin, drive 800 miles to count
: raptors, make your own maple syrup, or be a witness in free fall at
: skydiving wedding. Its the kind of place where you can exchange recipes
: for seal meat pizza with folks who have actually tried it, and no one bats
: an eye lash.

: Rendezvous is a place to fit if your one of the folks who never were much for
: living life on the cookie cutter. Half the people are off the map the
: other half could even find the map even if they were looking. Its not
: counter culture. Its folks raising kids in boats, the same ones they
: build. Rendezvous is feeling a bunch of them joy respect, its about being
: open to learning new ideas.

: By analogy Rendezvous is:.... Rendezvous is what would happen if you took a
: boy scout camporee and a Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dresser Club bike meet
: and smashed them together in an atomic particle accelerator.

: On the one hand the subarus and pick ups show up the gear falls out and the
: granola heads start prusiking up into the trees to show each other neat
: rope tricks. They start trying out each others home made salmon jerky and
: home brew. Making smores and building camp fires. Its about bringing your
: best to share.

: On the other hand everyone shows up with a new ride. They all walk up and
: down the 1/4 mile of wooden kayaks admiring everyone's ride. Rendezvous is
: a place were you hear folks "exclaiming things like whoah!!!!...
: Yowza, Wow, cool Hey . Check it out, Hydrooootherapy..... Neato.
: "Rendezvous is the kind of place where folks recognize each others
: work just by the signature characteristics. "wow that's got to be an
: an Eric," Hey do I see a Kent built" Hey look there's is another
: Leidy" Man if that's not another Greenley" Rendezvous is a place
: that every boat is a winner ever builder that makes the water a success.
: Its ata boys and how'd you do that? and a bunch of men and women with note
: pads taking notes. Its a place were folks will take pictures of your whole
: boat occasionally but will spend half a roll getting detail shots of stuff
: they like. Stuff they want to remember and put in there own creativity
: file.

: Rendezvous is talking to the guy who designed your boat and talking to the
: guy who is going to design your next one. Imagine doing that with Ford
: motor company?
: Rendezvous is kid's sail boat races. Its two 70 something's falling in love
: again in your adirondak guide boat you just lent them. Rendezvous is
: handing a stranger your best paddle, or dropping 600 dollars worthy of
: gear paddles and GPS and life jackets on the sand. Losing track of them as
: they get lent out again and again and not worrying because you know at the
: end of the day they will get back to you.

: Rendezvous is a place were real women love jack planes and real men love to
: strip and stitch. And everyone wear a spray skirt. Rendezvous is sitting
: around with other folks who know what different species of wood smell like
: and like it who know that you don't have to talk all over a magnificent
: sunrise or the call of a loon. Its meeting 300 folks who know when silence
: speaks louder.

: Rendezvous isn't a what. Rendezvous just is ....

"living life on the cookie cutter"

??? Well Said !RUSS, but...... I like life with Cookie Cutters.

You'll See !!!

Rehd