Inspiring Read: Boat Building with Merchant and Makers

I've wanted to build a boat ever since I sunk my small dingy on the Trinity Lake as a kid. Once I have the space, I will fashion a sea-worthy vessel and take it out to brave the ocean, or at least a sizeable pond.   The exceptional craftsmen over at Merchants and Makers know what quality is. Their articles highlight some incredible craftsmen that carry on traditions for generations (for example, check out their piece on Wheelwrighting). While I love to read about craftsmen, a piece that really inspired me was from an interview with Yvonne Green, Principle of the Boat Building Academy in Dorset. I've always loved the extreme detail that goes into a handmade boat, from the materials to the techniques there's something incredible about being a maker that can build a boat. Boats are so complex, and require so many different skills to construct; which essentially makes it my unicorn, the something I must one day create.

Once I have the time, I will build an 18ft stitch and glue sea kayak. This boat has been on my mind for years. As an avid water rat, slicing through the water in a svelt kayak is one of my favorite pastimes, doing it in a custom handmade boat would be the closest to Nirvana that I can imagine.

So go ahead and read the interview, and then leave a comment on the boat you plan to build one day.