Changes and the Goat Island Skiff

Like discovering bits of my grandparents' by making their house our home, I have rediscovered a bit of myself by coming back to this blog. So many changes have taken place within a short span of 5 years since last writing an entry. Now my grandfather's workshop is explored by a new blonde-haired boy, my 2-year-old son, Benjamin. He is the spitting image of his father at his age and I know his great-grandparents would be smitten if they could know him. Shortly after my grandma passed away in 2010 I learned that she had left me an inheritance, a red 1979 Ford Thunderbird. I was taken; I felt it was undeserved and I was not quick to accept. I have tried to not let physical objects hold too much of a person's memory. However, I am lucky that the people in my life that have gone before me have lived lives beyond just merely objects, my grandma and papaw are no exception. Despite my apprehension towards these nostalgic bonds it is hard to not recall sometimes powerful memories in the presence of certain objects. The smell inside, the eyelid lights, the controls, and the view from the passenger seat all take me back. What does this have to do with woodworking, though? When I received the car I knew I would sell it and my grandma's will even stated her acceptance of such a decision. But what would I do with the money from the sale of the car? I felt it needed to be something that I would not normally purchase but also lasting. Enter the Goat Island Skiff. A 15'6" wooden sailboat. With 105 sq. ft. of sail and weighing around 125#. It would be the continuation of my family's love and fascination with sailboats. The process has been long and has taught me much about patience. I purchased plans in 2011 but only just sold the car in the middle of 2015. My hope is that like so many of the memories and things that have helped me recall my grandparents, that this boat will do the same for my son, Benjamin to help him recall his 2 grandfathers and his dad.