I'm Doug Jackson and I built a 74 foot boat in my front yard. AMA

That’s incredible! You started from sheet metal and two pairs of hands?

How many man-hours have been put into this boat so far? How many people have worked on it?

We did. And I do not track hours. I think as long as we are doing things that make us better people, there is no reason to track hours. Let's just call it most days for the last 8 years. And more hours in each of those days since I retired.

What happened to Jack?

Jack got a job he loves. He pays us a visit from time to time but he's tired at the end of his days now. :) I got to add to this. It made it sound like he was not working before, but you got to know the Jack was taking care of his elderly parents during their last years. He is one of the kindest and most loving people I know.

Hi Doug, thanks for doing this IAMA!

I've been following your channel for the last couple of years and truly admire your dedication and the way you guys make so many parts yourself. Just to name something for the people here that do not follow your channel that closely, the propellor blades you made are an excellent example of what people can achieve by by self study and just going for it. You also are kind of famous for not following safety rules that strictly and in general I like your "just don't be stupid" attitude towards OSHA related stuff.

There is this thing with sharp pieces of steel scattered about your boat though. Like in the cargo hold for example:

https://i2.wp.com/www.svseeker.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Red-Cedar-Cargo-Hold-Mermaids.jpg

https://i0.wp.com/www.svseeker.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Cargo-Hold-Wade-Ethan-and-Bart.jpg

Those irregularly shaped things at brain-height may not be that much of a problem while the boat is on land. They can really become nasty when at sea and rolling in waves though.

Another example are those awesome watertight doors, they look cool but with all those nastily angled pieces of steel I'd hate to be near them in any serious sea condition.

https://i0.wp.com/www.svseeker.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Noland.jpg

So my question is if you thought about how the boat is going to behave at sea when you made those decorative pieces of steel?

The best of luck with your project!

You're welcome to wear your bike helmet or stay off the boat entirely. Our safety rules work because you are encouraged to stay within your level of comfort. I hope you come to the edge so your comfort zone grows over time, but that choice is yours. And what you see as problems, I see as hand holds. : )

Wow what a shitty response to someone raising a legitimate saftey concern. Not hand holding is one thing, but intentionally and willfully ignoring sharp jutting metal at head level on a craft designed for high seas is kinda of nuts. I mean I'm sure you try to drive a car carefully, but do you wish to glue a knife on your steering wheel pointing at you, cause it looks cool?

You're welcome to pay us a visit. Just also visit the fishing fleet. If you still think it's a legitimate safety concern then perhaps you should stick to cruise ships.

Once Seeker is built and launched will the videos continue? If so how do you see your channel evolving/changing?

Absolutely! We'll be building an repairing the boat and stuff that researchers break but also learning about wrecks and sharks and such.

g an repairing the boat and stuff that researchers break but also learning about wrecks and sharks and such.

I love your videos and look forward to seeing how this channel evolves. I've followed Jamie Mantzal for years and when he moved to Panama I thought it was done but his videos are better than ever now.

Anyhow, keep on inspiring. Great content!

We'll have to pay Jamie a visit. Give a man a grinder... :)

Hey Doug,

So far what has been your least favorite project on the boat? How did you motivate yourself to finish that particular task?

Hanging upside down into the keels to clean out the mud and grit. ...no.. spraying coal tar in the cabins ...no... Ha! You know, once they are done I think they gain appeal. : )

Do you ever have days where you just want to give up and scrap it?

No. I have days where I want to sit on the couch. But never quit. It's going too well to even think about that I guess

Hey Doug, I've been watching for years and I just wanted to say thank you for your perseverance. Also, thank you for your video quality, you make a lot of obvious effort and I know how much that can slow you down and I appreciate it.

I come from a huge family of welders (nuclear, oil field, hydraulic, architectural), but I grew up the IT nerd they wanted and just never connected with it. What's your recommended break-in to welding as a hobby vs a career?

Thanks Perseverance is something I have in spades. And I guess your first step is to get a cheap welder and start a simple project. An outdoor fireplace is always nice. Then follow your gut. If welding is something you fall in love with, then you can soon give the cheap welder to someone else and you'll know by then what you want next.

I saw the video on your weighting and displacement and a lot of the calculation for the remaining weight to be put on was guesswork and "oh we forgot about...". Also the water line seemed to be higher then even your conservative estimate before. What's up with that? Will it float?

