The secret to successful boatbuilding is apple pie. Yes literally! Today is Sunday and though I cleaned up the shop yesterday after a week's worth of cutting, today will be boat-free. If I were single, I'd be going at it around the clock. I'm not single and I have a kid so I have to keep the family from feeling that boat building is encroaching on their lives. As in "I had a father but he hasn't come out of the shop in weeks!" Today, I'm hanging doing crafts and baking an apple pie. If boat building were to become a sore spot then it would grind to a halt - not a good thing. Like sailing and cruising, if it's not fun for the whole crew it won't work - keep morale high, keep it light, no need to yell at the crew and if you hit something, laugh it off. That is so for boat building too. After all much of the world sees boats and messing about in them as superfluous. If you don't believe me, talk to your friend's wives about it and watch their eyes roll or try explaining to your boss that you are two hours late for work because you were making sure the epoxy was not sagging - Your boss will have something to say and it won't be favorable.

Baking is good for other things than the family, it accesses your chemistry skills. This is critical to the process as a major epoxy stage is approaching on the Tiki. Wharram, in his literature talks about, boat building as being a female/male process. Not necessarily, it is art and art means you must demand yourself to transcend the social limitations of gender bias and work with the materials as they demand.

Time to post - my water has chilled enough that I can make the crust for the pie! I'll post a picture of the final product.