Biting off more than you can chew.

My cousin's wife has built three boats, a canoe, a kayak and a small dinghy. She has a fourth in progress. She's quite a craftsman and quite a lady. I took one look at her and knew I'd like her.

The interesting thing is that she didn't just wake up and decide to build a boat, she did a little homework. She took a class to see what the first project entailed and see if she could realistically build a boat. Smart cookie.

Her boats are in the 8-12 foot range, light and beautifully crafted and of a size and difficulty level that she is capable of. In short, she was actually able to finish what she started.

I can think of very little that has contributed to the national firewood supply as unfinished boats have. A lot of people decide to start building a full sized replica of Noah's Ark or a 75 foot ketch and for reasons of lack of talent, time and money the project winds up in the fireplace or rotting away in someone's garage or yard.  

Still a few actually get finished.

I had a neighbor that was building a sailboat in his garage and I do believe he was the exception. For him it wasn't the dream if sailing off into the sunset in a hand built sailboat. For him it was the act of actually building it. It was a labor of love.

He had always wanted to build things with his hands but decided to do something more profitable to feed his family so the boat was his outlet. When he was transferred he took the unfinished project with him. I'm sure eventually he will finish it eventually.

While he was planking it I used to drop by and check it out. I'd take a pencil with me and put the date on the most recent plank he had installed and when I visited again I'd see there were a few more added on. I'd date the newest. It was fun to see the progress.

Still, he and my cousins wife are exceptions to the rule. The firewood supply is constantly being increased daily as dream boats go unfinished. (I wonder how low the completion rate for home built airplanes is)

There certainly is a lot more joy paddling a canoe across a mill pond somewhere than there is of dreaming about crossing an ocean in a home built 75 foot ketch.

I have to say that my cousin's wife has that part figured out and that speaks very highly of her. She can certainly chew what she bites off and that is one of the secrets to a happy life.

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As a side bar here. 

In the mid 80s I bought a 24 foot 7 inch Sailstar Corsair in Everett, Washington and taught myself to sail on the way to Kodiak. 

I lived on board for a while and there were always people walking the docks checking out the various boats. I met a young couple that were interested in sailing the Seven Seas on their own boat and said they were saving up for the Big Fifty Footer.

They had somewhat of a snobby attitude toward my little pocket cruiser.

A few years back I ran into someone that told me the couple was still walking the docks and still dreaming about sailing thee Seven Seas on their Big Fifty Footer.

He looked at me and laughed. "They're still dreaming about it and you actually did it."

I guess that my expectations were actually reasonable. I do believe if I were still in Kodiak saving for a fifty footer I would still be walking the docks boatless. 









To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY