DAVE GENTRY has been dreaming about boats since his parents were posting his nautical drawings on the refrigerator door. In the late 1980's Dave built his first boat without any plans and with only a hazy idea of what was required—and then taught himself to sail in it. He’s been hooked on boatbuilding and sailing ever since. While in grad school at the University of North Texas, he coached the university sailing team and also raced on his own, winning both state and national one-design regattas. Since then, he’s embraced whitewater and sea kayaking, surfing, rowing and cruising, even living aboard his own boat while cruising the waters of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. In 2006, Dave opened his own boatbuilding shop and started building and designing skin-on-frame kayaks, canoes and unique conversions of historic boats. Using non-traditional SOF construction, Dave has proven that many different types of boats—not just kayaks—can be built lighter, more easily, and more affordably than with any other method.  Dave currently lives in New Market, Virginia.