Images of a Boat Construction

During the construction of Arpex, I spend a significant amount of time and effort on photographic documentation of the project. That means, that I spend up to 20 to 30 minutes taking pictures. By now I have accumulated a great volume of images of every single step of this adventure. Only very few make it to this blog, actually. They are all stored by date, so I can retrace the construction step-by-step, if I'd like to. And sometimes I do.

Why is that? Why would I spend so much time clicking, if I could be building instead? The main reason is, that I have great fun doing it. I have allways enjoyed photography, be that for documentation of a voyage or for simple pleasure during photo safaris at home. If a particular object interests me, I will eventually take pictures of it. The creative process of finding different angles, light conditions for an object stimulates me. It couldn't be different with the boat I'm building.

But further than that, the images taken help me greatly to develop the boat during the week, when I'm far from the building site. I test proportions, angles, and let them mature over the week, before actually work on the piece in question. I use the images for simulations, that I draw on PowerPoint. That way, I usually know quite exactly what I want to do, when I'm on the site, and don't need to waste time thinking much. Which is why I think, that I use my time fairly efficiently on my build days.

Building a boat is a very personal experience. There is a lot to be learned about one's own self. Which is why I also try to portrait myself during the different stages of construction. One day I'll edit them, and put them together in a picture book, maybe with a text or two from this blog. I am sure; I will later be grateful for the time spent.

And of course, there is the obsession also. The pictures help me get over the craving, over the longing for more time in the boatshed, to get this baby to the water.