Spotted this video on YouTube and it’s nearly identical to the two I built. This is a great “starter boat” since it can be put together fairly quickly and that means you can be cruising in your first boat sooner.
These boats are great for pond fishing and just having fun. I call them pickup truck boats because no trailer is needed, as long as you have a pickup
The construction is quite simple as you can see in the video and if you’re a new boat builder you’ll appreciate getting your first one in the water. It feels good to prove to yourself (and any skeptical others) that you can do this.
I built two like this but gave them away. A lot of the fun for me is building them. Wood strip canoes are what I’m into now although I do have a 16′ sailboat started too but it’s the canoe that “floats my boat”. Sorry, just a little boat builder humor there
Have you started yours yet? Post a comment and let me know about, I’m always ready to talk boats. If you’ve run into any stumbling blocks I’ll try to help you through if I can. Sawdust and epoxy run through my veins, at least it feels that way sometimes.
When you make the decision to build your own boat, you have taken the first critical step to, what will hopefully be, a labor of love. The pride of crafting your vessel with your own hands is hard to describe to a drylander. If you’ve got some basic tools and the desire, come with me on a journey taken by men who for uncounted centuries chose to ply their skills to master the seas.
Unless you attempt to start from scratch you’ll need to check out some of the different choices and designs available. If you’re completely new then pick a small boat with an easy plan to get you started. This way you can get a little experience and a quick success under your belt. This is a great confidence builder as you tackle more advanced projects. And you get on the water in your first baby sooner.
You can find some boat plans at your local library with some research and there are some free ones online too but many of these are not always the best detailed and in some cases key parts are left out. Don’t worry though, as you gain experience you’ll be able to fill in missing details by reasoning it out or posting comments on a site like this to ask for help.
You can buy complete plans for around $50 that have over 200 designs with everything from flat bottom jon boats to sail boats and cabin cruisers. If you want choices then something like this is a best buy because what you can learn just by browsing through a bunch of designs is worth 20 times the cost. There are also boat schools you can attend and learn from master builders but it will pay you to get a little experience on your own. Then you can get the most out of these paid classes rather than spend your money going over simple basics.
Congratulations for taking on an honorable profession that has served men well since the dawn of man’s desire to learn what’s beyond the horizion. Whether you simply want a hand-crafted fishing boat or one large enough to sail the seven seas, welcome. Pull up a stool and ask questions or share your stories of building them or sailing them. This is part of the fun of building your own small boat.
