Project Update

I know it's been a long time since I've posted here and you may wonder what's going on with the Element II build.  Near perfect weather has returned and now is the time for boatbuilding here.  Look for new photos soon as I will be moving forward with the cockpit and other parts of the connecting structure in the coming weeks. 

The main reason I haven't had time to work on the boat is that I've been so busy with writing projects.  My latest book was just released at the beginning of this month and I have a contract for another one that is due to be completed by July 1.  In addition, I am simultaneously working on a novel that I also hope to complete around the same time.  Here is the cover of the recently released Getting Out Alive: 13 Deadly Scenarios and How Others Survived:

 

It is the latest in a series of survival-related books I'm writing for Ulysses Press, of Berkeley, California.  The first was Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It's Too Late, which has been a great success and is in it's second printing and soon to go into a third. 

Some of you may wonder why I'm writing all these survival books and not more boat-related books, as paddling, sailing and boatbuilding are my true passion.  The fact is, while I don't consider myself a "survivalist," my previous experiences have put me in a unique position to write about these topics for those who are interested in them.  There has been a huge surge of interest in anything to do with survival here in the U.S. in recent years, and it shows no sign of slacking up. I've found that this subject matter is currently the best way for me to reach more readers, which is of course, the ultimate goal of any writer. 

Getting Out Alive is aimed at the armchair reader as well as adventurers who might need to know how to survive certain scenarios.  Check it out if like me, you like reading about other people's close calls and harrowing ordeals. 

My biggest challenge now is to find a way to balance writing time with boatbuilding time.  With the change to daylight savings time this past Sunday, I should be able to start making progress on the boat again.