steel boat plans

[trthebees]

I am going to SE Asia to live for a while, and plan to build a steel boat there. I'm thinking of a 25 to 30 ft mv or perhaps motor with aux sail. I know the area (very rural and poor communications), and would train some local people in steelwork (I am an engineer, and have worked for boatbuilders in UK). They need the work, and perhaps it could develop for them. It would be very helpful to have some boat plans and other information for guidance. and perhaps someone may have some spare which they would sell at a minimum cost. Thankyou.

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[circumnavigation]

Re: SE Asia

I am a World Bank Consultant for the Asia Pacific region with a UNEP position in Osaka for environmentally sound technologies. If you are intending to assist this community, funds could be available through the Asia Development Bank to the government concerned to be distributed to the appropriate authority in that country.

While I cannot assist directly with steel boat plans, Katoema is a steel ketch, I may be able to place you in touch with the government officials in the country where you are relocating to, with sound redevelopment advice.

Send a PM with the details.



<hr width=100% size=1>[http://www.mpcee.co.uk/katoema.html] link [/http://www.mpcee.co.uk/katoema.html]

 

[richardandtracy]

If I remember rightly, there's a steel version of the 26ft Eventide YM plan yacht. Last time I enquired it was about £26 for the plans (early 1990's, so may be a bit more now). I think Phil Sheaf was offering it, but it was before I started on the internet and I can't really remember. I'll do some digging.

Is around £30 sufficiently 'minimal cost' for you?

Regards

Richard.


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[richardandtracy]

Ah.
There appears to be a problem with the Eventide plans/ Owners Association I was unaware of. I suggest you look at 'http://www.eventides.org.uk/' and follow it up if you wish. The Waterwitch is also a steel boat, so may as well enquire about that at the same time. Good luck.

Regards

Richard.


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[ianabc]

A number of people here on the wet coast / West Coast of North America, have begun building metal boat using the 'origami' method pioneered by Brent Swain in the Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

Basically a steel hull is welded up in two part, port and stbd. No frames. Come alongs are used to pull the sides together and then the deck is attached. Bulkheads and sufficient metal in the hull hold it all together. Light and strong. Zinc paint and epoxy and your're there!

35 to 37 foot steel sailboats of this type are usually 3/16 inch plate.
Because of weight considerations 30 feet is considered the minimum length.
Also steel mast are ooften welded up by builders, (sealed by welding) and contribute to a fine dampering effect in a seaway.
Low weigt, low cost, rapid construction.

I know of two aluminium sailboats, 48 feet in length build this way (tacked together by the builder who had never built a metal boat) and welded by a pro. Total time from first weld to launching, less than 4 months.


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[snowleopard]

just a small plea for the poor designer....

when you buy a set of boat plans you are also buying a license to build to those plans, in the case of amateur builders that is for one boat.

to sell on the plans, whether originals or copies so another boat can be built without paying the designer, is effectively theft. people rip off big companies by copying music etc and few worry about it but most designers are one man bands. if you respect him enough to build his designs, respect him enough to pay his fee.

so if you buy 'cheap' plans, be sure you are buying legally and are getting the right to build from them.

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[trthebees]

I do agree with your valid point about copyright and license to build. I hope that if a particular design was of interest I would sort this matter out with the owner.
Having worked as a self-employed designer/manufacturer, and spent countless hours making prototypes only to see the subsequent orders go elsewhere, I have an empathy with the situation.
With my present intentions, I am going to a fairly out-of-touch area. My idea is to build a boat which is of local use and interest, and which I am satisfied with as a vessel. Also to use and train some local labour, and hopefully create some ongoing employment. It might work.
The design would need to be simple enough to build using the minimum of equipment and initially unskilled labour--perhaps designs aimed at the amateur are a good starting point.
Although I have lived there before I need to investigate further and some plans and information that I can study in terms of local usefulness and construction possibilities would be most helpful.

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[trthebees]

Thankyou for your replies.
It's good to see there is a eventide owners association, and someone must have gone to some trouble to create the website. I can't seem to get the java bit to work yet, but I'll keep trying as it looks like there is useful info there. If you do know of any steel plans, I'd be pleased to here from you.
Thanks again.

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[trthebees]

Thankyou for your replies.
It's good to see there is a eventide owners association, and someone must have gone to some trouble to create the website. I can't seem to get the java bit to work yet, but I'll keep trying as it looks like there is useful info there. If you do know of any steel plans, I'd be pleased to hear from you.
Thanks again.

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[trthebees]

Thankyou for the info, it sounds like an interesting alternative method of construction. If it's suitably stressed, which I guess it must be, it could be a useful approach for less equipped building. I'll try to find out more via the internet, although do you know a link?

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[snowleopard]

the mouldless cut-and-bend construction method is also being developed by Derek Kelsall. his work is mainly in GRP but he has also built in steel. find out more <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.kelsall.com/>here</A>

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[duckmanton]

in all honesty, if you wont cheap plans , you an't ever going to build a boat, because in the end it an't cheap. Pay for the best plans and it might (if you are any good) be alright;. be relalistic, get asians to build it, worry when you are in the shit, and they are home with your 5 cents.

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[ianabc]

The Metal Boat Society www.metalboatsociety.com and books by Nigel Calder such as Boat Owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, International Marine classification 623.08 ISBN 0-07-009618-X
and write to me and I'll mail you a copy, free, of the paperback by Brent Swain.
Delete the anti spam zero in the email address to write to me in Comox BC Canada.
ian.jeanzero@shaw.ca

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