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Building a wooden boat

3K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  Beav222 
#1 ·
Starting my catamaran build and I'm looking for an afordable plywood supplier in the northwest. Maybe Oregon where there is no sales tax
 
#4 ·
Yes, Edensaw is one of like two wood suppliers I have ever heard mentioned, so I will second the recommendation. I think I would be concerned mostly about quality of wood, and the supplier standing behind what they sell/recommend and from what I have heard Edensaw is top notch. How big are you building, and how long do you want it to last? Seems the quality of the wood plays a big roll in durability, but then again I am considering building a small tender out of lauan(stitch and glue), because it is cheap and will be soaked with epoxy anyway and I don't care if it starts to fall apart after a few years. So much depends on how long you expect it to last, but good plywood is hard to come by anymore, but the good stuff is expensive.
 
#6 ·
If you think you're going to post a plywood question without telling us WHAT KIND OF CAT YOU'RE BUILDING....you got another thing coming, buddy boy.

C,mon......out with it!
Thought you'd never ask. Here is one being built:
http://chrisfirth.id.au/boatbuild/
It's a big project and not unlike eating an elephant. But in this case you'd better like elephant!!!
I'm a wood worker and have been all my life. The boat in all will take over 100 sheets of marine ply.
I have watched several videos that show plywood used that looks to have been made out of smaller squares and the sheets look like a patchwork of smaller pieces.
Any one know what this ply is???
 
#8 ·
Can I ask why you decided to build? I have a friend who is a sailor with a little 19' boat, probably one of the best carpenters I know. He has been talking about building a boat for a few years now, something about 35'.
I'll admit he has some interesting ideas, I've also read quite a few stories about people who finally had the "perfect boat" built.
 
#11 ·
I have always wanted to build a small sail boat and while looking for plans I came across these Easy Catamarans. I am building the Sarah model. I would not recommend this for anyone that doesn't like eliphant. This project is like eating an eliphant you have to eat it one bite at a time. But you have to like eliphant. I've been a carpenter all of my life (56 years) and I love woodworking. I will post the build under Sarah 41. On DIY Catamarans.
 
#9 ·
@Beav, looking at the one you are not building... may I/was ask how far you are into the project? Are you member of the wooden boat fourm? Same name for me there :)

Can't help but ask!.... Are your funds for the project in excess of $125,000?

Is this cat going to be a sail or just motor boat?
@Tanski a quick search on the internet will find lots and lots of dream boats that were never finished by the dreamers! Thankfully I stayed with small boats :)

Good luck on the build!

And yeah I'm with the armchair sailors and...
:worthless:
 
#10 ·
Hi Denise,
Yes I participate in a wooden boat forum and my name there is the same. Beav222. My last name is Beaver but you can call me Dean.
I bought plans a few months ago and have been reshearching for most of that time. WOW what a learning curve!! It's been really fun tho with plywood, marine electrics, epoxies, paints etc.... There is a book written by a guy that built one of these boats and the book is very comprehensive.
The book is " A sailing Catamaran Building Project" by J M Coomer. It will be a great help as he provides how to and considerations at different stages of the build. Complete electric schismatics and plumbing. He also references building resources and even part numbers from suppliers.
Well back to my build. I am at the buying lumber stage and I should have enough to build the hulls in about a week. Can't wait to get started.
Stay in touch
 
#13 ·
um having grown up in the waning days of wooden boats often on my knees fastening deck or in the bilge steaming ribs l think your elephant metaphor apt though for me it is like swallowing a small elephant when small and hoping to god you can eat enough to grow fast enough to stay ahead of the thing living in your belly....marine plys very much not the same. Some are by nature more resistant to rot than others, some better for longitudinal strength than surface checking etc etc Some of the best no longer available. anyway it is a brave venture you embrace and may it prosper!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
um having grown up in the waning days of wooden boats often on my knees fastening deck or in the bilge steaming ribs l think your elephant metaphor apt though for me it is like swallowing a small elephant when small and hoping to god you can eat enough to grow fast enough to stay ahead of the thing living in your belly....marine plys very much not the same. Some are by nature more resistant to rot than others, some better for longitudinal strength than surface checking etc etc Some of the best no longer available. anyway it is a brave venture you embrace and may it prosper!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the insight. May I ask what kinds of boats you have built and what you own today. Love to see what others have and why they went the direction they did.

Dean
 
#15 ·
I have never built a boat so this is IMHO. I think the ply shown in the pictures is Okoume. You could probably use Okoume, hydrotek, and maybe some high quality exterior plywood. I am sure other quality plywood could also qualify. It is the glue in the ply, lack of voids, and the coating you apply that is most important. The nice/expensive stuff gives better reassurance for no hidden voids between plys. The difference in price of good vs bad plywood are a very small part of the whole cost. Okoume or hydrotek or something similar would help me sleep better on my off watch.

Plywood: Cabinet and Marine Grade for some updated prices for different quantities. I have no affiliation with this company. I think of the Northwest as the boat building mecka and a large producer of wood products. You should be able to locate a great supplier somewhere somewhat local. I seem to recall a thread a few years back at wooden boat forum where members recommended wood/plywood supplies. It might be worth a few google searches.
 
#16 ·
Okoume is pretty much the go to marine ply there are others but in my experience it's the base model from which others deviate. Honestly I would also suggest taking a look at boatdesign.net. It's another forum, but populated by professional marine designers, NA's, and builders. Included in that bunch is Richard Woods who is a Catamaran designer and often is idling to make build suggestions.

Good luck, building a cat that size is quite an undertaking.
 
#19 ·
Okoume is pretty much the go to marine ply there are others but in my experience it's the base model from which others deviate. Honestly I would also suggest taking a look at boatdesign.net. It's another forum, but populated by professional marine designers, NA's, and builders. Included in that bunch is Richard Woods who is a Catamaran designer and often is idling to make build suggestions.

Good luck, building a cat that size is quite an undertaking.
I have ordered the ply and insisted on the paperwork that certifies Okoume BS 1088 in sure my insurance co. Is going to want that. It's going to be fun!!
 
#18 ·
Thanks for the input Mary. I have several friends that have experience in one thing or another. This is not something I want to go into blind. I have been reshearching for 8 mo. I'll need help with the electrical and maybe some of the plumbing. And maybe the paint but I have a resource for that too. Might cost me a boat ride tho!! "Snicker"
 
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