The Free Boat Plans Blog

I don't know what kind of commercial boat I want to build. I just need to know the general supplies?

Boatyard
Molds if it is fiberglass
Workers
Machine shop
Tools
Money
Permits from city/town/state
Boat plans
More money
dedication to work 7 days a week 12-15hours a day
Office staff
Part suppliers
Steel/aluminum suppliers
More money
A lot of planning
Good Luck

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I am building a CAD model of a boat which I will be slicing up and have plywood spants cut from it by a laser cutter. I'll then assemble the plywood spants in 3D and fill the gaps with foam. Then I'll put fibreglass over everything.
It's supposed to end up being a mix out of a jetski and a sea kayak, about 6 metres in length, powered by a 2 to 3 HP outboard motor, for commuting on a bay in southern NZ (salt water).
Does anyone know how to prepare the foam for the fibreglass, or do I just lash it on and sand later, using filler till it's smooth?
Maybe any links known to relevant sites?
Cheers.

I built a canoe out of wood that I fiberglassed over. Clean the foam with a solvent that won't melt it then you drape the fiberglass cloth over it and brush it down with resin (mixed with hardner). Hard part is to make sure you dont have any air between the cloth and whatever you're putting the cloth on.

Start at one end and work your way to the other end with the resin. so you've always got a wet edge to continue on with. After it dries (a day or so) light sanding, wipe it down to get the dust off of it and make sure there is no oil and go at it again with resin. It should take 3 or 4 coats to completely fill the weave and get a smooth finish. Then you can paint it whatever color you want.

website that might interest you is www.westsystem.com

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I've wanted to build my own boat for a long time now. I've read some books on how to do it and I think I can the only thing that i've never been able to find is can you build a boat and legally drive it in the ocean? I currently have my own sail boat and that has to be registered and I have insurance I just don't know if that's something I need to have or not. But could I build a boat and some how get a VIN number for it or something or would building my own boat be a waste of time because I wouldn't be able to use it …. assuming it floated when I put it in the water lol. I live in california any one know how to register a hand made boat?

Build your boat. Go to the DMV when it is finished and apply for registration. In CA all boats require a registration card, proof of insurance, and a hull number with a valid sticker affixed.
Just fill out the form and indicate "home built" in the Manufacturers section. They may require a visual inspection of the boat, but when I built mine it was not required.

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I want to try to build a non-toxic boat. I am hoping to use canvas and laminate it over a positive mold using a non-chemical resin. Problem is:
I don't know if there are any, and all the boating companies are looking at me funny when I ask. Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.

Four come to mind. One is pine pitch, which was used by the American Indians to seal seams on birch bark canoes (sewn with tree rootlets.) Another is chicle, the chewy stuff from South America that chewing gum is made of. A third is natural latex, also from South America. The fourth is natural latex of a different species (but it should work pretty much the same), found in dandelions and goldenrod.

My suggestion is to contact turpentine manufacturers. Turps are made from the destructive distillation of pine, and there should be some waste left over. They can tell you whether it is sticky or gummy enough to be used as a sealant.

Oh, and I almost forgot: linseed oil. It hardens in the sunlight (some people say it polymerizes.) I know it can be used to preserve wood, like tool handles, and seal the pores in thin, fine linen or coarse paper to make into kites. I don't know whether it would be waterproof. I suppose you could get some and test it. Linseed oil can be found in many hardware stores and art supply stores.

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I need to build a boat that can float and can hold a person that weighs 125 lbs. using only the supplies listed: 10 pieces of 1"x8' plywood, wood glue, large pieces of construction paper, and water resistant paint. Has anyone ever done this before, or does anyone have any good ideas? It cannot be a raft, it must be a boat and the person must be able to row themselves across a pool without sinking.

Oh Goodness… we did this back in the mid 70's… there is a Boy-Scout canoe/kayak design but I don't have the drawings !!

The difference: we also had canvas and staples. It basically took 3 pieces of 1'x8' plywood to make the bottom with 4 inch strips running along the joints… they were glued, stapled, and covered with canvas.

