(music)
>> HOWEVER ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL A BOAT LOOKS, IT LOOKS THAT
MUCH BETTER IN THE WATER GLIDING OUT IN FRONT OF YOU.
THAT'S THEIR FUNCTION IN LIFE.
IF YOU HANG ONE IN A MUSEUM, OR HANG IT UP SOMEWHERE FOR
SHOW, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT IT DENIES THE
USE OF A BOAT THAT CAN BE A REAL PLEASURE.
(music)
>>
>> ACTUALLY THE FIRST BOAT I EVER BUILT WAS A CANOE
AND I WAS 16-YEARS OLD.
WELL YOU'RE SPACING IS GOING TO BE EITHER 16 OR 24,
FOR THE FLOOR DECK.
>>
HE DESIGNS BUSINESSES AND BUILDINGS AND HOUSES.
>> THIS IS THE HANSEN RESIDENCE.
JOHN WANTED A HOUSE FOR THE AGES, AND HE'S GOT IT NOW.
(drilling)
>>
>> THE WEE ONE IS MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S BOAT.
I CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF KIND OF A SEMI-JET DRIVE.
ALL OF THIS SAIL FRU-FRA, IS STUFF I'VE ADDED
JUST TO PLAY AROUND WITH HERE RECENTLY.
YOU COULD MOVE AT ABOUT THE SAME SPEED PEDDLING
AS YOU COULD PADDLING.
>>
TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY HELPS MAKE THE DESIGN OF BOTH HOUSES
AND BOATS, A LOT EASIER.
>> IF I WAS TO SIT DOWN AND DESIGN A SMALL BOAT
LIKE THIS BY HAND, TO DO THE CALCULATIONS FOR DISPLACEMENT
AND WETTED SURFACE WOULD BE PROBABLY 5 OR 6 PAGES,
JUST COMPLETELY FILLED WITH A LOT OF FIDDLING
LITTLE NUMBERS THAT HAD TO BE ADDED AND COLLATED.
WITH THIS YOU JUST SAY, I WANT IT TO BE THIS WIDE,
AND I WANT THIS CURVE TO BE ABOUT THIS KIND OF SHAPE,
AND YOU RUN THROUGH IT AND IT TAKES FIVE MINUTES.
>>
IT'S A KAYAK.
16-FEET LONG.
VERY LIGHT.
>> IT'S AN ABSOLUTE MINIMALIST ONE MAN SET ON TOP KAYAK,
EVERYTHING THAT'S NOT NECESSARY IS TAKEN AWAY.
(storage bin door opening)
>>
SKIP'S MAKING HIS OUT OF WOOD.
TINY STRIPS OF WOOD.
>> IN THIS LITTLE SPACE WE HAVE COMPRESSED ABOUT
120-SOME-ODD-THOUSAND LINEAL FEET OF WOOD STRIPS
FOR CANOE AND KAYAK BUILDING.
SKIP'S WOOD-STRIP KAYAK WILL BE BUILT OF MAHOGANY, AND YEMERI,
AND CEIBA AND BANAK.
WOODS THAT HE AND HIS BOAT BUILDING PARTNERS HAVE
IMPORTED FROM BELIZE.
>> HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO SELL SOME OF THIS WOOD TOO,
BECAUSE THIS IS A SEVERAL LIFETIME SUPPLY.
THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 110 AND 150 BOATS
WORTH OF WOOD IN HERE, DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF
BOATS YOU'D BE BUILDING.
>>
TECHNIQUES GET TOSSED OVERBOARD AND HIS OWN UNIQUE
CONSTRUCTION METHODS TAKE OVER.
>> CARPENTER'S TYPE GLUE, TIGHT BOND 2.
(pop)
OW!
I ENJOY TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS, DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES.
(sigh)
SOME WORK, SOME DON'T.
(wood breaking)
IT'S AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION.
(knife on wood)
THEY CALL IT 'SMUTS', OR 'GORILLA SNOT'.
(rubber bands popping)
I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY 'BE CAREFUL.'
WHEN THEY BREAK, THEY'LL COME BACK AND POP YOU PRETTY GOOD.
