Amateur building

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Copacabana

That's exactly the problem in Brazil. The used boat market has very few good cruising boats and the prices are high, especially now with the pandemic. You can't import used boats in Brazil and importing a new boat doubles the price (100% tax). A lot of people in Brazil take to building their boats for this reason. There are plenty of home-built ply and glass boats on the water.

Yeah, shocked me when we went to visit friends.

One day we were out and they had to swing by a car dealer for something. While they were in, we were looking around and a low end sub compact car, was the equivalent of $50,000USD.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

GoBoatingNow things must be different down under. Plenty of amatuer built boats sell for good money. As for production boat standards that's not much of a standard to aim for. Plenty of amatuer built boats I survey far exceed the standard set by production boat builders.

Felipe you will hear all sorts of reasons not to build, but if it's an itch then go scratch it. The fun we have had from our yacht far exceeds the cost and effort to build her.

Cheers

Not down under so can’t tell

The fact is high quality fit out , timber work etc to professional standards is expensive , needs good wood working machine tools and most important , skill

Building and installing an engine likewise

Builders have massive discounts on equipment which you an amateur builder won’t access

Then depending on where u are , you have regulations compliance , post construction CE costs etc. , youre boat will be valued at less then the constituent parts , that’s assuming you ever finish it

Dreams like these are littered around the backs of marine yards all over the world.

[Katapult Mike]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

Another solution is to find a cheaper used boat at a not too far country, change register to a tax free place for a small fee, ie Langkawi and then sail home.

I went this route years ago, although taxes were not really the motivator. Bought a used boat in Greece, spent a few years sailing in the Med, working on other boats and fitting out my boat, eventually sailed it back to the US. Great adventure.

Along the way, I met one of the rare breed who had built a boat from scratch and was sailing it around the world. He built it in the US and was going westabout when I met him in Cyprus (in those days it was a little more common to traverse the Red Sea). The boat was strip planked wood and looked beautiful. He had woodworking skills but not sailing experience or boat building skills when he started. It was big, 50 feet +, he had spent years building it in the backyard to a very high standard, and was actually achieving his goal of sailing it around the world. But had used all galvanized steel fasteners, rather than bronze or stainless steel (stainless was very expensive at the time) to save money. So his beautiful boat was held together with thousands of ticking time bombs. He was a little bummed about that.

[MicHughV]

I built a Roberts 38.....I built it in steel....as this was the quickest and cheapest way to build a boat...a wood boat will require you build a boat shed first....a steel boat can be built out in the open, but in either case, you'll need to have or build a workshop.

I had never built a boat before, so this was all relatively new to me at the time. I made a lot of mistakes, which had to be redone.

I lucked out by meeting another boat builder that sold me all his tools and equipment he used to build his. This can be a considerable investment.

It took me about 2.5 years from start to the time I splashed it, but it was not finished at that time, and work continued on the boat for some time after.

I started building my boat in the late 70's, by the time I splashed it, I had close to $20K in it...1980's dollars, but the dollar flow never stopped. All told, I think I think it would be another $40K before all the bits and pieces were in place. That price is for materials. Your own labor, is off course, free.

When I say $20K...that is for the boat....one must also consider mast and rigging, sails, dink and motor, anchor and chain, electronics, and a gazillion other things you'll need, etc...often these items have to come from a long way away. Your local hardware store carries little in the boat building department. Just finding lead for the ballast is a chore.

Where to build it is also a big decision, as it will be there for a very long time.

Like others have posted here, out of the dozen or so homebuilders I got to know, I think only 2 others ever set sail, the rest gave up for a variety of reasons.

In the process of building mine, I met several other boats builders....steel...fiberglass...wood.....and my take on the matter is that steel is by far and away the cheapest and quickest way to do it.

I had a lot of fun building mine. I was in my 20's and had the dream. Buying a boat was simply out of the question for me, so I had to build it.

I've also know several people that have bought a used boat and rebuilt it. This takes just as long as building one from scratch, as many, if not most things need to be disassembled, removed, etc.

At age 40, I'm not sure that this is the way to go. It requires a tremendous amount of physical activity. If you are a family man you'll have to double the amount of time and effort it will take. Realistically, you'll be 45 years old or more by the time you finish.

I enjoyed building mine, it was a fun adventure. I worked on it full time for about a year until the funds ran out, at which point I had to find a job. This cut working on the boat down to weekends and evenings.

A start from scratch boat will take several years....how long....my experience is 3 yrs and above.....you don't work on it full time, weather, family, work, etc, will take a big bite of your time.

A homebuilt boat is typically a hard sell. Many home built boats look like something the cat drug in, while others are mint, but the overall market does not favor the home built boat.

So doing it yourself is a labor of love. Little financial gain is to be expected here.

Finally, what do you plan on doing with it once the boat is complete ? This is also a major consideration. It will require dockage, a marina, insurance, etc....and maintenance...

I knew a guy that re-built an old wood sailboat...a Stone Horse 23....he was a perfectionist wood worker...I'm talking a 23' boat. I think he took around 5 years to complete it. It was a thing of beauty, beyond compare, a marvel, a museum piece, but it came at quite some cost, and off course, it never sailed anywhere.

For some, just building a boat is the dream. I know a guy building a 53' boat. He has been at it for 40 years now. He'll never finish it, because just building it, keeps the dream alive. This is also ok.

Well, I hope this provides some insight for you....

[Constellation49]

The desire to build a boat is one of those that can not be resisted.

It begins as a little cloud on a serene horizon.

