Don’t worry it is boat related
As a profession I am design engineer, lawnmowers, vacuum cleaners, dispensers and more. Despite my degree it is two boat related sources that have served me best
One, a book from the 1970s on how to win the Little Americas Cup, C class cats, boat’s years ahead on their time. At the back was a list of rules. A critical one being:
everything on board should have at least two functions
The second a lecture by Dave Culp at an Amateur Yacht Research Society meeting at speed week in Weymouth. He was an early pioneer of kite sailing and built kite powered proas with the aka (beams) made of exhaust pipe tubing. His rule is:
when designing make everything disposable
This is not some anti green idea but the idea of doing things quick and dirty, test and remake. If you make something perfect and then find it’s sub optimal if you have time and/or money invested in it you won’t discard it but keep using it rather developing something better.
Hopefully in future posts you will see examples of these rules in action as I develop my Gull. What could be mistaken for shoddy workmanship is actually a purposeful strategy. Wood is at best is cheap DIY ply or just broken pallets. Bonding is construction / diy grade, I’m getting good results with glass tape and grab adhesive, strong and set in half an hour.
tinkboats 
Totally with you on the design and construction philosophy. I made an experimental Greenland paddle out of pallet wood about 3 years ago. Still in use, my favourite paddle, but not a tear to be shed if it breaks and I have to make another. Congrats on the evolving Gull project too.
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Big thanks. I have an incomplete Greenland paddle as long ongoing project, one day I may finish all my jobs but I doubt it.
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