Actually given its brevity, less a story than an anecdote from the Times Online:
After a lifetime of rowing in club boats, I recently started building my own. Before the internet, it was difficult to get information or plans for amateur construction. There was a show for small wooden boats in London and some further education colleges did courses, but most boatbuilders were on their own, learning from books and bitter experience.
The web has brought about a global amateur boat- building community. We have forums and newsgroups to discuss designs and construction methods online and to keep inspiration going by swapping stories of voyages.
Members log on from around the world, although the hobby seems to be concentrated mainly in the English-speaking countries and, for some unknown reason, Poland.
It is not just contact either. The web has revolutionised the supply of materials for boatbuilding. It is now possible to download plans and order materials electronically, instead of having to motor for miles to various chandleries. This year, for the first time, a meeting was held for amateurs to bring their boats, sail each other’s creations and exchange notes.
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