Building your own boat

[snowleopard]

Who has done it? Did you complete it? Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail? Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building? Would you do it again? Was it as much work as you expected? And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness? Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Who has done it? I have.
Did you complete it? Yes
Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail? Very much so.
Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building? My children have spent much much more.
Would you do it again? I built three more.
Was it as much work as you expected? Yes, more or less.
And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness? As opposed to a 'store bought model? More, as I understood its limitations.
Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat? Enjoyed the use more.

Mind you The boat was a OSS. http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/skiff.htm recommend it to all for your children.

Not my pic but mine was similar but "Sally yellow".

Chuffed with success, I then purchased the plans for a Penobscot 17 and am 1/4 way through it but need to make time to work on it.
This what I fell in love with

I an a little further than here

 

[oldsaltoz]

Origial post by snowleopard
Who has done it?

I have and more than once.

Did you complete it?

Yes every time.

Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail?

Yes but because some changes were made to improve some areas, larger hatches and widows, engine relocated further forward, material/methods used in construction and built in cable ducting.

Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building?
No but the client has, I managed about 15 trips in the first 6 months then she headed overseas.

Would you do it again?
In the blink of an eye, but only after a lot or research, most important early part of the process.

Was it as much work as you expected?
This is tough one to answer, as you tend to think about building in steps rather the whole. First the hull/s, then perhaps some internals that will fit if the deck is the next step, then cable runs and so on. Some steps take longer and some take less, overall you always seem to take longer than plan, sometimes it's unavoidable due to supply.

Did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness?

Much more confidence, because you "know" how well she is put together and what materials have been used and what condition things that will never be seen are in. any marginal areas can be made stronger and in some cases lighter.

Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?

Because some parts of a build are not fun at all, in fact bloody hard work, I do look forward to sailing her and that's the driving force when things get tough. Getting her to the point of sailing then finding she performs well is so very satisfying.

One aspect many fail to plan for is the instruments layout, cabling and central location of all thing electrical and access to all areas, but the most frustrating period is the final fit out; Deck layout is critical to performance and handling so every bit of this in just the right place is not a simple task.

The main advantages of building your own or getting someone to build it with you is the simple fact that. You get what you want, right down to the very last tiny detail.

And, yes it is a lot of dirty dusty hot and sweaty work, using some very dangerous chemical cocktails and tools that will take a finger in a flash, but that's all forgotten the moment she hits the water.

Avagoodweekend......

.

 

[Bajansailor]

I have only built a few dinghies, and been involved with / helped to build (or outfit rather) a couple of power cats.
Chris, I hope that you will tell us some stories about how you built Snow Leopard, with your own answers to the questions above, and some photos too please.....

Doug, good luck with your Penobscot! A very fine design by Arch Davis - more about his boats at http://www.archdavisdesigns.com/davis_penobscot17.html

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have built several dinghies from scratch and 4 bigger boats from hull and deck +

first was a 19 ft ply when I was in the UK and completed it and used it a lot when I lived in then midlands. sold it when I left for RSA

Was building a 28ft ply which I did not complete as I left UK before it was completed.

12 years ago got a 48ft hartley which I refitted and used as a weekend getaway but did not sail it much but used in dock a lot.

Just finishing off a steel 50ft Lavranos and now doing shake down over the next year then to go sailing Indian Ocean and the east.

 

[ironmaiden]

Who has done it? Did you complete it? Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail? Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building? Would you do it again? Was it as much work as you expected? And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness? Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?

yep my first build for myself was a bruce roberts spray 40 which I stretched to 45ft in steel, loved every single minute of it but it took me just over 10 years did all the work myself t'was great fun.

I was also building commercial alloy fish farm boats at the same time for the yard in which I was building my boat, so not working on the spray full time.

I'm now in the process of building a M Griffiths riptide 32 I've converted the ply plans to steel, this boat is going to be my last as when she is finished we are off in to the blue yonder for the rest of my days, but I know I will miss building boats it's not a job or a hobby... it's a passion.

with regard to building v buying no contest... I know every single inch of my boat, and I can repair her no matter what goes wrong, but I soppose it all depends on what you want from a boat and what kind of sailing you wish to do ...weekending or living aboard etc.

regards rachel

 

[bigwow]

Who has done it?
I have, a Wood Flica cat
Did you complete it?
I did and am!
Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail?
I could not have afforded a Palamos buit one
Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building?
Must have by now
Would you do it again?
Not a "cat" in hells chance
Was it as much work as you expected?
Lots more
And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness? As I overbuilt it yes
Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?
Overall I enjoyed it, started sailing as soon as the basic structure was complete,12 months, deck chairs in the saloon etc. Went like stink at that stage but seems to have got progressivly slower as the internals got completed

John
__________________

 

[Ubergeekian]

This what I fell in love with

Dear Lord that's beautiful. When yours is done, would you consider swapping it for my first born?

