Looking for free plans for a 40' to 50' monohull sailing boat

Hi everyone,

I have a project in mind to build a 40' to 50' monohull sailing boat and I have found some plans on the internet. I just find it a bit exaggerated when it comes to pay something like $7'000 - $9'000 just for the plans of such kind of a boat.

Does anyone know where I can find plans that are either free or just a bit less expensive?

Thank you very much for your help and enjoy the coming sailing season.

Cheerio,
Fred

 

SA, the prices for professional plans that you mention are but an insignificant part of the total cost of the boat. If you pay a professional designer for plans, you will get more than just plans. You will have a consultant who can, and usually will, save you all sorts of grief and expense.

Suppose that you were in dire need for having your appendix removed. You have the choice of hiring a credentialed and experienced surgeon or, alternatively, the local meat market butcher man. The butcher may agree to do the job for 30 dollars or even for free if he happens to be your brother in law. After all the butcher is skilled with knives so what is the problem with hiring him??? Your life may depend on your choice and your boat design may also have the same risk factor.

 

Hello SA, welcome to the forum.
Let me cut to the chase. Don't be stupid, buy plans from a preferably living designer. it will be the best money you will spend on an expensive multi year project.
I have personally made the mistake of using free plans on a small, simple sailing dinghy and wasted good time and money.
You are considering a large and complex project beyond your understanding, judging from your question. Nothing wrong with that. We want to save you from folly.

 

here are some stock sailing boat plans for larger boats, modern designs, at excellent prices:

http://www.dixdesign.com/index.html

http://www.devlinboat.com/index.php

there are many others too, you need to shop around. Most important is to find a design you like, the plans cost are very small compared to the cost of building a boat that large. Shop wisely. Not sure I would trust the value of "free" plans for a project that large and costly.

What is your budget and how long do you think it will take to build a boat that size?

 

The cheapest big boat plans I know of, will be from Glen-L.com. Of course, the designs will be dated, but sound. Expect to pay $800 to $1,000 anyway. A 40' - 50' is a complex structure and requires a fair bit of detailing. Considering the cost of even $7,000 plans, compared to the total investment of a project like this, low cost or free plans seems considerably less then reasonable economy. Ask yourself if you'd fly in an airplane built to a $50 set of plans found online. Well, if you'll venture farther from shore, then you can swim back to, why the disregard for the foundness of the design?

 

I can tell you 2 sources of free plans.

George Buehler's 'Backyard Boat Building' has very reduced scale plans for a number of vessels. You'd better be good at interpretation and figuring stuff out though.

Tom Colvin's 'Steel Boat Building' has complete plans for a steel pinky schooner if you want to build one. Once again you'd better know what you're doing.

Any free plans don't come with advice or much of anything else. I bought stock plans for my build and so far I've gotten a lot more than my money's worth.

If you can't afford the plans, you can't afford to build the boat. If you don't think plans are value for money, go for it with free ones and good luck. Post pix when you've finished.

PDW

 

Hi everyone,

Well, first of all, thank you all for your good advises and for sharing your experiences with me. As you all mentioned, it is quite a huge project which will use a lot of time and a lot of money.

Frankly speaking, I don't mind of spending money on the plans and I have honestly never looked at this project from this angle. I really appreciate all you input and I guess you are right, it is something where expert advise is useful and where good plans will help saving time and bucks.

I will keep on looking for the best plan for me and will gladly post pics of my project. I thought of starting with a Malahini 16' outer-boarder first and then going to the bigger stuff

Thank you very much
Fred

 

That is a very good idea.

 

I recommend Bruce Roberts plans especially the 5 versions of the 434. He is very good at responding to your questions via e-mail within 24 hours. His plans were plenty complete for me and I had never built a boat of any type before. However, in all fairness, I should add that I have worked with architects many times on large commercial buildings. I have no difficulty reading plans and visualizing what is drawn. Most of the fellas on this form recommend beginning with a small project first and for most people that would be true. If you feel that you have a special talent then go ahead and start the big project right off. I paid $800 for my plans and it ended up being 0.0033% of the final cost of the build. I think Bruce now lives in Spain.

 

Hi ecflyer, thanks for the info. I have previously been on Bruce Roberts' page and found the plans quite interesting. I will check out all of the indicated links and will then choose the plan that best suits the project I have in mind.
As I also have a technical background in the automotive business, reading plans is quite simple for me too. I don't much worry about that kind of stuff. If I would, I'd better never start the building of the boat
Do you have pics of your construction? Would be much interesting to see the final result of your work.

 

Boat Plans.

You can always ask me for a catalogue. That is for free.
Dozens of boats in that size range.

 

Do you come from the hollowed log era ??

At the end of the day you get what you pay for ! don't pay much and have a problems during your building process then likely not to get any help and have to ask others for information !!

How many hours of drawing do you thing it takes to finally make a set of plans for a boat that size ?
a couple ?
a week ?
a month ?
or longer ??
What about the hours and hours of calculations and making things work and if its a yacht do you know where the mast will sit in relation to its length and how much ballast will be required and where it should be placed ?? Or are you one of those !!! she'll be right mate we'll just plonk it here !! looks about right ! how high and what sail area !!I dunno we'll just take a guess at that as well !! its just a bloody boat !! anyone can draw and build a boat !! what are ya !!

Like has already been said if you cant afford the plans you sure as hell cant afford to build a boat that size !!Sizes and thickness of any and all material's is not just guess work and motor power ,location and shaft sizes and propellers are not just a shot in the dark because that what some other guys used and it should of worked !!

why don't you build a plane !! is smaller and easyer to build and if it fails you wont be back !!
Same with a boat if it fails you wont be back either !! Death by stupidity and drowning !!

 

What a cheapooooooooooooooooo

 

TOTALLY AGREE !!

HE COULD FIND SOME ONE THATS ALREADY BUILT A BOAT AND BORROW ALL OF THE PLANS !! AND RUN COPIES OFF ON A4 SIZED PAPER !! NOW THATS A THOUGHT

 

And if my plans I'd file a suit against him and easily win their value and some, as a result.