Hello BBA,I'm in the category of boat building (and operating) disfunction. I find myself on occasion becoming conscious after deeply day dreaming some vivid portrayal of creating or maneuvering a fine craft with my own hands. The time passes unnoticed and there is no lingering affect other than a highly satisfied grin realizing that these are not mere fantasies but urgent possibilities that really need to be worked into the machinery of my life as soon as possible. As with many dependents of every sort I've discovered that the easiest escape from one obsession is a hearty foray into a new one. For me this has taken me in the end; not away from the mysticism of building a living water craft, but rather a deeper appreciation of the art.
This most recent "addiction" is primitive bowery. Through a labyrinth of impossible consequences many things aligned to put a large supply of yew wood trees at my disposal and a method of reduction within my grasp. The single fact in my recollection that Robin Hood's bow was yew wood was enough to open a floodgate of obsessive learning, experimentation, trial, error, pain, and eventually; craftsman's euphoria! A primitive "self" bow, that is, a single piece of wood, is as living and unique a creation as any boat I've met. The process of attending so closely to every detail of such a diminutive splinter attunes one's mind to the life of the wood. The strength and resilience of the strung bow is energizing, the launch of an arrow is nothing short of a thrill.
Like building a boat, building a bow is giving life to lifeless wood. Via the crafters hands and mind the new life takes shape. There are failures (occasionally catastrophic in bowery) but they add to the meaningfullness of the craft and make the success so much richer.
I find in the end that I have one addiction with many outlets. The hands must make what the mind conceives or the mind may leave it's owner!
Thanks for the humor and fun, Many happy days in the shop to you all,
I to have caught the incurrable disease of building strip canoes. My first one was built in my basement what a rush when I opened a can of acetone in the basement I will not do that gain. Sow I built a barn that I thought was big enough 30x50 feet I cannot believe the amount of good stuff I save. Anyway I built the second one in the barn at the request of my wife. The barn is not heated and living in upstate New York in the winter it gets cold to say the least. I loved every minute of it in my insulated coveralls. the 18 foot canoe came out just fine. Sow I sold it, it was not easy saying goodbuy to my winter love. I spent all the money I made and some of my wife's that she dose not know yet fore insolation and an oil furanse,tank, and oil. I am now working in my tee shirt and it is 10 degrees out side. I go to the barn when I get of work almost ever day. We eat late at night it gives me gas in the morning but thetas OK it relates my true felling for my day job. I have two more being built right now in the barn it is grate. Well, ben in side to long, got to go.
Cruising the Net, I found your homepage....have I at last found someone who understands my addiction to boats? I am the only female on a crew of laminators building custom built long range cruisers.... I live to talk about boats, boat building and my personal passion, sailing. My whole family thinks I am strange. *laughing* I've been trying to make contact with any other people who suffer from this strange and wonderful addiction.No David, boatbuilding has not destroyed my life. Instead it has given me focus. Maybe I wasn't supposed to find humor on your homepage, but I did. Laughter keeps me sane. It took me 25 years to find my career. I''ve been married twice, both times to men with addictions. The first was an alcoholic, the second with a gambling addiction. with him I had 3 kids. That he never sees or calls or provides support for. I am a single mom with four kids trying to make a living.... I got into boatbuilding due to my love of boats.... I was impressed by your homepage, mostly because it spoke to my heart. Yes, I find duct tape to be my bandaide of choice. I have restored wooden boats for two years..Grand Banks...I moved on when Mormon Boss bought the company and didn't think women belonged in a boatyard. I build huge custom built stinkpotters now. But I have not forgotten how to loft a 10 ft wooden dory nor have I forgotten how to be a regular person. But I do have a problem when that person is not talking about boats. *LOL* I am passing your website onto friends who also have the boatbuilding disease.
