Boat Building Forum

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Time to step back and take a deep breath
By:Brian Nystrom
Date: 4/22/2000, 9:36 am
In Response To: Re: What information do you want? (Bill Heuser)

: I agree with you Dean, we need two bulletin boards. One for the Engineer want
: to be. This one would be for the "what ifers" and those who
: maybe will build some day, and also the getting ready to get ready to
: build some day guys. The other board would be for guys that actually build
: kayaks.

Excuse me, but this is supposed to be a forum where one can learn about kayak building, correct? That's certainly what I came here for. I found differing opinions (a healthy thing), explored them and found some interesting contradictons. However, I also found that when someone rocks the boat here (pun intended) by presenting ideas that are contrary to established practices, closed minds pop up and try to shout them down. Attitudes spring up everywhere. Am I supposed infer from your post that I should kiss your feet and accept everything you say just because you're a "boat builder" and I'm not...yet? Please pardon me for having the unmitigated gaul to do a bit of research and actually ask questions (gasp!) before I commit plane to wood. If I read your inference correctly, it seems that George doesn't have a monopoly on "high and mighty" attitudes on this forum. Once I build a boat, am I then entitled to ask questions and express opinions? Is a stitch and glue boat sufficient or do only strip built boats count?

Please excuse the sarchasm, but I felt it was necessary to point out how ridiculous all this bickering is. The only way any human endeavor advances is because people question accepted practice and formulate new ideas. What if no one had ever asked: "I wonder if I could build a boat by gluing together small strips of wood?" or "Maybe fiberglass would make a good hull reinforcement?" Where would we be then?

Personalities aside, everyone here has something to contribute. We need to open our minds, look past the rhetoric to the underlying ideas and think about them rationally. We should engage in debate, but do so dispassionately. Nothing will ever be gained by being defensive, emotional or irrational. Nothing will be gained by polarizing the forum into "camps" or attempting to segregate a portion of the participants, either. Pointing fingers and saying "He started it!" gets us nowhere. We're all adults here, so we should be able to disagree without resorting to personal attacks and childish behavior.

The ultimate decision on the methods we use to build our personal boats is up to each of us. Having options and understanding the pro's and con's of each of them can only be beneficial. I've read three books on strip building and the authors all use substantially different methods, yet they all produce fine results. I've read one book on stitch and glue, plus product literature and webs sites of other S&G kit and plan vendors, and they have different ideas about what makes the best boat, too. The dozens of web sites I've visited have each offered insights into the process and alternative methods. My point is that exchange of information is good and that we need to keep that exchange going, not fragment into factions and hurl insults at each other.

I would personally like to thank Nick, Lee, George, Dale, Nolan, Ross, Dean, Bill and all the rest of you for contributing to the discourse on this and other topics. Your input has been invaluable to this "newbie". Let's keep it going, but let's also try to keep the volume down to a dull roar. We all share a common interest, so there's no reason we cannot keep the discussions cordial and respectful.

