The beginning.

I was driving home from work the other afternoon, trying to think of how to start writing this blog. The story makes sense to me, but I wasn't quite sure where to start telling it to you. As my mind wandered, I turned my car westward into the afternoon sun as it shined brightly through a pollen-filled southern sky. Uh-oh... Now I know where to start.

Sneezing. It's a sudden and startling reminder that I'm barely two months post-op from having triple bypass surgery. Thankfully, I can at least now withstand a couple of sneezes without screaming in pain. Still, it scares me initially and makes me feel like my upper torso is made of egg shell. It serves as a shaking reminder that my sternum is still a two-part structure, held together by stainless steel wire. What has all this to do with boats, you ask?

As I'd mentioned to Gayle Brantuk the day before, I've been recently reminded that you only live once. Gayle is the daughter of Glen L. Witt, Naval Architect and founder of Glen-L Marine Designs based in California. Glen-L has provided construction plans to do-it-yourself boatbuilders since 1953. Among the 300+ Glen-L designs is one called the "Zip," a 14-foot classically-styled runabout of the 1950's / Dolce Vita aesthetic. Gorgeous boat. I've wanted one since the first time I saw it. So, a couple of days ago I called Glen-L and ordered the plans, because I'm going to build one. I'm tired of talking myself out of it. You only live once, right?

Truthfully, this is actually the third set of plans I've bought from Glen-L. I didn't finish the first boat. I'm currently building the second one. More on all that later. I wanted to write this blog, my own little boatbuilding story, in hopes that it might encourage or be of benefit to other boat builders. Other boatbuilding blogs have been of enormous help and encouragement to me.

How's this for inspiration? Roberta & Rich Hegy in Roberta's beautiful Zip "Oliver IV." Sept. 2012