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Building my own dingy

12K views 26 replies 13 participants last post by  Barquito 
#1 ·
I'm interested in sailing and I want to take it slow as the stakes are high. I figure the best way to do that is by building a dingy and sailing it this coming summer. So far the only design I can find that seem legit is the Glen-L 8 Ball. It's a 8 foot plywood construction that looks within my capability and funding. If that is fun to sail on the big lake then I'll look at building something bigger. Looking for advice before I take out checkbook. Thanks ahead!
 
#2 ·
if you like to build, then build, but if you are building because you think it will be a cheaper way to get to sail, then buy a cheap boat. it won't be cheaper and a way bigger time commitment then you think. even someone with a lot of experience would have a hard time finishing a dingy and have it ready to sail by the spring. the sum of all the materials and the rigging, mast, boom and sails will cost way more then you could buy a good used boat for.
 
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#6 ·
The build isn't the main draw for me....the main draw is that it is the only way I can afford a tender and it will be tailored to my boat and my needs. I have done alot of stuff to my boat that I could never have been able to afford to have someone else do for me. I have subsequently achieved exactly what I wanted, acquired skills and tools.
We live in a culture that is replacing self-sufficiency, ingenuity and creativity with a dependance on having other people do stuff for us band/or a reliance on what marketing says we need.
 
#4 ·
I lost my dinghy....a miserable little thing...no real loss really (it showed up at the marina I just moved to 2 days after I got there). I borrowed a skiff from someone to get out to my boat. 9' long 3' beam flat bottom, hard chinned...very stable a real pleasure to row and extremely simple in construction. I am building a nesting version (1/3 2/3) with 7 1/2' Sitka spruce oars, equipping it for sail and have 1.2hp out board that will work quite nicely. The one I borrowed is made of 1/2" ply....and building it much lighter and stronger.
 
#5 ·
in that case build on. it is an easy boat to build. I built one when I was in Jr. high. the 8 ball is a good boat to learn in and there are a lot of used parts around as the boat is the same as a Sabot. you should be able to find a good used sabot sail and wooden mast for less the $ 100. I just bought a good FG Sabot with two sails for $400
 
#7 ·
The D4 dinghy (free plans online) is similar to the Glen-L 8 Ball. It is a fun build. I made one out of 1/4" exterior ply. It is a bit heavy, and the wood is breaking down. But, after 5 years it still floats. The next one will be made with slightly thinner Okume marine grade ply. That will probably be lighter and last longer.
 
#9 ·
Just in case you want to look at other options, the first boat I built was from the "new instant boat" book by Harald Payson:

Build the New Instant Boats: Harold Payson: 9781934982044: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VeSkyn8ZL.@@AMEPARAM@@51VeSkyn8ZL

Great book with several easy to build boats and good instructions, although some of the things are dated given the new materials on the market. (I won't advice using the powder glue he suggests, just use fiberglass epoxy instead.)

There's also a web site, but I haven't looked at it much... InstantBoats.com

Building a small boat is a real kick, if your into that sort of thing. Nothing like seeing something YOU created floating on the water for the first time. :)
 
#10 ·
The Woodenboat site would be a good place to look for dinghy plans. If you want to sail it, you may be advised to stay away from some designs that are more focused on rowing or motoring aspects. Many stitch-and-glue boats will be quick enough to build and not too crazy with the finish work and details that can keep you tied up instead of out sailing. It WILL take you longer than you think. Get started NOW!
 
#11 ·
LOL, this forum sounds like this is a great place for advice. The other builds look very similar to the 8 ball minus the sail which is important for my intentions. Sounds as if one is as good as the next and marine ply and used hardware is a smart bet for longevity and affordability. Thanks for the data. So free now free plans or Glen-L with patterns?
 
#12 ·
This is similar to what I am building.

The boat will be 9' overall breaking down into a 6' and 3' section to fit on my foredeck over the hatch (which in addition to hinging also slides like a companionway watch to allow aire circulation in with the skiff over it). A spritsail main and small jib with centerboard of the sort found on sharpies which would swing up under the rowing thwart and allow for sailing in shallow water.
 
