This Instructable contains my plans and method for building a boat. It is written as a journal. I'm a novice so please don’t expect exact and 100% correct boat building plans/ advice or terminology.
Experts, please feel free to constructively correct and participate..
Quick notes..
1. If you're down-loading the PDF use the custom pdf.. the full doc hasn't updated and doesnt contain some corrections
2. If you're using a MAC use Adobe Acrobat to view the PDF - Apple's preview app doesn't show all of the pics properly
3. The duplicate text in the fairing section has been removed... and the correct text- reinstated...
Credit where credit is due.. There are many people who post their designs, ideas and plans on the web for free use by others.. Thanks, no new wheels have been invented here.
OK, All my life I wanted to build a wooden boat. The task always seemed too big or too complicated.. Then one day I saw an Instructable “Building a One sheet boat by Verga”.My Instructable is a bit of a tribute to Verga. I rate his as recommended reading and as a mandatory study project for those wishing to have a first go at boat building. My version of his boat can be seen in one of the posts..
Anyway.. Verga got me thinking, reading and wanting to design and build my own boat,.… I’m pretty good at doing a basic design and then making things as I go. Verga’s project is also of the “as you go” style. You build to a method, but the angles, cuts and lengths are finalized as the boat comes together. The construction method of this boat owes a lot to Verga’s Instructable- ie made by bending the sides around a centre ‘rib’ or frame.
This boat is an “artist’s sketch”- so it is a little over engineered for its size. This Instructable is more of a diary than a precise set of plans
I also wanted something I could fit a few kids in, and I could build with stuff that was lying around or easily picked up from building sites… ( mostly )
Lastly, I want to thank my wife and family for allowing me to build most of this 3M (118”) boat in my living room. While I’m never allowed to do this again, they love telling people how cool it was, they want me to build a bigger boat, and everybody participated…
Experts, please feel free to constructively correct and participate..
Quick notes..
1. If you're down-loading the PDF use the custom pdf.. the full doc hasn't updated and doesnt contain some corrections
2. If you're using a MAC use Adobe Acrobat to view the PDF - Apple's preview app doesn't show all of the pics properly
3. The duplicate text in the fairing section has been removed... and the correct text- reinstated...
Credit where credit is due.. There are many people who post their designs, ideas and plans on the web for free use by others.. Thanks, no new wheels have been invented here.
OK, All my life I wanted to build a wooden boat. The task always seemed too big or too complicated.. Then one day I saw an Instructable “Building a One sheet boat by Verga”.My Instructable is a bit of a tribute to Verga. I rate his as recommended reading and as a mandatory study project for those wishing to have a first go at boat building. My version of his boat can be seen in one of the posts..
Anyway.. Verga got me thinking, reading and wanting to design and build my own boat,.… I’m pretty good at doing a basic design and then making things as I go. Verga’s project is also of the “as you go” style. You build to a method, but the angles, cuts and lengths are finalized as the boat comes together. The construction method of this boat owes a lot to Verga’s Instructable- ie made by bending the sides around a centre ‘rib’ or frame.
This boat is an “artist’s sketch”- so it is a little over engineered for its size. This Instructable is more of a diary than a precise set of plans
I also wanted something I could fit a few kids in, and I could build with stuff that was lying around or easily picked up from building sites… ( mostly )
Lastly, I want to thank my wife and family for allowing me to build most of this 3M (118”) boat in my living room. While I’m never allowed to do this again, they love telling people how cool it was, they want me to build a bigger boat, and everybody participated…
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials
Materials
1. 748 screws, hot dipped gal ranging in length mostly 8Gauge x 18mm, 32mm and 50mm- used as appropriate for the materials being fixed. I didn’t bother with Stainless steel, which will rot away just as quickly as gal screws if they’re imbedded. The boat wont be in the water all the time anyway
2. 78 individual pieces of timber..( you’ll see )
3. Lots of old hardwood floorboards 19mm x 90mm ( I used a light eucalyptus often called “Tasmanian Oak” – not a brilliant timber but ok if not out in the open all the time
4. 2 sheets Marine Ply 6mm, 2400x1200 ( you wont need all of this ) ( the only new timber I purchased )
5. 600ml of urethane glue
6. Lots of disposable rubber gloves ( the glue stains skin very badly and you need them for when you use epoxy )
7. Epoxy putty
8. 6L of epoxy resin ( I used about 4L)
9. fibre glass matt and tape Enough to cover the bottom of the hull.