 

[Danny Jo]

Having built a Cadet (10'6" sailing dinghy, from a kit) as a kid, and a house (4 bed, mostly from reclaimed brick, wood and slate) as
an adult, I was dead keen to build my own sailing cruiser. I reckoned that cedar strip/epoxy was the technology for me, but gave
up on the idea when I discovered that for a fully kitted out boat the materials alone would cost around twice as much as a decent
second-hand boat.

OK, so 2-4 years building it would have been fun, but to complete the project it in that sort of time would have precluded anything
else (like walking in the hills with SWMBO, fitting new kitchen taps for elderly relatives and picking up shells on the beach with the
grandchild). What settled it for me was firstly a comment, by someone on this board I think, along the lines that all the time you
are building you are not sailing, and secondly the realization that the investment of all that time is no guarantee that one will be
fit enough to sail the boat when you have completed it.

In other words, carpe diem.

Consider the obstacles:

1) The dawn of reality - that heady optimism at the start is often fueled by huge underestimates of the cost of materials and
services, the skills needed, and the time taken. As the project develops it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the
optimism; some grit their teeth and soldier on, others bite the bullet and write off the whole project as an expensive lesson in
life, and a few manage to maintain the initial optimism essentially by denying the problems (which becomes a major issue if it is
a joint project - see 3).

2) Quality of work - boat building is a prime example of the phrase 'practice makes perfect'; first attempts at some tasks are
rarely much good, and sadly most of us amateurs get our skill up to an adequate standard just as we are finishing the job (so
ideally one should help a friend build his or her boat first). The two remedies for this are much in evidence: a minority spend
forever getting it right and in the end run out of time, leaving an unfinished masterpiece that has a low market value; the
majority develop a "never-mind-it'll-do" attitude, which makes for faster progress but produces something that has, er, a low
market value.

3) Back-up - it is a mistake to assume that the support available at the outset will survive until the completion of the
project; a partner becomes preoccupied with another project (a baby maybe, or coping with a sick relative), the kind old
man who lent you his barn dies and his executors want you out, or the bank decides to convert your loan to an overdraft
and then demands that you reduce it. And goodness knows how many divorces there are in the wake of magnificent
projects, be they barn conversions or boats.

Perhaps the most decisive disadvantage of building your own boat, and one that is shared to some extent with
professionally-built boats commissioned by staged payments, is the financial risk: half-finished boats are worth only a
fraction of the cash that has gone into them; so don't invest anything that you cannot afford to lose.

 

[matt1]

Have built or rather "finished off" two kit Hunters, the latest being 31' which was a huge project and frankly more appropriate to a retired person or someone who otherwise had a lot of time on their hands.

Can't remember all the questions so instead will give some pro's and con's

Pro's
You know the boat inside out (V good for future maintenance)
You get to inlclude personal touches or improve specification
Sense of achievement / satisfaction
You MAY save money (mine cost considerably more since I up spec'd so much)
I got some help along the way...so now I have a good network of contacts in the trade which may be useful in the future

Con's
You end up in a time Vs reward situation where you just wanna get sailing...meaning it may never be complete or you may rush parts of it
You get disproportionatly unhappy with equipment that you fit that subsequently fails - ok it's covered by warranty but if you put the effort into fitting it carefully its really frustrating that your effort is rewarded in failure (Some of my interior wood veneers discoloured through no fault of mine.....kinda soul destroying when you put so much effort into finishing the saloon table with it!)


I spent 16 months building my Hunter 31 (which was VERY quick - I worked EVERY night and Every weekend) I've now had 4 seasons sailing and am VERY happy with the boat. So have spent more time on the water than in the back garden

In terms of seaworthiness I would say I have more confidence in her - especially as I witnesed that bare hull with all the stringers, webs and glassed over hull/deck join before they got covered up with furniture - amazingly well engineered

 

[NormanS]

Yes, I've built a few. Started with small plywood dinghies, sailing and rowing. A strip planked Folkboat from scratch, a complete rebuild and conversion of a 60 foot Scottish larch on oak fishing boat, and a 33 foot steel multi chine yacht designed by Alan Pape.

