Crowd sourced Boat build

[ilikeboats]

Great points... I think take a lot of weight out of it make it a 4 person boat max so maybe lose kitchen area little grill on edge of cockpit\ propane tank small camp size.. Get rid of extra weight... , yeah the how many to flip has be wondering I just got done calculating. 17 gal epoxy everything epoxied guess 31 sheets ply at current size and add ons is my fast guess....

[ilikeboats]

It is a inland /lake boat is what you got me thinking.. Do you think slow rivers would be OK? W like 20hp just waiting. Thanks for the great info!

[bill352]

Originally Posted by ilikeboats

I agree boat should be built purely for the love of boating .. Keep costs down

Guessing 120 hours I could get the shell done..after redesign is chosen with everyone's input then cost out and build I have a double garage 24' deep with only 7'4" heighth. Do you guys think I could build most of it there?

As hundreds of people on here can tell you, a boat not only should but must be built purely for the love of building. If you want to do something purely for the love of boating, buy a boat. That's good advice, and will save you a lot of aggravation.

But I built a Glen-L "Tango" (at least partly for the love of boating) in a two-car garage with room enough for the other car when I wasn't actually working on it, so it can be done.

As others here have indicated, those plans you're looking at are over 40 years old, and a lot has happened since then. Instead of making all those modifications on your own (especially narrowing the beam), you would be well served by buying modern inexpensive plans for a modern inexpensive design. Here are two:

trailerable houseboat plans

Aqua Casa Houseboat, Aqua Casa Plans, Aqua Casa Houseboat Plans

Some of us are at least a little bit enthusiastic about this just reading about it. (I can smell the resin already.) Let us know how it goes.

[ilikeboats]

Guys we just stubbled across this gem, someone redesigned it for stich and glue here is study plans page. Houseboat 20Â*(HB20) - Study Plans

[weavis]

Here is what one builder did for catamarans.

The $21K catamaran: Build a cat fast and cheap

[Cormorant]

Another one to consider is the trailerable shanty houseboat "Dianne's Rose." In case you haven't already seen it:

RoyDesignedThat - BOATS

Building Dianne's Rose - Build a Houseboat

Also Jim Michalak has a smaller cheaper more spartan design called "Shanteuse":

Shanteuse

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by ilikeboats

Free Boat Plans
I am looking at building the budget houseboat (trailerable)and would like to crowd source the build. It says best thing in boats since women... let's see if we can make it that way.
goals:
1)make it more modern/cool looking
2)cut costs
3) improve comfort/amenities
4) make it safer
5) make it like a cruisers boat
6)i live in Iowa, but the love the keys too how could this be used in both places
7) probably build shell put trolling motor on it and solar panels so can use it sooner and continue upgrading it
8) will be built in my garage so ideas to make easier to build

thanks ahead for your positive input only

Search and buy a boat. This appears to be a scow with a house on it. It may be good for some inland back water. JMHO

[siamese]

I'm not seeing anything to get excited about with that design. Heavy! Add that to the trailer, and you'd better have a very serious tow vehicle. A flat bottom barge is going to perform like....a barge.

If you're serious about a trailerable houseboat, think aluminum pontoons. You have to watch your weight. Most amateurs screw it up by building like a house instead of a light weight travel trailer.

[ilikeboats]

Weavis, the 21k cat is beautiful except budget among other reasons like my trailer and truck won't work at a 30' boat plus can't build in my garage, plus more feet more money, I absolutely love cats.. love spirited designs towaway, the bigger ones..being 6'2" big guy, complex build,money, gets me concerned about mission creep that makes it not workable.. what about I build the budget houseboat with foam,smaller and lighter.. or even crazier build as houseboat maybe later turn into detachable cat at some later point. I was looking at the Skoota power cat love the layout there but really not that modern styled,way to heavy,and absolutely out of this Earth budget,too technical of a build, something that can be taken away from the design is that 3 piece idea, the middle piece (shape) looks almost like side profile of budget houseboat ..What do you guys think of that? Is that possible??

[ilikeboats]

Cormant, thanks for the suggestions although uglier then sin it is practical and gets some of my general. Ideas. I think part of the fun for me is to see how frugal, how modern, and many amenities/self sufficient it can be while still keeping it simple stupid, and I am not a must build my own design guy but for the money second hand market something that small nice isn't available and buying and dragging a old one home from the coasts could blow out the cost of building the budget houseboat after a redesign.

