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April 2, 2007 6:55 AM   Subscribe

It's spring; build a boat, therefore.
posted by OmieWise (25 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
Don't forget the Puddle Duck Racer! (wiki)

Mine's going 3D in a couple of weeks.
posted by Opposite George at 7:07 AM on April 2, 2007


Thank you OmieWise! I love boats.
posted by rmmcclay at 7:17 AM on April 2, 2007


An excellent suggestion (said Mole)!

Also, I recommend this!

And even though I love wooden boats, I've always wanted to try building and sailing a full-size milk carton boat.
posted by Miko at 7:55 AM on April 2, 2007


If I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:29 AM on April 2, 2007


Doh! No way I could do this!

Thanks OmieWise for posting this so I can feel wholly inadequate at my manly builder skills.
posted by dios at 8:51 AM on April 2, 2007


Funny, I've been thinking of building a boat ever since the weather turned spring-like around here. You know, ... a young man's fancy turns to plywood and glue. Perhaps I'll build something a little bigger than my last boat, the Elegant Punt (all 7'9" of her!), so that my girlfriend and I can sleep aboard.

And dios: it really isn't that hard. Try it!
posted by ssg at 9:18 AM on April 2, 2007


These are great! There are so many lakes round here, and me with little money - but got garage, got tools, and can probably scrounge a board... Ahoy!
posted by ikahime at 9:24 AM on April 2, 2007


I want to build a boat.
posted by Divine_Wino at 9:56 AM on April 2, 2007


That Puddle Duck is a cool version of the classic Bolger Brick.
posted by roboto at 10:03 AM on April 2, 2007


I believe this post is offensive for Southern Hemisphere MeFi-ers.
posted by champthom at 10:06 AM on April 2, 2007


You don't have to work with plywood and glue, either, other than maybe for the forms you'll pour the concrete into.
posted by pax digita at 10:14 AM on April 2, 2007


Or how about a canvas-on-frame kayak?
posted by Miko at 10:21 AM on April 2, 2007


Even you can build this kayak dios! Don't forget your PFD!
posted by roboto at 10:36 AM on April 2, 2007


Dad and I built three of these when I was thirteen- we sold two to pay for ours. They only cost about $200 each, when made with cheap plywood.

I have also had a great time in these ultralight boats- they only weight about 8 kilos each!
posted by wzcx at 11:08 AM on April 2, 2007


Boats are cool.

I've sailed (mostly windsurfing) for like, forever, but I've never owned a boat til this year. i have a deposit on a 29 year-old 19 ft trailerable pocket-cruiser that i'll pick up later this month. w00t!

Not to look down my nose at the homebuilt boats, but if this thread caught your eye and sailing appeals to you, check out some used sailboats in your area. A 14 to 18 ft used sailboat can be had for as little as US$1000, sometimes less. For the price of the average big-screen TV, you can usually find a quite decent used sailboat... that will probably outlast the TV if you keep up with the maintenance.

BTW, whether you built it yourself or bought it, sailboats usually require upkeep. That's alot of the fun, actually, if you like to tinker.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:10 AM on April 2, 2007


Or yu could Build a kayak that isn't uglier than dirt and twice as sinky.

Seriously, if you are thinking about building a kayak, that book is the way to go.
posted by rusty at 11:13 AM on April 2, 2007


(Not to malign Codger's Chesapeake link above mine -- those look nice too. I was referring to the shower curtain model linked further up. Sorry.)
posted by rusty at 11:16 AM on April 2, 2007


I have been daydreaming about building a boat with a PVC pipe frame and some kind of plastic, preferably clear, stretched over that. Something like the plan that Roboto links to above. I have not found much in the way of plans, so I keep mulling it over.

Or maybe I could make a pontoon/kayak by getting two very large diameter PVC pipes and somehow lashing them together and sitting in between them? (Perhaps it is time for an AskMe.)
posted by LarryC at 11:19 AM on April 2, 2007


I used to loose myself in my grandfather's old copy of the American Boy's Handy Book's plans for building a shantyboat, along with dreamy tales of weeks spent on the river.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 12:11 PM on April 2, 2007


CJP - You've correctly guessed the book I've been paging through for the past couple of weeks.
posted by OmieWise at 12:20 PM on April 2, 2007


The Pygmy Boat company sells build-it-yourself plywood kits for making kayaks. I've always wanted to make one but never had the time or space ...
posted by Araucaria at 2:36 PM on April 2, 2007


I have been daydreaming about building a boat with a PVC pipe frame and some kind of plastic, preferably clear, stretched over that.


Why not just acrylic sheets? Some of these designs look fairly good for something like this. Depending on the flexibility of the sheeting you choose, of course. Just sub plastic for plywood and you're golden. (Yes, I know. Lexan is expensive, however.)
posted by IronLizard at 3:40 PM on April 2, 2007


Miko, that course you linked to looks great. Did you take it? I'd sure like to, or one at my end of the continent. Here are two of my boat building links: canoe, another canoe.
posted by Listener at 5:48 PM on April 2, 2007


I did take it, back when I worked there. It was wonderful - an intensive week, but you learn enough to proceed on your own for the rest of your life.

The best part? There is no difference whatsoever between the boatbuilding for women and the regular boatbuilding class. It's just a comfort-level thing.
posted by Miko at 10:13 PM on April 2, 2007


I so want to construct a one or two sheet boat; maybe I'll fine the time next winter.
posted by Mitheral at 3:05 PM on April 3, 2007


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