Ha! It was not a conservative estimate, it was just a bad estimate. The extra weight actually make me feel better about the ratio of center of effort to center of gravity and the leeway she'll make. Sailing boat stuff, but for every Ying their is a Yang. And yes, it will float. : )

ive been following for years. whats the most difficult thing thats come along building seeker? i know you dont like timelines but i could see seeker hitting the water in under 2 years.

I'll add to my previous answer to say how Not Difficult the whole thing has been compared to what I expected before I started. And sure, two years sounds good. It has got to be the truth at some point, right?

Hi Doug, What you have achieved is amazing. How long was it before the idea formed to when you cut the first metal? There are not many other questions yet, can I ask more? Your life will maybe change a lot when the boat is finished - will you live full time on Seeker or do you already have a bigger project in mind? Are you comfortable talking about money? Do you know (will you share) how much you have put into SV Seeker? You are an inspiration to thousands - keep at it!

Thanks. I was working on that aluminum submarine, must have been around 2003, when a guy that saw my web site came over to try my aluminum welder because he was going to build a boat and sail the world. That idea scared the shit out of me. But I slowly fell in love with it too. I think it reminded me of my Dad. And I plan to LIVE and DIE on Seeker. The bigger projects are for researchers. My job is to make sure, their job gets done. And yes, but I do not track any expenses. I have income from YouTube, donors, and my retirement and it all goes into the boat. There must be about $350,000 there now. Could be a lot more, or less.

Hi Doug,

I guess the SV Seeker will be sailing under US flag, are there any difficulties getting the self built ship registered and fully legal (IMO compliant etc)?

Yes, at least when that is appropriate. And no, it's really easy. There are some forms to fill out and a small fee to the USCG and it's all done.

Guessing the ship is not registered as a commercial vessel?

No. We are recreational.

Hey Doug!

Been watching the channel for at least 3 years now and have learned a whole lot about metalworking, engineering, and of course all the incredibly insightful and inspiring life lessons that you slip into your videos.

I've been thinking about questions since you announced this AMA in the video the other day, and I've got a few.

1. In the beginning of building Seeker, did you have any issues with neighbors or permitting from the city?

2. I remember you had said you used to work a sort of desk job for many years. If you could go back to when you were starting your career with that, what, if anything, would you have done differently?

3. What do you think has been your worst day working on Seeker, and how did you push through it?

4. What's the meaning behind the name Seeker? What is she looking for?

Thanks in advance, and I greatly appreciate everything I've learned and laughed at through the years watching your channel. I can't wait to see that beautiful ship finally make a splash.

Thanks, me too. #1 Almost none at all. A lady from the City, not sent by my neighbors, did come by to tell me I could not have a dry dock in my front yard. : ) I smiled, but I did not laugh. And I explained that I had read all of the ordinances and there was nothing precluding me from building a project in my yard provided I did not abandon work on it. I also explained what a dry dock was.
#2 I love where I am today, so I would not do anything differently in my past. It might screw up today's happiness and a wealth of knowledge. I love my time as a programmer, as a husband and father, and I am happy to be done with all of that now.
#3 You don't push through it. If you're angry, unhappy, pissed at the Universe, you stop, drink some water, watch the clouds, and unfuck yourself. Then you go back to work. : ) And lots of things have fucked me along the way. I was ever to keen about cutting something twice to realize I would need to do it a third time.
#4 Seeker is about seeking truth in life. Whether it be in the sea or inside us.

If your wet waterline is 70 feet, your hull speed will be 1.3*sqrt(70) = 10.9 kts.

Have you figured out how much engine you need yet? Sail area?

And a key result / design target is range under power, have you worked that out?

The length at the water line is 60 feet so about 9 kts is the theoretical hull speed. And those questions do not have answers that are dictated by some mathematical formula, unless that formula has an insane number of variables to account for environmental and human behavior including something that accounts for feeling. Or you simply choose to simply represent things as a point with force arrows as engineer often do because real life is just too dam complicated. But yes, the engine, transmission, propeller and propeller controller as well as the sail area, center of effort, keels, skeg, shroud, rudder where all selected with a complete system in mind.

Were you instructed to get ready for a flood? Asking for a friend.

Yes, I hear voices. Our last plans for global genocide did not go exactly as we planed so this time we simply taking a more isolationist route.

How are you going to get it in a bottle?

Have you not seen the bottle?

