Becoz, Kurt, that's just how it works...

[CapnK]

So I have a little center-console power boat for fishing and running around, a Hobie Power Skiff. At only 15' long and pushing 30 years old for both hull and motor, it is a fun and very economical ride - I can get 6 miles per gallon or so cruising in the low to mid 20's (that's really good, for a stinkpot). Great for fishing or just a little sight seeing/beer drinking cruise. She was originally designed by a surfboard shaper to be able to beach launch and ride out through 4-5' California surf, so she handles chop and even swell nicely. Hard to find a boat this size which does that well.

She has basically no storage though, so I spent a whole bunch of hours the past 2 days cutting and shaping some 3/4" exterior plywood to fit over the area between the center console and the small forward deck she has which will create that stowage, and give me a nice large platform for fishing or sitting/lying down or maybe even setting a camera tripod up on it - all things I like to do that I can't, with the current setup.

This is no small feat, because you see - I am a wood butcher. So much so that even dead trees scream when they see me pick up a power tool. And this job is turning out pretty good, because I have really taken my time and tried to do things the proper way. My largest gap on one of the curves is less than a half inch (slightly). To some of you, that's unforgivable, but for me, for my level - or lack of - skill, that is almost unsurpassed precision...

And it is the perfect time for the job, as we had a 5 day period with no rain in the forecast. I had plans to start the glassing of the plywood tomorrow morning, which should give me another day or two to get it good and sealed and nearly finished before the weather deteriorates, right?

Except - it just started raining. And the dry, uncovered wood is sitting there in-place, so that it wouldn't be able to warp or bend or anything before I started glassing it, out there under the great big (now dripping) sky.

Insert sailorly language, heartfelt and lots of it. One step forward, two back...