10. exterior acrylic house paint
11. Cardboard ( for templates)
Tools
1. 2x cordless power drills (one for pilot hole the other with a screw driver bit )
2. Hand plane ( or power.)
3. Rasp
4. Belt sander with 80 grit ( for the first go over the epoxy
5. Cork sand paper block- with lots of sand paper
6. Appropriate breathing protection
7. Safety glasses and hearing protection
8. Orbital sander with 120 grit
9. Heavy duty divider for marking out screw positions
10. Very sharp knife
11. Wood saw
12. Mitre saw
13. A range of chisels
14. Lots of G clamps.. I have about 80
15. Really long clamps ( see the pics of the transom)
16. Pencils, rulers, tape measure
17. Carpenter’s angle thing
18. Rope
19. Home made long flat sander. With 40 and 80 grit. ( see the pic)
20. Drills that do pilot holes and counter sink in 1
21. Phillips Screw driver bits for the cordless drills
22. Paint brushes scrapers, rollers measuring and mixing equipment for epoxy resin
Important note- which I’m sure you will know already.
Don’t use power tools or chemicals unless you understand the safety implications.. High doses of Saw dust are known to cause lung damage and cancer, You only have one set of eyes, and sadly my hands have one or two extra scars from the construction of this boat.
Here is my fairing “sander” it’s about 650mm long- Also pictured is a set of dividers I made to measure the distances between screws when putting on the ply
1. 748 screws, hot dipped gal ranging in length mostly 8Gauge x 18mm, 32mm and 50mm- used as appropriate for the materials being fixed. I didn’t bother with Stainless steel, which will rot away just as quickly as gal screws if they’re imbedded. The boat wont be in the water all the time anyway
2. 78 individual pieces of timber..( you’ll see )
3. Lots of old hardwood floorboards 19mm x 90mm ( I used a light eucalyptus often called “Tasmanian Oak” – not a brilliant timber but ok if not out in the open all the time
4. 2 sheets Marine Ply 6mm, 2400x1200 ( you wont need all of this ) ( the only new timber I purchased )
5. 600ml of urethane glue
6. Lots of disposable rubber gloves ( the glue stains skin very badly and you need them for when you use epoxy )
7. Epoxy putty
8. 6L of epoxy resin ( I used about 4L)
9. fibre glass matt and tape Enough to cover the bottom of the hull.
10. exterior acrylic house paint
11. Cardboard ( for templates)
Tools
1. 2x cordless power drills (one for pilot hole the other with a screw driver bit )
2. Hand plane ( or power.)
3. Rasp
4. Belt sander with 80 grit ( for the first go over the epoxy
5. Cork sand paper block- with lots of sand paper
6. Appropriate breathing protection
7. Safety glasses and hearing protection
8. Orbital sander with 120 grit
9. Heavy duty divider for marking out screw positions
10. Very sharp knife
11. Wood saw
12. Mitre saw
13. A range of chisels
14. Lots of G clamps.. I have about 80
15. Really long clamps ( see the pics of the transom)
16. Pencils, rulers, tape measure
17. Carpenter’s angle thing
18. Rope
19. Home made long flat sander. With 40 and 80 grit. ( see the pic)
20. Drills that do pilot holes and counter sink in 1
21. Phillips Screw driver bits for the cordless drills
22. Paint brushes scrapers, rollers measuring and mixing equipment for epoxy resin
Important note- which I’m sure you will know already.
Don’t use power tools or chemicals unless you understand the safety implications.. High doses of Saw dust are known to cause lung damage and cancer, You only have one set of eyes, and sadly my hands have one or two extra scars from the construction of this boat.
Here is my fairing “sander” it’s about 650mm long- Also pictured is a set of dividers I made to measure the distances between screws when putting on the ply
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That is a family affair.
Glad you didn't have the old built-it-and-can't-get-it-out-the-door problem some have. :)
How much could you sell a boat like that for? It is SWEET.
A note about it went to my Blog:
http://faz-voce-mesmo.blogspot.pt/2012/12/corte-de-placa-para-todos-um-barquito.html
We like people with lots of nerve.
Lovely work.
Great descriptions.
Thank you.
For having rebuilt a 33ft sailboat I know that what seems an easy job is definitely more hard work than one may think at first.
I had a friend who started building the same size of rowboat as yours in his living room. One day I visited him and it was a real surprise as I was not aware he started such a project. He was quite proud of it and he asked me "what to you think ?…" and I told him "I just can't believe my eyes ! It's great … but how will you take it out of this apartment ???…"
Aloha, Richard
Do a google search for "Hannu's Boatyard", awesome site. I built the Portuguese Style Dinghy from there, really easy and awesome boat to build as well.
i did develop some good techniques for cleaning up mess before anybody saw it.. esp after using a plane or a sander.. (i'm like lightening with a vacuum cleaner now)