# Mistakes and learning

**URL:** <https://forum.clcboats.com/t/mistakes-and-learning/36330>\
**Category:** Builder's Forum\
**Created:** [February 5, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/mistakes-and-learning/36330 "2010-02-05T09:20:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Broddell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Richard\_Broddell](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Richard_Broddell)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/mistakes-and-learning/36330/1 "2010-02-05T09:20:14Z")

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Its frustrating and dis heartening when creating something for the first time and something goes wrong.

When hand sanding out globs of dryed epoxy on my deck I unknowingly used a sanding pad that broke through the sandpaper and left invisable black stains in the wood that only became apperent when the next coat of epoxy was applied. I wanted a varnished deck so it wasnt anything I could paint over.

I decided to live with it and not compromise on the varnishing but it still bothers me too look at.

I´m a house carpenter and whilst I´m used to working with wood, epoxy and finish was totally new to me. So this boat is my prototype. I want to start a buisness building stitch and glue / strip built kayaks so in a way it was essential I made the mistakes so I could learn and not compromise a boat a customer would be paying for.

This wasnt my only mistake, infact theres alot of things i´ll do second, third time round but I thought I´d post a note to those people trying it for the first time. Dont give up. Have a go. You´ll get there in the end.

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**Author:** ![pag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@pag](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/pag)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/mistakes-and-learning/36330/2 "2010-02-05T11:02:33Z")

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I nted your comment about wanting to start a business building stitch & glue boats.&nbsp; I would be interested in seeing your business plan.&nbsp; It appears to me that the market for these boats might support the cost of materials, but rarely leaves anything for labor.&nbsp; It's lots of fun building these guys, but it's not the way to make money.&nbsp; I often look at the minor flaws in my own boats, which really do not bother me, and think: "this would not be acceptable if someone was payinig me to build this boat"

I don't mean to throw cold water on a dream, just trying to inject a bit of reality.&nbsp; If you can make it work, more power to you.

Paul G

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**Author:** ![Brian\_Klaver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Brian\_Klaver](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Brian_Klaver)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/mistakes-and-learning/36330/3 "2010-02-05T14:49:30Z")

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You are correct Paul G.&nbsp; The idea has come up on this forum many times by those who have taken a liking to this process but I don't believe it possible to make a go of it.&nbsp; You simply can't get enough money for these things to make it a viable business.&nbsp; I review business plans and finance commercial projects for a living and I've not seen anyone propose a plan that would make it worth while.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The hours it takes for even a highly trained builder to produce these boats would leave you working for way less than you could make doing anything at all.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Nice hobby but I can't see it turning into a business.

&nbsp;Brian.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Broddell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Richard\_Broddell](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Richard_Broddell)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/mistakes-and-learning/36330/4 "2010-02-06T06:48:50Z")

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There is actually a market for these boats in Europe where people are willing to pay alot more than in the states.&nbsp;I have estimated the import costs of a kit minus epoxy&nbsp;and then added&nbsp;an hourly wage to the amount of time it takes to complete a boat. The final sales price of the boat ( compared to similar prices in Scandinavia ) actually gives a good return. The positive side of building these things is that apaart from the initial kit price&nbsp;there&nbsp;are&nbsp;almost no other expences except of course ones time.

I will start my small buisness as a side hobby and have already drummed up a bit of interest over here in Denmark where I live. My designs are primarily from clc with one or two exceptions and I have already permission to use some of the pictures from this site so my non english speaking customers are able to see the kayaks at my web site [www.customkayaks.dk](http://www.customkayaks.dk/) which should be up and running a couple of weeks.

I appreciate the above interest and comments and realise building a kayak is a labour intensive job but due to prices on the&nbsp; ´the other side of the pond ` it could and hopefuly will be a good little buisness...

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Thanks Rigby

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