My first attempt at boat design

[Daywalker]

So, I've always wanted to build a boat for the last several years. I have been thinking of designs in my head, but I finally put it down on paper. I kind of just started to draw, so thats why its kind of large.

What I am aiming to build is a small sailing dinghy maybe 10-15 ft long. This is just the hull, I have little idea on what to do for the rigging.

I was going to build it out of plywood, with bulkheads made out of two or three pieces of plywood glued together.

I better mention that what I would like is a very simple boat that would last a few summers that I could use to get used to sailing and boat building. I have no sail expirence, just motorboat.

here is a pretty priliminary drawing

[Daywalker]

alright, I've been looking at other designs and other topics and I think the beam's max point might be in a bad place. So I think I'll make the sides come off at 90 degree angles from the transom instead of angling out slightly like I had it.


I think I would keep the length the same just to make the bow area less blunt I guess would be a word.

I'm not sure about a daggerboard how big I would have to make it, or where to locate the mast.

P.S.: I should have mentioned this before, but this will be sailed on Lake Ontario. So, it needs to be moderately sturdy. The lake can be a harsh mistress at times.

[JohnBloch]

Use Mariene grade Plywood... No gaps, thinner ply's to make a stronger and heavyer material... useable for mariene applications...

If you use that stuff... and keep it out of the water when you dont use it, it will probably last substantially longer than a year or two....

[yipster]

why dont you bend the plywood and make it look like a boat, freeship can easely draw the templates

[JohnBloch]

hey.. um... I downloaded freeship... and I cant get it to like... instal... I hate to jack the thread... but please pm me if you can help...

[yipster]

under tools check devellop plates ( version 1.8 ) give it a try, its a great program and please use the search button above for more discussion on freesch!p while i'll be downloading the newer version

[Daywalker]

are there any free ship tutorials on the forum because I've messed around with it, tried to read the manual, but it seems pretty complicated to me.

Does this mean there aren't any fatal design flaws that are obviously aparent? which I'll take as a plus

[sal's Dad]

Daywalker,

Your first boat really should be built to tried-and-true plans by an experienced designer; somebody with hundreds of designs under his (her?) belt. It is far easier to design an awful boat than a good one, and while noodling can be a lot of fun, too often home-designed boats are terrible disappointments.

Get a copy of Dynamite Payson's book, (or any of the dozens of others), pick out a small, simple plywood dinghy, and pound it together in a weekend or two. Then sail the boat. The experience you gain will be repaid MANY times over when you go to design/build another.

Whatever you do, don't do anything that might be percieved as "unusual" or "radical" in your first boat. Save that for your second, third...

Sal's Dad

[frosh]

Hi Daywalker, you can't assume that because a couple of guys posting havn't yet told you in plain English that your design is seriously flawed that it isn't. You are one of a regular stream of people that turn up on the forum claiming that they have no experience with boats (or sailboats) and posting a drawing of what they intend to build. There is another thread currently in this section about building a 9" sailboat. (His error, not mine) (same story).
Have a look at this flat bottomed skiff by CLC boats to see what your design should look like.
This is available as a kit boat where you assemble and glue and paint etc yourself. But for little more money you get a proven design and all the materials, with no waste and good instructions. This is definitely the way to go when you don't have a lot of experience.
You might not believe that in the end this will be more rewarding and cheaper than your first option of DIY from scratch.
http://www.clcboats.com/boats/skiff_lld.php

[SeaSpark]

Link to tutorial for freeship in "forum format" it started as an autocad question but develops into a nice tutorial.

http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/vbulle...ad.php?t=51018

There are many good reasons for a person with your amount of experiece to use existing plans. If you find making you own plans is very rewarding, study some more and go for it. You are trying to start small which is a good thing. I agree with other forum members that you are starting too small, add a couple of feet (and round side panels) your boat will be much more useable and still will not be very expencive or labour intensive.

[Daywalker]

so you guys probably are right about using someone elses plans. I found this.

http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=SailBoats/Zephyr

its on a website with other plans, but I think it is pretty much what I wanted. It says it was designed for the rough waters of the English Channel, so it should be able to handle Lake Ontario.

[yipster]

that makes sense, still when looking at forexample the covex bottom and stem of above and a sharpie ( planty free plans around ) i'd go sharpie...
with bottom boards not the lose planks with cotton in between as illustrated here

[frosh]

Hi Daywalker, I would go with a flat bottom sharpie as your first project.
That zephyr boat is quite involved and would take three times as long to build and a lot more skills which you have not yet developed.

[Daywalker]

fair enough, I just want something that can handle the lake and I can learn about sails and rigging, so whatever will get me out on the lake.

thanks to all for pointing me in the right direction, it is much appreciated


Is there any information on how to turn that design into a sailing dinghy?

[frosh]

Hi Daywalker, the diagram posted by Yipster is for a very old fashioned construction, now virtually obsolete unless you are making a replica of an antique boat. I refer you back to an earlier posting of mine, to the link to CLC boats that I gave you, for a sailing sharpie of simple construction.