#13 ·
oh yes.....an 8 ball, still have the plans and such from the one I also built in jr high. If I had to do it again, I would douse the CB for an actual daggerboard. I think I still have teh sail too. sold the boat to a neaghbor, he never collected that part.....

El Toro might be another option. Both the *ball and eltoro have full frame setups, along with stich and glue plans available. i would not be surprised if the sabot does too.

marty
 
#15 ·
OH, I hate this thread. Many years ago I purchased a book that was being removed from the library with plans and instructions on how to build a dinghy. I retrieved some oak and mahogony from the dunnage yard and there in Naples Italy on my appartment balcony I started planeing out the keel. Well, time flies and soon it was time to return and the dinghy was in a state that it could niether be packed in the household goods nor sold as anything other than scrap wood. So I left it there and regret to this day that I never built my dinghy.
Building a dinghy is a valuable exercise regardless where it leads for all the reasons woolfenzee stated. It's not unlike playing the Stradivarious violin that gave first voice to a quartet by Mozart. Building a dinghy connects you in a visceral way to all the shipswrights of days gone by.
 
#16 ·
John Welsford's designs for dinghies and small open sailing vessels are great. If you visit the Duckworks website you will see links to all facets of design and building of small boats.

I am not affiliated with either Welsford or Duckworks but recommend them because the first boat I ever built (four years ago) was Welsford's "Tender Behind" model. It was easy and relatively inexpensive and is a gret little boat for towing or rowing or sailing.
 

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#18 · (Edited)
I have most of the tools, but don't have the money for a kit (the cost of a kit would pay for all the tools and enough materials to make some major mistakes and then some). Materials will cost me <20% of the cost of a kit....not even accounting for the wood I have on stock. Not including, fastenings, adhesive and the like. If I use the fanciest 4mil Okoume marine ply ($50/sheet), I have most of the other wood. I would only use 1 1/2 sheets for the boat (the left overs will be used for other things so don't count towards cost of skiff) and have to purchase less than $50 for everything else, including spars....total cast in lumber shoild be around $125.....I have oars locks and access to a pair of 7 1/2' sitka spuce oars ($115)....the sailing rig something else.
I visited Cheasapeke Light Crafts booth at the wooden boat festival....the kit prices were worth a think, if you can afford it, they have some nice boats. But I have a design I like which I am tailoring to my boat....no kit will fit my needs that precisely.
 
#19 ·
Building a dinghy connects you in a visceral way to all the shipswrights of days gone by.
Totally agree.

I will be building a Devlin Boat design Polliwog this winter. For a rowing dinghy this has the advantage of a longitudinal bench. This will allow adjustments for when there are one vs. two in the boat. Not sure how well it sails. The D4 plans include plans for adding a dagger board, etc.
 
#20 ·
8-Ball it is then for me as no clear leader has risen above the 8 ball design and a few sound like they did it when they were kids which is reassuring for my skill set. Ordering the plans tonight I think. Wish me luck, I'll post the pics when I get started. Unfortunately due the fact that i live in Alaska I'll have to special order the marine ply.
 
#22 ·
Reality is, you could do it with ACX plywood, as long as it had exterior glue. One does not need to use okume plywood $$$$$$

One the other hand, if you wish to cover with a varnish equal, so you see the teak grain in the plywood, Okume is the way to go. But any 1/4 dg fir based marine ply or ext grade glue plywood would work.

Make sure you get the plans with full size patterns. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time drafting things upward!

Marty
 
#23 ·
One the other hand, if you wish to cover with a varnish equal, so you see the teak grain in the plywood, Okume is the way to go. But any 1/4 dg fir based marine ply or ext grade glue plywood would work.
That is basically what I found. Exterior grade plywood works... my boat didn't sink (has been going strong for 5 years). However, because of the internal voids, there is severe checking. The wood breaks down from the inside. Protecting with a layer of epoxy and painting won't keep this from happening. Maybe a layer of glass would. I think if you are going to spend the time to make a boat, spend the extra $100 and make is look good and last.
 
