Finding the right wood boat plans

wood boat

There are a lot of beautiful wooden boats that can be constructed if you possess the plans. Whether you are concerned about building a small-scale wood boat like a canoe, or dream of building a large sailboat, the boat plans you start from will be essential to your success.

When deciding between the numerous wood boat plans you can find online and in bookshops, you need to bear in mind a few criteria to make certain your buy is worth your spending.

The first important element is that the designs must have been tested. It is important that the wood boat plans you are buying or using are demonstrated boat plans made by competent boat designers. Otherwise, you could end up wasting away your money and time, in addition to a lot of raw material.

Another point to consider is the readibility and usability of the boat plans you are considering for purchase. No matter your skills, easy and exhaustive instructions are preferred. They are particularly essential for beginners. Wood boat plans difficult to read or understand, or which neglect essential details will generate frustration, and in the end you may just surrender your project.

Last but not least, your boat plans should be affordable, and carry a money-back guarantee in the case you find them unfitted to your needs. Unfortunately, most boat plans are sold as single plans, which means that if you ultimately find the design or the level of difficulty not suitable to you, you will have to check other boat plans, provided you can get your money back on the first one. So, what is the best solution?

Luckily, after some research, I could find an excellent product which compiles hundreds of different boat plans. What was unexpected, though, is that they are offered for the usual price of a single plan! And this is not at the expense of quality. The author, Daniel Holden, lives in Denmark and has an extensive experience of more than 20 years in boat building. He is a true boat building enthusiast, and clearly knows what he's talking about. Let him introduce himself:

"Generations upon generations of boat building knowledge is the legacy that was passed to me by my ancestors. I have actual insight in the boat design that was used to grace the waters of Denmark with wooden boats for centuries. (...)

Imagine the awesome feeling of riding on the water on a sunny afternoon in the beautiful boat you built and people crane their necks just so they can get a good look at your boat."

If you would like to turn your dream of building you own wood boat into reality, Daniel's plans may very well be the best way to start your journey. Check Daniel's offer now on his website!

 Photo by Simon Howden

Friday, June 18, 2010

Boat building for Beginners: the stitch-and-glue method

wood boatIf you are a beginner in boat building, you should probably start with a small wood boat. This is the easiest type of boat to start with, and it will allow you to build up your boat building experience. Most boatbuilding methods require complicated tooling, but in the case of wooden boats, there exists a much simpler technique which is ideal for beginners: the so-called stitch-and-glue method. This method usually does not require that you build a frame, and no complicated, fancy tool is needed. All in all, this is probably the most rewarding way for a beginner to start its journey in the world of boat building.

Many different designs and types of wooden boats can be built using this method, from dinghies to kayaks, from johnboats to row boats. You should also think about the amount of work you are ready to accomplish and the amount of time you have.

If you prefer to avoid too much woodworking for your first project and get faster results, boat kits are a great way to get started. All pieces are already cut out at the right shapes and dimensions, and your main task will be basically to stitch together the various pieces using wire, and apply layers of fiberglass and epoxy to glue everything together. This is a very fast method, and your first boat can be ready in a matter of weeks or even days!

You can also choose to make the woodworking yourself, which is actually not difficult but requires the right tools. The big advantage is that you will have a large choice of boat plans and boat designs to build. This will allow you to build a more personal boat, with a design that won’t be found everywhere. And imagine the satisfaction of building your wood boat entirely by yourself!

For a large choice of wood boat plans, including many stitch-and-glue designs for beginners, you may want to consider this package of more than 250 different boat plans. This is probably the largest choice of boat designs you will be able to find in one place! Click here to learn more about this package.

Photo by Tom Curtis


handbag hook

Dan Kennedy

security seals

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)