Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 03/98) - Building a boat from scratch is one of those things a lot of people dream about. John Gilliland is one of those people who gets around to making it come true.

On and off for the last 19 years, Gilliland has spent his weekends building a 21-foot motorsailer, named Emily J, after his first granddaughter.

It's not how quickly you do it," noted Gilliland. "It's the fun of building it."

With a simple galley, head, enclosed cockpit with inside steering and sleeping accommodation for two, the boat is designed for overnight sailing, hopefully to the East Arm.

"I have always wanted to build a boat," said the retired Environment Canada geologist. "Maybe it's something that's in my family."

Gilliland's father and five uncles were involved in building oceanliners in England. "I've always been fascinated by the idea of building a boat," he said.

Emily J is the second boat Gilliland has built. He built the first, a 12-foot catamaran, to familiarize himself with fiberglass and epoxy.

But, as anyone who has tackled such a project knows, no amount of preparation will prevent unexpected problems from arising -- like hungry porcupines.

While the boat was at Patterson Lake, neighborhood porcupines started dining on the hull's plywood.

"They were eating it faster than I could build it," recalled Gilliland. The porcupines got the message when one of them met an untimely end, the victim of lead poisoning administered by Gilliland.

Then there was the trip up here in 1994.

""I was pulling the boat behind this Cadillac I had then, when I noticed a trail of something behind me."

The trail was fire. Sparks from a chain on the trailer had ignited a stream of gas leaking from the car. "When I stopped the fire caught up," said Gilliland. "There wasn't much I could do."

The Cadillac burst into flames and the boat suffered only superficial burns.

Gilliland got another vehicle and finished the journey. The boat is now sitting about four metres from the water.

Though there's still work to be done, Emily J is essentially ready for launching. "It's getting to the point now where, other than getting the wiring finished, there's not much left to do," said Gilliland.