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DIY Boat "Weekender"

7K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  TyTy 
#1 ·
In some of my more "less connected to reality" moments, I've often thought of building my own boat. Nothing to extreme but something fun.

I did this once before (I was about 9) and it sunk in about 45 seconds. Something to do with not filling the holes in the plywood sheet that I found laying around that was my source material.

But, I think I might be ready to try again.

Anyone here ever see one of these?

The Stevenson Projects' Weekender

Again, its all plywood.

Anyone??

MC
 

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#3 ·
I have often daydreamed about building my own boat. But I think that when it comes down to it by the time I bought all the tools I needed and all the time I spent on it I would probably come out with something that did not perform as well and was uglier than a production boat. But, if your "building stuff" hobby is as important to you as your "sailing" hobby then it might be a good time.
 
#4 ·
Yeah, used to know a guy who built and sailed a Weekender. He had already completed the building when I first met him.

Nice little boat. Sailed well enough, though I suppose it would be a big disappointment to anyone who had the heart of a racer. He spent weekends on it now and then, but it was definitely more like camping on the water than living on a boat.

I would agree with Aaron42... If you are looking for a project--something to build--then you could do a lot worse than a Weekender. If you really just want to sail, and somehow think that building your own is the cheapest way to get what you want, I think you will probably be disappointed. If you count your own time at no more than minimum wage, you would almost certainly be money ahead to just buy a boat. If the building is half the fun, though, and having a sailboat when you are done is basically a happy coincidence, then you wouldn't put a cost on the time spent, because spending the time building something was the whole point. If that's the case, then go for it and good luck!
 
#5 ·
If you go for it, let us know how it's going.

That's a pretty big boat for a first-time project, but you won't be the first person to start at that level. If you're not confident of your woodworking "chops," perhaps a Chesapeake Light Craft canoe first...
 
#7 ·
It's a pretty boat! I would suggests you work out the costs first. Most people building a sailboat (or other craft) often grossly underestimate the costs of fitting out and bringing the project to completion.

"stitch and glue" or "tortured plywood are viable building methods that have come a long way since "sticky stuff" (epoxy) has become very user friendly.
 
#8 ·
Most people building a sailboat (or other craft) often grossly underestimate the costs...
Very true. Even more than common than that, I think, is that most people grossly underestimate how long such a project will take. I believe the fellow that I knew said that he spent nearly a year making his, and he said that he worked on it pretty much every chance that he got.

So, like any boat project, double the cost and triple the time estimate. And then it will STILL cost you twice as much, and take three times as long, as you have estimated!
 
#9 ·
As far as buying my own boat, well,,, I all ready did that. Its a 2011 Catalina 375. Some of you who are in the Traverse City area may have seen it. Name is Hawk and I've included a shot of its head sail. I am sort of hard to miss. The hawk was the Admirals idea but I like it. So its not for want of a boat that I would do this but rather just a project.
I've build my own car so I have to think that building my own boat would be much easier but different.

I also think this boat is actually good looking.

mc
 

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#10 ·
MC,

I built one MANY years ago. You can see a write-up I put on our web site at;
Guenevere's Projects, Raphael

It was a fun project and an article I wrote about it for a magazine was also part of a book that you might find very interesting (book name & author on the web page)



I LOVED the looks and thought about doing a stretched version. But decided I wanted to sail more than build. :grin



Any questions, just ask.....

Greg
 
#12 ·
I built one of these when I was 17 in 2002. It was a great project. I worked on it almost every day and often had a high school friend helping and launched it after a little over 4-months. As stated by others, it's sailing performance was disappointing, but I learned a ton about sailing and building things. I made this slideshare presentation about it:

It cost under $2,000 in 2002, the biggest expense was $400 for the fiberglass and gel-coat, which is optional. Most of my bright-work came from an old oak church communion rail that was being thrown out. It's a fun project, no doubt about that, and if done right, it can be a very beautiful miniature replica of a Friendship Sloop. After going to college, I rarely used it and got into racing, I sold it for somewhere between $1,500 - $2,000 to someone in North Carolina (I had put in an additional $1000+ after launching plus the sale included the trailer) and I think he sold it to someone in Florida.
 

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#13 ·
I get the idea of a project, and I get the idea of the project being a boat.

The part I don't get is the boat's performance being either unknown, questionable, or poor. If I'm going to put my best effort into something, the design had better be solid.

I have often mused about doing a 14 foot (approx.) speedboat with a 40 horse, just for a change of pace.
14' Zip - twin cockpit runabout-boatdesign
Or, if I was going to do a sailboat, maybe a trimaran just big enough to have a head on it. Probably couldn't trailer the tri, though.

Or, for a guy who lives in northern Michigan, maybe an iceboat.

The Weekender has visual appeal, but if it sailed like a turd, I'd curse the thing every time I used it....if I used it.
 
#14 ·
Yes, that looks like it is more of a character boat so likely does not preform very well. The thing is you have another boat so it is about the project, but since you know what a good preforming boat is like you will likely be underwhelmed by the performance. If you were not a sailor already you likely would be happy sailing the thing and not know any better. But you do and might hate being out on it. If you just want to take it to some "wood boat festivals" then it might be OK. I kind of like some of bolger's sharpies too and they look quick to put together.

Have you been on any of the wood boat forums, or boat design forums? They may have a better idea of what sails well as well as looks good.
 
#17 ·
For better or worse, traditional Wooden Boat show & web forums tend not to be enamored with plywood-hull boats. I found the messing-about forum extremely useful when building my weekender, (although this was 2002!):

messing-about.com Amateur Boat Building

Also, there's the "Back Yard Yacht Builders" club that has a forum and is/was based around Stevenson Projects:
http://www.byyb.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=a6cdeaa5c0ab30c62761b7a6680df21a;wwwRedirect

the byyb even had a high-quality magazine, The Gaff Rig:
Gaff Rig
 
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