If you visit Charleston, I’ll give you a ride.

I know that will be an emotional day…the name of the boat a tribute to my father with the font a stylized version of his handwriting. My masterpiece is almost ready for launch…some final problems to solve, some fit-and-finish items, and a state inspection await. Of course, a project of this magnitude teeters toward obsession, but I manage to find a proper balance between work, family, and hobby/obsession. Having a hobby to distract me after the stresses of the workday are critical to my well-being and mental health. No expense was spared on the creation of 176. You don't always have exactly what you need, but you craft a direction that will work. New custom built mahogany runabout located in Ocean County New Jersey. Another parallel? Research and boat-building are about problem solving. Consistent attention-the only way to get a project of this magnitude across the finish line. I'm in my workshop nearly every evening and most every weekend. Construction of 'The Frank J.' began March of 2008 and continued to December of 2009. They do require dogged persistence and acceptance of small failures. Building a Classic Mahogany Runabout Boat. I started working at HCA four years ago six years ago I started this boat project.Ĭonstructing a boat or a research project does not require extraordinary skill. What you see pictured are thousands of imperfections that, I humbly assert, coalesce into something extraordinarily beautiful. These are attributes I put into my career as a researcher and are remarkably similar to the skills I apply to boat building.

Attention to detail, persistence, and striving for perfection.but never quite achieving it.

Mahogany runabout