When it comes to woodworking and boatbuilding, Joe Lanni, a middle-school art teacher in north-central New Jersey, considered himself a “true novice,” defining that as “someone who does not have an expertise in woodworking or any related field nor a woodshop at home filled with all sorts of tools.” As a child, Joe did get a bit of experience helping his father do carpentry projects around the house, and while he had tools in his hands, he didn’t get to use them—he just held them for his father—and he “learned how to get yelled at and learned many words that I am not allowed to write.”“I have always loved boats,” Joe says. “I’ve really admired wooden boats and dreamed about actually building my own.” Anyone who has built a boat, no matter their experience, knows that it starts with a dream, and as Pete Culler writes, “experience starts when you begin, and not one jot before. Start. Start anything, and the experience comes.” In spite of his lack of tools, a workshop space, woodworking skills, and even his own uncertainty, Joe did just that. He started.

Photographs courtesy of the Lanni family

With construction nearly complete, Joe's Toter 2 is ready for paint. The back porch railing is ready for paint too, and the deck needs stain, but they'll have to wait.

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