>>
WASN'T REALLY IN A HURRY, IT ACTUALLY TOOK ABOUT 4-MONTHS
FROM START TO FINISH.
>> YOU HAVE TO TALK TO THE WOOD A LITTLE BIT ON OCCASION.
YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT TOO.
>>
QUARTER OF AN INCH THICK.
ON THE DECK THEY'LL BE EVEN THINNER.
>> OH, IT'LL FLOAT.
IT'LL FLOAT ME.
>>
CUT...
FIT...
GLUED...
AND CLAMPED.
SKIP USES A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT RINGS, STRINGS,
AND OTHER THINGS TO HOLD THE BOAT TOGETHER.
>> BY THE TIME EVERYTHING IS SAID AND DONE WE'LL USE EVERY
CLAMP IN SIGHT.
>>
IS USED TO FILL IN THE GAPS.
THEN THE SURFACE IS SANDED AND SMOOTHED.
AFTER THAT, IT'S TIME FOR A THIN SHEET OF FIBERGLASS.
>> THERE YOU GO.
ONE MORE TIME.
>>
AND THE BIONIC LOG STARTS TO TAKE ON ITS TRUE COLORS.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHAT A BOAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE UNTIL
YOU GET THE FIBERGLASS ON IT.
WHEN EVERYTHING IS SAID AND DONE, YOU'LL HAVE A REALLY
STRONG, UNIFIED SKIN, WITH THE FIBERGLASS PROVIDING STRENGTH
AND ABRASION RESISTANCE.
WITH THESE WOODS AND THIS RESIN, IT SHOULD BE STUNNING.
>>
USE FOR TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
>> THIS IS A STOP ACTION VIDEO OR TIME LAPSE OF BUILDING
THE BIONIC LOG.
>> HE SET UP A SMALL WEB-CAMERA TO RECORD HIS PROGRESS.
(music)
>> I'D TURN IT ON BEFORE I STARTED WORKING AND IT WOULD
TAKE A PICTURE ONCE A MINUTE.
IT LOOKS LIKE I'M WORKING REAL, REAL HARD, AND I'M NOT.
IT'S FOUR MINUTES OF VIDEO.
BUT THIS BOAT REALLY TOOK PROBABLY CLOSE TO
80 HOURS TO BUILD.
IF I DID THEM IN 4-MINUTES, I'D GET REAL TIRED OF
DOING IT REAL SOON.
>> THERE'LL BE A RACE BRIEFING IN FOUR MINUTES,
RIGHT HERE.
>>
SAFARI, A 16-MILE RACE FOR KAYAKS AND CANOES.
>> 14 FOOTER?
>> 16-8.
>>
>> YEAH VERY SWEET.
RIGHT ON.
THIS IS A PIECE OF ART GOING DOWN THE SAN MARCOS.
BEAUTIFUL.
GOOD LUCK.
>>
WATER SAFARI IS A MUCH SHORTER AND LESS SERIOUS VERSION OF
ITS MORE FAMOUS COUSIN, THE 260 MILE TEXAS WATER SAFARI.
>> FIVE SECONDS.
WHERE Y'ALL GOING.
GO!
(music)
>> IT WAS GREAT FUN.
I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT.
THE BOAT DID REAL WELL; IT JUST NEEDS A BETTER MOTOR.
I WOULDN'T MIND IT IF IT WAS 10-POUNDS LIGHTER, BUT THAT'D
BE KIND OF HARD TO DO.
IT WORKED REAL WELL, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
SECOND SENIOR SOLO!
MAN I'LL DO HANDSTANDS!
MAN I LUCKED OUT.
THERE WERE ONLY TWO OF US ENTERED.
(music)
>>
ENVISIONING HIS CREATION, AND THEN SEEING IT THROUGH,
IS WHAT MATTERS MOST.
>> JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION, BUT ANYBODY THAT LOOKS AT ONE
OF THESE BOATS AND DOESN'T SEE BEAUTY IN IT DOESN'T HAVE
A SOUL.
I'M SURE I'LL BUILD ANOTHER BOAT OR TWO OR THREE
OR WHATEVER.
WHAT IT IS, AND WHEN IT WILL BE, I DON'T KNOW AT THE MOMENT.
WE'LL SEE.