Boat building has long been a passion for many people. The relaxation of crafting something from hand, the pride in accomplishing a project and the joy of sailing away on a boat you made yourself all add to the excitement of boat building. However, some never get to experience this leisurely pursuit because they think they have nowhere to build a boat.

The launch of the television show NCIS has heightened the awareness of boat building as Mark Harmon's character, Special Agent Gibbs, pours over his boat plans in almost every episode. Granted, building a boat in your basement might not be the best idea (Gibbs never explained how he got the boat out of his house), but there are other ways to create an affordable boat building workshop.

Building a boat doesn't require a large amount of dedicated space. Most boat builders use whatever is available and will make due in a temporary situation. A garage or shed, a pent roof or tent, even a few pieces of PVC pipe glued together with a few tarps tossed over the top will do. The important thing is not the space itself, but what you put in your boat building space.

When deciding where to build your boat, here are some things of importance to remember. You'll want your workshop to be a bit larger than the boat you want to build. Three feet of free space around the boat is optimal, but less would certainly do. You will want enough space to be able to freely move around all sides of the boat. You can use your boat plans to determine the finished size. Then add two to three feet to each side to calculate the size of your workshop.

The only reason (other than your own, personal comfort) to work in a climate-controlled area is the use of epoxy, which can only be used in temperatures of 41F (5C) and above. Therefore if you are not able to heat your workshop, make sure you build during seasons where the lowest temperatures don't fall below 41F (5C).

For those working in spaces that are not climate controlled, you can start building during wintertime when the temperatures are low. This will give you time to loft, cut and assemble the pieces from your boat plans. Then, once the weather gets warmer, you can move on with using glue, fiberglass tape and epoxy.

In optimal conditions, your workshop will have electrical power for power tools, lights, etc. Drop cords run to the worksite will do nicely. However, most boat plans can be built using only hand tools if necessary.

If you're using power tools, either a circular saw or saber saw will be needed, otherwise, you'll need a handsaw. In addition, you'll want to equip your workshop with pencils, a measuring tape, a lumber fillet (you can use plastic spoons for this!), a carpenter's square and sandpaper. That's it!

Be sure your workshop is well ventilated when working with paints and stains. It's no fun building a boat when you feel queasy! Also, you'll want to wear gloves when working with epoxy, as it is highly dangerous if it gets on your skin.

As you can see, it's easy to create a makeshift boat building workshop. With a little space, some sort of cover and a few simple tools, you'll be crafting your dream boat sooner than you think!