Boat builders' thread
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Chris Brunton
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duke
Established Member
Hey Chris have you finnished the coracle?
Chris Brunton
Member
Chris Brunton
Member
I've just made a boat... in the last 2 days! A tiny bit more to do - finish the bitumen (maybe a few more coats, and add the gunwale laths). I'll be on the river Lea in the next few daysView attachment 112845
duke
Established Member
Fantastic
I was 15 when I built my first boat, a Mirror Dinghy, wooden kit manufactured by Bell Woodworking. I still have the wooden boat building bug some 48 years later. I really don't know why. My ancestors on both sides of our family were fishermen and one type of wooden fishing boat was built in the next road to my family home. I have built five boats during my life, all small canoes or dinghies. Space being the main factor in building decisions.
Apart from the Mirror all my later boats have been from plans. The most instructions given I recall was on a design where I had 9 bullet points on how to build.
My last boat is a Selway Fisher designed Motor canoe. It was initially intended to be 16 feet in length but mine is 12'6" due again to constraints on space in which to build.
Mould stations on a strong back sitting in my garage, jus enough room to walk around.
The start of the western red cedar strips glued together with Balcotan and stapled in place.
An advantage of the shorter boat length was that I had 14ft strips any longer boat would have meant scarf jointing many of them. At this point in the build the strips coming up from the gunwale cannot bend and twist any further so you have to work from the keel outwards. The string is in order to pull out the staples.
All planking complete the blocks hold strips in place and make the panel pins easier to remove. It's a tight squeeze at this point.
After hours of sanding, first coat of epoxy resin on outside of hull. Second coat then covered with fibreglass tissue. Boat then turned over and the same process carried out on the inside. Gunwales, seats, decking all then added.
Finished boat, some ten years later (it only took 6 months to build). I now make smaller items of furniture. But I would love to build a larger boat, for that I would need space I don't have.
I am currently sorting out the garage, where the boat sat in the roof space, to enable me to fit in more woodworking tools.
Apart from the Mirror all my later boats have been from plans. The most instructions given I recall was on a design where I had 9 bullet points on how to build.
My last boat is a Selway Fisher designed Motor canoe. It was initially intended to be 16 feet in length but mine is 12'6" due again to constraints on space in which to build.
Mould stations on a strong back sitting in my garage, jus enough room to walk around.
The start of the western red cedar strips glued together with Balcotan and stapled in place.
An advantage of the shorter boat length was that I had 14ft strips any longer boat would have meant scarf jointing many of them. At this point in the build the strips coming up from the gunwale cannot bend and twist any further so you have to work from the keel outwards. The string is in order to pull out the staples.
All planking complete the blocks hold strips in place and make the panel pins easier to remove. It's a tight squeeze at this point.
After hours of sanding, first coat of epoxy resin on outside of hull. Second coat then covered with fibreglass tissue. Boat then turned over and the same process carried out on the inside. Gunwales, seats, decking all then added.
Finished boat, some ten years later (it only took 6 months to build). I now make smaller items of furniture. But I would love to build a larger boat, for that I would need space I don't have.
I am currently sorting out the garage, where the boat sat in the roof space, to enable me to fit in more woodworking tools.
Looks like a lovely piece of work. How is it powered? I'm guessing small outboard on the transom?
G.
G.
