| As a kid I did a lot of boat building, mainly scale models | | | | We decided on swimming. We did not see anyone |
| that were not able to sail, although I did actual build a | | | | around, so we quickly undressed, and with one hand |
| few boats that were, more or less, capable of sailing. I | | | | holding our clothes above the water, we managed to |
| even once build a 10 feet boat, or shall I say raft. I | | | | get back to our own side of the river. Just as we |
| accomplished this with a few friends and we had | | | | were struggling to get out of the water a group of girls |
| great fun sailing it on the local river. It was not really | | | | from our own school were passing by, and I can tell |
| water proof and while one person was rowing, the | | | | you we were not happy! |
| others had to make sure that they removed the water | | | | This all happened a long time ago and a few times in |
| quicker then it was entering our boat. | | | | my live I have had plans of building a boat again. I have |
| Then sadly one day we failed. I was rowing at the | | | | spent a good amount of time looking at boat building |
| time, and we were in the middle of the river when it | | | | plans, but with boats size does matter. |
| was clear we were sinking. I stopped rowing to assist | | | | I usually looked at boats between 30 and 40 feet, but |
| with the hosing, but this only slowed down the process | | | | the sheer volume of work involved has always |
| of sinking, it did not stop it. So I started to row again in | | | | stopped me from going ahead with my boat building |
| on effort to reach dry land before we sank, thus | | | | plans. |
| avoiding having to swim to safety. | | | | Now I have decided to start small. I am going to build a |
| And guess what: We made it! Just before the boat | | | | 16 feet Grand Banks dory, which I want to fit with a |
| really started to sink we managed to jump ashore. | | | | small outboard engine. I boughtl the boat building plans, I |
| Here we watched as our pride and joy slowly sank to | | | | got the working space, and by the time you read this |
| the bottom of the river. It was then that we realised | | | | article I might be finished already. |
| we were at the wrong side of the river and this left us | | | | Later, who knows, I might build a 40 feet cabin cruiser, |
| with a problem. We either had to walk to the nearest | | | | and tow my Grand Banks dory behind me. Then, if my |
| bridge, 10 kilometers upriver, so that would have been | | | | cabin cruises sinks, I can always row to safety in my |
| a 20 kilometer walk, or swim to the other side. | | | | Grand Banks dory, dry and with my clothes on. |