Doug! Been watching your videos for probably 4-5 years now thanks to r/videos on here.

Seems like you have hundreds of jobs to get done on this beast, do you keep a master list or how do you keep from forgetting things? And how do you prioritize what gets done in the order it is done?

It's not that hard. You simply think about it constantly. Dream about it too. Then wake up and go do some work. The order is easy. You can't build the deck till you have a hull. The hull is not in shape until you have the bulkheads. It's just a natural progression. And there is plenty of time to listen to advice and change your mind along the way. I just started screwing cedar boards into the engine room today, but before I cut the first board I stood there and though about it one last time. Once you start, you made the decision; then you just keep going.

Hey Doug,

This is Will Sanburg, I’ll be out there this week but I have a question before my flight gets in. If you could travel back in time, in order to give yourself advice when you were just getting started, what pointers would “Today Doug” give “Back them Doug”?

Howdy Will! Oh hell. That could be a book. I think the biggest hurtle would be ending my 35 year marriage. It had served it's function and was holding both of us back. The problem with marriage counselors, friends, churches, families, grown children is they always think you should stay married. They were WRONG! Then I'd tell myself to take that launch date count down clock off the web page. I did it later. Second best decision. See you tomorrow. I hope you like the smell of cedar. : )

Doug what is your favorite sailing book? I know you listen to a lot of audio books working on the boat. Keep it up guy!

Oh! It has to be "Island of the Lost" Absolutely love it. A true story about shipwreck, survival, courage, adaptability, and leadership.

I read it too coincidentally when you mentioned it on your YouTube. It's also a lot about boat building!

It has everything I love. Even metal working.

Now that the painting is finished, what is the next grand task that you would consider as a milestone?

It's finished? ... : ) actually there is more to go. Lots of insulation and screwing boards to the walls and ceiling. It's going to keep us busy for a while. Then the pilothouse I guess.

Do you plan to get her to water when she is sea-worthy and then finish the rest on water or will you do as much as possible in the current location before transporting her?

No, we plan to take her to the water very much completed. But there are going to be lots of things we will learn about and modify once on the water. ...it's just so much easier to work on a boat when it's sitting in your front yard in a city like Tulsa where everything you need is a fifteen minutes away.

How is Aiden doing? I had some playlist running of your old clips and got reminded of him.

Alive and well. Just overly sheltered by his folks, so you'll not see him until he or they grow up. : )

Sorry to hear that, Doug. I loved watching him weld on your channel.

Yeah, he was becoming a pretty good welder. : )

What is the plan for in the water? Where to first? will you be selling the house and living there full time?

maybe i missed it but what is your black water plan?

Down the MKARNS, the Mississippi, some shake down sailing about the Gulf of Mexico and by then I want a researcher on board. Maybe will go collect some bottom samples down stream of Deep Water Horizon. That would be cool.

I see most of your videos but most often in a corner of my screen while I am working so sometimes I am not paying much attention. I heard you say that it might take two more years before you take it to the water. What do you still need to do that might take this long?

Good on ya! Turn it off and focus on your work. : ) And we have always been saying it will be 2 more years. At some point we have to be right. There is still lots of interior work to be done. Places to cook, eat, shit, shower, and sleep would be nice.

Given what you know now, what changes to the design do you wish you would you made?

I'd certainly be better at doing a lot of the work. But I don't know that I'd change any of the design. I'm sure that will change once we are on the water. I guess when you see us making a change, that will be the answer. Oh! I know one. I'd put the battery storage compartment between the fuel and water tanks to cut down on the possibility of fuel leaking into the water. ....but that would be a pain in the ass, as the main mast comes down in that location and the large opening for the battery storage would not be as structurally sound. hmmmm. Still.

do you plan on getting your 100 ton license?

No. I actually don't need the paper. But I will learn and video everything that Captains can demonstrate.

What has been your largest struggle as you have been building over the last decade?

Love the boat. Been watching for the last 3 years after I hurt my back building my skoolie. Your channel was great as I recovered on the couch. Ha

Starting I think but it runs close to getting arranged again into a new life after my divorce.

What are the plans for the gangway? It seems a bit long now we see where the waterline will be. Are you going to build on an attachment for a floating dock or swimming platform?

