Boat Plans for Beginners

The question that must be answered for any one building a first boat is what boat to build. We can all agree that bigger is not always better for a first run. It's better to get your feat wet with a smaller boat at least to find out if you enjoy the craft before you are stuck with a large boat half finished. If one enjoys building their first boat, they are more likely to build a second one. Also, it has been said; "the larger a boat is, the less it will be used".

The design; row, paddle, sail, or power? Hmmm... This depends upon personal interest of course but also, the intended use. Are you planning to take the family out for a voyage and picnic? Performance sail or power sometimes comes with a loss of stability. Will you have children on board? Will children be out in it alone? Are you prepared to turn turtle in a small performance sailing craft under a wind gust or when you hand over the tiller to a youngster for the first time? Perhaps something more stable will be the ticket. What about your trusty labrador retriever with the asphalt sharp nails and paws. You wouldn't want to build something so fancy to deny Spot the pleasure of your company. I would also suggest you start with a good well thought out set of plans then to design your own on your first attempt. You could find a plan similar to that image in your head while considering improvements in construction and design of your next one while out on sea trails in the first.

The Construction; Do you plan to build this boat in the basement? Are you thinking of a way to get it out? Will it fit in your garage, on the patio, or the side yard of your sunny garden home? There is usually plenty of room to build in the back yard or under a tree, however, the rainy, snowy, or blustery cold windy weather has spoiled many a good intention. Do you have a warm brightly lit place you can build? Is the spouse willing to part with parking in the garage for the duration? You just might have to clear the snow and ice from both cars from now on.

Ahh, the type of construction; the traditional methods may be what you desire, but perhaps a good plywood dory or skiff will get you on the water quicker and sharpen your skills. It is indeed nice to take a break and row out or perhaps go fish for the afternoon once you've had enough of wood shavings or need time to let the epoxy cure on that cold molded sloop. There are many good stable designs made of plywood that will give you the success of completion in short order while providing some needed recreation. Building a boat is not necessarily as much fun as boating; it's simply a means to that end.

Lofting: It is difficult to explain the processes of lofting to someone that's never built a boat. One can easily find a plan with full size patterns or dimensional call-outs for plywood panels. Don't worry to much about this; lofting is not as hard as everybody makes it out to be. Of course there are whole books written about the subject. It is again better to get your feet wet building a plan that does not require it. Lofting will come to you in due time. Like a light bulb, oh I get it now, that's it... Once you understand lofting, you can open your mind to almost any type or style of boat. Laying down the lines from a table of offsets, working with the half breadths and diagonals, and finding the apex and bearding lines for the angled rabbit cuts of your stem will come easier after you've built a couple of simpler boats and are knee down in wood shavings.

There are many boat plans available to the first time boat builder. A little searching on-line and perusing about this site will net you more options then you care to decide upon.

Remember the quote from 'The Wind and the Willows': "There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".


Now get out there and build your boat!!!

The following is a list of boats, plans, books, and suggestions that the members of Wooden Boat Builder have built as a first boat and or suggested as good for a first time builder.

"I always encourage folks to try a simple pirogue. They are easy to build, cheap to build, but give enough of a feel to take on a more complex project. What's most important is to do a simple in the same method of a complex project you want to build. In other words if you want to build a stitch-and-glue sailboat, build something small in stitch-and-glue. If you want to build something large in wood strip, build a small wood strip canoe first. G0tta get your feet wet first." Matt of JEM Watercraft

Many times it's . . . "The voyage rather then the destination" {anybody watch 'NICS' ?}. In that vein, Preparation is 90 percent of the job - as it is in any good job.

1} Get a basic book on boatbuilding, and study it well. {Your LIBRARY CARD is your BEST tool !!} This will give the beginner some understanding of what the written 'instructions' mean. Plus help to visualize the 'plan' into a 3-dimentional structure.

2} Get some simple plans {Stevenson Projects are a good source - so is Bolger}. Go to a local 'Kinkos' {or other copy service} and make at least 1 FULL SIZE copy. {I NEVER take originals into the shop !!}. Roughly cut out the parts, glue them to some 1/8in hardboard {give it a coat of sealer first}, then cut the parts to size.

3} NOW build the boat -per the instructions-in miniature- to scale.

I actually build these 'miniatures' for every new design contemplated. This gives me the chance to find errors, or places to change the assembly sequence, or even if the design is as 'shapely' as I thought. And, YES . . I have collected an extensive library . . . many of the books from mentions on such forums at this one!!

