Plywood boat.

[Fat ferret]

Hello all. Would like to make a boat to fish the lochs from. I want it to be stable to fish from but it will only be used on calm water. Drew a quick plan lastnight.

My boat is going to have a timber frame made from 2"x1" or 2"x2" where it needs a bit more strength. Then I plan to cover it in ply. Was hoping to get away with 1/4" 6mm. Then paint and fibreglass over the hull. It will have a square stern on which a small trolling motor could be mounted. Will be a bit less than 8 feet long and about 3 foot 6 wide so one man craft.

So if anyone has ever done anything like this before could do with a bit of help.

What thickness of ply? Trying to keep weight down here so hoping 6mm will do. I could use thicker for transom and floor if strength will be an issue.

Can I get away with exterior grade ply if I paint it with gloss, fibreglass the hull and keep it dry when not being used?

I am hoping a flat bottom will be most stable but could give it a bit of rocker if it will help?

Was going to add a keel, just a bit of 2"x1" along the bottom, good idea or not?

I know I can make it just short on details of how well it will work so any pointers would be good. Anyway give me any advice you think would be useful.

 

[Redwall]

I made a 15'10" canoe as cheaply and quickly as possible. 6mm should be more than sufficent over a wooden frame, mine is 6mm. Exterior ply is also fine if kept away from the water with resin and paint. I also used poly resin instead of epoxy to keep costs low. In freshwater I don't think this will be a problem although the life may be 10 years instead of 15.

Follow the process HERE

 

[bilmo-p5]

Have a look at the dinghies page on this site.
Might give you some ideas and the plans aren't overly expensive.

 

[boatman]

One sheet skiff might do you.

http://www.simplicityboats.com/OSchallengeresults.html

 

[boatman]

http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/

Very good site for mini boats.

 

[bilmo-p5]

http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/

Very good site for mini boats.

Good link, boatman. Thank you.

 

[Fat ferret]

OK Thanks, can I just screw the ply to the frame or should I glue aswell? Anyone know answers to my other questions?

 

[Toddy]

My Dad used to make dories and pram dinghies from plywood....marine ply is the stuff you're after. They just got sanded down and re-varnished every year. I know one of them that was 40+ years old, well used and still sound and others heading for that age, if they were cared for.
Brass screws or phosphur bronze nails were what he used.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[mayobushcraft]

What are the dimentions Length, width and height. If longer than eight ft. 2400mm use a scarf joint it a long angled joint to glue two lenths of plywood together use a plane to cut the scarf. that way you can make parts that are over eight feet long. For instance if you wanted sides for a 12 ft boat that was 400 mm tall cut two parts 450mm x 2400 and another two at 450mm x 1800mm now make a line 75mm in from one end of each piece then plane from the mark to the end to make a taperd wedge shape. take into account the face of the plywood if needed. Get two cheap pieces of MDF and wax the area larger than the scarf that way the epoxy wont stick to the mdf for the sides you would need two that are approx. 500mm x 500mm. Lay on a flat surface the floor will work if you dont have bench that will support the length. Using a few brad nails tack down the first part wedge side up. Apply epoxy two the wedge area overlap the other plywood part line up the sides so they are strait tack down then place the other 500mm x 500mm MDF on top and clamp it all together. Let the epoxy dry and repeat for the other side. Use the same for the bottom. Make all the parts longer than you need to allow for the scarf and some extra to allow for trimming. I hope I made this understandable. If not email me at mayobushcraft@aol.com would be happy to talk.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I bought a couple of books about this kind of thing last year, wanting to build a boat after moving back to France.

How to Build Glued Lapstrake Wooden Boats
Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual

 

[pastymuncher]

About as simple as you can get and very stable, made from 2 sheets of ply, sail or row, masts etc made from tree branches (very bushcrafty), and very light 75lbs for the rowing version.
http://wharram.com/site/node/109

 

[boatman]

Hull of the Melanesia seems much the same as a pirogue which, minus an outrigger, must be the simplest to build. More stable than a canoe although standing up in them might be a problem. If built upside down from two ply sheets the shapes of the side planks determine the shape and rocker of the bottom meaning it is really simple to construct with the stitch and glue method. Certainly possible to do one in a weekend. Mine as a first boat build took about four days because I messed up with thinking I had to fibreglass it which is uneccessary.

You can even get kits if you wish eg.
http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/

 

[mrcharly]

Google 'Mirror Dinghy'

Stitch and glue construction, will easily take a motor or can be rowed and sailed.

They are very widely sailed so you could prob pick up an old mast and sail for very little. Mast and sail stow inside the boat so can be taken down while afloat for fishing.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Google 'Mirror Dinghy'

Stitch and glue construction, will easily take a motor or can be rowed and sailed.

They are very widely sailed so you could prob pick up an old mast and sail for very little. Mast and sail stow inside the boat so can be taken down while afloat for fishing.

That looks very interesting, indeed.

Do you know of anything similar, but a bit bigger, that would take two adults and a kid? My daughter asked me last night when I would take her out sailing again, so at some point it would be good if I could get both her and her big brother out with me.

 

[bilmo-p5]

That looks very interesting, indeed.

Do you know of anything similar, but a bit bigger, that would take two adults and a kid?

Have a look at the dighies & dayboats pages at Selway Fisher.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Have a look at the dighies & dayboats pages at Selway Fisher.

That's great, thanks for the link.

 

[mrcharly]

Selway Fisher has great designs.

The next step up from the Mirror dinghy would be the GP14, although that's much harder to build I believe.

 

[al21]

Hi Keith,

You might find this of interest:

http://www.vivierboats.com/html/stock_sail_and_oar.html#ilur

particularly as you are in France. A more advanced build perhaps, but also available as a kit.

To the OP, at this time of year you could probably go to any sailing club in the land and find neglected boats in dinghy parks with covers filled with water, often waiting for disinterested owners to remove them. These are often sold cheap by sailing clubs to make space as the owner will be in breach of their membership by leaving them on site during the winter.

Happy boating!

Al

 

[bilmo-p5]

Hi Keith,

You might find this of interest:

http://www.vivierboats.com/html/stock_sail_and_oar.html#ilur

Oh yes! Some sweet hulls there.