In addition to building your boat, you really want to display it in its best light. As a bonus, I have provided a special section that introduces you to using the variety of lights that Blender provides and helps you understand the basics of how to use them. They will be covered again in this book in greater detail, but I recommend that you check out the bonus chapter, Chapter 5A, Lighting a Small Boat.
It will add another layer to your learning and help you in later chapters.