I want to start building my own sailboat...

[madalin]

Well I know nothing about sailboats but I am not in a hurry. I have plenty of time and 15000$ to start but I am prepared to spend much more money in the future. I want to build a little cruising sailboat for 2 persons (with 1 engine). I want a strong boat because I intend to travell all over the world with this boat. I want something as little as posible for my purposes.

Please help me:
- What should I read first?
- What's the best material for hull (for a home made boat)?
- What's the best boat plan for me?

I am a little puzzled of so much options I have.

[SailDesign]

First, take a sailing lesson or two and see if you enjoy it. Many don't, and there is no stigma attached
Then, try sailing with other folks to compare boats. See what you like when you have enough experience to be able to tell the difference. One man's perfect cruiser is another man's nightmare on water.
Then, try building a small boat (8 feet or so) using the method you prefer for your "real" boat. See how long that takes and decide if it would be cheaper to just plain buy one.
That said, there is plenty of reading you can start with - just type "cruising" in to a Barnes and Noble search, or Amazon.
Steve

[madalin]

Thank's SailDesign for your answer.
Searching into Barnes or Amazon reveal hundreads of books. Can somebody write a a top ten of best books about sailboats ?

[J.D.Hogg]

I'm in a similar situation myself, although without the money, and the people on this forum have been a great help to me.

I've heard a few people recommend enough room for "personal space" and privacy even when, or maybe especially when, it's your spouse your cruising with.

Perhapse a bit more detail about what you need or want the boat to do, and what resources are available for construction (building area, lumber, experience, etc..). There is, as I have discovered, no 'perfect' boat, material, or design, not even for a specific use.

I think I expected to be able to give these folks a list of my requirements and have them point me to an ideal set of plans. They haven't been able to do that yet, unless they're just holding out on me.....

[Tim B]

well, if we did that we'd be out of business!!

Seriously, only the client can decide what his perfect boat is, it is the designer's skill to turn his lunatic ideas into something that will work (hopefully without him noticing). However, there are an awful lot of unknown factors, and a good client is one who knows both what he wants and knows that it is practicle.

I have several books on my shelf, "Principles of yacht design", "the Gougeon brothers on boat construction" and "Sailing yacht design" to name but a few. I also have 400 hours+ Sailing experience under my belt.

Now, don't mis-understand me, I'm not suggesting that the above list is minimum qualification for a client. It isn't. However, It would pay to have read at least a few books about the subject, and be able to know your way around a yacht.

I must agree that th best way to get into sailing is to ask people at clubs if you can crew for them. Many will be happy to help. You will then know how various boats move, how different layouts work, and then, you can start to make valued judgements. That is why I sail on different boats each year at Cowes Week, You can try out 4 or 5 different boats and really get an idea of how they perform.

Hope some of this ramble helps,

Tim B.

[madalin]

Today I was successively in love with let's say .... 5 diffrent boat models ...

I started to belive this will be a verry long "trip" until the day I will start to build my first boat. Forgive me if I am like a child. I just discovered a whole new world ...

3 hours reading about the debate about "origami" metal boats. But I am starting to understand why all those folks can not point me or you Hogg to an ideal set of plans. Despite all the "tehnical" informations it seems I love the wood for example. Those pictures with "origami" metal boats does not compare with the beauty of a wood hull ... this is how I fell. Wright now I am reading about composite boats and WEST SYSTEM resins This forum is an amasing place full of informations. Now I realize my question was premature. I will certanly read those books from your shelf Tim B. And come back later ... with more stupid questions

[Tim B]

the Gougeon brothers on boat construction

I don't know where you can get hold of a copy, but hunt one down. It will tell you almost everything you need to know to build in wood.

Tim B.

[dimitarp]

Hi do you look for a full plan for a wooden custom design yacht?

[madalin]

I founded : Wessex Resins announces The New Book 002 The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction. They say The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction has been updated and expanded:

http://www.westsystem.info/gobronboco5t1.html

I ordered a copy of this new book for me. Thank's for the advice Tim B.

Yes Dimitarp I am looking for a full plan for a wooden custom design yacht. But I don't have enought knowledge to chose now. Now I am reading The model loading and stability manual You are pretty close from my country Do you have a sailing boath or are you in this bussines? Maybe someday well see each other.

I decided to learn the calculations on 1 free model I founded on the internet (The GYPSY boat by William D. Jackson). I founded some other users asking here about this boat. When I will finish learning with this model I will publish the results somewere on this forum, maybe other beginers like me may want to learn for my steps...

[madalin]

Another question : Where do I find a good table with diffrent kinds of wood height, desity and other properties ... ?

[Tim B]

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fp.../fplgtr113.htm

That's a good site.

Of course, you'll need to be familiar with the theory if you want to start doing structural calculations

Tim B.

[Stephen Ditmore]

I hear Albert Nazarov's boats are becoming popular with people in your position: http://www.boatdesign.net/NYD/K800/

You might also check the web sites of South African designer Dudley Dix: http://dixdesign.com/
Reuel Parker: http://www.parker-marine.com/index.htm
Phil Bolger: http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/sites2.htm
and
Atkin: http://www.atkinboatplans.com/

[bntii]

Sorry for the very basic questions but.... do you want a small capable cruising sailboat to take you the world over? Or...... Do you want to build a small capable sailboat to take you the world over?

If the later, are you decided that you want to build from the keel up? Or would a bare hull do? If 'building' is this the euphemism which people use when "building" a house which is in fact build by subcontractors and the folks "building" the house are in fact just picking paint colors.
Not trying to be impolite but if your hands are building it, the range of hull options and build techniques for a backyard one-off become more important questions.


Given that I see the way you are leaning if I were in your shoes I would pick one of the L. Hess designs and build over ply stations with thick lightweight core of wood or foam w/heavy glass shells/no frames If you are sharp many of the stations are placed where you bulkheads/furnishings go. Build upsidedown and glass on outside, flip and pull stations- glass inside and trace out stations onto ply for those bullkheads to be left. Or if all surfaces of bulkhead to be skined w/wood to finish simply use marine fir ply for those stations which will be glassed into hull and save material costs for mold. Think and build like a builder- loft/build/plank and glass that hull in six months not six years. If you cannot imagine and plan to put this thing together buy a hull and trim it out.

[madalin]

I would like to build all by myself

I am a dreamer but I am not crazy. I will probably start next year with a 3 m boath to see if I could manage that. I estimate there will be 3 years left to learn until I can start building the big one and maybe 2 years to finish it. I am prety young (26 years) so I belive I have plenty of time to do this. I have a lot of experience in modelism, I am prety good at phisics and I have good tehnical skils. Once again I realize now my question was a little premature. But thank's to Tim B. advice now I own a amasing book "Principles of yacht design". I am also waiting for The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction...

I will read all of your posts from now on. This forum is more like a online University. I am happy to have such good professors like you

[madalin]

I have an ideea for peopel into my position. I will build up a site where I will publish my progress. Something like "How to start building a sailboat when you know nothing about it ?". I hope you will visit my website from time to time to censor my mistakes...

Until I will buy a permanent address the website will be here:

http://www.boat.bizant.ro/