Bryan Tuffnell wrote: Hey Robert: for someone who is a romantic first, an engineer second and a sailor third, I'm compelled to say that the few sentences above encapsulate something I feel I'm missing by not building a boat. I can imagine few things more satisfying than crafting a home capable of traversing oceans, and I envy you, Annie, and all those who have the satisfaction of physically processing that dream into a reality. I'm left to imagine how potent and cathartic it feels to have the satisfaction of exploring the world, or a favourite corner of it, in a vessel of your own creation.

Thank you for the words above; they've had quite an impact. 

Well, if you ever get Southern No-Response to shell out for your house that was wrecked by the earthquake 6 years ago, take the money and run up here and then build your dream boat!  You only live once.

Annie Hill wrote:

 I know chines are supposed to be ugly, but I like them, myself and besides, I'm using it to delineate between the copper and the topside paint.  I have faith that I can get it pretty fair!

Not so Annie, chines are very 'in fashion' these days. Many of the new production boats have a chine incorporated in the hull, supposedly to allow more interior volume but I think it is really all about the look. So our boxy plywood boats with noticeable chines are right up there with the current vogue. A round hull form is 'so yesterday' !!

Robert Leask wrote:

What keeps me at it is taking a moment to stand back and look at what I've done. My boat has been my home for many years, and taken me more places than I can relate, and it was once only a mental image. Then an image on paper, then liines on the loft floor, and finally the good ship Loon. After all these years I can still see that image in my mind. A dream made real, by my own hands.

Thats why we do it. The whine of drills, the buzz of power planes, the smell of epoxy in the morning, instant coffee rimed with sawdust, and a dream. If I weren't so old, I would build another. I'm enjoying your photographic boat building documentary, your pictures evoke all those sights, sounds and smells of building a wood boat. 

Is boatbuilding a means to an end, or an end in itself?

Hey Robert: for someone who is a romantic first, an engineer second and a sailor third, I'm compelled to say that the few sentences above encapsulate something I feel I'm missing by not building a boat. I can imagine few things more satisfying than crafting a home capable of traversing oceans, and I envy you, Annie, and all those who have the satisfaction of physically processing that dream into a reality. I'm left to imagine how potent and cathartic it feels to have the satisfaction of exploring the world, or a favourite corner of it, in a vessel of your own creation.

Thank you for the words above; they've had quite an impact. 

David Tyler wrote:

Now comes the fairing up of the chines. Nothing worse than a wavy chine, such as one sees on some amateur built steel boats. It'll be easier with plywood,though. I'd put on quite a large radius which will help disguise any departure from fair curves. How about making some little templates with a 50mm internal radius to offer up as you plane? 

I think I'll stick with a fairly 'sharp' chine, David.  I don't want to start removing wood there - the chine log isn't exactly enormous to begin with - and anyway, I prefer the looks of a sharp chine to a well-rounded one.  I know chines are supposed to be ugly, but I like them, myself and besides, I'm using it to delineate between the copper and the topside paint.  I have faith that I can get it pretty fair!

Whoo-hoo squared! No, belay that, whoo-hoo to the power of ten!! Looking good? Yup, certainly is. Looking strong and reliable, too.

Now comes the fairing up of the chines. Nothing worse than a wavy chine, such as one sees on some amateur built steel boats. It'll be easier with plywood,though. I'd put on quite a large radius which will help disguise any departure from fair curves. How about making some little templates with a 50mm internal radius to offer up as you plane?