Musings crossed my mind this evening. Of course, we build boats here, boats of a certain design and size. For the most part, most of us are amateur boat builders, taking our first attempt at a boat, and reaching out to a dream of years long past.
Yet, there is something else here. For some reason this site engenders friendship. We share our thoughts and even pictures of our families. We come to know one another, even though we may not know one another's faces or voices.
We build boats to sail, but far, far beyond that horizon, we build boats because we want to share the stuff out of which life is made, share it with our children, our spouses, and our friends.
So, here are some things I would like to share with my seafaring BYYB friends. Here are a few photographs of smaller projects, symbols, I suppose, of the tykes for whom I build my boat.
This design is from Wild Hare Dan, my wife's brother. We even stretched part of an old inner tube over the wheels for added traction. The propeller spins and is weighted so that it is always vertical. Less danger that way I suppose.
"Could you build something for the girls?" she asked modestly.
"It needs to be just the right size to fit between the windows. The
girls will put dolls inside, and other toys, and dress-up clothes, too"
So, we built it, and even gave it a heart. She wanted knotty pine.
"Dad, could I have that clock?" he asked. "It really looks like a lighthouse. It almost looks like real stone." I had cut it out of thick Birdseye maple, never dreaming that he would have wanted a lighthouse clock. His surprise surprised me.
"Your son will need tools," I told him. "I'll make something and send it your way." I understand that he pounded the floor as well as the blocks. He even used the wrench. His tiny workbench included a wooden bolt, complete with threads.
"Puzzles, children always love puzzles," I told them. "Every child needs to know the story of Humpty Dumpty. He is a good egg, you know." Somehow, though, the tiger was his favorite, but she liked the Miss Mouse. I plan to build her a wagon. She's just about the right age now.
"We're going to school again today!" the girls screamed with excitement. Arithmetic problems meant that little hands would need to write down homework problems.
So, we built an easel out of hickory, and they drew numbers, pictures, and wrote words. Sometimes theyeven did their homework on the easel. You might saythat it was all done to the tune of a hickory stick.
He had grown some since I had last seen him in Florida, and he needed another airplane, or so I thought. This time I wanted to give him something traditional. We found a peddle-car/airplane kit from Korea. It looked rather rough when it arrived, but we worked on it, had the body powder-coated and painted some of the parts red. He was really amazed that the propeller would spin as he peddled the airplane.
I'm not sure what our kids and their kids will think of the boat. Somehow,
though, I believe they will like it, and they will remember those special
moments of open water and fresh wind. I do know one thing: I'm glad I
decided to build a boat. I really am.
Back Yard Yacht Builders
A non-commercial association of amateur boat-builder enthusiasts.
All our wooden boats are Stevenson designs.