| In these days of over regulation and elimination
of risk, building your own boat is one of the few
remaining areas of practical self-expression. It seems
to me that more and more, people are searching for
some escape from the shackles of the consumer society,
and the desire to build a boat is a stream which runs
deep within the soul of many individuals. I say individuals,
because the boatbuilding public is made up of some
of the most individual of people. Everybody wants
something just a bit different.
Why the desire to build a boat is so strong in the
victim is difficult to determine, but if the spark
is there, it is just about impossible to dodge. To
paraphrase the late Arthur Ransome (of Swallows and
Amazons fame), “The desire to build a boat
starts as a single cloud on the horizon, but before
long it grows to cover the entire sky”.
 |
– but
for us in our tiny craft, it was a great trip,
filled with mild adventure, healthy exercise,
and a hint of danger. |
When you finally give in to the urge to build a boat,
invest some time and some money in reading the right
books. I’ve seen so many instances of people
spending time, effort, and money traveling down the
wrong path, just because they didn’t have the
proper advice. Just like the time spent sharpening
tools, time spent reading the right books is time
saved. Not only is it time saved, but it is money
saved as well.
Although building your own boat requires dedication,
it is a source of great pleasure when done properly.
Even though I build boats for a living, I still get
up early to have a look at the results of the previous
day’s gluing, cutting, painting etc. The excitement
has never left me. But if you are building or renovating
your own boat, the pleasure is magnified many times.
To quote the Atkins, father and son, “Working
for a living or profit is seldom a continuous pleasure;
it is something that must be done; therefore there
is compulsion behind it. And, wherever there is compulsion
one’s freedom of will is restricted. A living
must be made and so we all accept work as an ingrained
duty. Somehow painting one’s own boat, tending
one’s own cow, doing one’s own chores
are pleasurable pastimes – but attempt the same
occupations for a neighbor or boss for pay and, presto,
pleasure quickly turns into work.
And so I would like to remind prospective builders
of Sprite, or any other boat, not to feel duty-bound
to complete the building at any particular time; rather
just put the little skiff together when the urge to
add another plank or two persists and the needed recreation
sweeps away all thoughts of work. In this spirit how
spare time will fly and, by the same token, how easily
and quickly the boat will be completed!”
(from Volume 38 of Motor Boating’s Ideal series
– The Hearst Corporation, New York).
When you build your boat, do it the way old Billy
and John Atkin suggest – take your time and
do it properly. Quick-and-Dirty boats just don’t
return long term satisfaction, whereas a properly
built boat will display the love that the builder
has put into the job, and if she is built of good
quality wood, well painted, she will age with a grace
that a manufactured article can never match.
Supply of components for home building of boats can
be a problem for some. Avoid the temptation of accepting
a second-rate building material (for example exterior
ply instead of properly stamped AS/NZ2272 or BS1088
Marine Plywood). Any money you save on buying low
grade materials will be lost many times over in the
resulting boat. Look at the advertisers in this magazine
– you will find may fine suppliers dotted around
Australia. If you can’t locate what you need
locally, try www.duckworksbbs.com
which is the Boat Builder’s Supply section of
the great Duckworks in Texas. They have an increasing
line of excellent components at really good prices.
Summer is approaching, and I’m looking forward
to more sailing and less work. We are restoring my
old Iain Oughtred designed MacGregor sailing canoe.
She is so light that there is no excuse not to be
on the water frequently. I remember a trip I did in
her a couple of years ago – down Moreton Bay
from Cleveland to the mouth of the Logan River, and
then back via the bay islands such as Russell, Macleay
and Coochiemudlo. It would have been routine (maybe
even boring) in a large power boat – but for
us in our tiny craft, it was a great trip, filled
with mild adventure, healthy exercise, and a hint
of danger. Twelve hours of satisfaction and fun for
the cost of a packet of peanuts! You can do it too…
More columns by Ross Lillistone
|