All hugely enjoyable, and all gave a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. All have been well used by me, and some are still sailing.

I now enjoy owning and sailing my first GRP yacht, bought second-hand, so it's the first boat I have owned, that I don't know intimately, but on the other hand, it's the first that doesn't need an inordinate amount of maintenance.

Was it worth it? It was the only way I could ever have afforded to have a boat until recently.

As many hours sailing, as building? Only with the MFV, which we sailed for 30 years.

Would I do it again? Yes if I was younger again.

As much work as expected? Always far more.

Confidence? Hard to say. Confidence in a boat is a thing that develops over time, based on experiences, rather than whether you built the boat or not.

Enjoy the building? Obviously, yes, but it was always a means to an end. The main objective was to sail.

 

[capt_courageous]

The old boatyard saying was ' Fools build boats for wise men to buy '. If you want to save money buy a good second hand boat. Unless you are lucky enough to have a good cheap mooring the running costs can very quickly come to more than you can ever save by DIY.

 

[Strathglass]

Who has done it? Did you complete it? Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail? Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building? Would you do it again? Was it as much work as you expected? And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness? Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?

Yes, Built from a bare hull,
Did you complete it- Yes, last year, Took many many years to build.
It is much better than I would have been able to raise the capital to buy a 'ready to sail one' at any one time.
Not yet -perhaps I am too old now but will now be using it extensively from now on.
Would I do it again - No, life is too short.

It was as much work as I expected but took much longer. Mainly because other little things like- Job, Redundancy, Income, Housing, Divorce, Remarrying etc. Kept taking priority.

I have total confidence in the seaworthiness of her.
I enjoyed building her between working on other craft. But, I had her in the water as soon I reached the stage where I was happy with her seaworthiness and had the necessary capital for--Survey, Insurance, Crane's, Low loader, mooring and launching.

This is a photo

The surveyer gave her a value off 'in excess of £50K' which was more than I expected for a 'Home made boat'

I still have a few things to sort out but she is quite usable.

SWMBO enjoys sailing and she has helmed her more than me since she was launched.

She is out the water just now till the spring, then it is a sail up north from the Forth through the Caledonian Canal to the Scotish West coast.

 

[Skents]

Who has done it?

I have built my current boat (a 40 Van de Stadt Caribbean in West/wood core construction). I have also built numerous smaller boats for myself and others (I am a professional boatbuilder who served his apprenticeship at Alan Pape's yard).

Personally, I think that to say you have "built" a boat it needs to mean building the lot - hull, deck, interior, etc. If you have completed a pre-built hull then you have really "fitted out a boat".

I also believe that "building a boat" involves doing the work yourself - writing cheques and occasional visits to the yard to superintend operations doesn't count.

Did you complete it?

The Van de Stadt took exactly 2 years from buying plans to hoisting the sails. This involved me working full time (7 days a week) and my wife spending 3 days a week working on the boat (in the yard and doing the ordering/sourcing etc).

I appreciate that not everyone is able to devote themselves to the job full time, but I think I would run out of steam if I had a project hanging over me for ten years or more.

Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail?

I am still proud of the boat and happy to tell people that I built her from scratch. It was a hell of a lot of work but the satisfaction is definitely worth it.

We estimate that the materials (including all offshore kit - liferaft, SSB, Raymarine kit, hydrovane, etc) came in at less than £100k. We certainly could not have bought a new boat of this quality (lots of teak, lead keel, best kit we could afford), ready to cruise for that sum.

Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building?

I put 6000 hours into the build but...we have done two Atlantic crossings and usual N European waters stuff. Plus we have lived aboard since 2004 so she has more than justified her creation.

Would you do it again?

Would love to do the Van de Stadt Samoa 47 next....but need a lottery win first. Especially as so much kit is sourced in non-sterling currencies and the exchange rates can make a massive difference.

Was it as much work as you expected?

Yes, but my wife was quite shocked by how much time was involved in sourcing materials and negotiating prices/delivery/etc.

And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness?

As a shipwright used to fixing broken boats, I wanted one which was up to the job and would carry me and my family across oceans safely. I know that no corners have been cut in the materials and the build and I know all the systems.

However, I still get annoyed by kit that cost lots of money and hasn't lasted the distance.

Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?

Loved the build (despite the inevitable frustrations and exhaustion - try using a torture board on a hull for six weeks), love the sailing and love the fact that I am sailing a boat I built.