It stays attached. It swings in and raises up to become a cat walk that allows us to access the aft deck without going through the pilothouse. Something that would be a pain if you're moving a hose or rope to the aft deck. And then it will be on a hoist that lets us lower it into the water for divers, access to the tender or even the sea bed if we are in a bay and the tide has gone out.

I've never seen this in the videos - do you do any planning on paper? As in spreadsheets, roadmaps, and etc?

I have notebooks and often scratch something out there. Only if it is necessary to I use CAD. Surprisingly most things got scratched out on the steel plate with a crew member's input just before cutting it out. We sometimes do this twice. We say "We build it right. Because we build it twice." :)

What led to your decision to stop working on small submarines and build a much larger boat?

Courage! I decided to stop being afraid. The big boat sailing across oceans was scary. : )

Do you plan on getting the boat inspected / non destructively tested or just going to plonk it in the water and see if it floats?

No. I've had more engineers, marine surveyors, captains, and such walk through Seeker than I can shake a stick at. You want me to pay for one? : )

I am one (an engineer of sorts), I would love to visit, maybe I will one day, who knows.

Not from the US, just wondering if it is a requirement for your boat registration / insurance in the US?

No. Insurance is not a requirement. Some marinas have insurance requirements but we did not build a boat to stick it inside a marina. : )

You're a very inspiring person, Doug. Are you adopting underlings?

Ha! Inspiration is a two way street. I'm always adopting heroes into my life.

Did you ever get ahold of Dave Bierig about your sails? I sail with him.

I guess not. Who is Dave Bierig?

A sailmaker in Erie PA who makes sails for tall ships. He was mentioned as a potential reference in a blog post some years ago. You seems to have got it all sorted anyhow!

Ok. No. We were contacted by a sail making company regarding making our sails but that fell through. I'm actually very glad it did. Betsy and I leaned a LOT about from making them ourselves.

Will Betsy come on board with you? She doesn't seem to be interested in building the boat, since she did the sails (which is a project in and for itself).Also: Besides poor Earl the Girl and Jesabelle - will Tinka be onboard?

BTW: Thank you for being an inspiration! I started takaling my own big project partially thanks to your videos

I hope so, shes an awesome cook, witty, and a great researcher. She does not much interested on working on the boat, but I'm not much interested in researching her book. But I'll like reading her book. : ) And good on ya for getting off the couch.

Hey Doug, have your plans for the electrical system changed? Have you scrapped the lead acid (or whatever they were) batteries for a newer technology? The videos on refurbishing those batteries were really interesting.

Yes, several times, but not lately. No, I'm still in love with good old lead acid. New tech is nice, but not as cheap or hardened or flexible. I like the idea that we can yank a couple of batteries out, haul them to shore and have enough juice to start a bulldozer.

whats the plan for sewage?

I think we'll weld together a couple of aluminum holding tanks, and rig them with the ability to pump them out with air pressure. I'm also looking at USCG approved processing tanks, but they are expensive and difficult to fit.

i think making tanks that can fit in space you currently arent using is the best idea. and bigger than youd think. somehow tanks in boats fill extra fast.

Yeah, it's really an issue while we go down the rivers. Dumping at sea is not a problem.

Has anyone complained about you junking up the front yard?

: ) Not on this street. Get Google Maps out and take a look at 2128 E Ute St, Tulsa OK 74110

I love that it appears in 3D on Google Earth.

That's an old street view. Hope they come back soon now that it's painted.
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.183168,-95.9611375,3a,75y,167.64h,86.77t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sfzaMNKHGNy8sQwwED30Lmg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DfzaMNKHGNy8sQwwED30Lmg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D126.80825%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

Hi Doug,

I have been watching your videos for years, excelent progress you have made so far. What are your plans after getting the SV Seeker in Catoosa. Will you be sailing down to Missisippi or Gulf as soon as possible, or will you be finalizing the work somewhere in between?

Cheers from Estonia

Thanks. And we'll build a trailer for her. Once the last of the paint is on, we can start that work. And right on. We take the MKARNS to the Mississippi. The MKARNS is our river system that gets us to the Mississippi and it passes through Lake Kerr. There we will put up the sails and start to figure that part out. MKARNS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClellan%E2%80%93Kerr_Arkansas_River_Navigation_System#/media/File:Map_of_McClellan%E2%80%93Kerr_Arkansas_River_Navigation_System.jpg

With your boat being over 50 tons do you need a captains license to provide folks the research services you plan on offering?

