Boatbuilding diary: 19.04.2007

[Kweckduck]

Introduction of me

I've been having an occasional peek at this boards for the last couple of days weeks, but have been pretty intimidated by the amount of experience and know-how here.
Personally I have absolutely ZERO knowledge of either sailing or boatbuilding, nor any sort of building apart from IKEA for that matter. But I am one of the many people that daydream about having a nice boat, setting sail every so often, go for longer trips, catch some fish and eat them, ... the lot.

So not so long ago I decided to take a step in the direction of making my dream more reality, went online and bought me a bunch of books about boatbuilding. Since they have all arrived and I've been reading in them a bit I figured I could maybe start some sort of diary here stating my (frustratingly slow) progress.

So far I'm living with my fiancee and her parents, we are getting married beginning of next year and hope to be building our house soon after. At which point I hope to be able to build some kind of barn in the yard where the actual boatbuilding will take place. I just figured I'd get the knowledge in my head before actually beginning to build and learn on the go. So like I said, this will be VERY slow progress.

If this diary is in the wrong section of the forum, please move it to the right part and let me know where it has moved to.

To all those that will post anything to cheer me on: Thanks!!!
To all those that will post anything to dissuade me: I know the only thing needed for success is to try just one more time than the number of failures.

19.04.2007

I've been reading a bit, more specifically the start, of the books I've gotten and stumbled upon the first and most obvious obstacle there is: Naval vocabulary. Quite a good deal I can figure out from context or from drawings shown, but a lot of vacobulary just isn't explained and taken to be obvious.

Thank God for internet: http://www.marisafe.com/resources/boatdictionary.asp

I don't recall all the names of the books, but the main guide I am using is "Buehlers Backyard Boatbuilding", the other books are more reference material. They are manuals that don't really discuss how to build a boat step by step, but do describe each process indevidually. So when I don't understand Buehler I check the other books. And when none of those make it really clear to me I check internet, because then at least I know what I'm looking for.

So I've read enough of the process to know that lofting is the first important thing to do and how it's importance is underestimated by so many professionals. And since boatplans make very little sence to me on first glance I figured it'd be a good place to start learning.

Living in Finland as a non-Finn and learning the language I noticed I was doing something while reading these books that I also do when talking to Finns: I tend to filter out what I don't understand and try and figure out the main idea behind the message.
Depending on how clear the Finns are when communicating, it works pretty well there, but when it comes to boatbuilding I'd just much rather know than guess.

So since the books were a bit of ununderstandable finnish to me I looked up lofting on the internet and found a guide. I started reading it and soon came upon the same problem. Nobody in the naval business seems to want to explain much vocabulary. So instead I look for a naval dictionary ... and tadaaaaaaa ... the world opens up to me.

Some words I have picked up today:

Monohull:
A boat with 1 hull. When I read this explenation it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know really, but it then dawned on me there are Catamarans and the like that have those side hull-things. So I figure that must be the difference.

Elevation:
Distance above and below mean sea level. I figure they meant "main" sea level, "normal" sealevel or something.

Sheer:
Top most line of the hull. So the side of the boat when standing on it.

Buttock:
Side view contour line. Lines cutting the hull from the bottom up at certain intervals from the centerline. So far I figure this is just to show the dimension of the boat. Can't yet see how this practically relates to building the boat.

Centreline:
Cuts the boat in middle when viewed frontally.

Profile line:
Lowest line on the hull. (Not including fins or keels)

Profile:
Side elevation.

Bow:
Frontal part of the vessel.

Transom:
Trensverse part of the stern. So the flat part at the back.

Stern:
The aft portion of the boat.




That's it for today folks!

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by Kweckduck

Introduction of me

Personally I have absolutely ZERO knowledge of either sailing or boatbuilding, nor any sort of building apart from IKEA...

Welcome Kweckduck...Now if using IKEA plans in building your boat it is essential to ensure the drawers fit perfectly....

[Kweckduck]

Hahah... And I'm sure to have a couple of bolts and screws left over, leaving me to wonder if the thing will hold together at all on water.

[Bergalia]

Welcome again Kweckduck. Worry not about the lack of experience. Dammit we all have to start somewhere. The point is you obviously have the enthusiasm.
Don't get too hung up on the 'language'. Much of it is '********' to make it sound as though boatbuilding is a 'serious' business...Bit like wine tasting really.
Sure some terms are necessary so that fellow builders will understand exactly what you are talking about when seeking help with a problem. And this is exactly the right - the only forum - where you find an encyclopaedic knowledge. Some of it text-book stuff but the majority of it based on sound practical experience (and that you can't buy).
Oh, and you'll also get your leg pulled - especially as you are of Viking stock, with apparently little experienced of the sea...

[Kweckduck]

Thanks again for the welcome.

Im actually enjoying getting to know the lingo, at least makes me feel a little bit part of the wine-tasting-boat-building-society. Understanding everything a bit better is a great plus too ofcourse.

Leg pulling, no problem with that as long as you don't pull it right off. But I'm actually Belgian though, though my fiancée has viking blood in her. Maybe I should ask her to build the boat, it's in her genes anyway, but what would the fun in that be?

[Bergalia]

Intrigued at the thought of a fiancée with boatbuilding plans in her jeans...
Great beer in Belgium by the way, but you probably know that already...

[marshmat]

Welcome aboard, Kweckduck. I might suggest you avoid doing the wine tasting and the boat building simultaneously, but otherwise you look to be on a good track
As to that shed of yours. Make it a lot bigger than you think you'll need. You'll thank yourself later. I built Sunset Chaser, my five-metre runabout, in my parents' garage with 60 cm of clearance all around. It can be done, but it's just so much nicer when you have a shop with decent space.
Your fiancée likes boats and likes the idea of you building one?
If you want to begin with something simple, may I suggest the Bolger/Payson catalogue, http://instantboats.com/ No lofting, no jigs. They don't quite live up to the "instant" moniker, but construction is cheap and not excessively complicated. And they're nice boats.