New Member gearing up to build my first sailboat

[Nonsuch]

Having both bought boats and built boats my reaction is this; It is less expensive to buy than build in most circumstances, your time is worth something. That being said I really did enjoy the build process, yes it did take 2-3 times longer than advertised. One really good build to start with is a dinghy, it will expose you to many of the build techniques while creating something you could always sell or use on a larger boat. Good luck.

[TomM]

Originally Posted by Bwhiteboomer

Hello Cruisers Forum,
I'm gearing up on research and anything I can attain before I begin to build my first Sailboat. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Brad

Have you found the forums on woodenboat.com?

[razzda]

Not to be negative , just realistic, do you want to be a boat builder or a sailor?

[lestersails]

Not clear to me what is driving this in the first place. Do you want to be a sailor or do you want to be a boat builder? Do you want to be on the water with lines in your hands or be in a shed with tools in your hands?

[oscarkramer]

Like sailing (it's about the sailing, not the destination), building a boat is about the build process, not the final product. I've built three smaller daysailors and was very pleased with it. It did cause some marital strife. It did involve sacrificing quality time with the kid. It did cost (probably) twice as much as buying an equivalent used boat. In fact, I didn't keep count because I really didn't want to know. But I wanted to build a boat.

So if you want to build a boat, go for it! Just heed some of the warnings here. Do your homework. Do a rough cost analysis (and double it...) to have an idea of what you're getting into. Identify what hours of which days you are realistically likely to have available. I put in about 8 hours a week for 8 months to build a 14' dinghy. It gets hard towards the end as you asymptotically approach perfection. I had the deadline of a regatta that got me over the line, otherwise it would have taken a lot longer.

In the end it depends on your personality, ability, and workshop. You have to really think about what you're getting into (not easy), have the skills and knowledge to execute, and the perseverance to stick with it to the end. If the wife and kids can help with the build, then you're way ahead!

Good luck.

[TomM]

Luckily the internet wasn’t available for Joshua Slocum.

[DutchProf]

Just a few thoughts: Do you have a dry shed or tent in which to work? You cannot leave a project like this outside - you need a covered dedicated space and have ample room to work around all sides. Utility hookups need to be permanent, and of adequate capacity to support the draw of power tools without blowing fuses. Ample room means that you need space to easily maneuver the largest component into its position, without any obstruction impeding your effort.
If you think you have all the tools you will need: you may indeed, IF you have been a serious woodworker for five years or more. Most people probably will need to budget for tools.
Wood supplies can be budgeted out ahead of time fairly easily. What is far less predictable is the actual quantities for fasteners, adhesives, coatings, sandpaper sheets/disks/belts/etc. You will need some tools that aren't always easy to find - yes, google has made it easier, but that doesn't mean you will find that sander with the two inch foam pad with matching sanding disks immediately... I finally found some of what I needed in an automotive supply shop.
Do you have experience building forms for steaming wood in a steamboat and bending it ? Have you previously done fiberglass? Fiberglass Epoxy? All these skills can be self taught, but the research will take time. It isn't so much the work, but knowing how to do it right the first time.
I've built a simple 16 Ft. Wherry (was my first one, and although the book said 200 hours, it took me well over 400). Then a 28 Ft Ketch. Stitch and Glue. 2 years just for the hull. Turned out OK, but don't forget that building the hull itself is the straightforward part. Finishing out the inside (depending on needs, of course) can be a massive undertaking.
Do you have experience sanding large hollow surfaces? Sanding the outside of a hull is fairly simple. Finishing the inside is a different animal all together.
If this, and everything else on this thread hasn't scared you away yet, I suggest you read up on woodworking techniques; There are plenty books out there to give you an overview of building boats. Few show the actual carpentry techniques, properly illustrated with detailed drawings, tool position, etc.
Now, once she floats that very first time... there are few higher highs! :-)
Good luck w your project!

[sailorladd]

The satisfaction I have had from building my 31 foot yacht is still felt now after forty five years...
it was a helluva job, but the adventures and fun I had were easily the best days of my life... If you have the time, the space and the money then I say, "Why not"!?? I wrote a book about my boat building and sailing days, you might get some tips from that... it is on amazon, "Days of Deja vu" Good luck and feel free to message me if you like

[oscarkramer]

Originally Posted by TomM

Luckily the internet wasn’t available for Joshua Slocum.

Hehe. Ain't that the truth!

[nofacey]

Built a steel sailboat that I’m proud of, then sailed it around the world……both great events in my life.
- thought I’d do boat in 3-5 years. Took 15, and I was still doing finish carpentry when I sold it 20 yrs after I started.
- $$ involved were stupid - but you get to a point where you have so much of yourself invested, you can’t walk away (at least I couldn’t).
I truly enjoyed the first 10 years of building, last few were more a matter of ‘just get’er done’.
http://dreamcatchermarine.blogspot.c...&max-results=2

What’s your mission? Day sailing, liveaboard, coastal cruising? Why do you need to build vs buy one of the multitude of small fiberglass sailboats ready to go sail?

[Leighpilot]

A lot depends on WHY you’re building the boat.

There are only two reasons to build a boat.
1) You just want the experience of building it
2) You know exactly what kind of boat you want and it just isn’t in production. If you’re asking advice on building , it’s unlikely you know enough about boats to know exactly what you want.

The worst reason to build a boat is to save money. With the costs of used boats so low , you’ll never build a boat cheaper than buying.

In short , unless you just want the experience of building a boat , go buy one and refurbish it. Then go sailing.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Leighpilot

A lot depends on WHY you’re building the boat.

There are only two reasons to build a boat.
1) You just want the experience of building it
2) You know exactly what kind of boat you want and it just isn’t in production. If you’re asking advice on building , it’s unlikely you know enough about boats to know exactly what you want.

The worst reason to build a boat is to save money. With the costs of used boats so low , you’ll never build a boat cheaper than buying.

In short , unless you just want the experience of building a boat , go buy one and refurbish it. Then go sailing.

3) You want a Gunboat but you’re not wealthy. So you build one.

[Leighpilot]

It’s going to cost you more to build a Gunboat than it would to buy one.

[LakeSuperior]

As I have mentioned on CF on occasion. My father went in with a 5 year build plan and launched 20 years later. His goal was to make progress everyday except to taking each winter off to ski. He used traditional materials and the best hardware he could purchase. He is now 90 and when I take him for a sail he just says he can't believe he built it.

He was in it because he loved to build. No shortcuts. He would not accept any help unless he need hands. No-one would build to his standard.

He started with a roll of prints and lofted the lines and off-sets full scale on sheets of plywood. No internet/CF for consultations.

It is built using strip-planked teak on white oak frames. Dock walkers still ask me if the hull is fiberglass.

Anyway, building a boat is a process and discipline. Not to be entered into casually.

[jerryf609]

Buy a used sailboat and build the dink.