No. It's still just a recreational vessel and so we need nothing more. That is not to say that I am not delighted to accept Captain Charlie (video coming soon) to captain the boat and teach me as we start off down the river system. : )

did the coast guard verify this?

what about insurance?

There is nothing to verify. You simply check the box beside Recreational. It might say "Uninspected Vessel"; same thing. And I'll look into insurance later but it will only be liability and we'll likely dump that later on depending on were we are headed.

How much did it cost you to build it?

Everything I have. : ) Seriously, I don't track that. Mainly because I just don't care. I put will every dime I have toward it. Perhaps that is one of the side effects of passion.

Hey Doug. It;'s Rick & Lori from SHE-KON. Where do you think you'd be on the Seeker project without things like Youtube, Patreon etc.?

Hey Rick! I'd likely be done but I would not be the boat we have now. She is much better that what I set out to build. I would have been okay filling the day tank from buckets. Instead we have an awesome fuel system. : )

It's been a joy to watch you and your crew bring Seeker into shape as a proper ship! Cheers! Love to Betsy, Earl, Tinka and Jez.

Thank you. I has been a wonderful ride. Im looking forward to more.

What is the very best cheese?

Gooda is Good

I guess I have a couple questions. Is it a wood or steel vessel? If steel, how did you go about nesting/lofting the parts? Did you have an architect draw it for you ?

Steel! ...but we have red cedar attached to the walls and ceiling on the inside and ipe (E-pay) floors, so it looks like it's wood from the inside. Lofting is the really cool part because it is an Origami design, or Frameless boat. Search for Steel Origami Boat and you'll see what I mean. We have some old video on it too. The design for the hull was drawn up by Jack Carson. He had experience with this type of design and agreed to do it for me, but he is not a marine architect. He is an experienced sailor and builder and that is what I wanted.

A beautiful vessel for sure. Having worked on boats myself I know that this was no small achievement. Even in a fully functioning yard with crews of experienced hands. This would probably still take some time to complete.

Thank you. To me it has been much more that just building a boat.

I bet. Even though the vessels I worked on were not mine. I still put a lot of heart into them. Especially the fire boat named 343 that was built for the New York City Fire Department. The name 343 is a tribute to the 343 first responders that died on 9-11 and the steel used for making the pieces for the name that is welded on the sides of the boat are cut from steel that came from the towers. I really enjoyed being a part of building that vessel the most.

That was a great way to commemorate them.

Hey Doug, I've been watching every video since you were casting the aluminum hatches. Thanks for doing the AMA! Questions:

Of all the other YouTube boat builders, who gets you the most excited when a new video is out?

Any funny/crazy stories about having randos from the internet come to work on your boat?

It changes. I think it's because they are working on the thing that I will soon be doing, often that is Brupeg or Dangar. If that's not the case then it just depends on my mood. I love that the personalities are so diverse, as well as the boats and the materials, and the climates. Steve, Acorn to Arabella is always so to the point. Simon make me appreciate the beauty of the water. Ross, Life on the Hull seems to always to be doing something that looks miserable to me. I watch that and think if he's suffering inside that suite again, I can suck it up and work in the heat. And I love Craig at Rusty Junk because he is going to make it happen for less than what most people spend on a car. : ) And yeah, the people how come to work here are as diverse as the world but they all have that can do, builder, maker, creator, entrepreneur that drives them so in some way they are all the same person. When people come through my gate I often here "I feel like I know you." and in a basic way I think I feel like I know them too.

Do you ever think you will start another big project like this?

I think sailing the oceans of the world, conduction exploration and research counts as a bigger project. : )

Will you never let go? LOL

Nope. Dad was a Bull Dog.

Doug, What is at the top of the list of things you need, or would really like to have, to complete the project?

Rocky Road Ice Cream! ....oh wait. You said need. I need to lose about 15 pounds. We never turn down a $1 a month donation, but to tell you the truth; At the risk of sounding new ageish, we don't really need anything that is not already heading our way. I hope we can reach more people and encourage them to find and live their passion. Oh! 500 ft of high test 5/8 inch galvanized chain. I need to go see the folks at Tulsa Chain I think they'll cut us a deal. : )

Well, I can definitely help on the 'spreading the message' front. Been with you for almost as many years as you've been posting videos and you've been a huge inspiration in my life. Thank you for what you started.

Thank You.

Can you answer my question?

Yes, I can.

How did you get it out of your basement?