#25 ·
I built a 10' Spindrift 10N nesting dinghy out out Okume plywood. It was my first building project and it was a lot of fun. It's an awesome dinghy that stows nicely in front of the mast, rows, well, motors well and tows very well. Some day I'm set her up for sailing.

She was quite usable after a winter of slow building, but I'm still finishing her up.
 
#26 ·
Besides the fact I need a tender for my boat...I have finished all the big projects. A friend was building a nesting tender for themselves but then didn't need it so was going to sell it to me, but this one is so easy to build and I can customize it to my boat. Also it's away to use up alot of the left over lumber I have...so why not.
 
#27 ·
I will be building a Devlin Boat design Polliwog this winter. For a rowing dinghy this has the advantage of a longitudinal bench. This will allow adjustments for when there are one vs. two in the boat. Not sure how well it sails. The D4 plans include plans for adding a dagger board, etc.
This thread is a bit old, but, thought I would provide a little follow-up to my posting. I did a little write-up for Devlin Boat on the dinghy build, with some pictures.

Devlin Designing Boat Builders - Polliwog: George

Here is the text from the write-up.

Lightweight Working Polliwog

We are day sailors and weekenders on a Bristol 27 sailboat. I don't think we will be shellbacks at any time in the near future (a Polliwog having sailed across the equator, and shellback having not). We sail off of a mooring pin, therefore, find that we need passage to and from shore. In my first attempt at building a yacht tender, I made a 7 foot pram out of quarter inch construction grade plywood. My 'beauty' weighed in at about 80 lbs. Being of somewhat slight physique (think Kermit the frog arms), I was having a difficult time getting my pram onto the top of the car. Looking around, I found that the design of the Polliwog made sense as a replacement in a number of ways: It had a pointed bow, that might make the boat fit on the foredeck of my sailboat better than a pram bow. It had a longitudinal rowing bench, making balancing rowing position changes possible. And, finally, it just looked more 'shippy'.

For this effort, I wanted to push the limits of lightweight, with the intention of still being able to use-and-abuse her (lovingly). By stepping up to marine grade okoume, I saved a bunch of weight compared to pine plywood. I also reduced the thickness of the hull from ¼ inch, specified in the plans, to 4 mm. I sheathed just the bottom, and over the chines with 6 oz woven glass. I didn't sheath the topsides, or the inside, to save some more weight. The transom, and seat support bulkhead, forward seat divider, and skeg where all laminated double thickness of the 3mm ply. The rest of the front seat supports and rear seat support were single layers. The corner knees, and seat tops where all single layer ply rather than solid wood. I put a small solid wood strip on the edges of the exposed ply for cosmetic reasons. In order to prevent damage to the mother ship, I put (well) used fire hose over foam pipe insulation around the gunnel for a fender. I'm guessing the pipe insulation material will get squished, and will need replacing every few years. I screwed a small sacrificial aluminum strip from stem to stern on the skeg for protection. For additional thickness in this area, I extended the skeg all the way up onto the prow. This also makes the aluminum strip stand proud of the hull, helping to protect her when dragging out of the water. Because I did not want to show off my less than perfectly smooth hull (it is a working boat after all!), I painted it white, with a thin cove strip for visual interest.

My new creation weighs in at about 45 lbs. with everything attached. I have no trouble getting her on top of the car by myself. With my wife helping, it is almost effortless. I have found that the Polliwog rows well. Before mounting the oar lock sockets, I took a trip down to my local lake with oar lock sockets in hand and a couple clamps, and got in the boat. I positioned myself in the boat so there was as much skeg in the water as possible without the transom dragging, and marked the spot for the oar lock sockets. I then did the same, with my wife in the stern seat. Turns out, it balances well with me almost snug into the bow of the boat, which provides the whole area between the two of us for cargo.

We plan on being a little more careful with our lightweight Polliwog about avoiding rocks going ashore, and with throwing heavy things down from the mother ship. I suspect she will give us many good years of service.

Gordon
 
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