boats to build

"I'm gonna build me a boat

With these two hands

It'll be a fair curve

From a noble plan"

Those lines are from Guy Clark's "Boats to Build," probably my favorite song about boat building and - more importantly - getting away from it all.  Clark is from West Texas but spent a few years down on the Texas coast around Rockport and Houston.  You can tell from his music he learned a few things about boats and life on the water.

I think a lot about building Spartina, especially in the winter when the days are short and the weather is too cold and grey to go outside.  I spent two winters in my garage building my Pathfinder.  The first winter was all about cutting frames, adding stiffeners and shaping spars.  By the second winter I was bending on stringers (starting to look like a boat) and doing the planking (really looking like a boat!).  I miss all that activity on the cold winter nights.  

While my boatbuilding days are over I still take a lot of joy in watching other people work on their Pathfinders.  The good folks on the JW builders site have put together a list of blogs from Pathfinder builders.  If you are interested in building a Pathfinder it would be well worth your time to visit some of these sites and take a look at what these guys are doing.  

• Take a look at the detail work and joinery on Rick Corless's boat.

http://www.rickcorless.com/pathfinder%20tittle%20page.htm

• Jason is using a 3-D modeling program to help visualize his boat.

http://prairiesailing.blogspot.com/

• I had to laugh when I looked at Brian's blog (photo above).  Imagine opening a blog from a boat builder on the other side of the world only to see a photo of my wife and youngest daughter on Spartina!  I think he got it from John's site.  (It's ok by me, I'm proud of both the boat and the family!)

http://pathfinderbuild.blogspot.com/

• Richard is calling his Pathfinder "Catori" which means "Spirit" in the Hopi language.  Interesting to find a Kiwi boat with a Native American name.

http://coscatori.blogspot.com/

• I've emailed with Perry a bit.  I really envy his sailing territory of New Foundland, but I'll pass on the long winters up there.

http://buildingpathfinder.blogspot.com/

• Alan is in the U.K and the this beautiful Pathfinder looks to be a family project.

http://idlefiddler.blogspot.com/2008/11/modifications.html

One thing these builders have in common is that they all have a lot more skill than I do.  The work is just fantastic, I can't wait to see some of these boats on the water.  These boats are real show pieces.  But while Spartina (below) may carry a workboat finish, she is still strong and true.  I'll be proud to sail her any day. 

-Steve