Looking for Plans...

Hello all!
It seems like you guys might be just the fellows to help me out with some advice. I would like to get into sailing, but I want to start with something very small and quite inexpensive to build so that if I hate it, I'm not too deep in. (The wife has already agreed to allow me upgrade if I enjoy the art.) So... here is what I am looking for, let me know what out there would be closest;

I am looking for a wooden built sailboat. I am kind of a traditional/historical kind of guy, so NOT stitch and glue... although plywood is certainly fine. I need for the boat to be small enough that I can convince my wife that it is ok to put on the rack on top of our SUV. I need it to fit two adults. I will want to be using it in shallower waters, but have the option to take it out onto VERY large lakes (just very large, not great.) I would like for it to be sloop rigged, but cat is fine, too.

I guess that's about it. I don't have any boat building experience, but do alot of work with my hands, and I have plently of time.

One more thing. I would really like for the plans to be free, that way, I can look at them ahead of time to decide if the build is more than I can handle. Right now I have been looking at the Conga Sloop and the Biloxi Dinghy plans, and they seem to be designs that I could assemble with no trouble.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and opinions!

B

 

The plans used to be online, but looks like the link is not working. I had a lot of fun on these boats. They are easy to handle by one person and can go out in open water. The photos should give you an idea of the boat.

http://www.penguinclass.com/

 

The Glen L 14 (or similar sizes) may be in order.

Have a look here:

http://www.boatdesigns.com/departments.asp?dept=12

Good luck!

 

Not too big

We really feel like that 14" would be ok as a "car-topper?"

 

Yeah, probably too big (missed the car topper thing), but the Glen L site has different sizes and designs (from 7' upwards). Isn't there anything on there to suit?

 

Just had a quick look and there is one called the 'Topper'.
May be just what you're looking for.

http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=466

Follow the link to 'Additional Specifications and Photos' to see hardware requirements and build photos.

 

http://homepage.mac.com/peterhyndman/Sites/PDRinfo/

About the cheapest way to get sailing. Tell Mik, PAR sent you . . .

 

A "Box Boat" Paul?

 

I usually call them the best sailing concrete mixing tub I've ever seen, but it is about the cheapest way to get on the water.

 

If your sailing nothing wrong with a box.

If you like more traditional style boats search on Iain Oughtred
etc. Have a look here:

http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/

Lots of different designers with info on what they offer. The pengiuns are supposed to be nice, the geln-l stuff is imo a little prozaic. If you really want a traditionally styled boat it'll take more effort but the Iain Oughtred
boats are very very pretty.

Also: http://gaboats.com/ for ultra light weight. He has a couple of designes that are rowing/sailing etc. they are fine as long as you aren't TOO rough on them.