It's not for the fainthearted though and anyone who starts needs to be sure they can finish (both in terms of money and stamina).

 

[dylanwinter]

don't do it

I built a GP14 when I was 14

and a northumbrian coble when I was 50

enjoyed the process - pleased to have done - will never do another one

spent more time building it than sailing it

currently under a tarp in the garden - not moved for three years

cost more to build than I thought it would

Dylan

 

[DownWest]

Built one when young (11) sort of Optimist. Took one week, inc the oars and sail. Had the most fun for years with it. Two years ago I built an epoxy ply faering, gunter rigged. Immensly satisfying, about a years worth of evening and other time (hull estimate was 200hrs,Hah!) Cost? Well, I made everything including the trailer and sails, even the fittings for about the same as a friend spent on his trailer for a similar length boat (15ft). Now building a ply epoxy 21ft gaff cutter. Which is why the faering is not used as much as I would like. Plus a major house and barn project tends to fill the days. It is important to have a boat to use while building the 'next' boat (Annie Hill) or one can get dispondent. But using it too much slows the next one down. Time management and discipline are very important. If honest, I would admit to a 50/50 building/sailing enjoyment.
I notice a 19ft c/board grp cruiser for sale outside a local yard. Nice looking, priced at €1,500. No chance of building anything like that for the money. So it makes no sense to build your own from scratch if sailing is the goal.
I looked at the cost of a canal holiday on the Charente this morning, the weekly price looked about similar to the cost of materials to build a budget river cruiser..... Building is not an occupation or an obsession. More an addiction. (And I can rent out the canal job to friends.)
A

 

[snowleopard]

I've built two 40 footers (total 5 hulls!) plus an Enterprise from kit and an International 14 from scratch. I saw lots of builders fall by the wayside and some perfectionists who have become too old to sail before finishing. The record was a guy who took 25 years over the job. I watched him spend 2 weeks full time building a gas locker!

None of my projects were ever truly finished but they all made it to the water and got good use. I worry more about my own boats than I do in others because I know all the details of them. To date I have had no serious failures and the latest has 17000 miles on the clock.

I could never have afforded a boat of the size, comfort and performance, even secondhand, so I reckon I've got a good deal. I would never recover the cost of my labour if I sold it so it is likely to be my last boat.

I got a lot of satisfaction from the build but even from day 1 I was dreaming of getting on the water. The latest took around 3000 hours but I could have doubled that to get a factory finish. As it was I was in the Caribbean when a more particular builder would still have been sanding and filling.

No pics of the build at present as I'm away from base but this is what I ended up with....

 

[ianabc]

Origami steel

A friend built a 48 foot aluminium ketch using the build both sides of the hull, use come a longs to draw the hull parts together, weld on the keel, weld on the deck method of oroigami metal boat building.

10 1/2 weeks from first weld to launching.

The initial stitches were welded by the two builders, the hired profesional welded followed and welded the seams.

A coin was used to determine the owner of each of the 2 hulls.


tag. origami metal boats

 

[oldsaltoz]

A friend built a 48 foot aluminium ketch using the build both sides of the hull, use come a longs to draw the hull parts together, weld on the keel, weld on the deck method of oroigami metal boat building.

10 1/2 weeks from first weld to launching.

The initial stitches were welded by the two builders, the hired profesional welded followed and welded the seams.

A coin was used to determine the owner of each of the 2 hulls.


tag. origami metal boats

I do hope the coins contained no elements like copper that will eat throu' the hull/s.

 

[nortonmotors]

QUOTE=snowleopard
Who has done it?
I did, and launched ten years ago.
Did you complete it?
Not yet; it's a perpetual development project
Was it worth the effort compared to buying one ready to sail?
Certainly; I couldn't buy what I wanted.
Have you spent as many hours sailing it as you did building?
Yes. It took exactly two years of long weekends (approx 1500 hours total) to build and I've spent far more than that afloat in her.
Would you do it again?
I started with an empty hull moulding (like a giant grp bathtub) and thought "What the f&&K have I done ?" and after she was launched thought "How the f&&k did I do that ?" I don't now have the energy, or fresh ideas, to do another one.
Was it as much work as you expected?
Yes, although bucketing 2.5 tonnes of steel shot ballast into the hull in the height of summer was a bit of a challenge.
And did the fact that you built it give you more or less confidence in its seaworthiness?
Absolutely; I know everything about the her.
Did you enjoy the building as much, or more than, the sailing or couldn't you wait to get it afloat?
YES and YES !