The top was built the same way, but with a whole cut in the center to allow the boater to sit.

The two parts were joined with canvas, and they spread apart with two "bulkwarks"

I wish I could explain better !! I'll post and search for the drawings.

EDIT: Here is a link to the kayak I was describing: http://www.kayak2go.com/

Here is another example: http://www.glen-l.com/designs/canu-row/kidyak.html

GOOD LUCK

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I am supposed to build a boat out of butcher paper and glue.

The ideal weight of the boat should be about 10 pounds.
The man weights 215 pounds.
Sitting down, his length is 48 inches.
Sitting down, he sits 24 inches tall.
Sitting down, his width his 26 inches.
His arm length is 31 inches. From his elbow to his hands the length is 20 inches.
The cubic feet of water is 62.5 pounds

From this information, what is the ideal dimensions of the boat so that the boat can float in water and so that the person can reach his hands in the water and paddle with his hands?

Start with Archimedes Principle; which states something like the weight of the water displaced by a floating object is equal to the weight of the object.

Your boat with the person in it will weigh 225 pounds, therefore it will need to displace a minimum of 225 pounds or about 3.6 cubic feet of water to float.

The minimum width and length are given as 48 inches long and 26 inches wide.

All you need to do is bring the sides up high enough to provide for more than 3.6 cubic feet of displacement.

You should be able to go from there. Experiment!

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Build a boat out of aluminum foil that can support/carry cargo. You may only use aluminum foil and glue. The boat cannot be more than 8 inches long, four inches wide, and four inches tall. The boat must float AT LEAST 500 grams.
————————————————————————————–
PLEASE HELP !

"The object is to build a boat out of aluminum foil ONLY that will hold the largest number of nails before sinking. 2 trials. 1st trial; give each kid or team one sheet of aluminum foil about 1 sq ft in area (or any size YOU decide). They design and construct their boat using ONLY the Al foil. The competition has them placing 16d (penny) nails into their boat while floating in a sink or aquarium. As soon as the boat begins "taking on water", it is considered sunk. Record the #nails. 2nd trial is same except the design can, and does, change. The winner is the one who's total #nails is greatest in BOTH trials. You can weight the 2nd trial to make it more important or count ONLY the 2nd trial - up to you. Cool one-day activity."

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Hey everyone, I see tons of plans and kits online to build catamarans, kayaks, small fishing boats… I want plans or a kit to build a large speed boat for water skiing! You know like the boat can hold like 6 - 8 people. It would be like 25 feet long, etc. Any one know of any? Thanks.

Try Glen-L Marine Designs… They have quite a few ski boat and power cruiser designs that may be what you're looking for. Glen-L specializes in wooden boats, but also has plans for boats made from fiberglass, steel and aluminum, and up to 48 feet. My favorites are the big mahogany speed boats designed after the beautiful lake cruisers of the 1930's, only with modern power and finishing methods.

http://www.glenl.com

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I have to build a small boat made of only metal. The boat has to be able to carry 50 pennies and not sink for 10 seconds or longer. Im really confused. Any suggestions.

Take an empty soft-drink can and some scissors.  Starting at the opening of the pop-top, cut a line from one side to the other of the top and then down the sides to the bottom to leave two hemi-cylinders.  Keep the half with the solid top end (no pop-top hole).

This will give you a vaguely boat-shaped object with a displacement of about 180 cc.  The mass of a modern US penny is about 2.5 grams, so 50 of them will weigh about 125 grams.  Your "boat" will displace about 180 grams of water if it's kept level, so should float if it's loaded evenly.

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If you were stranded on a 4×5 mile tropical island in an unknown area of the pacific and you wanted to find civilization, what kind of boat would you build? And what kind of boat would you build if your friend was stranded with you so you could have a 2 man crew to control it?

Assuming you have basic tools , like a machete, and native materials (palms, vines, mangrove, etc,) and a bit of fabric (clothing), and the ability to make a fire, then a Polynesian dugout canoe with outrigger and sail .

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