Scrap the deadlines and enjoy the process.  I took 6 months to build my MC 16.5 with minimal interuptions and 15 months to build my Shearwater 17 H with more interuptions.

Paul

What Paul said.  Some times life happens.

As long as the cockpit is coated with epoxy to waterproof the wood you don't need to fill the weave inside. Less weight, less epoxy, and then it won't be slippery (not that it is).

Ha!  I have too much life going on as it is.  If I don't set a deadline, I'll never get it finished!  Everything I do has a deadline.  I have a daughter going off to college soon and I have several international business trips coming fast.  I'm building in our garage which holds three cars and due to my ban on opening and closing the doors, they are all in the driveway (my wife wants her space back).  BTW, I'm 49, so I know all the little life happens cliches.  Paddling this thing is supposed to relax me and clear my over cluttered head!  Nope, I'm a speed builder but I guess I just ran out-o-time.  Started on April 3.

My deadline is to build some boats (and paddle a lot) before I'm dead. I'm 53 and so far 1 for 1

Dan

I rushed last week to finish my daughter's Ganymede before Nick's Meet at the Beach on Saturday. A severe storm between here and there forced me to abort the trip, though, so this week I'm redoing all the things I rushed to do last week! -Wes

I started my Wherry back in January and "The Plan" was to finish in time for OkoumeFest, i.e. May 15th. Life got in the way big time and I'm just now getting into the sanding stage & prepping for epoxy. I now hope to get it into the water by July 4th and praying nothing else comes up to intervene. I do enjoy the process (except for the seemingly endless sanding) but I like the idea of actually rowing it even more.

Started June 10th 2009 and had an original splash date of August 30th.  I Just finished at the end of May.  Two moves, an engagement, and some illness got in the way.  Needless to say, I was ready to be done when I finally was...

~Chris

Building boats is a LOT more fun when you don't have a deadline to meet. Not that I haven't had them before, I just would rather have fun. Deadlines make it more like a job and 40 hours/week is enough for a job. Hey Laszlo, have we talked "deadlines" yet?

George K

Dan, I am TOTALLY on board with your schedule/ philosophy!

Oakwood 

I started my WD12 hybrid in the middle of January. I did not have a deadline or an anticipated launch date. I was enjoying the build so much, that I did not want it to end. However, I splashed for the first time last Saturday. See my post on "yet another wood duck". Now I am going through the process of which will be the next boat. Barry

As soon as I started on the Sharpie, I began to get the question "when will it be done?".

My answer was "August".

By dint of hard work I have managed to stay on schedule, from the beginning until now, these many years later, and I still expect to make that deadline.

Jeff,

I like to think of it as a goal, not a deadline. In that case, I've met my goals of having my boats seaworthy and useable for Okoumefest and MASCF. Mind you, none were varnished, final sanded, etc. Some had a few Rube Goldberg kludges to hold the rudder on and so forth. And then you have to be flexible. For example, when you aim for an event, pick the event but leave the year open. The MASCF that I was actually ready for was 8 years after the one I was originally aiming at. But I was ready in time for MASCF.

So seriously, the boat will be ready when it's ready. Just try to do a little something every evening and don't ignore the family and job and before you know it you'll be done. 

George,

It's already been 2 MASCFs since you suggested the build. :-)

Laszlo

Camper,

We overlapped. Funny, but I was thinking of your Sharpie as I was typing my answer :-)

Laszlo

Laszlo,

Great! Looks like I have 6 more MASCF's to go! Woohoo!

George K.

p.s. I have every intention of getting it done by this year's show. Maybe next year's......

so far I am 2 for 2... building to a deadline that is.  Last year I launched "Kia Ora" @ MEC Paddlefest in Toronto, finishing her about 2:00AM.  This year, I am doing a little better.  Put final touches on "Leo" (WD12) and launching her tonight.  Paddlefest starts the day after and I will have both boats there this year. 

 Do what works for you.  If I did not work to a deadline I would never finish.  Have I enjoyed the journey YOU BET!... could I have done a better job if I had more time, likely, am I going to enjoy paddling my creations... had a great year with Kia Ora, looking forward to having my lovely wife join in!

Like I say in my boat building seminar @ paddlefest.  Step 1: identify why you want to build a boat.  If it is to get on the water an paddle, set a deadline and don't sweat the small stuff.  If you enjoy building and want to create a museum quality work of art... that will take longer and adjust your plan accordingly.  consider your personality and goal, then work to that.  Both are enjoyable... yes some of us enjoy the stress of a deadline :)

"BTW, I'm 49, so I know all the little life happens cliches"  Jeff, I'm 69 and don't work to deadlines ~ enjoy the building process.  I am on day 86 of my c16 project (from plans) and 122 hours down the track.  John H says 70 will do it !

Sure thing if you've built 500.

Dave

I started on my boat in May 2008 and due to "life happens", I missed every "deadline" and every "goal".  I had to build outdoors and a hot steamy summer really screwed up the best laid plans.

I really wanted to finish before my brother went to the Middle East, oh well.  I really wanted to get in the water by Labor Day, oh well.  ...By the end of September, oh well.

By mid October, the hull was fiberglassed and the seats were in.  It got too cold for any more epoxying, and there was no way to paint.  I just put the boat in the water anyway, and had a great day with friends and nieces and nephews.  

It took almost another year to get it painted and by then the water temperature was below what I consider safe.  I didn't really get a row in my "finished" boat until April 2010, about two years after the kit arrived.

Don't be afraid to get it wet if everything has been epoxied.  The day on the water in October 2008 saved my sanity.

(Plus I learned it was watertight and a floater before I painted it! )

i stated my petrel last august and promised my wife it would be off her new proch by april. i made and got it in the water and in time for the meet at the beach