Craftsmanship, bending wood, boats, beauty, and just plain coolness.

[mainemike]

This is a neat vid. The boat - a Herreshoff S Class is among this legendary designer's most legendary designs. The Brooklin Boat Yard here in Brooklin Maine - is like mecca for wooden boats, their owners and fans. Joel White (son of E.B. White, author Charlotte's Web etc...), is generally considered responsible for it's tradition and reputation. If you've ever had the chance to sail in a wooden boat, you know they're special and different and just plain cool. The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta is held near Brooklin every year, wooden boats only, a sight to behold and I hope to participate someday if I can scam an invite! Anyway, if you like this kind of stuff you'll like this vid, and the story behind this particular boat
http://www.offcenterharbor.com/video...boat-mischief/
The Long Affair: David Bradley and his S-Boat MISCHIEF. A Guest Blog by Ben Bradley - OffCenterHarbor.com

[Nathanrtaylor]

I've read A Unit of Water, A Unit of Time two or three times over the past ten years. That and a handful of books about boats and boat building hooked me in college.

I spent three months constructing a skin on frame greenland kayak and paddling it all around Lake Acton near Oxford, Ohio. I still have that kayak, but it hasn't been on the water in years. Probably needs a new "skin" (nylon) by now. What I carved and hacked together is by no means a Brooklin built Herreshoff design, but it goes fast, floats, and is made out of wood.

I love this kind of stuff even more than being on the water.

[Matt Smith]

Starting when I was 18 and continuing on today, I've worked part time on a 65' wooden sportfishing boat here in San Diego. The hull was laid down in 1959 and has been in contiuous commercial operation since. I know it's not a sailboat, but it is an amazing craft. It's a Norek designed Carvel constructed hull. We haul out every two years to refasten planks and do gerneral upkeep and there is an hoest to goodness Portuguese Shipwright at the yard we use who comes along to recaulk any seams that have lost or are losing their cotton. Amazing to watch him work.

[Tom]

Not the same but at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake they have guide boats which are just the most beautiful things. When I grow up I want to make one.

[mimbresman]

I have one of this guy's laminated Greenland-style paddles. It is a beauty. I like looking at it, but it works beautifully as well. My favorite paddle by far!

[nrs5000]

Sailing any kind of Herreshoff boat up and down Eggemoggin Reach is pretty hard to beat. I did a couple classes at Wooden Boat about 20 years ago and spent several happy afternoons in their 12 1/2s and the Biscayne Bay Sharpie. Somewhere I have a set of plans to build one of those one day.