Bend-based travel writer Tim Neville and I have been working for the past 8 months on a 4-part series of articles for Canoe & Kayak Magazine, chronicling his efforts to build a kit kayak in his garage.

Arriving at Part 3, he writes:

“You start out building a boat with all these grand, romantic visions of Man and His Craft, getting sawdust in your hair, sanding a keel that’s fair and true, and then reality hits. You don’t know shit and things that should take an hour take a day.

Then winter hits and it’s freezing outside and you have no place to work. But you’re not alone with your troubles. In fact, there’s a whole community of boat builders out there with all the knowledge you need. Hit it right and not only will you have a warm place to work with an expert to guide you, but you’ll become friends in the process and that means paddling buddies when it’s all said and done.”