want to build a fiberglass boat

[dukas]

Hi there,

I am from Romania and I love to go fishing in Danube Delta....and I need a boat,a boat that can be used on a big river like Danube,but also in shallow waters like those from Danube Delta.I have no experience about boats,specifications,boat designe,but I want to learn and I want to build my own fiberglass boat.
Sincerily I have no ideea from where to start and I am afraid that my attempt not to be a big failure.So any advice that you can give to me is very usefull.
I have started to find boats photos on the internet,boats who look like the one I would like to build.
I will put them here and I please you to tell which of them could I build in my garage.

[antonfourie]

For a one off you would be better off buying plans and building from them, unless you can get a unfinished boat.

[frosh]

Hi Dukas, some of the boats on the photos are not really suited for the amateur and beginner as they are mass produced from a mould. For fishing you don't need a speed boat but more a light dinghy that can be powered by a small outboard motor. Also you don't want to build a boat just in fibreglass, and you would be better off using marine plywood covered in a layer of fibreglass. I have found a web site for you that sell boat kits, and this is how you should proceed as you will probably not succeed building from plans only, being a raw beginner.
http://www.clcboats.com/boats/passagemakerdinghy.php

[SeaSpark]

Why do u want to build you boat from fiberglass?

When you build a fiberglass boat you need a mold, building a mold is very labour intensive and expencive if you want to build just one boat.

If you want to build only one a boat plywood/epoxy often is the most logical choice.

Don't let these answers scare you away, building a boat is great fun!

(edited: oops my reply seems to cross the one of Frosh sorry for duplicate answer)

[jimslade]

Check out the" GLEN L" web site.

[dukas]

thank you all for the begining help!
One more question:is there someone here who have build a fiberglass boat and wants to help me with his experience?

[SeaSpark]

Many threads on this subject exist already.

Try searching for, mold building, for example.

[frosh]

Hi Dukas, you need to be willing to go to extra-ordinary effort to build a fully fibreglass boat, even if you get a mold. Remember you are a beginner. What are you going to do next assuming you can produce a hull shell successfully, which is fairly unlikely by yourself.
Believe me, if you want to build the boat the easiest way to start is to buy a kit where the parts are pre-cut, you get complete instructions, and you stitch and then fibreglass over the joins, or all over the hull if you want to have a fibreglass surface to the hull.

[antonfourie]

I agree with Frosh, best way to start is a kit