Which reminds me . . . a VERY GOOD BOOK is the Dover reprint of a 1934 book - 'How to Build Wooden Boats - with 16 designs' by Edwin Monk. Couple this with Payson's 'Build the New Instant Boats' {for the basics of 'Stitch-n-Glue'} and you've got a damn good beginning Boatbuilding Course !!

Regards & Thanks,
Ron Magen - Backyard Boatshop

Hi sawdust makers,

I went to a boat show and in between the many fibreglass boats saw two wooden boats ,1 from a builder kit seller and 1 from a college, I asked lots of questions and try-ed to go on a course work but finances said NO ,Went home and started on the web and buying lots of books to get as much info as possible, This site got me started on the road /saw-bench/waves:

http://home.clara.net/gmatkin/design.htm#new

From that site I found this great/mad guys site:

http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/oss3/oss3.htm

I am still buying lots of books looking at to many web sites
So many boats to built so little time, More power to your elbows, - Bogdolics.

This is what worked for me:

Bought a book on boat building, Paysons to be exact.
Found out what type of boat I would like to have, a sailing/rowing skiff for fishing. I knew this but it was easier to narrow down the plans once I had an idea of the build process.

Found plans for a small skiff (One sheet skiff) to build as a practice boat.
Built practice boat, and then practice boat two, currently on a 12' foot practice boat. The first two do double duty as book cases and fishing boats. Building something small first gave me the confidence to tackle something larger and has allowed me to build up a clamp collection and some tools over time instead of just letting the whole project sit for month because of money. The gratification from having your own boat in a few weekends helped me start a more ambitious project. - JD (plytard)

"Insert additional comments from the members here"

I need some help and suggestions here from everyone who cares.

It means more coming from all of you then from little old me (well maybe I'm not so little).

But seriously, you remember what it was like looking for and deciding upon that first boat. What say yous?

 

Wooden Boats 101

This is designed to be a short introduction to the basics of wooden boat building and restoration. It will start out with the basics, such as types of boats, hull types, frame types etc, then will get more in depth. These pages are a work in progress and should be considered incomplete. There is more information that should be included. For example, stitch and glue is still a relatively new form of construction and should be included here. They do however present a good introduction as intended.

There are three basic types of boats. The first is Human powered (e.g. rowed or paddled), The second is wind powered (sailboats), and the third is motor powered. This seem simple enough, however, wooden boats can be broken down even further, into the methods used to construct their hulls. There are dozens of methods, but I am going to concentrate on the 6 main ones- 1.Caravel, 2.Lapstrake (or clinker), 3.Strip, 4.Plywood Panel, 5.Tack and tape, and 6.Batten Seam.

Lets' start out with Caravel planking. Caravel planks are laid edge to edge so the finished surface of the boat is smooth. The planks must be precisely fitted, or they will leak. The planks are screwed to either sawn or steam bent frames (there is more on frames later). The seams between the planks must be caulked to assure their water tightness.Notice on the drawing to the right how the planks must be curved to match the desired curve on the side of the hull. This results in strange shaped planks that are extremely difficult to cut to shape, so this method is generally used only by the experienced woodworker. This style of planking is used on all sizes and types of vessels.

Next we will look at Lapstrake, or Clinker planking. Lapstrake hulls are made by overlapping the bottom edge of the plank over the plank below it, as shown in the drawing to the left. The planks are then attached to the ribs with either rivets or screws. The ribs are generally steam bent, although it is also possible to use sawn frames. The necessity of perfect joinery this planking method demands, especially in the stem areas, limits it to only the more experienced craftsman. The style is used in all sizes and types of boats.

The next type of planking is common to mahogany runabouts. It is one of the most difficult methods available- Batten Seam. Just as the name suggests, the planks are laid edge to edge, and instead of applying caulking between them a batten is attached to the back to waterproof it (see drawing, right).The battens and planking are then screwed on to sawn frames, sometimes with steam bent frames for additional strength. This permits the entire side of the boat to be finished 'bright", meaning stained and varnished. This construction style is difficult to do, costly, heavy, and not too strong, so beginners should shy away from it. It is used generally on smaller powerboats, but can be used on all types of boats.

