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How my online boatbuilding course works Jun 18, 2021

One of the reasons that I love boatbuilding is because it is an intrinsically tangible, hands-on creative activity. 

So how can it make sense to teach boatbuilding remotely, through a computer screen...

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The purpose of work Jun 17, 2021
I am currently reading "Small is Beautiful" by economist E. F. Schumacher. Although the book is almost 50 years old, it feels remarkably fresh and relevant.
 
This paragraph, in particular, on the p...
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This book about chairs has changed how I build boats Jun 10, 2021

 

I have never built a chair. And it will probably be a while before I do. But still, Chairmaker's Notebook by Peter Galbert is perhaps the one book that has had the biggest impact on my attitude tow...

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What boat should I build first? Jun 07, 2021
 
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If you are considering building a wooden boat, you have probably already spent quite a bi...
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These are the tools you need to build a wooden boat Jun 05, 2021

The list below is what I consider the minimum tools you will need to build a small wooden boat. You might have access to other tools that will prove useful, but in order to keep things simple and to k...

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How to set up your boatbuilding workshop Jun 04, 2021

A boatbuilding workshop is in many ways similar to other woodshops. But due to the size and complex shape of the boat and its parts, there are some special requirements for a boatbuilding shop, which ...

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How to build a lapstrake boat that never leaks Jun 03, 2021

When wood gets wet it swells up and when it dries, it shrinks. That's the basic mechanism behind the good old "leaky wooden boat" problem. 

Wood swelling and drying

The joint between two planks may ...

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What is best: Plywood or natural wood? Jun 03, 2021

You want to build a wooden boat, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. But should the boat be built of plywood or of natural wood straight from the tree?

The big difference between plywood and natu...

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Is wooden boatbuilding nature friendly? Jun 01, 2021

Video transcript:

Obviously, when you cut down trees, you take away something from nature, right? So in that respect, it's not nature friendly. But the good thing is that trees can grow up again, and...

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The power of making mistakes May 31, 2021

Video transcript:

You know when you build boats you make a lot of mistakes. I would say that any boatbuilder who says he's built a boat without making any mistakes he's lying, for sure, haha!

But ma...

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Introduction to the Fiddlehead double paddle canoe May 30, 2021

Video transcript:

"Walking you are bounded by every sea and river, and in a common sailing-boat you are bounded by every shallow and shore; whereas, I was in a canoe, which could be paddled or sailed...

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Why use wood for a boat? May 29, 2021

Video transcript:

So the reason I use wood is ... You know there are several reasons.

So if you're purely into the technical aspects, wood is probably the best material for a boat in terms of streng...

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