HI!
Again :)
I’ve been making (and breaking!) as far back as I can remember. Taking apart radios, stereos, and anything else I could get my hands on. I was enamored by the mechanisms I found, though I could never quite get things back together once taken apart :). Product design has felt like a natural extension of this child-like curiosity and is a large part of why it brings me soo much joy.
I find learning new skills and taking on new challenges to be fulfilling, as I have yet to find something as rewarding as conquering a project or learning a process you once thought to be out of reach. I hope I never stop learning and, with any luck, I’ll be able to create some pretty cool stuff along the way too!
-Will
Boat Restoration
An exercise in patience.
Naive Beginnings
This project is, by far, the longest project I have taken on to date. I started July of 2023 and finished sometime in early August of 2024
The first thing I learned about this boat is that it was definitely a steal, just not for me :). I laugh a little every time I watch this video back. The way I discuss the initial scope of the project really drives home just how clueless I was (and arguably still am) regarding what it takes to bring a project like this ove the finish line.
This boat needed a TON of work! More work than I could have imagined.
The whole project felt like a thought experiment. Specifically, regarding the ship of Odysseus and what becomes of a boat when *almost* every part is replaced.
Tearout & Buildup
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Deck, transom & accessories removed.
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Bulkheads removed.
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New transom and bulkheads adhered and glassed.
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Bulkheads bedded and glassed. Transom tabbed to bulkhead and hull.
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Deck tabbed and filled with foam.
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Whole deck glassed, compartments reinstalled and front compartment rebuilt.
Fairing & Paint
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Sanded boat loading...
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First coat of epoxy primer.
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First coat of top paint.
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Paint finished, seat lids built / installed, and accessories installed.
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Trailer painted and lights installed.
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B.O.A.T - Bust out another thousand :')
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Sonar and cover plate installed.
Finished.
Brief Recap
Closing thoughts
Before starting this project, I never really put a ton of thought into why even small repairs to a boat could be so expensive. I get it now.
I spent an unimaginable amount of time sanding because surface preparation is almost more important than the products I chose to use for the rebuild. The paint ran, the fiberglass failed to take, and paint forgot to be mixed (this cost me SOO much time), and the list goes on and on and on. . .
Despite these challenges, what I really want to express is the absolute joy this whole experience brought about. Every step and gain made, from start to finish, was something to be celebrated. The more I pushed, the more I wanted to keep going. Being able to see progress, even in the midst of mistakes, missteps, and setbacks, was what kept me striving for completion.
To be clear, I am an ABSOLUTE amateur and it shows. However, I got to make the mistakes, learn from them, and develop some useful skills along the way. Patience and the willingness to surrender yourself to a process and trust that, if followed with rigor, can bring about things that may even leave yourself surprised.
-Will