All of these methods so far have not been suitable for beginners to the field of boat building, unless they are good woodworkers or they have received some instruction. However, the methods that follow were, for the most part, developed with the beginner in mind.

Plywood Panel construction is one of the easiest and fastest ways to build a boat. The entire side of the boat can be planked with a single piece of plywood, eliminating the need for complicated joinery. The plywood is then screwed on to sawn frames. Some of the smaller designs can be built in a weekend for less than a hundred bucks. This method is used on all types and sizes of boats.

A 'version' of plywood panel that is ideal for amateurs is known as tack and tape. In tack and tape construction, you cut out the panels, tack them with small nails as a temporary hold, and then go over the seams with epoxy and fiberglass tape. Some builders also encase the entire boat in epoxy for additional protection. The strength does not come from frames, but from 'fillets', which are simply epoxy putty formed into the joints. This allows the builder to eliminate some of the frames, saving on weight. It is an expensive method, however, due to the cost of epoxy. It can be used for any type of boat up to around 30 feet, but is ideal for small boats.

The main problem with the plywood panel methods of construction is they limit you to more or less straight sided designs. For curvy hulls, amateurs can use a method known as Strip Planking. Strip planked hulls are... well.... planked in strips! (imagine that!). The strips are made thin (around 1"x1" somewhere), so extreme curvature is not a problem. The flexibility of this method makes it popular for kayak builders, as it is easy to reproduce the complex shapes of the vessels.sometimes the builder will choose to route the strips, so one side of them is concave and the other is convex (see drawing, left). The strips are epoxied in place, with nails or brads holding them until the epoxy cures.This is used for all types of boats. Ideal for small boats.

This concludes our lesson on hull types. Let's take a quick look at frames. I am going to show you the two most common types- Sawn and bent.

Sawn frames are built in one of two ways. The first is illustrated on the left hand side of the drawing (right). It depicts a frame built up from three pieces of wood, screwed together on the corners. The second is on the right side of the drawing. This is made from a single piece of plywood, sawn into shape. This is easier to do for smaller boats, because you don't have to worry about fitting several pieces together. You can't use sawn plywood frames on big boats, however, because plywood is not thick enough to take the strain.

Laminated frames also deserve mention, although they are a type of bent frame. They are made by laminating several layers of wood together in the desired shape, effectively creating plywood that is laminated with a built in curve.

The other kind of frame that is commonly found is steam bent. A steam bent frame is usually made of a hardwood for strength. As the name implies, they are bent after being heated with steam. Steaming them makes them far more flexible, so they can be used on complex curves.

So you now know the basic hull construction methods, and frames that are commonly used. But, How does the boat actually become a boat??

The boat must be assembled on a backbone, called a keel*. This holds the frames together in the desired shape, so the planking can then be screwed on. But, this is not the only reason for the keel- It is also the most important structural member for the boat after it is built. The stronger the keel, the stronger the boat (generally). Boats are usually built upside down, unless they are very large. The keel is built first, then propped up on a strong-back, so it will be kept upright and at a suitable height for the builder to install frames and planking comfortably. The frames are then attached to the keel, and temporary supports are added to various parts of the boat, to hold everything in the desired shape for construction. After all of the frames are in place, the planking process begins.

  *alas, to make things more complicated, there are several boat types that do not use a keel of any sort. Perhaps most notable of these is the Dory, which uses the strength of the bottom planking itself in place of a keel structure of any sort. In addition, several of the modern building types, such as stitch and glue & plywood panel, do not have keel structures (many do not even use frames).

But, we are already getting ahead of ourselves. The keel deserves more than just a mention- it is among the most important parts of a traditionally built boat. Why do I say traditional? Well, the modern tack and tape and lamination methods of building have made it entirely possible to build boats (small ones at least) that lack some or all internal bracing. Examples that stick out are the well know Phil Bolger designs. The smaller ones completely lack internal support- they get their support from the curve in the plywood and some external members, which are nothing more than some pieces of wood bolted on to the outside of the boat. There is a boat sitting directly underneath me now (it's in the basement) that is built in such a manner- it has no internal frames.
 

So. why bother with frames at all when a boat can be built without them? after all, it leaves a lot more room on the inside of the boat for people and gear..... But, as boats get larger, the loads demanded on them increase. in addition, long expanses of plywood tend to flex a lot more than small pieces do, when you combine this flexing with high loads, you get breakage.... and, in turn, sinkage......
 

