Introduction: Corky My First Sail Boat

This project comes from an 1950 edition of Boat Builder's Annual and can be found by googling CORKY.  Im not posting the plans but this is more of a build ibble and some suggested modifications.

The second picture was from the Brimfeild Flee Market the dealer wasn't shure what he had but was selling it for $40.00 and would let it go for $30 because I told him what is was.

The wood was free the paint leftover oops paint $5, box of wood screws $5, tarp $10 Poles $.44 and I found some shower curtain rings a tennant left in the basement and made two boats  The inter tubes were $7 and $8 from a local guy that sells them on the side of the road. Total for two boats about $38.


 

Step 1: Cutting the Wood

I had several pieces of cabinet grade 3/4 plywood that was about 6 inches wide and five feet long.   I first cut 2 pecies per boat eight inches long. I figured out the bow(stern) point by finding the center on the 6inch side(top), then measuring up one inch from the bottom on the sides and placing a piece of 3/4 material on those points and drew a line on the oppsite side.  This is also the measurement for the width of the side walls (4 per boat) I also cut a bevel about 15 deg to line up with the bow.  The height of the sides depends on the intertubes used mine were about 7" for one and 9" for the other.  After they were cut I rounded the bottoms on a scroll saw and drilled counter sunk holes(pic 2) for some #8 wood screws

On two additional five foot boards at one end I lined up the one of the points I cut and traced it, drilled more holes using the piece as a template (I then screwed the sides on them and placed the intertube on the board to line up where the stern should be.  

    

Step 2: The Bow

I used the two cut off pieces inside the bow to hold the mast.  Spacing for drilling the holes for the mast was simple.  After the top was screwed onto the sides I pushed the drill into the corner inside the bow as far as it would go and drilled straight down.  Same with the cut off pieces pushed them in and drilled them as close as i could get the drill.    

Step 3: The Stern

This is where I would make the biggest changes.  The plans call for a closet pole to fit in a hole in the deck and the bottom plank of the boat.  After some thought (and a hole that was too tight) I would cut the rudder out of one (or two pieces) piece of plywood attached a 3 inch hinge to the rudder and the boat.  if you need to remove the rudder just take out the pin.

The present configuration also requires (has) about a 2 ft draft depending on the weight of the captain. 

There was a lot of fit, clamp, drill repeat for front and back.  

Step 4: The Rudder

The rudder is made out of a closed pole that was flattened on one side about 5 inches up with a 3/8 plywood board attached with brass machine screws.  I cut out a giant washer with a hole saw.  The large hole was cut first (3 inches) and then the disk held in with a nail and the smaller hole drilled.   The top of the pole was flattened on both sides and the handle was notched so the pole fit into the handle and held with a screw.  The bottom of the handle was rounded at the back so the handle could be lifted up.

Again i think this could be cut out of one piece of wood.  (or two so the handle would still move up and down)

Step 5: The Mast, Boom and Sail

The mast is a long paint roller handle with an eye screw drilled threw it at the top for a halliard holder.   The mast was just held in by weight.  And a cleat on the deck that held the halliard (rope attached to the top of the sail)

The boom was a short broom handle with an eye screw at each end, one for the rope and the other that was zip tied to the mast.

The sail was the corner of a drop cloth cut off with the edges rolled and sewn.  The bottom hem was large enough for the boom to slid into.  On the side I cut small holes and attached the shower curtain rings.  (Planes, trains and Automobiles)

The rigging made it more like a real boat but I think the sail could have been more permanently attached, as raising or lowering or adjusting it while sailing would be impossible. 

Sorry I did not take a good picture of these parts


 

Step 6: All Together and Some Paint

After i got it all together I gave it a good coat of primer and paint.  I wasn't concerned with using plywood because i knew i would give it a good coat of paint.

I also added a piece of wood to the bow and stern.  I just thought I needed them to make the boat look finished.  you can see one of them is a little short.   

Paint flip paint and repeat.

Step 7: Testing in the Pool

Found a volunteer (victim) to test the boat.  I also wanted to make sure my son could sail before i let him loose on the lake and he wound up on the other side.   

The instructions called for an old belt in front and back to hold the inter-tube I haven't add that yet.  my son was small enough that i don't think it mattered.  I'm a bit bigger and sink down lower resting on the main beam.  My but was pushing down and the tire was pushing up separating the two.  I was using bungees that went around the mast (rudder) and inter-tube but that was not working.

Step 8: Out on the Lake

The sail could have been bigger.  The lake here is in a bay and is only 1-2 ft deep until you get past the boats in the picture so the rudder kept dragging.  Having a smaller rudder on a hinge would have prevented this.  I also thought that a small 1-3 inch keel would have helped keep the boat sailing straighter.   Can't weight until next summer to try them again.