Ever dreamed of building a boat and sailing away?

January 6, 2005 10:30 AM

Ever dreamed of building a boat and sailing away? Two clearly mad Canadians decide to built a yacht. Clearly mad because they actually do it! It's a bit of a saga but well worth the read for the vicarious pleasure. I'm green with envy! N.B. the site navigation can be a bit dicky so you may have to change the url to get to the next day sometimes. It goes up to day 222.
posted by milkwood (14 comments total)

Wow, this is completely awesome. Thanks.
posted by kavasa at 10:47 AM on January 6, 2005

To answer your question: no.
posted by fleener at 11:01 AM on January 6, 2005

Here's a link to some school kids who are building a cork boat. Here's a link to the guys in my neighborhood who built the cork boat that inspired the kids [that jack built]. I helped them bind corks a couple of times; it was boring but fun.
posted by OmieWise at 11:03 AM on January 6, 2005

Oh my god. People actually build boats?

I had always assumed that they came from space aliens. This is truly a singular experience throughout human history. Mad indeed.
posted by delmoi at 11:14 AM on January 6, 2005

Delmoi -- spot on; I too am underwhelmed. This happens all the time. That's how places like WoodenBoat School, Apprenticeshop, and Mystic Seaport's boatbuilding program stay in existence. Living on your boat, fulltime cruising, and circumnavigating are common enough that entire magazines like Cruising World and Latitides & Attitudes are devoted to the topic.
posted by Miko at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2005

Yes, you may be missing the point a little so I'll try better to articulate it. This isn't a cute little runabout lovingly crafted by a retired white male who has the resources to get all the help he needs to see his dream to fruition. This is a couple of lezzers building a huge fuck off yacht in their back yard with nothing more than their hands! ...um and some steel too. They teach themselves to weld, and develop ways to overcome obstacles, and bugger me, they carry it off. So spare me your space aliens ( oh ha ha that was so clever!) and your effete underwhelmedness- This happens all the time my arse! The only equipment these two ladies had when they started this dream would have been the steel cap boots and the overalls, and they would've been bought to wear when relaxing.
posted by milkwood at 3:22 PM on January 6, 2005 [1 favorite]

cool! I hate people who actually do things, I prefer losers like myself who have grand ideas but are too lazy to put down the mouse.
posted by chaz at 3:50 PM on January 6, 2005

I knew a few folks who did stuff like this, back in my sailing days in Mexico. milkwood is exactly right, it's not an everyday thing, and it's very cool indeed.

I love mad bastards. Thanks for the link.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:32 AM on January 7, 2005

Crazy but free... if, like me, you've dreamed of picking up and sailing away, take a look at this site, about Lin and Larry Pardey. Decades ago they built a 26' sailboat, and have spent the last 30 years sailing it multiple times around the world, and writing books about it...
posted by DAJ at 6:24 AM on January 7, 2005

Yes.
posted by kamylyon at 7:04 AM on January 7, 2005

It being an everyday thing entirely depends on where you are. Until this summer I worked full-time for 5 years at Mystic Seaport, handling square-rigged sail, rowing whaleboats, hauling dories and anchors, and climbing rigging (not so effete, is it?). I've worked on schooners and spent much time recreational sailing, meeting people from the entire maritime world, and I can vouch from direct experience that exactly this kind of thing is done much more often than you'd expect, and not only by retired white males. (I myself took a Boatbuilding for Women class at the Seaport as well, and was in a class of 12 women involved in various stages of similar projects). There's a huge subculture of 'alternative' maritime adventure out there, boats being built and operated by people who don't fall into the 'yachtie' category, itinerant sail-addicted people under 40. You've just discovered it. Congratulations, glad you're impressed, and if you're interested there's an entire world of books, magazines, classes, resources, jobs, sail training, and events out there for you to get involved in. Look harder to find more links next time.
posted by Miko at 12:43 PM on January 7, 2005

Just noticed as well that these 'ladies' had already built a 21-ft fiberglass-on-wood-frame cabin cruiser before beginning this project, so it's not as though they started from scratch for this project; they've been working with these types of plans for some time.
posted by Miko at 12:47 PM on January 7, 2005

Check out this Trimaran, built essentially by one man, and its progress logged by his wife, a photographer. I think it's awesome.
posted by semmi at 3:43 PM on January 7, 2005

Piss off Miko! They are champions OK! Just accept it!
posted by milkwood at 3:52 AM on January 8, 2005 [1 favorite]