building a wooden boat.

[goatee]

i have recently got a "bee in my bonet" and i want to build a boat.

just wondering if anyone here has experience with this? any tips/tricks you would like to share? one plywood better than another? or what epoxy to use/not use?

im thinking of maybe building a dory. ??feet long... row capabilities, but still have an option to put on an outboard. 25 horse maybe?

another CRAZY thing is HYDRFOIL...... <------ if you dont know,,, youtube it. ..... detachable/bolt on "fins" to the side of the hull for a fuel efficiant smooth ride.. just unscrew them and throw them in the boat so i can trailer it.

IDK,,, am i crazy?

 

[goatee]

ask and you shall receive. link popped up right in my post.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

You are in luck, I have built one. An eleven foot Arch Davis design sailboat. Took six months in a cold garage during winter. Left the door to the house open to warm the garage some - not popular with the family but needed the heat for the epoxy. I'm not handy and made mistakes but with wood you can buy more wood. Had the moment of sheer panic at the beginning with pile of wood and no experience. "What was I thinking???? I can't build a BOAT!" This is what I said to my SWMBO. She comforted me with, "I TOLD you not to do it..." Ha, ha! A real achievement when done - highly recommended. Use marine ply, expensive but worth it.

 

[memnochlv]

"How did you get it out of the basement?" -- Sorry, I couldn't help it, I'm an NCIS fan and just had to toss that one out...

 

[AllenG]

I have built two wooden boats, a cedar strip bidarka (sea kayak), and a fabric whitehall.
I sold the bidarka, the whitehall serves duty in the family's farm pond.

West System is my epoxy of choice.

http://www.laughingloon.com/north.star.html
^^^
That is were I got my plans for the bidarka. Rob Macks also produces a very good video tutorial on building and his plans are very through.
The whitehall I drew up on my own. Similar to but not as pretty as this one--->http://gentrycustomboats.com/Whitehall page.html

 

[goatee]

i love them both!!! how does the canvas secure to the boat with a water tight seal?

 

[AllenG]

i love them both!!! how does the canvas secure to the boat with a water tight seal?

It is held in place with upholstery tacks under the gunnel.
In my case the fabric goes all the way up to the gunnels and the stern is not exposed as on Gentry's boat. It looks like he used a caulking cord under the skin and around the edge of the stern.
The fabric is painted with a 2 part epoxy to make it waterproof. The skin becomes drum tight and is very strong.
Of the two approaches I found skin-on-frame to be the easier to build.

 

[roklein]

My uncle built his own wooden boat. He had a spread done on his wooden pontoon boat in www.pdbmagazine.com

Hope you can read the article. If not, send me a message and I'll email it to you.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Here is a pic of mine with The Captain (not capsizing) at the helm. It is the Sanddollar model from Arch Davis and is 11' long and nearly 4' wide. Has a 39 sf sail with sprit set up. Not in the plans is the boom which I added to help with sail shape. Sit on the floor with a cushion under you and behind you and the day is yours. A fun boat but just for one person really. Hard to launch because everyone wants to know about a wooden boat but that is ok.

 

[goatee]

looking at rc props. $35 will buy a 70mm 3 blade prop. im thinking i will put it on a weed whacker...
that wood pontoon is insane!! holy smokes!!!

 

[goatee]

i wont break any speed records but....it is an alternative to rowing.