hi everyone,i want to try and build a yacht

hello to all,im new to your forum and have basically come on here for guidance and honest opinions and hopefully make some friends.where do i start......since ive been a kid ive been desperate to sail and explore the world.im lucky enough to have a girlfriend now who wants to do the same.my sailing experience is pretty limited to one transatlantic and weekend and day sailing around scotland and england.so last year i began my search for the right boat for our trip-35-40ish ft wooden classic in good condition or in need of some renovation.after months and months of looking i became disillusioned because we couldnt find what we really wanted.i then spent time on researching catamarans but for some reason i cant get the idea of us sailing away in a classic wooden boat.im now at the stage of looking at trying to get some designs and ideas and drawings together and going down the route of trying to find a really good boatyard to actually build one for us!.......(i can hear all my friends already saying -''you must be mad''..''its too hard'' ...negative,negative,,etc etc)so this leads me to why im on here.....why buy a used boat when i could possibly build a new one!?
i have no experience at all of buiding boats and not much technical knowledge either at the moment but i have a good head for design and lines and im willing to learn.my biggest asset would be my enthusiasm of actually trying to put this dream together and creating something amazing and worthwhile in our lives for us to enjoy,explore and live on.ive already got a few ideas but everything is still at the embryonic stage.id like the LOD to be about 42ft,wide beamed-13ft/4m,draft-6ft 10 inch/2.1m?? full length keel for blue water cruising,bermudan rigged,aluminium mast,aft cockpit with wheel for steering,wooden doghouse down to an open galley kitchen,4 berths(one double and two singles and toilet.teak deck.not sure what wood to choose for the hull/super structure?????? ive heard greenheart oak is almost indestructable??bronze silicon screws???.......like i said this is all just starting in my mind so i appreciate it lacks a lot more information but id like to build a strong boat with her own character that will last and carry us safely across oceans.our planned route at the moment will be to sail up to the faroe islands and norway in the summer months then back down to the mediteranean then across the atlantic to the caribbean and through the panama canal down to south america and then from there who knows. : ))))
so i guess the first and most important question at the start has to be;will £200,000 be enough to build a wooden boat of that size? any recommendations for respected boatyards in the south of england?do i start with finding plans and drawings of a boat with the sort of lines i like and work with them or will the boatbuilder be able to do this with me?is it cheaper to get a steel hull built?what timescale am i looking at?..can i actually pull this off or am i being completely naive????hahaha.
so this is the very start of our dream and i hope someone can help.any advice would be greatly welcomed.all the best. dan

 

I actually would recommend your backyard there are plenty of people here that can give you advice if you get stuck on something or what not and if your willing to build a chine hull it should go together fairly easy, and for much less than a hired yard to boot and there are plenty of books available also. Go to your library and check out a few books on the subject. Personaly I've built one of George Buehlers designs it was his "Alaska" and it went together fairly easily.

 

Hey Sunny

For my two pence worth.
Take your dosh and a friend or two who know a lot about yachts and go and buy a second hand steel or glass boat. Too attempt to build one if youve not been around that enviroment for long would be throwing good money after bad. Its a buyers market here in the UK, I see hundreds of boats lyiing in yards on a weekly basis, that you could pick up for a song.

I would say if you want to get involved possibly look towards a refurbishment project. that way you can go through the boat meticulously and get to know it inside out, with the knowledge that it is a tried and tested design and build in the first place.

Have fun
J

 

Or at the very least, if you must build a wooden boat spend some of your dosh on a boatbuilding course at Lyme Regis or Lowestoft or similiar.
J

 

Give me a call and we can talk. I can either build you a new boat or refit and existing one if reasonablel.

 

Yes 200,000 is more than enough if you do it smart.
I will help you with pleasure.
Regards
Marek
szkutnik1960@o2.pl

 

I tried sending you a private message or an email with my phone number, but you have those options inactive. Send me a message if you want to get together and discuss your project. I am in the South part of London.

 

You can get free boat building course in my workshop,you can build your boat together with professional crew,
There is a small but nice apartment in my worksop where you can stay for free and plane ticket costs only 80 GBP

 

Sounds quite sensible plan.. just forget the teak deck, it's just for show of and pita after awhile..

 

hey just got back in,thanks for all your replys.wanted to start off by making myself a little clearer in response to some of the posts-jlima/itchy&scratchy-im not looking to actually build the boat all by myself but im thinking about commissioning a boat with my ideas of design and the help of a reputable boatyard somewhere in england where i can travel to at weekends to help out and be on site for decisions.im not even sure if boatyards work like this-i.e. letting the client help out where ever they can find time?this is all new to me so im just coming at it from an angle that i think would work so apologies if ive mislead anyone.gonzo and szkutnik,thanks for the offers.very kind.will keep it in mind definately.teddy driver-will remember that,cheers.
checked out a 50ft fred shepherd yawl-'Amokura'-on the net which is the shape of hull and rigging that im looking for but i feel 50ft would be way too big for my girlfriend and me to sail around the world-especially if one of us become ill mid voyage.back to fred shepherd though im a complete and utter convert to his sense of design-hulls with beautiful lines but more than enough room to live on.exactly what i want! so in a crazy sort of way id like to take that boat and shrink it down to 40 odd foot and that would be what im looking for.) with regards to types of wood to use for the hull/planking and superstructure-any recommendations?? is there a great difference in price between common woods used in wooden hulls/boatbuilding?

 

Ok Marek, we got it! You would like to sell a boat. Thats ok, but on every second thread now?...

 

To start with the last question. No, there is no difference in price. Wood is bought by volume at a price per quality, no matter for which application.

I would recommend a modern wood epoxy building method instead of a "classical" way. You will come out far cheaper and have much less maintenance time and cost. Or a metal boat as second choice.

But as said by my peers, buy a second hand boat! A good steel or good grp boat will go for a fraction of what a newbuild costs at present.

If it MUST be a newbuilt, let me know, although I do motoryachts only, I might be able to assist.

You go for a plan first, not for a yard! Find the design / designer / NA that fits your needs, then look for the yard to build it.
You have already a idea about the designer, can you get plans from him?

Your budget could be sufficient for a boat that size when you build in modern methods. A classical built 44ft is not to have for 200k quid.

Yes steel (or even Alu) can be cheaper than other materials. That all depends on the design, and yard choosen.

Regards
Richard

 

I apologize for boring you but not every second, only two, and only where people ask.

 

You´re not boring ME Marek..............

Well it is uncommon that we builders here promote our products and services too often, or too obvious. Thats all.....................

 

Sunnysideup: That is what I understood, that you are looking to commission the build of the boat. If you want to get together and shoot the breeze, I always enjoy that. I can maybe help you narrow your choices in designs and materials. If you want an estimate on a new build or a refit, I can do that too. Send me a message and I'll send you my phone number. We are both in London.