Boat Building Instructions

Building your own boat is a larger scale project.

For many boaters, the dream of designing and building their own boat can be a project that may take years to complete. Once done and in the water, your boat will be unique, having been hand-built by its owner. As with any large construction project, preparation is one of the most important components of the building process. Once you have a set of design plans and templates to cut the wood, you are ready to begin.

Things You'll Need

• Marine plywood
• Duct tape
• Jigsaws
• Fiberglass cloth
• Marine epoxy
• Plastic zip ties
• Drill and 1/4-inch bit

Instructions

1. Lay the template onto a piece of marine plywood and use a jigsaw to cut the shape from the plywood. Most boat designs will have sections for the side, bow, stern and additional templates for the ribs that will form the keel. Construct the keel by attaching the cut lengths of 2 by 4 lumber using plastic ties inserted through the holes that were drilled per the template.

2. Drill holes along the top of any of the pieces of wood that will be connected to another piece. Cut 1/4-inch holes with 2-inch spacing, 1/2 to 1 inch from the top of the wood. Connect the sections of wood using plastic zip ties through the holes. Cover the outside of the seams with duct tape. Cover the inside of the seams with marine epoxy. Remove the ties with pliers.

3. Cut 3-inch strips of fiberglass cloth. Soak the fiberglass strips in marine epoxy and apply to interior until the entire area is covered in fiberglass. Allow the fiberglass strips to dry as per the instructions included with the epoxy.

4. Remove the duct tape from the outside of the frame and apply fiberglass strips in the same way as with the interior of the frame. Repeat these steps for the remainder of the boat.

5. Sand the fiberglass areas after they dry and apply a paint or varnish to the surface of the boat to give it the color you want. Add any needed hardware and wiring to finish your boat and you are ready to launch the boat and check its seaworthiness.

References

• BoatBuilderCentral: Stitch and glue 101
• BoatDesign: Apple Pie Boat Tender

Resources

• Boat Building Plans