[ilikeboats]

Hey Cadence thanks for your idea.. been searching for short Skow in Iowa for interior redesign at a good budget price point for modest repairs and fit out. That could check all the boxes. 3 big websites down no candidates I am going to try extending out to surrounding states like lake Michigan used boats Illinois or lake pepin in Minnesota that could be updated hauling and in needs updating condition.... Fingers crossed.. Boat Angel didn't have any potential ones unless I went to East coast.. would cost more to get home then worth in that situation..hmm Thanks for suggestion you got me thinking that the small size low cost while very important being able to explore small lakes/rivers/back water without risking a 10-25k boat is part of the relaxed fun get out and enjoy the inland waterways.. being able to hangout comfortably is about keeping wife and kid happy so after dragging everything a hour or two I can get them to stay for awhile and forget life's worries like we do when we visit the ocean on vacation..

[Fence Man]

I've built several boats from scratch, so I certainly understand why you'd want to do a project like this.......But, it's quite a bit cheaper to buy one. Maybe not exactly what you'll be after, but I picked up this older aluminum cabin cruiser, sans motor, last fall for not many pesos. I had purchased a boat/motor/trailer a few years ago because I needed a trailer for one of the afore mentioned boat builds. The boat was a fiberglass number that had been abused, but the motor had good compression, so I stuck it in the corner of the shop and waited for the right deal to come along. The old cabin cruiser had been totally refurbished inside, and even has a pretty sweet camo paint job. It's a 3 degree modified V, so it'll handle a little chop, but hold it's own in shallow water, as well. I'm in for less than what the bottom sheet of aluminum would cost to start this kind of project from scratch.
If you do decide to go on with your build, I've found that a "donor boat" is the cheapest way to get a trailer, outboard, controls, and all the little things like bow eyes and cleats that will eat your budget. Good luck, and keep us posted!

[ilikeboats]

It says hull weight is 1750#. In stich n glue. Is that super heavy still?
Simple steering
Eliminate extra above cabin roof
Eliminate refrig to small carry on cooler
Eliminate stove/burners all counters drawers so eliminate kitchen area just install small railing grill for hotdogs/ burgers
1 small sink w 12v pump /propane on demand h2O heater for simple light weight shower w 30 gal tank hand wand
1 small handheld size generator 10 gallon tank for fual 1 propane tank regular size
1 good marine battery 2solar panels made into Bimini top for deck and one good quality Trolling motor to get around
Use plexiglass for lightweight fixed side windows
Simple large port in front for air circulation/ chop up that old slider frame cut glass rebuild to match opening
Small touch lights led battery operated
Inverter small fans fixed for cooling no A/C
Small composting head

If the boat was shorted 4" in width/ 2foot shorter length and then built out of foam.. what is your weight guess ??? Would it be a sound boat for inland Waters???

[Fence Man]

I doubt a 36v trolling motor would push that kind of boat, let alone a 12v. That puts you up to three batteries. MinnKota has a chart on their website to calculate the size troller you'd need, but I don't think there will be one big enough....especially in the wind.
SeaArk used to make an aluminum mod V trailerable house boat based on their 2472 hull. I priced a bare hull last year, and if memory serves, it was around $6K. Cheaper, lighter, and stronger.

[ilikeboats]

Good point. Yeah something close enough built older that is a great deal to modify is the best option... Thanks everyone for your input I got my step son a old aluminum fishing boat and fixed it up over the winter he is enjoying now ..and sometimes he asks me to go along.. so that will have to be good for awhile. Maybe explore the rest of the build idea and make plan/cost it out and wait it out hunting for something... Only problem I see is the best affordable option in 5 years has been a 1970's S2 that had good accommodation if fixed up.. but wasn't a catamaran had a awful lean to it needed deck/sails ect all replaced wanted 8k would have taken 5 but I couldn't have stored at my house, and after it was done would not have been what I wanted at all .. but you guys have a good point... I do see a lot of boat angel boats on eBay for a couple thousand.. but never a cat or scow or trailerable houseboat that is close that is small enough for easy trailering for guy 6'2" with accommodations so I could get family to come