The first and bravest step!

[Jdaddy]

For all of you I am sure that this sounds like a very silly question but I have been researching on and off for about a year trying to find out how I attain the knowledge to build a power boat! I have looked for schools and classes and all I find are sail boat and yaught building schools. Believe it or not I have even stayed up late watching the discovery channel shows! (sad) I need more! I am begining to believe that this is a business that you either have to find someone to take you under thier wing and teach you or you are very rich and hire someone to teach you! Which I am not! If anyone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction or to advise me to start picking up all the pennies I see on the ground I would very much appreciate it. I look foward to all your advice.

Thank you!
J

[Corpus Skipper]

Buy a book or two on the subject, get some plans, and have at it!http://www.bateau.com has some good ones, and even a few free ones. I recommend starting with their pirogue (flat bottom canoe) as it is very easy and only costs $200-$300 depending on how fancy you get with it.

[Eric Sponberg]

The Landing School teaches both sail and powerboat design. You can check them out at www.landingschool.org. They are nearly full for the fall term, so if you are interested, contact them right away. I served on the Program Advisory Board for Design for about 7 years, and I was on the selection committee that advised on the hiring of their current design instructor, Steve Dalzell (pronounced Day-ell). He just designed a powerboat for the Landing School to build, and you can be sure to get good instruction in powerboat design at the Landing School.

[Black Swan]

Check out "Glen L" and "The Mother of all Maritime Links".
Go to your local library and look for books on boat building.
Go to your favorite used book store and buy books on boatbuilding.

[War Whoop]

The first thing you should do is study a book on Lofting an example would be the one by Vaitses.