It ends by covering the whole sky, so that you can think of nothing else.

You must build to regain your freedom.

Arthur Ransome, 1923

[MicHughV]

There is a lot of truth to what Constellation49 says....it's one thing to sit here and throw out opinions, but the reality is that that the desire to build one's own boat comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and desires...

For me, the dream to have my own boat probably started at an extremely young age, from whence it took a convoluted route, with many twists and turns, before I was finally presented with an opportunity to put it into action.

There is certainly some magic about it all.....the dream to build or otherwise own one's own boat. It may take many years for that dream to manifest itself. Today it's not uncommon to see 70 year olds and even 80 year olds floating around out there, such is the magic of the sea.

Having said all that, I say go for it. My experience has been that once a life changing decision like that has been made, people, places and things will fall into place to make it all happen.

I do recall the builder of the Stone Horse running his hand down the hull of his boat..it wasn't just a touch...it was a caress...there was a connection, an undeniable bond between man and his vessel.

It's an intangible thing that defies logic or description.

[Bill_Giles]

There are lots of YouTube videos. Start with Acorn to Arabella. It is a story of two young men building a thirty eight foot sailing boat from cutting the trees to getting the wood into the boat. Four years in and a couple to go I think. There are others. Perhaps more interesting for a shorted project are the many ‘rescue a wreck’ also on YT.

[ms.lau]

Build your own Wharram cat? See how you get on?
https://www.wharram.com/

[MicHughV]

I'm not a multi-hull fan, but I must say, I am a big fan of the Wharram cats. Much in favor of these boats. Good prospective option !!

[jomoman]

i rebuilt a Calkins 40 and a formosa 46. both boats took about 4 years each. the hulls were intack but i epoxied the Calkins as she was triple planked cedar. i have a 2000 sq. ft shop in my yard and 45 yrs of wood working. i agree with the rest of the crew, buy something to re-fit or you'll be building for years and may end up with a so-so boat.

[sailorladd]

I read your post and was not going to answer it, but thought twice when I saw some of the replies, and thought I would put in my two cents...

A lot depends on the material you use for the hull... Unless you are a qualified wooden boat shipwright, I would strongly suggest not out of wood, although that is where my heart was when I was asking the same questions many years ago....

I opted to build from the keel up, mainly because I could not afford to buy a hull and deck. If time and money are part of your equation, I would agree that buying a hull and deck would save you 20% of time and cost, but I know about the personal feeling of wanting to achieve this by your own hands, and it is a noble and worthwhile challenge.

I built mine out of fiberglass, in the foam sandwich method, and then fitted out with plywood cabin and decks all sheathed in fiberglass, filled and faired and epoxy coated. A mammoth task believe me, and if I had the choice again, I would buy a hull and deck and fit her out from there. Fiberglass is a very grim material to work with, apart from the danger of fumes etc it is a terrible itchy, miserable, but very strong durable medium to build a hull and deck from.

The fitting out, installing the engine, electrical wiring, plumbing, galley layout, rigging etc were all challenging but fun and VERY satisfying. There can be no better satisfaction than looking back at your own work with a great deal of pride and contentment. and as I say, it was for the most part a lot of fun.

My boat is still floating and sailing after more than forty years and I never get tired of looking back at her with pride and pleasure knowing that I put her all together (apart from her engine)

One GREAT aspect about building your own boat is that when something breaks or goes wrong, you will know exactly what the problem is and how to repair it!

I wrote a book about my experiences building Deja vu and sailing her virtually around the world. To date this part of my life has to be my crowning achievement, so I say, don't let anyone talk you out of your dream, but before you commit to anything, I would look and explore all options very carefully. The right decision will "feel" right and the best of luck to you

[Johnniegee]

Save years of work and buy a used sailboat and restore it. the hull alone would save years of work. A couple of bulkhead's and deck repair should take care of your creative juices. A big plus is taking an eyesore to a thing of beauty

[Greatest Lakes]

I tried to get pictures of this beast. It is a 72' motor sailor. It's in one of the south greenhouses at Varners nursery near Niles, MI. The couple started building it years ago, but it fell out of favor when the wife's MS took a turn. The husband passed not too long ago, and they have tried to sell it. Biggest problem is just moving it. They have the plans and the documentation on everything. It's very solid, not my cup of tea, but easily could have been a world traveler. Looks good on the prints. These people were very comfortably wealthy, and it still was more than they could do unfortunately. At this point, I'd imagine they would sell for scrap value if you could move it.

[PaulBck]

I built a 9.75 metre Ply epoxy yacht in my backyard, my design and it took me three years to launch then I had to step the mast and buy sails so about 4 years until it was sailing. I built in ply/ timber because it is quieter than steel for the neighbours. It has a 2 metre draft so its a bit limited to where I can go/anchor. Mr Barros is right when he says a shallow draft centre board yacht is good for cruising. The yacht in the pic is what I should of built, frameless steel with plywood bulkheads.

[Kintala]

Originally Posted by felipe 40

Hi there,
As an architect, i am becoming very interested in building my sailboat.
I have some experience in woodworking (i am passionate about it).
But i am having a hard time finding designs / plans to consider.
I am thinking in a capable offshore cruiser, between 30" to 34"
Is anyone knows or could indicate a good designer, with well proven boats?
Thanks in advance!

Check out a couple blogs - boatbits.blogspot.com and volkscruiser.blogspot.com. Bob is very knowledgeable and always has a ton of new designs and places to buy plans. He's a great resource.