Earlier in my life I entertained ideas of building a kit airplane. After years of research and much reading, talking, etc. to people who have done it, I found out you must really, really, really love spending time alone in your workshop, and have a job, wife and family that will allow for that.

One expert said in an article about building a "homebuilt" airplane, "There are people who build for pure enjoyment of building, and there are people who fly for the pure enjoyment of flying, rarely are they the same person." I realized I was one of the type that love to fly, but lack the love of building. The small airplane classifieds are full of half finished kits for the same reason. If you don't love to build, you will get frustrated, board and eventually either throw the thing together sloppily just to get it done, or sell it half done.

Kind of like race cars, etc. there are mechanics who love to work on the cars, but rarely drive them, and there are drivers who only drive the cars, never turning a wrench. I think the same applies to building boats.

You really have to want to live in the woodshop and just enjoy building stuff, preferably without the distractions of family demands, and be happy. I don't have the time and too many family demands, and as I decided back with the airplane kit, I will never be a builder.

But I think some of the builders might not want to their baby too hard either. A race car driver will run it into another car or the wall, trying to pass for the win, and not worry too much about repairing it, whereas a mechanic might drive a bit more cautiously, knowing he will spend hours in the shop fixing it. "Drive it like you stole it" is a popular NASCAR term for good reason. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />