I understand how you feel.
This boatmaking compares in many ways to my wifes' love of quilting. She takes large pieces of material
(ie. fabric vs boards), cuts them into smaller pieces and painstakingly reassembles them into something that suits her aesthetically.
Of course I'm not saying a quilt is as beautiful or useful as a kayak ;).
In the end, she couldn't make .50/ hr. for her work as it is all hand stitched. Perfectly servicable and attractive quilts are machine stitched in China for 49 bucks.

: Thanks much for the feedback.

: I had an e-mail exchange with the guy building the Cape Ann and I
: decided not to even go look at it. I don't really have any use
: for a Cape Ann as it's too big for me and it's not a design that
: I would select to build anyway. I've got enough wood to build
: three or four designs that I would like and since we amateur
: builders can't really get much for the boats, there's little
: opportunity to make a few bucks if I finish the Cape Ann.

: Sad how little these beautiful boats are worth after you pour your
: heart into it. But, looking at another first timer's work and
: evaluating what you would pay for it, helps me understand that
: you just "gotta love building" to keep on making these
: boats. I do love building them but will build the designs that I
: want. I've got plans for a FireStar sitting on my shelf so
: that's what I'll build next...

: Bob Beaullieu