36 Comments
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Carolyn & Kees's avatar

"So, realizing I’m comfortable with imperfection, the older I get the more I appreciate workboat finishes, "

Sounds like me and my old truck! I tried to get estimates for painting it but the body shop guys just laughed except for one, who quoted $2500 if I bought better doors. Then a little light went off in my head: way back in time, the US Navy taught me to paint their destroyer with a paint brush and a roller and I could do the same with my truck. I did that and get lots of complements on it, usually with the question of what year it was built.

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Marty Loken's avatar

Kees - Years ago I worked with a fellow who maintained that “nobody should be driving an old truck they wouldn’t be happy to paint with a brush,” and his daily driver was an ancient Dodge shop van that looked like it had been finished with a broom. It looked terrific, and in later years I semi-restored a vintage Morris Minor panel van, painted it with Pettit Easypoxy and a 2” brush. Most passersby seemed to think the less-than-perfect finish was fine, and matched overall patina of the old van.

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Carolyn & Kees's avatar

A Morris Minor van? I would give my eye teeth (if I still had any) for one!

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Marty Loken's avatar

Kees - It was great fun and got some attention, but the body was almost rusting off the frame. I really lusted after one of the Morris woodies, but they weren’t affordable…even as projects.

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RonB.'s avatar

Perfection, the enemy of excellence! …one of the few things my father said that I actually agreed with!

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Stacy Smith's avatar

Well, you've gone and written the "perfect" article, and I'll use it as justification for my theory that our perception of perfection may be more related to the space between oneself and the object than the object itself.

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Michael Moore's avatar

You might not shoot for perfection, and more power to you, but you are bold in your painting choices, and the results are impressive! Probably the ultimate in do-it-over if you don't like it choices. After rescuing several boats and a few cars, I've realized that I always look forward to the chance to learn and improve my skills. The "to what end" part still evades me, but I'll try to keep on improving. I still have the components for the 16 foot long lathe I made to finish my Scamp mast, and the neighbors still chuckle about that driveway exhibition many summers ago.

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Alex Zimmerman's avatar

“Have no fear of perfection—you'll never reach it.” - Salvador Dali

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Marty Loken's avatar

…He said it best!

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Gary Christensen's avatar

Awesome article there kind sir! Keep on building!!

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Marty Loken's avatar

Thanks, Gary…and yes, I’ll keep building as long as I can!

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T.J. Rich's avatar

Never, ever perfection Marty? I believe that you just nailed it in this brief synopsis. Well done sir. Very nicely done.

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Rachel Doss's avatar

Fantastic. This is inspirational! I have a problem with perfectionism. I am going to start utilizing deadlines. Thank you for the thoughtful article Marty!

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Marty Loken's avatar

Thanks so much, Rachel. (We hope to see you up here at the July 26-27 Small Boat Festival with your perfectly imperfect little boat!)

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Rachel Doss's avatar

Oh my - that would be a dream come true. I better get to work!

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Ida Little's avatar

I like where you say “…it’s never close to perfect. (If it was, I’d be afraid to take the finished boat out for a row, paddle or sail. “)

So my comment is about the part inside the parentheses.

Exactly. The joy is in NOT being prissy but rather willing to bang the boat up a bit to go where you want to go and do what you want to do.

When Michael and I bought Beachcomber we went for our first sail with the owner/builder Warren Bailey aboard. As we finished the sail and headed into a slip none of us had been to before, with a hard crosswind, we asked Warren to take the helm, thinking he knew how the boat handled better than we did. We had watched his skillful maneuvering of Beachcomber earlier.

Well. Imagine our surprise when he headed up, the wind whipped us around, and Beachcomber smashed into a piling. He shrugged and assured us he could fix it up.

We liked his gumption. The damage not so much but still…better to use the boat and take it places that might be tough to negotiate than to cruise too cautiously. It’s supposed to be fun, yes?

So here’s joining you all in the joy of imperfection.

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Marty Loken's avatar

Thanks, Ida…and yes, it’s all supposed to be fun, from dreaming and planning, to building, and especially to sailing.

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Roy A Schreyer's avatar

Glad to here your perspective, especially how perfection is a fleeting goal! Like a new car, it will become old and dented, so it may be better to buy one with "experience"! There is a family boat building business up by us, Geisler (spelling?) Boats. They have been building cedar strip boats for several generations, while many boat builders have come and gone!!! Their slogan is " we don't build them pretty, we build them pretty good"! They found a sustainable groove! I also liked to hear your shop is an "organized" mess! Same! Lol! AllthebestRoy

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Skip Johnson's avatar

We are sitting in the same choir. One time only I built a "furniture finish" craft ; a 17' sit on top kayak being filmed for a TV segment on The Eyes of Texas. It was an interesting and educational experience, glad I did it but never again.

I'm usually happy with a ten to twenty foot finish (if it looks good from twenty feet away it's good enough).

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Paul Schupbach's avatar

Perfection is the enemy of success ! Words I live by

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Frank Durant's avatar

Here’s to being perfectly imperfect!

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Ed Neal's avatar

I'll drink to that.

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Denis Wang's avatar

Thanks Marty, a great confession, to which probably many small boaters can also relate and helps taking us 'off the hook' for also not being perfectionists. Rather than for perfection, your work and boats are admired for the attention to design, innovation, and craftsmanship. At times I've been a bit embarrassed by my boats that aren't as well kept as many onlookers perhaps expect, especially compared to boats in pristine condition. I remember at the Wooden Boat Festival a couple of years back, overhearing some folks saying that my boat looked kind of weathered for being only four years old. I remember justifying in my mind that remark, that they probably weren't boaters but just tourists. I have to admit that I sort of envy cruising boats in the marred condition and disarray of being well traveled, yet while still being safe and seaworthy. I think there's a balance of sort, of a vessel being scarred with use but still kept up to some degree. I love the adage, 'boats are safe (and kept in pristine condition) in harbor, but that's not what they're meant for'. I'm guessing there's lots of small boat folks who also feel that way. So, here's to never ever perfection.

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Marty Loken's avatar

Thanks, Denis! (And for readers who don’t know, Denis is one of my two shopmates—the other being Bob Miller. Denis is currently adding a “mini-lobsterboat” cabin to his 18’ wooden outboard boat, whose hull was designed by John Gardner and built at the Northwest School for Wooden Boatbuilding. Bob is almost finished installing a Hobie Mirage Drive into a 15’ 8” double-ended pulling boat originally designed by Herreshoff and modified later by John Gardner,. I’ll have stories on both projects in coming months. - Marty

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Ferdinand Johns's avatar

It is still beautiful stuff, Marty!

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