How hard do you think it is to build your own boat?
 

i'm talking about a sailboat. I want to sail, but they're expensive. I wrote the following e-mail to my father, who's now retired, about a project I think we ought to do together.

Being this is a family oriented community, I figured I'd ask you folks.

the letter...

you're going to have to forgive the inanity in there, we share blood and we understand one another a little more easily.

Well if you watch NCIS then the real question becomes, where do you store it and how to do you get it out?

But seriously building a boat requires specific types of lumber which are far more expensive than your typical building fir or spruce.

If you have the cash resources, tools, location to build, and instructions as well as a some wood working experience then it'll definitely help, but it'll still be an ordeal.

I'm guessing it's far more difficult than what you imagine it to be. If you're going off pre-existing designs, it might be manageable for a large group of TRAINED individuals with proper equipment on their hands. But if you intend on designing it yourself, you have to take into consideration a HUGE number of things which would be virtually impossible to do without a shipbuilding background.

In the end it's way more than building something that can float.

mmmm, I'm not building an ocean liner. People build boats. I think you guys are envisioning some form of long yatch that I'm not looking to get involved in.

I'll keep digging, but thanks for the responses.

I could understand if it was a canoe or a kayak, a sailboat is something else entirely. Not exactly a "I'm bored, gonna build a sailboat today" kind of task.

Do you have any carpentry skills?

You might want to try building a boat made to motor, could be a whole lot easier than a sailboat. More fun too, cause you don't have to wait for wind and such.

But if you're set on sailboat, it's probably best to get some help or something.

Well it isn't "today" and yes, but I've never built a boat before.

i too have always wanted to sail,....

i can remember when i was a little girl, we lived out at lake mexia,...it was just me and mom, we had a little fiber glass, two man sail boat,.....its one of the best memories of my life

i think because of this, i have always payed attention to articles and such about small boat building,...there have been quite a few in mother earth news

b, its totally do able, and while its going to require some funds,......it can be funded at your own pace if you really think about it, so dont let that stop you

do you have somewhere to maintain this project?

i'm pretty sure youre smart enough to find a ship builder who can answer questions,....or can read instructions

so have at it,.....i figure when you are finished, it will either float or it wont,...but either way you just built your own boat,...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9HVFw0jj00

Well, my dad (God, I miss him!) was in the US Navy. He was an admiral on a Nemitz class carrier when he passed away. And we(him, myself, and my little brother) actually built a sail boat when I was 14 or so. It took us a couple of years to finish, but this was also during a time when aircraft carriers were needed all over the world, so we could only work on it when my dad was in port. It wasn't much, but it was a sailboat. We actually sailed it from Boston, Ma to Charleston, SC.

It's going to take alot of time and effort, but it's very rewarding. Go to your local book store and find some books on it. Alot of times, you can find books that'll spell it out very simply for you. A couple of suggestions:

• DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Read up on the subject, and ask professionals who know what they're doing.
• Build a smaller version of the ship you intend to build. Make sure it's to scale to the actual ship that you plan to build. This will help when you're building the full scale version, as you can actually see what it's supposed to look like.
• Make sure to seal the wood. If you don't, the wood can and will grow mold.
• Measure twice, cut once. I know it's over used, but it's so true. You'll need EXACT measurements to make her float.
• Worry about the little things later (Eg.: the carpetting; size of the wheel; name; ect). You can't have a birthday cake with frosting and no cake.
• Oh, if you really need to, I'm only a PM away.

Hope that helps and GOOD LUCK!

You might want to consider looking around for a boatbuilding class to take before you make the boat. Just a thought. I've heard of at least one on the south shore.