So I'm building a boat. The idea started almost a year ago when I was bored at work and started researching boat kits. I learned a lot of interesting stuff about the boat building community, and discovered a great group of boats called "Instant Boats," designed for those with limited time and previous experience.
Real life caught up shortly, however, and wooden boats went from invading my every thought to more like an occasional daydream. Then I got laid off. After I found my new job I realized I was going to have a gap in employment of at least a few weeks, and what better way to spend it? Of course wanting to build a boat and building a boat are two very different things, and the process went more slowly then I imagined.
But now I've got the plans. They arrived last night in a big envelope and they are beautiful. If I manage to complete this thing I'm getting them framed. Included with them are several other sheets that explain how to adhere boards together end to end with epoxy and fiberglass, how to rig sails, etc. Best of all the instructions on how to actually build the thing are photocopies of typewritten pages! The antiquity of the whole process, ordering the plans by mail, the typewritten pages, and hand drawn plans just really completes the fantasy of wooden boats: stepping on to one is stepping into the past.
I've long since realized this project isn't happening while I'm still unemployed and have so much time to do it. I could be back at work in a few days potentially, and I'm still waiting for a jigsaw to arrive from Amazon. I'm not even close to ready to start. But having the plans is an important step. It feels like I've begun.
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