Yet another proof that, if you're willing to put in the effort, you can get some nice wood from pallets.
Even if you can afford other materials, sometimes it's just fun to prove you can produce heirloom quality from what others claim you can't.
Nice gift (a well disguised boat for one of those incidents when all the inventory was lost at a lake version of the sea, which can be hidden in plain sight, in the house. . . .).