We're smarter than that. We're going to build the boat first and then build the basement around it.

what's your favorite prime number?

Will it help sail a boat? I like one because I like the idea of single handing Seeker. ....but I think it's primeness is controversial.

Love the channel Doug, thanks for taking the time to document the process and instill your wisdom from time to time. My only issue is I caught up and now I have to wait for each new episode!

My question: how on earth are you going to launch that beast?

Ha! Thanks. And that is the Universe's way of telling you to turn off the computer and get busy on your Big Dream.

Right you are. I'm making some life changes over here and will see where they take me.

How will you launch?

Have you seen this? ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zETTwopC8D0

Ya know, that worked so well, that we intentionally launched it the same way the second time.

We've not worked out the details but it will likely involve one of the cranes at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa.

What’s that in your yard?

Grass

Why not 75?

Why 75?

How popular are you with the neighbours ?

They still hand food over the fence when their having a cook out, so I must be doing okay. How about you?

What's in the envelope?

My baby pictures.

Come and visit me in London?

A Chinese Junk on the Thames. That would be cool.

Do your friends and neighbors make flood or animal jokes?

Wish I had a dime for each of them.

Do you live near water or are you expecting a flood?

Flood. I'm going with Flood. ...it's more interesting than the MKARNS

Hi Doug. Been watching for a couple of years. Looks great with the paint.

Any researchers been in contact yet? I was curious what types of studies can be done on Seeker.

Yes, but it's too soon. The last guy was just looking to do water sampling.

What's been the most difficult engineering challenge you've had to over come so far?

What's something on the boat you stand back and say 'now that's some cool shit' after building it?

Have you made any mistakes that have really frustrated you?

Have any volunteers on your project ever done something stupid?

Howdy. The first three question have already been answered here. So have any volunteers ever done something stupid? We all do things we think are stupid. If that is not the case then I'd guess narcissist might apply. But no. I really can't think of anyone that stepped way outside of their experience and did something stupid. Maybe because we don't stand around with beer calling someone a chicken because the choose to consider their current skills. The fact is I would call that behavior stupid. Our crew can choose what they will not do and often grow to be more proficient with every tool we have.

Will you fit a pair of each kind into it, Noah?

That genocide plan did not come out as we expected last time, so we're taking a more Live and let Live approach this time.

Do you worry that once the boat is done you’ll want to start another even crazier project?

You don't think sailing about the world's oceans doing research is a crazier project?

I’ve actually been following Acorn to Arabella this summer. The boat building process is super interesting to me as a carpenter.

So since this isn’t your first boat what do you wish you knew when you were first getting started that you are very aware of now?

You should start building one. A kayak can be done in an apartment for less than you cable bill. Because I wish I had started sooner. I made too many excuses for not starting. : )

I forgot the kids name next door but I remember you giving him your truck at one point as long as he went to school to get a trade. How did that end up working out? I don’t think there ever was anything mentioned in the videos about it.

Sometimes you help people out and it works out well, sometimes not. : )

How do you ensure the hull is symmetrical and even so the deck is level while floating?

It's not going to be perfect, but the sea will not care. That's a flaw in humans. However you're going to be dam close if you simply cut both sides of the hull the same. Even that will only do so much as the welding will induce some distortion. And then we'll need to trim the boat once it's in the water by moving around where we store some of the heavier things. And finally, it's home is the open sea, so level never really a thing.

Bit late to the party, been watching since almost the beginning.

One question I've had on my mind, are you and Betsy married, or just good friends? Maybe it's been mentioned in a video and I just failed to catch it.

Keep up the awesome work.

We're partners in crime.

Doug! Man! We've talked a couple of times. Your work has been inspiring...

Honestly, I'm surprised that you're still working on Seeker. I applaud your choice in design. I think the Junk hull and sail plan is among the best for short-handed crew, comfort, and safety.

Where did you pick up the hull lines? It's hard to find Junk plans laying around...

We found a guy building a similar boat on Vancouver Island. His boat was drawn up by Jack Carson, so we got Jack to draw up the lines for our hull. I has some China Cloud and Hong Kong trader influence.

Did this worry your neighbors thinking a flood was about to come? 😆 That's a great build, keep it up!

Oh Hell! I bet that's what the animal sacrifice thing was all about.

Did you need a permit?

Just a USCG registration number. And I am not sure that even that is an actual requirement.