Messages In This Thread

Safety, two points
Nolan -- 4/20/2000, 9:32 am
Re: Safety, two points
Rehd -- 4/22/2000, 3:59 am
Re: Safety, two points
Erez -- 4/22/2000, 10:16 pm
Re: What information do you want?
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 11:49 am
Re: What information do you want?
Nolan -- 4/21/2000, 12:33 pm
Re: P.S.
Nolan -- 4/21/2000, 12:36 pm
Re: Seat of the pants tests
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 2:10 pm
Re: Seat of the pants tests
Don Beale -- 4/21/2000, 9:09 pm
Re: Seat of the pants tests
Nolan -- 4/21/2000, 2:46 pm
Re: Seat of the pants tests
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 4:19 pm
Re: Seat of the pants tests
Ross Leidy -- 4/21/2000, 4:43 pm
Re: Seat of the pants tests
simon king -- 4/21/2000, 5:07 pm
I do agree
Marcelo -- 4/21/2000, 5:58 pm
Re: I do agree
Ian Johnston -- 4/22/2000, 2:18 am
Re: I do agree
Dean Trexel -- 4/23/2000, 1:29 pm
Off topic: Banana Republic Citizen
Marcelo -- 4/22/2000, 3:16 pm
Re: Off topic: Banana Republic Citizen
Ian Johnston -- 4/22/2000, 7:02 pm
Re: Diesels for marine use ...
John B. -- 4/22/2000, 6:47 pm
Re: Avoidance/responsibility
Ian Johnston -- 4/21/2000, 3:37 pm
Re: P.S.
Ian Johnston -- 4/21/2000, 1:22 pm
Re: martial soap operas
lee -- 4/21/2000, 7:54 pm
Re: Well Put
Mike Hanks -- 4/21/2000, 2:05 pm
Re: Well Put
Dean Trexel -- 4/21/2000, 2:23 pm
Re: What information do you want?
Dean Trexel -- 4/21/2000, 12:22 pm
Re: What information do you want?
Bill Heuser -- 4/22/2000, 6:07 am
Time to step back and take a deep breath
Brian Nystrom -- 4/22/2000, 9:36 am
Re: Your Flame Sucks
Spidey -- 4/23/2000, 1:27 am
A little testy, are we?
Brian Nystrom -- 4/23/2000, 7:18 am
Re: Time to step back and take a deep breath
Bill Heuser -- 4/22/2000, 5:17 pm
Re: What information do you want?
Richard -- 4/22/2000, 7:54 am
Re: What information do you want?
Don Beale -- 4/21/2000, 12:19 pm
Re: What information do you want?
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 12:33 pm
Re: What information do you want?
Don Beale -- 4/21/2000, 8:58 pm
Re: There are no standards
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/22/2000, 9:53 am
Re: Propriatary data
Don Beale -- 4/23/2000, 11:55 pm
Re: safety,reality,and b.s.
lee -- 4/21/2000, 12:54 am
Well put Lee (nt) *NM*
Doug Keaster -- 4/21/2000, 9:05 am
Re: safety,reality,and b.s.
Nolan -- 4/21/2000, 8:03 am
Re: Good morning
lee -- 4/21/2000, 9:24 am
Re: safety,reality,and b.s.
Brian G. -- 4/21/2000, 9:10 am
Re: safety,reality,and b.s.
Brian G. -- 4/21/2000, 1:55 am
The right to make unsupported statements.....
Bruce -- 4/20/2000, 4:03 pm
Re: oops!
Dean Trexel -- 4/20/2000, 9:47 pm
Re: oops!
Bruce -- 4/20/2000, 10:12 pm
Re: oops!
Brian Nystrom -- 4/20/2000, 10:58 pm
Re: oops!
Brian G. -- 4/21/2000, 12:37 am
Re: The right to make unsupported statements.....
Dean Trexel -- 4/20/2000, 5:31 pm
Safety priorities....
Will Brockman -- 4/20/2000, 8:49 pm
Now THIS I agree with!!!
Doug Keaster -- 4/20/2000, 4:48 pm
Well written points by Nolan.
Allen R. -- 4/20/2000, 2:19 pm
Re: Well written points by Nolan.
Nolan -- 4/21/2000, 7:44 am
Re: Safety, two points
Dean Trexel -- 4/20/2000, 12:24 pm
Re: Safety, two points
Chicken Little -- 4/21/2000, 10:39 am
Re: Safety, two points
Ken Finger -- 4/20/2000, 11:38 am
Re: Safety, two points
Nolan -- 4/21/2000, 7:50 am
Re: Safety, two points
Derek -- 4/20/2000, 11:37 am
An outsider's perspective
Brian Nystrom -- 4/20/2000, 1:30 pm
Re: An outsider's perspective
Dean Trexel -- 4/20/2000, 2:05 pm
Not true, from what I've seen
Brian Nystrom -- 4/20/2000, 2:48 pm
Re: Not true, from what I've seen
Dean Trexel -- 4/20/2000, 5:13 pm
Re: Not true, from what I've seen
Brian Nystrom -- 4/20/2000, 10:41 pm
Re: Bryan
lee -- 4/21/2000, 1:39 am
Here you go.
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 8:02 am
Re: Strength Data Graphs *Pic*
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 12:28 pm
Re: Strength Data Graphs
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 12:51 pm
Re: Strength Data Graphs
Shawn B -- 4/21/2000, 4:04 pm
Re: wood density
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 4:25 pm
Re: wood density
Bill Heuser -- 4/22/2000, 4:38 pm
Re: Optimized Boats
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 4/21/2000, 3:01 pm
Agreed
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 5:08 pm
Re: Agreed
Ian Johnston -- 4/21/2000, 5:45 pm
Re: Well Said, Nick!! *NM*
Ian Johnston -- 4/21/2000, 3:42 pm
Re: Here you go.
lee -- 4/21/2000, 8:59 am
Fair enough, but...
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 10:19 am
Re: p.s. guys in a snit
lee -- 4/21/2000, 9:17 am
Off topic, but since you went there...
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 10:56 am
Re: Off topic, but since you went there...
lee -- 4/21/2000, 7:36 pm
Re: Lee
Ian Johnston -- 4/21/2000, 3:16 am
Re: Lee
lee -- 4/21/2000, 9:07 am
Re: Hondas and Suburban/Guillemot and Roberts
Ian Johnston -- 4/21/2000, 12:54 pm
Re: Lee
Bill Heuser -- 4/21/2000, 6:03 am
Re: Lee
James Neely -- 4/21/2000, 7:32 am
Madness continues
Dale Frolander -- 4/21/2000, 3:10 am
A nibble of crow.
Dale Frolander -- 4/22/2000, 3:38 am
Good points, Dale.
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 10:34 am
Re: Good points, Dale.
Dale Frolander -- 4/21/2000, 11:57 am
Raka
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 12:16 pm
Re: Raka
Ross Leidy -- 4/21/2000, 2:18 pm
Raka glass with MAS epoxy
Allen R. -- 4/24/2000, 3:32 pm
Re: Raka glass with MAS epoxy
Dan Lindberg -- 4/24/2000, 5:50 pm
Re: Experience with this layup *Pic*
Mike Hanks -- 4/21/2000, 1:04 pm
Practice makes perfect
Brian Nystrom -- 4/21/2000, 5:02 pm
Re: Raka
Dale Frolander -- 4/21/2000, 12:37 pm
Re: It runs when you leave the room
Shawn B -- 4/21/2000, 3:52 pm
Re: Raka
Dean Trexel -- 4/21/2000, 12:29 pm
Re: Madness continues
lee -- 4/21/2000, 9:29 am
Re: Safety, two points
Ross Leidy -- 4/20/2000, 10:11 am
Re: Safety, two points
Rob Forsell -- 4/20/2000, 9:57 am