b'HeadThe craft of boatbuilding has to be realistic in terms of cost and efficiency: it is no good taking a month to fit a plank if it is generally accepted that it can be done in a day; conversely work done in a mad rush always leads to a poor result. A craftsman is someone who can turn out good quality work efficiently - it is a steady positive progress to a finished project that meets expectation.HeartUsing wood as the building material means the boat will have a character and a uniqueness that cannot be achieved with any other material. It is possible to produce shapes and detail in timber that cannot be created in fibreglass. The decision to build or restore a wooden boat may be made for many reasons - because the design is bespoke, the boat has a wonderful history that needs to be preserved or simply that the boat is beautiful.A wooden boat demands a high degree of custodianship, a concept that is often alien in modern society, but given good quality boatbuilding and by using the correct timber a wooden boat will outlast all the competition.HandA beautiful wooden boat, whether it is new or old, is given life by the skill of the boatbuilders hand and eye. Acquiring these skills spans a number of human attributes: commitment, patience, honesty. The value of experience gained by learning from others handing down their skills and techniques cannot be overstated. 102'