If it looks fair....

Here's a couple pictures of a boat I started this past summer, started being the key word.  I always thought a boat would be fun, but I had no idea how time consuming!  It's a flat bottomed 12' skiff for row and sail.  I have always wanted a small sail boat to mess around with the kids, and by the end of next summer, it may actually sail.  The lines came out spot on, and I definitely learned a bunch about fairing and spilling (measuring planks right off the boat.)  It was a ton of fun, can't wait to get it done. 

One thing I learned, and why I'm mentioning it here, is how much like chair building it is.  There's an old saying in boat building that if it looks fair, it is fair.  Chairs are like that, if it looks good, it is good, regardless of what the tape says.  Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of careful, very careful measuring and angle drilling and such ( I  call it the accounting part) but with some of the other aspects, you have to trust your eye and hands, and remember, if it looks good, it is good.  I'll get to the chairs soon.