Riva Aquarama

[dlcdad]

Hi all. My name is Michael I live in Alabama. I saw a Riva Aquarama and fell in love. I have always loved the runabouts. I love to build furniture and love boating this style boat seems to fit my style. I found a set of plans at Classicwoodenboats.com but there is not much information about what kind of help the plans have in them. I don't want to spend the 299.00 just to find out that I need more info to finish the project. I would also like to know if anyone knows where I might find other plans for a Aquarama type boat. Thank you for all your help

[daiquiri]

There was a guy in this forum who was recently selling the plans for Riva boats for a very cheap price.
You should use the "search" tool.

I don't want to go deeper into discussion about the legality of the whole thing...

[dlcdad]

Do you happen to remember his name? I also don't want to rip off anyone's plans. I would like to buy a set of plans I would not even mind modifying a set of plans to look like that design I am just afraid to cause a structural problem. thanks for your quick reply

Originally Posted by dlcdad

Do you happen to remember his name? I also don't want to rip off anyone's plans. I would like to buy a set of plans I would not even mind modifying a set of plans to look like that design I am just afraid to cause a structural problem. thanks for your quick reply

You should use the "search" tool.

Regards
Richard

[lewisboats]

The plans for Rivas are not legally available. The original designer/builder sold all rights to a large company (I forget which...I saw it on TV a couple of years ago). They refused to manufacture the boats and simply warehoused the designs. He tried to license them them back and they refused. I don't know where the plans that were advertised here came from but do you really think that 1/4 million dollar boats are going to have legal plans for a few bucks?

[dlcdad]

Like I said I do not have to have the exact plans I am looking for a runabout with a sun deck on the back like the aquarama. I just need help finding that I am not trying to rip anyone off

[Lt. Holden]

You could try Glen-L I think their Bonanza runabout had an aft deck over an inboard/jet/I/O powerplant - drivetrain. If not, I have a very good ( if inert) full size model; a 1965 Dorsett 18'6" Sea Hawk jet boat. It has beautiful lines, mini tailfins and a large aft sun deck. Go to my listing under users and query Dorsett for pics. If you have any questions post and I will reply.

[rasorinc]

I do not know what the Riva looks like but here is a link to classic mahogony inboards. They offer many plans for the classics all done by Naval Architects
Just look under inboards or Ken Hankinson plans. All plans are full size-no lofting required. Also look at customer photos of the various plans. Here is just one. https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=783

[eponodyne]

In re the legality, when were the plans sold to the big corp? Copyrights have an expiration date. If all you're after is a boat that looks like a Riva, there are plans available (By all accounts, they're BAD plans). There's a fella on the forum who pulled the lines off an Aquarama off a beach in Saudi Arabia in the '70s; I can't remember his screenname but a search will surely turn it up.

[dlcdad]

Thank you for your reply. I love that style boat. I get the best of both a beautiful wooden boat and a sun deck where I can see my beautiful wife lay in the sun. I just want to get some plans that are good. I do not know how to do that. I do not know the rules of boat building or I would just do a design of my own.

[kerosene]

I would look for proper plans for sale - for a SIMILAR boat. A proper set of building plans designed for DIY builders will serve you much better than random parts lists and lines. Also I do not think real aquarama is the easiest boat to build the round shapes on the rear don't look manageable for a non experienced builder.

Also forget the idea of taking one set of plans and modifying them yourself - that is guaranteed to result in a boat that will fail to perform as hoped (unless you are qualified naval architect - and even then success is not guaranteed).

Is this your 1st boat project?

Oh yeah - also - if 299 is a cost that worries you I hope you do understand the cost of wood epoxy engines etc. Its a pretty penny. Nice wood is not cheap.