A Classic Boat Commute. mmmmm, Which Boat Is Right For Today?
WEFETCHEM? The who cares boat. but we love her. And she sure delivers.
Todays story in no way is about Oh Look at me and my ship…s. In fact from a money perspective, I have less tied up in all this stuff than a new pontoon boat. So it’s more of a Oh look at the life style choice, than the bank account story. I am always asked, How do you find the time to do all this?
Sweet Pea and Slim. Row, OR go big?
I decided years ago that life is about how you live, and building it around how you want to live. Not how much can you get, or do. The journey is life, not the destination. I also took a hard look at the time in my life that was un productive from a rewarding perspective. And commuting on a train, NYC, or a car, Boston, DC, SF, LA, was a complete waste of time. AND MISERABLE.
Colors work together, Maybe both?
So I asked myself. SELF, is there a way to make your commute part of the fun? And the answer was in the way I commute. And to ad to that, the choice is part of the fun. But on a budget, how do I pull this off? Old cars, and lots of old boats.
Sporty? Or Luxury? Five of the Eight in the water. B is in the workshop, waiting for time to redo her. Hey she was hit by a building. YIP YAP is in a barn with ZIP, that will be an adventure in a bit. Get them out and exercise.
This concept of life style has taken years to fine tune, and is ever changing. Which is part of the fun. COVID helped a lot. Society opened up a new freedom, and I jumped on it. I can work where I play. Down time can be filled with fun time. And being in a creative business, the two worlds actually help fuel creative thinking. Getting to work, shouldn’t be work. And in a strange way, being unplugged from the digital world, and leveraging the joy of a human analog world can be a very calming thing.
“Ike” is sure getting a workout and makes an amazing golf cart. Big Bubba, the 58 Truck is getting a well deserved break, but has some trash in the bed, so he has a dump run in his future.
Getting ready for a dump run. Not a chore, but a fun break in a busy day. Anlog vintage dump runs.
Mr B, goes to work with me by boat – He doesnt stare at an iphone all day like all the other kids do these days. I rowed to work yesterday. Calm, no humidity and pleasant. NOT TODAY
Poppy wants NOTHING to do with a boat ride. But she will. She takes care of Betty and the Boatress
Sometimes going to the office can be a fun Rat race oportunity
Coming home from a long day at the office in WECATCHEM. Oh the traffic!
She is looking rather stately. The new toilet was the inspiration.
So? maybe this was a brag story? Maybe an inspiration story? I am proud of the ability to never really have to work. Oh, I work, A full 40 hr work week, calls, zooms and stuff, but it never feels like work. The same thinking goes into the getting to work, and where you work, and how you work. Work is the part of life that is fulfilling, rewarding, and empowering. How and why you do it are the things that make it alive. So ask yourself. How are you getting to work today?
I think it was just a couple weeks ago you said there were no boats in the water. You sure changed that in a hurry.
Since I haven’t “worked” in almost twenty years I guess I don’t have the commute issues do deal with, but I sure enjoy my morning rides and evening cruises on our lake!
I have a sign mounted outside my workshop that says, “Dream It. Plan It. Do It.” You’ve done this over and over on the smallest scale like jig saw pieces to the largest scale, creating your overall 3-D artist’s portrait. It’s been a joy to observe what you do and how you do it from an artist, craftsman, historian and wood boater perspective. It’s inspirational. I don’t know how you piece these stories together every day (each one would take me over a week) but I am glad you do. It keeps this wooden boat passion in the forefront of my mind every day because I start my day with Woodyboater. I am sure I speak for many when I say, Thank you for sharing this with everyone every day.
Matt, Your truly an inspiration to the Wooden Boat community and a true visionary ! What you have built in terms of community through people is equaled by the vinette’s you create in each aspect of your property with the boats, the tools, the signs, the furniture, the buildings and on and on… its a pleasure to see what you create daily. Thank you for sharing…btw this picture is so good I had to repeat
Drove to the restaurant for breakfast…about 75 yard commute I am right there with you Matt….John in Va
Matt, You had a dream and now you are living it. Many, including myself strive to follow in your wake. You are a legend among boatmen. Congratulations, you’ve worked hard for it and you earned it.
I haven’t reached retirement just yet, but have plans. So many boats and guitars, so little time.
“Take your son to work day”