Challenge: The 100$ boat!

[fiberglass jack]

when i went to high school in Ireland we build a couple of curragh for shop class dam sturdy little vessel the irish fishermen used them on the north atlantic up to the 1930's locals from the arran islands would tow cattle with them to shore i feel safer in on than a fiberglass dingie any day and dont for get there bigger cousins the galway hookers they date back to the 1600's and are still used to this day

[fiberglass jack]

heres a couple photos off the hookers they are hand build with wood found locally they use rock for ballast with out a plan i have to say ,all they do is dig 2 holes in the beech one for the front and one for the rear and then drop a timber for the keel all done bu eye the size of the boat depends on what size of timber is around

[gonzo]

The question was about spending no more than $100.00

[Wellydeckhand]

The tar can be salvage at one of the A.M.P. site for road repair or making......

Just ask nicely....... but you need to cook it later yourself......

WDH

[hansp77]

The dumpster with the ply prooved rather pathetic in the daylight.
Lots of ply, but the dried mud was actually dried cement! Yuck.

And then a lot of pine.

So this arfternoon in a freinds car with roof racks we hunted round one of the really upmarket suburbs. 10 minutes in we found a big mansion that was getting a some major renovations. And a big pile of wood.
I asked one of the tradees if I could grab a bit- and no problem.

Mainly it was all really big long skirting boards, (and one massive beam of what I think is red cedar). It is hard wood, but is really quite nice- good quality- not too heavy. Again, soon I will try to get it and the other wood identified. (I could have taken a lot more than I did- there was easily enough to make a very big boat.)
Don't know what I will do with most of it but-
The pick of the lot was a big 4+meter long perfectly curved skirting board. Maybe 25mm thick, 250mm high and 4+meters long.
Of the twenty five mmm thick, this is split into two boards, 12mm each.
It is a perfect curve to make some gunwhales.

There is a number of options to split it down the middle or lengthwise and glue/screw together. then fit a transom peice.


(now please correct me if I am wrong, but the ribs run from port to starboard, and the laths from bow to stern??)

I think that thin beatifull light wood I have got will laminate and bend nicely for the laths (if they are bow to stern).

Then I need to find something for the ribs. It has got to be able to do a full half circle bend. I am even thinking of bamboo, either bundles of thin peices tied and bent together, or laminates of split bamboo.

???


The next time I drive past some roadworkers who are laying bitumen I am going to offer them a six pack or two for a few bucket loads.

[fiberglass jack]

you can build a hooker for less than 100 if you have skill of a boatwright

[DanishBagger]

erm, yes, even the rudder fitting would be much more expensive than 100$.

Although they are nice boats, it's really not a "100$-boat", even if one is a shipwright.

[fiberglass jack]

for the rudder fittings they use to use iron which they would bend and shape u can find lots in a srap yard but your right not really a 100 buck boat

[Ari]

If the location is Malaysia and the quote is in USD( 1USD = 3.6 RM) then it should be no problem to build a wooden 'flat bottom' meranti plank( 1 inch thickness) sampan for the river and lakes with that amount of money, 16 to 18 feet long and 3 to 4 feet beam with 12 to 18 inches from floorboard to bream. Honda 4 or 5 horses engine with long tail propeller will cost RM1500.00 brand new. If 'owner build' than for the same amount of money a meranti plank ( 1 inch thickness) sampan boat with long keel(Leban wood), 18-20 feet long with 4 feet beam and the frame made of Leban wood( grows in bushes and can get it free, cut it on your own). Some owner/builder cut the big Leban tree, make some plank, keel and frame out of the whole tree.The big enough branch will make a good 'V' shape frame for the bow. The cost is the same eventhough the wood is free.(extra labour cost).

[DanishBagger]

I am seriously thinking of using painted cloth and get some non-marine plywood for the sides. It seems that that might be the cheapest route.

[hansp77]

Andre,
do you mean normal paint, as in oil based enamel?
and do you mean one of those folding type boats?

[DanishBagger]

Hehe, yes to both of them.

It propably won't last long, but being in europe is making it rather tough building anything for 100$.

I tried looking at a dumpster on a building site, and asked one of the workers if I could take some of the stuff they had tossed out. He told me that they have a policy against that. Splendid

[hansp77]

Originally Posted by DanishBagger

I tried looking at a dumpster on a building site, and asked one of the workers if I could take some of the stuff they had tossed out. He told me that they have a policy against that. Splendid

Try and try again,
I don't know how harsh your laws are, but you will be sure to find a builder somwhere that just can't stand them, and would let you take from his dumpster just to thumb his nose at authority. Or you will find one that simply can't stand to see good stuff go to waste.
And if that doesn't work,
then simply use the cover of darkness...

The laws here are getting more like that.
While it has always been 'technically' ilegal to collect peoples hard rubbish, the authorities seem to have let it be.
Now suburbs are starting to get rid of times when everyone puts their stuff out to a system where you call the council and they will come and pick your stuff up.


Serioulsy, I would try the more suburban and less professional looking building outfits. If you ask politely, and say something about a shame for good wood to go to waste, it can't hurt.

"I don't suppose you might let me lighten the load of that dumpster?"

discretion is the key, and approaching the right guy. Who the right guy (or girl) is- well that is the question.

Where I just got my last load of wood from, I asked one of the young apprentices. He told me I could take the lot. As I was digging through it and picking out the bits I wanted the boss came back and asked me what was going on, said he had already given it away, but it was ok if I just took a little.

Either way, that sort of folding boat would be fine. If you have a use for it. I was considering one of them myself. Easy to just fold up and throw in the back of my van.

But I am constantly considering lots of things, like building a solid timber boat, or finding ply and building the tender that came with the plans for my boat.

Hans.

[DanishBagger]

Thanks, I will try again.

I don't _really_ have a use for such a boat - the boat I'm building is pretty small as it is, hence no use for a dinghy, but I reckon that if it folds I can have it in my flat, plus, if I can get a swinging mooring for my "real" boat, then that would be cool to have. However, the mere thought of a folding dinghy is cool. Heck, you could even take the bus with one! :-)

[fiberglass jack]

i often grab stuff for conscution sites just talk to the right guy, sometimes you have to grease his hand some of these guys only make 10 dollars an hour so a couple of bucks can go a long way. I often get a phone call from some of them letting me know what there thrown out