How to start a wooden runaboat project having furniture factory.

Hello to all!
Im from Guatemala and i have a a complete furniture factory, but my passion and likes are runaboats.
I want to start a wooden runaboat project or start a wooden boat restoration but I don’t know where to start!
Why im telling i have a furniture factory? Because i have all wooden machinery, CNC, we make fiberglass tops for vanities, we have painting cabins, we work with all materials that I suppose you need for building or restoring a boat.
The problem is that I don’t know which model is good for starting a project, will someone recommend any small model to start? Is it better to start a restoration? I would like a boat for a lake (calm waters).
I would appreciate any support!

 

Lake Isobel or Lake Atitlan (our favourite lake in the world) or??? What do you want to do with the boat once built? fish? waterski? how many people etc etc. the more you tell us the better we can advise, there are lots of designs out there!

Richard Woods of Woods Designs
www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

Hi Richard,
Definitely for Atitlan, what a lake!! I love it too!
I need the boat for waterskiing and just for cruising on the lake, it could be for 4-5 people. I like those chris craft models from the 1950’s but since I don’t have any experience, I want to start with a small project.
It could be from 11’ to 16’ maybe?
Thank you!

 

I know a guy that buys old Chris Crafts and remakes all the parts brand new. Grayboating? I think he called it.

Start with something simpler either timber on frame or stitch n glue.

While I have the most respect for Richard and I am building one of his cats; Ken Hankinson has some designs like Chris Crafts. I am not a fan of the website, but check some of these out.

Ken Hankinson boat designs for the beginning boat builder https://www.boatdesigns.com/mobile/-NEW-Ken-Hankinson-Designs/departments/718/

 

I'll post this as something to look through for inspiration. The plans and building methods are vintage but interesting. There's a few inboard runabouts of what I think of as 'Christ Craft' kind of boats. The pages are sort of fuzzy but when clicked on they come up clear.

www.svensons.com - Free Boat Plans From "Science and Mechanics" Magazines http://www.svensons.com/boat/

I just noticed the 'Chum' plans show it's powered bya WW ll Army surplus Jeep engine. I used to see those Jeeps in the magazines for something like $76, along with surplus rifles for $4 to $6.

W.D. Jackson was quite a designer, as was John Gardner. Was William Gardner related?

 

You are doing this for a single boat for your own use? Or as an expansion to your business?
Hiring an experienced wooden boat builder to supervise will be the quickest, least painful way.

 

Hi Fallguy,
Thanks for the Ken Hankinson site, the Tahoe 18 is great!
Now the Greyboating couldn’t find it.
Thank you!

 

Thanks Samsam, i just saw the site and there are many plans good to start, they look old, but it could be a good start. Thanks!

 

Hi James,
Yes, is for my own use. Not sure if its a good idea to make this as a new product of the business!
Thanks for your comment

 

I may be misusing the term. Here is a guy that restores these boats. He basically finds old boats and tears them down to the basic frame and makes all the parts brand new. 100% restored - even the engines are made to like new. But takes a lot of money...easier to build.

Gray Boats For Sale https://mccallboatworks.com/gray-boats-for-sale/

 

SamSam, this is weird. I am currently building a model of that boat.

 

Ike, that is a coincidence. Out of thousands of small boat plans, what are the odds? Are you making an RC model?

Rodrigo, here's some boat plans sites. A few sites I zero'd in on the classic models, but they all have a 'home' link to show all they have.

Glen-L Boat Plans https://www.glen-l.com/
Clark Craft - Boat Plans, Boat Supplies & Marine Epoxy http://www.clarkcraft.com/cgi-local/shop_responsive.pl?cart_id=f57a6e53b1d4ccf37abf2b9688e663c2&type=categ&categ=017
Build your own vintage speed boat with plans for the Sportwin from Hartly Boat Plans New Zealand. https://hartley-boats.com/product/sportwin/

Here's a link to other links from the very site we're posting on with some repeats, some new sites...
Boat Plans and Boat Designs for powerboat and sailboat building. https://www.boatdesign.net/plans/

If you don't know where to start, I'd just find something you like that fits your needs and that is easy, fast and inexpensive to build. That will give you the start and then while building and operating you can refine your needs and wants.
You can build wooden boats from solid lumber such as planks for hull and deck etc or easier and faster from plywood based plans. Probably easiest and fastest is plywood using stitch and glue techniques.

 

Sam Sam, No its not an RC. Too small, It's a Dumas Model about 9 1/2 inches long. 1949 Chris Craft. They call it a Racer but it's identical to the boat pictured. I have been working on it for quite a while. When the weather gets bad I haul it out and do a few things. So its mainly to fill time between other more important things like , going fishing, boating, working on my website, etc.

 

Have you got it all planked?

 

Yes.