Texas man, 86, nears finish of 39-year boat project after strangers launch fundraiser

An 86-year-old resident of Mineral Wells, Texas, has spent the past 39 years constructing a 62-foot steel boat, a project he began in 1987. Three visitors who learned about his effort started a crowdfunding campaign to help him complete it. The campaign has so far raised more than $41,000 for finishing the vessel and transporting it to a launch site. Roughly $50,000 more is still needed to cover the remaining work. The story highlights the community support that has emerged around his decades-long undertaking.