Dear Mr. Shade,

You have dedicated significant effort into transmitting the skills and techniques involved in woodstrip small boat construction. Your book "The Strip-Built Sea Kayak" (Ragged Mountain Press/McGraw-Hill), remains a brilliant resource for builders of all skill levels,from many woodworking backgounds on the topic of woodstrip kayak construction. Indeed, I'm suprised that the Center for Disease Control hasn't tracked you down yet.

As you interact with the boat building community, I would ask a question that I posed to Mr. Ted Moores on the Bear Mountain Boat Shop's "peer talk" bulletin board:

There is a diverse range of woodworking experience with in the community, with a wide variety of building styles for this art form. Has your interaction with the boat building community influenced your approach to design, construction and instruction? If so, in what ways?

Has your interaction with the boat building community influenced you personally?

I'm grateful to participate in this forum, which you provide. As I paddle my own course, striving for that "perfect boat", I'm considering my own contributions as a novice, to those who help me get to where I'm going.

Sincerely,
Bill Cruz