I am not going to go in to the particulars of how much bracing needs to go where on what kind of boat. That is best left to the experts- let them do the math for you. When you build a boat from a set of plans, the location and size of all frames should be noted on the plans.

Ok, so now we have the keel in place, and the frames attached to it. So, what's next? Stems and transoms. Hold on, you say, that should have been earlier! well, on most boats, yes, but what the hell let's just put it here. On a traditional boat, the stem is just basically an extension of the keel that defines the shape of the bow of the boat. There are some exceptions to this, but for all practical purposes this is true. The stem is a very important part of a boat, as it serves as the forward attachment point for the planking, in addition to providing structural support to the hull and deck, so it is built strong. Take a look at the stem even in a small boat, it will be of good size. Keep in mind, the stem is at the extreme forward end- everything the boat hits (water when running, docks, other boats, icebergs, etc) will be most likely hit in the stem. For those of you interested in modern construction styles, you will be interested in knowing that the majority of 'high tech' constructions, including many that are frameless, still have stems.

I'm rambling again. Lets get back on track. On the opposite end of the stem is a transom. it is the board, or boards more likely, that make up the rear end of the boat. The transom serves as both a structural member and as an ornamental member- wooden boats are likely to have beautiful varnished transoms embellished with the vessel's name. Double ended boats do not have a transom, There will be another stem at the rear, generally. Transoms are generally built tough, they take a lot of load, especially if you are in a following sea.

Boat Building Materials

 

A work in progress.

Adhesives
A quick word on adhesives. I get a lot of questions regarding what I like the best. I tend to like 3M marine products- they have quite a broad selection of adhesives and sealants for different applications. For gluing things together, use 3M 5200. This is some strong stuff! Just remember that if you use this junk, you'll never get the parts apart again unless you break them. The only real drawback to the stuff is that it takes a week to cure. If you need it to cure a little faster, you can get 3M 5200 fast cure. It is quite a bit faster- about three days to cure rather than 7. For a little less hold, you can use 3M 4200, which is basically a weaker version of 5200. For general sealant, use 3M 101. It is not intended to be used as an adhesive, however.

Silicone should be avoided for use in construction, for the most part. Silicone sealant is intended to form a gasket between two materials that are held under tension with each other by some mechanical means. Many people mistakenly use silicone as adhesives, with some really bad results. Silicon is just not strong, and doesn't stick with too much voracity.

Epoxies
Now for resins. I like, and use, West Systems brand resins. They have got several books out there that explain the use of their products quite thoroughly. I would recommend that anyone that is considering a boat building or restoration project to get ahold of these books- you will find them at the your local West Systems dealer, or you can get them directly from the company. They run about four bucks each.

You should also get ahold of the technical manual, which is available free of charge from the company or it's dealers. The manual goes into which fillers, hardeners, etc. are to be used for what type of projects.

You can get equally good results from any of the better epoxies out there, I hear lots of good stuff about System 3, Epiglass, etc. I personally don't care for epiglass too much, it has a rather long cure time and appears to be far more temperature sensitive than west systems does.

For many applications, Vinyl-esters are ok, but at the price you are just as well off going with epoxies. 3-M marine makes a good vinyl-ester, one of the few companies that sells it in small quantities. DO NOT use polyester resin- It doesn't stick too well to wood, and it absorbs water which could cause rot. Sure, you'll save a buck or two, but it won't last long.

Fillers
You will probably need a filler of some sort during the construction process to fix a mistake, or simply to fair the hull before you finish it. The type of filler that you use is dependant on the desired result. You will probably find it cost effective to used whatever type of epoxy resin you are using for the general construction with an appropriate additive. The different companies make fillers for different applications, e.g. for faring, structural repairs, etc. Refer to the companies technical manuals for more information.

Auto body fillers, such as bondo, are not suitable for boat building or repair work. They are usually polyester, which, as mentioned before, absorbs water. Some of the marine fillers out there are made of epoxy or vinyl-ester resin, either of which is suitable. Be forewarned, though, that some of these fillers are very difficult to shape after they cure.

Wood

Plywood

Fasteners

Hardware

 

the parts of a boat

Greetings from Thailand. Could anyone please suggest a good source (book, online, article) to learn the names of parts of a boat? Though familiar with the common terms, I am now at sea in Chapelle's "Boatbuilding". Illustrations would probably be the most instructive.

many thanks,

Dennison.