By Peter Ledermanso, why are you doing this?
well it’s a kid’s dream… I never saw a wooden boat that I didn’t admire, time on my hands and maybe a last chance in a life to do this particular thing that intrigued me… I like wood, it feels good in your hands and has a pliancy that fits my way of thinking.

Boat builder Peter Lederman with his “labor of love”

why now?
well if you unwind the stream of thoughts and coincidences it goes like this…was biking around the reservoir, finally one day walked down to the water… wow, it was beautiful, wanted a boat, saw that the DEP auctioned boats and I bought one, put it on my pond for a test and saw the great physical high of rowing, put that boat at the reservoir and says to me self “let’s build one”.

how did you pick this one?
the old endless rounds of info collecting and staring and mulling and talking with folks online and by phone about their experiences and making up my mind, and changing my mind and then getting involved in other things and coming back and things started looking different and then waking up one morning and saying I think it’s the “Cosine Wherry” that cedar stripped rowboat I thought was so pretty and possible and I ordered the kit.

has it been a labor of love?
yeah, love exactly… highs, lows, fears of damage and betrayal… wood splitting on me, nights of confusion and anxiety as to how and why to take the next step… lots and lots of consultation with wood boat buddies on my situation and getting advice as to how to proceed from books and videos and emails… and of course… lovely days of growing craftsmanship turning strips of wood into compound gorgeous sensual curves.

what are you up to right now?
well you first build a form, sort of a skeleton of the shape with ribs that are curved and sweetly in line and then bend on the cedar strips, clamp and glue… it’s all done with the boat upside down and it can and did go on for months with me happily not being in a hurry and using the drying time between strips to enjoy the rest of my life… the shape of the boat gradually appears which is exciting and gratifying (but no one else in your life really gets it) so you continue to the shaving and sanding and then lastly to fiberglassing the outside… which freaked me out for months as pouring an unforgiving liquid plastic over my baby masterpiece was a terrifying prospect… and then… and then… it dries clear and hard and you get to turn it over and see the boat you have built… last week I did just that and I am still enthralled with what I have accomplished… a lot more to do but so what… that’s why I live in the country so shopping won’t be a distraction.

are you the same fellow who is trying to get people to play Pickleball?
yep, that’s me… another story.~