New Year Resolution

This picture is my secret shame.
This lot of wood is a kit boat for a Woods Bee that Alec Jordan cut for me a loooong time ago, which I have failed to even start to build. It should be a rowing/sailing dinghy by now, looking something like this:

Progress of a sort has been made - one of the sheets of exterior grade ply that the kit came packed in were made into the washing-up bowl shaped boat in the front there. As Simbo, she has won me the title of Biggest Bloke in the Smallest Boat 2010.

So I hereby resolve that the kit will be built in 2011.
Although first I have to transform the other packing sheet into a cordless-drill-powered boat for the Water Craft competition at Beale Park (I will use another of Hannu's brilliant designs, Prism).
And then there is this, which will occupy a good deal of my time I hope >>>------->
And there is another building project looming, training for the Great River Race, and I am hoping to cash in on some invitations to go sailing this year as well.
So perhaps 2012 is a more realistic aim.....

A new rowing boat design in Water Craft magazine

Water Craft dropped through the door today, bringing with it a particular treat - a new design for a rowing boat by Paul Gartside, the Cornish-born Canadian designer who has created some highly-regarded rowing boat designs including the 'tortured ply' Flashboat (drawn from the famous Cornish racing boats) and the open water cruising skiff 'Bob'.

The sweet-looking double ender is only 12ft long so it won't be suitable for long expeditions or racing, but it would be lovely for just pottering about in.

I lust after it, but it would have to be made for me as the traditional carvel construction would be completely beyond my basic bodging skill level. Paul goes into some detail about the challenges of building a carvel hull with thin planks, which are essential in a boat as small as this to keep the weight down, and it sounds like a professional job to me.

There are a lot of builders who would be capable of doing it, however. Must start saving...