Micro liveabord cruiser

If you want to go really ultra lightweight then better than plywood would be coroplast.

A designer called Paul Elkins has made several boats and shelters and all sorts of things out of coroplast but I just don't know how to get it strong enough.

Take a look at this video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/rpg8BZHOeck


Sent from my iPad

 

Looks fantastic, wow I'm very impressed. Would this be strong enough for a non disposable micro cruiser?

 

my working theory is NO.... why I call it disposable... if your gonna build a permanent enigma/paradox/elusion just build it properly out of ply and epoxy.

but the kayak guys boats have lasted and in essence its just a big fabric wrapped, boat shaped pool float... lol... and when ya dent it ya just gotta use a iron to swell it back to shape.

 

Can't wait to see your finished project sailing.

What do you think of coroplast? Is there any way to make it strong enough but keep it lightweight? Would poor mans fibreglass work on coroplast?

 

coroplast , foam, ply, cardboard.... all the same when fiberglassed into a laminate... just a matter of layup schedule. and tradeoffs in in weight vs strength vs cost.

those are questions for actual engineers though.. I wouldn't try any experimental materials in any capacity on any unfamiliar waters ya cant just swim to shore and walk away from...lol

 

Yeah, I'm going to stick to good quality marine ply, and high quality epoxy. Using the very best Kevlar woven matting.

Is this the very best?

 

is small a must? or will light do? if so maybe have a look at the marsh duck, it's well under 200 lbs with all gear and will sleep 2 in a hard cabin if they really like each other and is easily car toppable, the designer pulled it behind a folding bike that he stowed in the boat.

minno

 

Is canvas really any cheaper than a light glass cloth?

 

I think impregnated with paint it is, and I've never heard of impregnating glass cloth with paint for construction purposes. But then I didn't made a price comparison, I just explained the expression "poor man's fibreglass" assuming the expression was right. But maybe glass is cheaper after all. So thanks, we shouldn't trust expressions before checking. So for anyone who wants to build with "poor man's fibreglass" best check price and build quality beforehand.

 

Kevlar Woven Matting ???? No such thing as Kevlar Matt. Matt is NOT what you would use.

Neither is Kevlar. Its use is for properly calculated layups, not for amatuer guestimates, especially if you are budget concious.

Just use standard woven "E" fibreglass, or "S" is you can afford it.

The hull will be plenty strong.


Personally, I would start with a canvas/paint version, to get the experience and have a trial sailing vessel before investing in a fully built version.

You may even find that like 90% of micro owners, the "idea" is far more satisfying than the reality of being trapped in a floating coffin that is cumbersome, slow, uncomfortable and a totally unenjoyable experience.

 

one of the reasons I was tried the canvas/paint was cause didn't feel like using a couple hundred dollars in epoxy....30x15 canvas is like $30 and can get mismixed paint at paint store for next to nothing. or if your super cheap go get old throwaway hospital sheets.

here is the rigidity with the kayak I got the idea from... with the 3-4 coats I got soaked into it once the enamel cures its pretty hard.



like I said earlier what im doing is just experimental to see if it works ... if it turns out to suck the kids have a cool pool float to play in.

 

Jfraymond it sounds like a very good experiment. Yes, if you got a load of hospital sheets and found some old paint for free or very cheap, it could be a great option. I wonder if it could be used with coroplast?

 

@ jfraymond​

Well, that looks pretty rigid . .

 

Thanks Minno. I like the look of that design the marsh duck, thanks for that. I wonder how this larger design can get away with 1/8th and 1/4 inch ply when the 8'er needs thicker? I would have thought the smaller boat could be lighter?

 

didn't they used to make small boats from canvas impregnated with linseed oil?

I can certainly relate to Rwatsons point, I have a 9' sailing dingy that I really enjoy, for a couple hours, then it seems to shrink to about 4 feet long.

It's a drag not being able to bring anyone along, the pounding gets old really quickly, a few pounds of gear in the wrong place puts the transom in the water and slows the boat down, and it's not going all that fast to begin with.

love my little dingy, but I'm building an 18 footer this winter for cruising, wouldn't want anything shorter.

EDIT: I emailed the designer, he made his out of cheap luan and fiberglassed it, he thought that making it out of heavier BS1088 marine ply and taping the seams would probably be fine but not as good as it would be with fiberglass inside and out.

fiberglass doubles the cost in cash and man hours.

I sort of wondered about weight as well, the plywood, fiberglass cloth, and epoxy add up to about 120 pounds.
shoot him an email, he sent me a few pages of the plans so I could see what was up.
.

minno