The Beginning of My Folly

Full disclosure. I am not a boatbuilder. I took woodworking back in high school almost 50 years ago and really enjoyed it. My magnum opus was the construction of a grandfather clock, which is still ticking today.

The DN build got me excited about modeling again and I started the search for a bigger and better challenge. This led me to my next project of building a scale model remote control version of a 1949 Chris Craft Racing Runabout. The construction mimics the process of building the actual boat. Very detailed and very fun!

One boat wasn’t enough so I decided to add a twin screw remote control scale model of a 1967 Riva Aquarama to my fleet. The boat was designed and built in Italy, and unfortunately, the model kit was too. The instructions for this one were a challenge and kept me up at night, but I somehow got through it and ended up with a beautiful boat.

As I was working on these models Carolyn would always jokingly ask me when I was going to build a real boat. Jim caught wind of this and one day I received a gift in the mail that kicked this thing off. He gave me a one year subscription to WoodenBoat magazine. The magazine for “wooden boat owners, builders and designers”. I actually didn’t fit into any of these categories, but who knows? On the cover of the first issue was a picture of a beautiful 15′ sailboat that really caught my eye. The article about the boat covered the design and build of The Windsong. A lug-rigged high-performance sailboat designed in 2020 by a boat builder in England. As I read the article I started to believe that it might be possible for me to build this thing. I’ve wanted a sailboat for a while now, but could never decide what type. This boat would be unique to Lake Geneva and it would be built by me. One problem. I know nothing about building boats.

Carolyn liked the idea of me taking this on so she decided to fortify my boat building skills, which at this time were zero, by sending me to boat building school for a week. (Yes, there really is such a thing, and it’s called WoodenBoat School). They offered a class in the exact hull construction that my boat is made with. Fine strip plank hull construction. There I learned the basic skills of hull construction which would help me kick off my project. But remember, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I may be able to build the hull, but that is just the start. There is so much about the rest of the construction that I don’t understand that it’s very scary to set off on this endeavor.

I have a couple of resources to help allay my fears and talk me through some of this construction. The first is the boat designer/builder himself. He’s a friendly English chap whom I’ve emailed with several questions, and he is always quick to respond and eager to help. As I get into this he will be hearing a lot more from me. (Poor guy!)

My second source is a local classic boat restorer/boat builder. This man is a gifted artist who can bring any boat back to life. I’ve already met with him a couple of times and he is interested in my project and willing to help. Phew! With the help of these two men I feel I have a pretty good shot at getting this thing done.

I took the wooden boat class back in early June, and I am just now getting my materials together and will begin construction shortly. I’ve had to locate specific woods and plywoods, find someone to CNC router forms and shapes out of plywood for me, and clear out my garage and convert it to a wood shop. My dear Uncle Burt, an incredibly accomplished woodworker, will be giving me all of his woodworking tools and equipment to set me up for success.