Ron Magen Bio

I was born, and spent a rather uneventful childhood, in Atlantic City, NJ. We didn't think much about it, but it actually is on Abseacon Island. I guess that's where I get my fascination with water and wooden boats Curious about how things worked, I was always taking something apart; and usually amazed my parents by putting it back together - most of the time it worked, with no 'extra' parts left over.

The commercial, presently on TV, where two men are in a Fine Art Museum - one is admiring the vase in a display and the other is admiring the wood stand - could be about me.

Like most of us, my life has it's priorities. Only a rare few are lucky enough to REALLY ENJOY what they do for a living. The rest of us do what's necessary to meet our obligations & responsibilities, and dream about the 'I'd like to . . .'. In many cases it is a 'Time & Money' scenario; either you have the time and not the money, or have the money but not the time - never the two together. Anyway, with one thing and another, the economy, one company swallowing up another, etc., I found myself 'at leisure'. Also found out that I was an "OVER" - Over educated, Over qualified, and Over 40.  As I was building one of the 'honey-do' things I had put off with the usual excuses, something started to percolate in my mind. I'd been 'collecting' tools for years.  Also 'collected' boat plans on the premise, "One day I'll . . .". The garage had been turned into a 'shop' with all my own jigs, fixtures, plus workbenches, sawhorses, and a router table, for Joanne's projects and the refurbishment of our 'vintage' West Wight Potter 19 sailboat. . . NOW I had the Time and a few bucks rat-holed away so I also had the Money.  The only unknown was Joanne. Not much to worry about, only a few 'Rules'.

1) Keep sending out resumes for a 'real job'
2) Her 'projects' get First Priority
3) NO FLEET - this was NOT a 'Nantucket Backyard'; I could build
all I wanted, but had to sell ALL I built.

The rest, as they say, is history.