First, I read your book in 1976 or 78 forget which, made the 'T' frame and the hull forms (but not the stem forms). The wife wanted her car in the garage as I remember it and the money was tight, being in Maintenance I was looking for some old wood to salvage. One thing or another the strongback came down and got stored along the wall. Along with some select redwood from a water tower (not sure they are in any 'good shape' yet).Last month, I joined a good friend of mine, for some Teal hunting in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. We rented an aluminum canoe, at $65.00 a day, and I might add not only was it a tug of a craft (I use the word 'craft' VERY lightly) it was also missing a good share of it's rivets. Not good! Now my friend was oblivious to the detested condition of this junket, I however, realized that even if I don't use a canoe with any regularity. That if I had just completed that canoe project 25 years ago, I would not be in that situation. Surely I would have enjoyed the experience much better. The words "I'mmm BACK" may ring sweetly in your ears.
So I've cleaned and straightened the garage, set up the strongback (varnishing it years ago was a good thing-it may need the slightest touch of planing-the ends are up about 1/16") and I have been searching the Internet for weeks. Obsessed with researching the process of building my wood strip canoe, the beauty of which no one shall deny. (At least not to my face.)
My darling wife of 26 blissful years (I know this for fact-cause she tells me it's so) (But it could be our last year!) says to me on Sunday, as I'm setting the strongback into it's holders, "I have to get the car into the garage for the winter." My reply, "Not this winter your not, I'm building this canoe and if I hear one more word about it, one little sic, roll of the eyes, so help me you'll be living with your son in Champaign. So get over it."
I sit in a chair in a long row, on either side of me are more people with that same hopeless look on their face, cut up and bruised, clothes with hard crusty patches of epoxy and paint. I stand up:'Hello, my name is Eric, and I am an addict - I am a boatbuilding junkie...'
'Hi Eric...'
Seems a lot of my dreams start this way - I spend much time figuring out what to build next. I have long since passed the stage where I need to buy other peoples designs - I do buy the books, I need something to carry with me so I can get my 'fix' during the day (it is not always convenient to pull out the paper, french curves and rulers).
I just can't help myself, as was suggested, I got a Dog to keep me company and pre-occupied... turns out he loves to go canoeing (almost more than I do). I took him for a walk in the woods - it was very relaxing, then I started to notice the nice pieces of oak, some very good natural crooks (hmm... good stem piece, heres a knee...hmmm, how much weight can a Cocker- Spaniel pull... if I tie his leash to the log, maybe he can help drag this out...).
I saw a neat design for a peddle boat, I had to take my eyes away from the book for a few moments just to aleviate the eye strain, and the 'Flintstones' were on tv (you know, that episode when they win that HOUSEBOAT...), and that got me thinking about the way things are all powered with squirrels and small dinosaurs in cages (sort of like a Yugo) - got me thinking about that dog again - maybe if I set up a tradmill, a couple of universal joints, and a small prop, I can walk the dog and go boating all at the same time... hmmm... thanks, that dog was a good idea (now I expect a flood of letters from the ASPCA).
Well - I gotta run now - all this talking about boats got me thinking, I have to go draw up a design that just came to mind. Fortunetly (or unfortunatly) I live in NJ, Greystone Psychiatric Hospital is only a few miles away... I could walk there if I have to.
Yes, I admit it. I have a problem. I have so many plans I don't know which one to build next. My wife wants me to sell some of my boats....imagine that? Alot of nerve she has! I even started another one and hid the bulkheads behind my work bench so she wouldn't hassle me. This is such a terribly great sickness, is it not? How many of us can really say that were gonna quit after that next one and really mean it? Just one more honey!! Love your site and I will add a link on my web page to yours without hesitation (well after I plane the sheer line ;-)
Here's my canoe-building story and I'm stickin' to it:
The Quiet Way
--
Andre Germain.
If you can relate, if you have a story to tell, a new symptom to add to the list, or a suggestion for recovery, send me an e-mail (details at the bottom of this page).
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e-mail: innercom(NOSPAM)peak.org