I'm thinking of building

[irish guy1888]

I was thinking of buuilding a stich and glue cabin boat with fiberglass cloth epoxy resin etc but ive been advised to build using a fiberglass mould with different chemicals because it will be cheaper, would this be correct.

To be honest, im not that much experienced in boat building and teh only boats ive build are small 15ft canoes and row boats but im now looking to build something that i can take onto teh lakes here in ireland or even just out around the coast.

Ive been looking at a few videos on youtube but there isnt much clips about teh fiberglass moulds. I would say i would be able to build a stich and glue boat with not much problems but want to know would teh moulds be some way harder to build.

Im looking to build something which has teh same curvs as a bayliner and hopefully a 24ft boat that can slepp 2-4 people.

Would anyone know where i can purchase plans for a boat of similar style as the bayliners.

My budget for just the boat would be about 10000 euro and will be building it over the next few years.

Any info would be great .

[luckystrike]

The problem with fibreglassing a boat in a mould is that you have to build the mould first and then the boat, doubling the costs and labour for just one boathull. If you have a mould or can borrow one you can build it quite cheap and fast.

. Michel

[tunnels]

why make a mould ?? how did you kae you canoe ?? make glass panels instead of ply wood and make it the same way !! stitch and tape !! think simple adapt you new found skills you have already leaned and make them work on a bigger scale . dont get caught in the thing of making moulds its a total waste of time and money !!

[PAR]

You'll never mold a 'glass hull for your budget. For that budget, you're much better off buying a used Bayliner.

Second thing, a 24' boat building project, as your first attempt out of the box, is overly ambitious and likely to eat up huge sums of money, cost you a marriage (or two) and never get splashed. This isn't to say you can't do it, but it is to say it would be the great exception to the law of averages with this sort of thing.

Do yourself a big favor and build a small fishing boat first, say about 14' to 18'. This will give you a taste of what skills you'll need to have, tool requirements, build space, etc. and most importantly of all, you'll not have a lot of money invested, so if you decide to walk away (a common choice among first builds) it doesn't hurt so much.

Lastly, I think you are being a bit optimistic about the costs of a 24' powerboat build. Price out the cost of an engine, say a 100 HP outboard, with steering and controls, plus a fuel tank or two. Then look at what's left of your 10,000 euros. A 24' powerboat project is huge for most backyard builders.

[rasorinc]

These people offer plans at a modest cost for a S & G boats though they use plywood and glass over. http://www.bluejacketboats.com/bluejacket_25_5.htm

[KnottyBuoyz]

There's also the Bateau.com options.

http://www.bateau.com/products.php?cat=18

A few are being built in the UK now. Designed specifically for amateur builders. I'm building the TW28.

[PAR]

A new 100 HP outboard will be in the 8,000 euros range . . . so much for that budget . . .

[cyclops2]

Ride several used boats to find what handles the sea.