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Choosing
a design
This was the most
difficult part of the whole boatbuilding experience so far. And the most
time consuming too. Skimming through every book in the library, every
ad in Woodenboat Magazine, and almost every website on the internet, it
took me months to decide on a design. I ordered plans and studies from
all over, each time thinking "this is the one"... only to rule
the design out based on one silly criteria or another. I spent way too
much money on this part of the process.
Here's what I was
looking for in a boat:
My main purpose
is to build a boat that I can take to the lakes, ponds and streams that
are too small for a full-sized motor boat. I have a small 14' fiberglass
boat with a new 15hp Mercury 4stroke, and although by most standards
this boat is a tadpole, it is still too big for the really good local
fishing holes. Not to mention that it's a pain to launch and haul. My
wooden boat should be:
• Small enough
to throw into the back of my pickup.
• Light enough to handle by myself, occasionally.
• Stable enough to feel safe with my girls.
• Roomy enough for bait, tackle, lunch, and of course a fishin'
buddy.
• Easy to row.
Here's what I
was looking for in a plan:
• Simple to construct. Since this was to be my first boatbuilding
experience, I wanted a design that wasn't too complicated. Although
I pride myself on my woodworking skills and have more tools than most,
I didn't want to get into something that would end up over my head and
leave me broke and discouraged.
• Affordable.
I came across several kits that included everything - including the
wood. Some even had precut panels. And although they were very appealing,
cost was the final factor here. I just bought a house this past spring,
and don't have a lot of extra cash in my pocket these days. Plus, I
have several sheets of 8 x 10' marine grade fir plywood in my garage,
and I can no longer bear to hear their lonely screams in the middle
of the night as they call out to me, begging me to turn them into a
boat.
• Simple to
construct. Oh, did I already say that? I didn't want to get into a lot
of lofting and building complex jigs. Have you priced lumber lately?
Ugh, just the wood to build the jig would add up (there goes affordable).
But the truth of this matter is, I didn't want a project that would
take hours upon hours of boatbuilding before I would actually begin
building the boat. The Impatience Quotent. I wanted to build a boat,
dang nabbit, not a complicated jig that will some day become something
that will be used to make a boat.
All of this lead me
to my final decision to build the V10, available from Boat
Plans OnLine at bateau.com.
The shoe fit!
Materials:
I already had several
sheets of 4' x 10' fir marine grade plywood lazing around in my garage,
drinking my beer and keeping me up all night. I bought some douglas fir
from Lowes (oh, can I say that without permission?) for the frame ribs
and rub rails, and the epoxy and fiberglass came from the same place where
I bought my plans (Boat
Plans OnLine at bateau.com).
After I got my epoxy
kit, I sat down and started reading the System
Three Epoxy book. This book is great. Very well written, easy to understand,
to the point. But the red flag went up when I read a paragraph that said
"fir plywood needs to be covered with a layer of fiberglass to prevent
checking". AAAAARGH. I posted a message on bateau's message board
(kudos to bateau), and sure enough, fir plywood is not a desireable material
for small boatbuilding. Oh well, covering the entire boat with fiberglass
is a good way to insure that the boat will last a good long time, and
might have been something I chose to do anyway. Riiiiiight.
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