Boat Building Projects Underway

stripped outrigger

Been sailing for a little over a year, couldn't stop thinking about finally building a boat of my own efforts, something that might match what I want out of sailing more than any of the boats I've gotten used off craigslist in the past 12 months..

My goals for this are:

-cartoppable
-single handed
-can be paddled fairly conveniently
-can accommodate a carload of people
-not an obnoxious setup time
-stability
-speed (or at least, thrill)

After endless deliberation and not actually building anything, I finally decided to build an outrigger; a center hull longer, narrower, and ideally lighter than my royalex oldtown camper, with amas, akas, maybe even trampolines or hiking seats... all controlled by the captain, who steers with his feet, controls lines led back to the cockpit, and when necessary, has hands free to paddle.

So far I've put the main hull together out of western red cedar on station molds - the design of the molds is sort of a conservative result of eyeballing countless outrigger and single hull canoes on the internet, as well as the meager knowledge gleaned from the dinghies I've sailed and paddling the canoe. The strips are 1/4" by 3/4" bead and cove that I made myself, which I mention to illustrate their slight inconsistencies compared to those professionally made.

I've got foam and plywood to construct the amas, which I'll hopefully accomplish soon and have pictures.

This is my first boatbuilding project and I feel like for every step forward I am continually correcting mistakes I had no idea I was making, and I welcome any constructive advice or criticism.

It'll probably take me a few posts to figure out how to best embed images... I've attached a photo of the stripped center hull, which I am currently sanding fair before I glass it.

 

Hi, this might be links to photos and video of the sixteen foot tortured plywood outrigger I have been working on for the past year. It is not quite finished but is has been launched.

Trent


https://www.facebook.com/trent.hink/media_set?set=a.10200795364554923.1073741828.1487426758&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202441043815876&set=vb.1487426758&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202440917532719&set=vb.1487426758&type=3

 

About a year ago i started building my first boat. Thanks to many members i've been able to keep the project going and it looks like eventually the thing will at least float... some day.
I thought i'd share some pictures as promised (long ago, sorry for that, been kinda busy)

http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/blancoracing/library/

grts,
Joris

 

looking good so far...

 

I'm building a Vagabond 23 I would appreciate any advice on how to achieve a good finish on the outside of the hull I don.t want to spend money on epoxy only to turn it to dust sanding it, although turning money into dust is an integral part of sailing

https://www.facebook.com/barn.lancaster

 

Hi Barn

I spent 3-1/2 months this year filling & fairing a 31' ply hull by myself. The worst part was the taped seams. I spent a lot of time feathering out the edges of the tape to get them as flat as possible. The rest of the process is pretty straight forward. I used System 3 Quickfair mostly for the ease of use. No home recipes that I could come up with worked as well.

Use a metal batten as long as you can handle to spread the fairing compound and take special care to get it as smooth and consistent as possible. I had ordered a Flexi-cat spreader for this but it didn't arrive in time. I ended up using a drywall knife and the results were pretty poor. Your local hardware store may have a project metal bin with some 1/8" X 2" aluminum which will work well.

I did have two Flexi-cat sanders, 23" X 4-1/2" and 33' X 2-3/4". The 23" sander is a real workhorse. There are others on the market that work well such as Dura Blok & 3M long board sanders. I find the Dura Blok work well on curved surfaces. The Flexi-cats are a little pricey but you can always sell them when you're done your project.

Good luck with your project.

 

I greatly empathize with you on this one.

KnottyBuoyz has some valuable insights there - and really, it gets down to just sheer elbow bending.

You never, ever get to the stage where you can step back, sight along the hull and say "There - perfect!"

The other big shock is finding out the cost of the final spray coat. I have read articles on commercial boatbuilding where the final painting cost more than the hull and engine.

Can I just say - perfection is over-rated, and you may just prefer to get it working.

 

Thanks for the replies I have a feeling I'll be back for more when the time comes!

 

You're up against a common problem and the short answer is; don't put putty on the high spots and don't sand on the low spots...
It's common practice to spread a coat of putty over the entire project and then sanded it all off to no gain.
Allen Vaitses in " Covering Wooden Boats with Fiberglass" has a well-written chapter on finishing.
Gerald

 

my experiment in foam boat building, while is has been launched, it is not done. the cockpit floor reinforcement delaminated, and my dad put his elbow through the aft hatch. Since he is getting the boat, I'm modifiying it for him. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.823060704376379.1073741849.613242395358212&type=3

 

this one is nearly done, just down to the last details, like paint in the aft cargo hold, a handle or anchor for securing to the car for the stern, a bit more reinforcement for the cockpit coaming, a hatch into the stern air box and possibly a rudder.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.886105848071864.1073741851.613242395358212&type=3

 

and the boat that got pushed to the back of the table and forgotten , now about to be a learning exercise for my oldest child. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.629238657091919.1073741840.613242395358212&type=3

 

Lucky you are only doing a small boat

Check this out to see how you should have done the chines
http://www.bateau2.com/howto/foam5.php

 

I've read that build, the builders expected the foam to have the same stiffness and puncture resistance as wood, without all that extra weight in glass and epoxy foam will not.
I'm trying a construction method that let's the foam work as foam, strong in compression, but relying on the fabric skin for tension loads, the joints are not really structural, the fabric is the strength.

 

Dear Manie B,

This is ketan from India, I would like to know your source of getting information on tenders and projects for shipbuilding Industry?

Please contact me on below:

Ketan Parmar
Tele : 00919022768477
Email : ketan.p@tendersontime.com
Skype : ketan.p@tendersontime.com