Social Life of the Boat Yard

There's a great social side to the boatyard.  You talk with the other people working on their boats, commiserate about how long it all takes, ask for some advice if you're stumped by something.

And there is a steady trickle of people just walking through the yard to have a look at the boats.  Some of them stop for a minute to chat.  I've met interesting people that way, including a couple who introduced themselves by saying, "We've read your book!"

There is nothing kinder that you can say to a writer stuck in the boatyard.

But (pet peeve coming up), there are other people who don't have the best sense of timing for striking up a conversation.  Look at me in the picture above - sander buzzing away at eye level, respirator and safety glasses on.  If I were grinding instead of sanding, I'd also be wearing hearing protection and heavy gloves.  Hearing what someone is saying, and answering them, requires stopping what I'm doing and taking half that stuff off.

If you saw someone working like that, would you interrupt them if all you had to say was, "Nice boat.  What design is she?"

You'd be surprised how many people do.