Well put Paul!

I enjoy kayaking and canoeing. I also enjoy the process of building the boats. I don't have all that much spare time on my hands to build but I really, really enjoy puttering around on the kayak in my workshop. The kids have been very involved in the building process and have really taken an interest, even though they are quite young, they have sanded, filed, hammered, sawed, put screws into, and taken screws out of more scrap wood in the shop than you could imagine. It's always their job to tighten the vise or tighten the clamps while I hold the pieces to be clamped, I can see a look of pride on their faces as we near completion of the boat.

Our next boat will be a 14' Grebe from offsets from Grant, then maybe a s&g guillimot for me to play in and my wife to tour in. Then if I've honed my skills sufficiently, I'll try my hand at a stripper, maybe 'The King' that seems to be all the rage right now. It is a nice feeling, that you can build your own stable of boats to suit your every whim, thoroughly enjoy the building process then thoroughly enjoy paddling your creation.

Plus, a mutual interest in kayaking and kayak building has enabled me share my interests and ideas with the participants on this BBS. I have thoroughly enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the people here! I feel like I've got a lot of great friends that I just haven't met in person...yet. R2K2 here I come!

Ken

: I have finally been struck by the phrase that keeps popping up on this board:
: "My next boat will be a _______"

: Once a person starts building these things they get easier and easier to do.
: Some people are trying to build a fleet of kayaks, and want each one to be
: a different constructon method. We should have some type of award for
: someone who builds a stripper, a stitch-and-glue, and a skin-on-frame --
: with maybe an added ribbon or star if they also make a boat from some less
: common materials (concrete, paper, etc.) or construction techniques
: (folding boat, sectional takeapart, etc.)

: The addiction is undeniable; the mindset inescapable. I can only wonder if
: the poor folk who paddle store-bought boats can even understand the
: concept that they might be paddling ( and owning) a different boat every 6
: months to a year.
: I'm sure the really, really rich paddlers can understand this -- they just
: buy a new model when they tire of hte old one -- but there are not a lot
: of people with that much $$$ to burn.

: It is just us, the lucky many who can dream of owning a boat, and then
: another and then another and so on. And even better, we can make those
: dreams come true by putting in a few hours of effort in a garage,
: basement, or even a living room.

: PGJ