The Beginning

The story leading up to how one finds themselves immersed in a bizarre, and complicated project is all too common: It starts out like a day like any other. The birds are chirping, the clouds have separated from their conglomerate puppy-guarding of the sun, and then BAM! Suddenly, and without warning, you stumble upon a project and/or an idea that you cannot help but fall head over heals in love with. Life as you know it will never be the same again.

The story of the boat in the woods began on a similar note. It was a warm July day, and my co-worker Kayleen, and I were riding together to meet our friend and also co-worker, Lisa for brunch at her home in Kingston, WA. Kingston is a beautiful seaport town, nestled into the Puget Sound inlet of Appletree Cove, intermixed with ancient Douglas Fir forests throughout.  As Kayleen and I turned right off of the main road, we felt the bump that instantly transitioned the city pavement to the world of back woods living. Almost without transition, our cell phone reception trailed off, finding ourselves off the grid and amongst a thick canopy of ancient moss ridden trees; we knew that we were in for an adventure.

After Lisa's tour around her handcrafted cabin, she offered to show us around the wooded trails - Kayleen and I jumped at the opportunity. Then it happened. As we crossed an old foot bridge, and rounded a corner nearly choked out by blackberry vines, BAM! There it was. The wooden bow of an old boat, and the blinding light shinning from heaven a la The Griswalds Christmas Vacation. Crisp lines, pine needle buried deck, and the timeless look of a 1950's wooden speed boat - I fell in love! Granted, I was practically born wearing a life jacket, so the notion of falling in love with boats is not a new trend for me - what surprised me most however, was who was drooling over the boat next to me. When Kayleen's eyes met mine, I knew exactly what was coming next, "Em, this is a beautiful boat! You should take this boat home and restore it!" For the first time in my life, I took a step back from a boat and said no. I couldn't. With a 30 foot sailboat restoration project obligation and a micro tug boat I build a few years ago parked in my drive way, the last thing I needed was another boat project.

Gracie, the new boat dog.

Hours after we walked away from the boat buried deep in the Kingston woods, Kayleen and I parted ways with Lisa and headed for home. It could not have been longer than 20 seconds down the dusty drive way, when Kayleen and I both turned to each other, instantly bringing up how beautiful the old boat was, and how badly we wanted to save it. We would spend the next several hours discussing with her husband Jeff, the endless possibilities and how it wasn't really in "that bad of shape." By the end of the night, Kayleen and I would partner up and acquire a 1956 Skipper Craft, with a name TBD.

For me, one of my most deep rooted passions in life is being out on the water - Nothing comes close to the rush of a wave-rocked adventure, coupled with the reality that open water is a dangerous scenery for those who do not respect it. I cannot wait to breathe life back into this old boat, and experience the memories that come with figuring out the kinks of turning this aspiration, into a wave breaking reality. It's going to be a blast!