To answer the question originally posed, “Can an accountant with virtually no woodworking experience build a boat?”, the answer is now YES!!!
I think anybody can build a boat if they take their time and get help when you run into the situations where you are unsure of how to proceed.
This project took longer than expected, mostly due to my inexperience. When confronted with not knowing how to do something I consulted with friends & neighbours, Chuck Leinweber (most of all) and the dwforum folks on Yahoo Groups.
I am very pleased with the outcome. It was one of the best things I have ever done….in many respects. It took me completely out of my accountant realm of thinking and forced me to solve much different problems than I do in my working life. I gained a lot more respect for anybody who works with their hands. I gained confidence to take on other woodworking projects in the future. I’m confident I can do almost anything if I plan carefully and take my time.
If you are thinking of building yourself a boat, take your time to determine what is the best boat for you, choose a good design and go for it. It may well be one of the most rewarding things you ever do.
Was the Ladybug design a good choice? Sadly, I am still waiting to get it in the water. I’ll update this section when I have used it a little….or a lot.
