I've tentatively picked out the first boat I want to build and am now saving my dollars so I can buy the kit. In the meantime, I'm working at learning all I can. I bought Nick's book and am having a great time working my way through it. I especially enjoy all the pictures showing him doing things wrong with the captions saying, "Don't do it this way!"

I'm making lists of things I need to buy, borrow, make, do, etc. before my kit arrives. I'm practicing planing and sharpening my blade. And I'm amazed at how fun all this mundane stuff is! Can't imagine how much fun I'm going to have when I actually get to build my boat.

While kayaking last Friday at a local lake, I stopped for lunch on an island and spent some time reading Nick's book. Then I walked around the entire island and picked up trash to take back with me. There was more than I could fit into the bags I had available. (Why are people such pigs?) Along with the trash, I found a 15' fairly straight and thin trunk of a cedar or cypress tree. I broke it into two pieces so I could transport it home and have made two walking sticks. Planing them down was so much fun! The smell was heavenly and revealing the purplish/red of the inside of the wood was like a treasure hunt. Now I have a paper bag full of wood shavings that I don't want to throw away because they're so pretty and smell so good. (This is not a good sign, is it?)

So I've built my first boats! (I'm sure those walking sticks will float.)

Oh yeah, I also did an experiment. My plastic boat weathercocks terribly and has no rudder and it was a very windy day. So I took my float out of the bow and stuffed my dry bag with extra clothes, lunch, book, etc. up there. The extra weight in the bow made a HUGE difference! Good lesson learned.

OK, I'll stop now. Just feeling chatty today and have really enjoyed this bulletin board.

Patsy