Contender for the slowest build?

[devout]

This must be a contender for the slowest build here. The post is somewhat in the vein of an Alcoholics Anonymous programme, you have to admit that you have a problem before you can start to whip it. Here goes.
It took me three years to go from this






To this






During that time:
I Tried to finish the transom bright by sticking veneer on it (against better advice) and having to sand it all off again
I had to remove a layer of glass that never set due to incorrect mixing (I have been warned) of epoxy. There was much swearing and quiet sobbing for a few weeks.
I painted the hull, sanded it down, painted again, sanded down again and painted once more. I tried the roll and stiple method but couldn’t achieve a satisfactory result. So I sanded it down and tried again. Someone said an idiot is a person that repeats something and expects a different result. Right. In the end I sanded it down a third time and then spray-painted it. The result wasn’t great, but good enough.
I bedded an aluminium strip to the keel with Sikaflex and neglected to mask the keel. You can’t remove that stuff, even while it hasn’t set yet. I spent two weeks removing it by hand, and having to repaint the keel again.
I made numerous mistakes, made parts that had to be redone, broke a few things, broke a few tools but managed to retain all my fingers. No small feat for a guy with ten thumbs.
Anyway, its back right side up and now I can get on with more enjoyable things than painting. I hated that part!

Cheers!

devout

[WX]

How does 26 years sound?
Hartley Spindrift 24, I did stop for 15 years though.
I also tried the stick on veneer idea and also failed very badly with it.

[devout]

How does 26 years sound?
Hartley Spindrift 24, I did stop for 15 years though.
I also tried the stick on veneer idea and also failed very badly with it.

26 Years! I have some leeway then, although my wifle will kill me, 'cause that is the front door to my house you can see on the 3rd picture. How did your boat turn out?

[Draketail]

Heck, I've only been at it 5 years so far....

Draketail

[TerryLL]

Going on two years on a build that should have taken 350 hours.

[Lewisboater]

'bout 8 years on one...hull and rough keel done...hanging about in the garage.

[wizbang 13]

36 years is the longest I have seen .
The Alden schooner "patient lady" , used in the Depp film , Rum Diary.
launched about a week before the hollywood scouts came looking for boats to use in the film.

[devout]

36 years is the longest I have seen .
The Alden schooner "patient lady" , used in the Depp film , Rum Diary.
launched about a week before the hollywood scouts came looking for boats to use in the film.

Aptly named

[Gary Davis]

Over two years to get here from a kit, but I also had disc replacement surgery during the build. As a beginner, I suffered many of the problems previously stated. Hopefully, I'll finish in the next two weeks.

Gary

[devout]

Gary, that is a beauty. The trailer's not bad either! Is it your firts build? The finish looks really good.

[TerryLL]

Gary,

Your Beg-Meil turned out stunning. I hope to hear some sailing reports soon.

[Gary Davis]

Thanks - yes, my first build.

I hope to have some sailing reports soon as well.

Gary

[WX]

36 years is the longest I have seen .
The Alden schooner "patient lady" , used in the Depp film , Rum Diary.
launched about a week before the hollywood scouts came looking for boats to use in the film.

I watched that movie two nights ago and much admired the schooner. Enjoyed the movies as well.

[WX]

26 Years! I have some leeway then, although my wifle will kill me, 'cause that is the front door to my house you can see on the 3rd picture. How did your boat turn out?

Very very close to finished...just a few more weeks.

[kenjamin]

Thanks guys, I'm feeling a lot better about my three month break from my SCAMP build.

[devout]

Congratulations WX, that is quite some boat. Kudos for sticking to the job. Wish I was along so far. But then, I have about 23 years to go still....

[WX]

Thanks devout, just have the keel to bolt on and a good sized list of little jobs to do. My thread is Redwing Update in B/R.

[kc8pql]

10 years:

[PaulGrun]

Pikers. 15 years on an 8' pram.

[Vernon]

I'm not sure it really matters how long an amature or personal build takes. So far, I've stuck with my small boats and moved along OK. This is soley because I wake up on days off and that's what I want to do, other projects lag however. On a project the scale of WX's or the sailboat just above, I'm sure I would grow weary of it and have to take time off to wait for the desire to do it to come back. Now, 15 years off on a 26 year project might be a bit extreme but what the heck. That boat's "brand new" and it'll already have the salty weathered look. I think it's just outstanding that a project thats gone that long and with the hiatus in the middle, is coming to fruition in just a "few more weeks". It's also been one of the most enjoyable builds to watch coming together.

Vern

[Quest]

I'm planning on 5 years at least, but in Australia after 10yrs in a job you get a few months of holidays as a reward for long service. I hope not, but we will see!

[Sayla]

Over two years to get here from a kit, but I also had disc replacement surgery during the build. As a beginner, I suffered many of the problems previously stated. Hopefully, I'll finish in the next two weeks.

Gary

Awesome - worth any wait

As for myself, I started drawing up a schooner in 1985, then met my wife, it took until last year to get the plans I wanted (better than my own effort though), and I'm acquiring materials - that's 27 yrs and I'm yet to lay the keel.

sayla

[Gary Davis]

I didn't mortise the rub strip for the chainplates deep enough for fear of them breaking at the mortise, and it screws up the whole sheer line and sheer plank width.

Its obvious in that image. I'll get over it one day.

Gary

[Lewisboater]

Didn't notice it until you said something. Tch...keep it under your hat and 99% won't even know it's there.