Design 077

Hi I’m considering building one of these two boats
Design 077 (Whistock Boats and Boat Plans – Design 077 https://www.whisstock.com/page_02.php?page_id=2.2.1&design=077&load=1)
or design 119 (Whistock Boats and Boat Plans – Design 119 https://www.whisstock.com/page_02.php?page_id=2.2.2&design=119&load=2)
I am a beginner boat builder and a university student so as you can guess I’m tight on time and money. I wanted to do these designs as they look relatively similar to folk boats and aren’t plywood hulled which I found a lot of beginner boats are.
can anyone give me an insight on this and if it’s worth it?

 

Both of those boats will be quite a challenge for a novice boatbuilder, could take years to complete on a part time basis, and will cost many times what a good used boat of similar dimensions would.
Sailing is much more entertaining than building, and will help you acquire a clearer idea of what you really need in a future build!

 

We want to see happy, successful boaters! I'm gonna be blunt here, please do not take it as criticism, just sharing time tested wisdom.
Some people build nice boats and sail the world, others get divorced over never-ending time and financial drains that never get completed.
A person needs to ask themselves some hard questions and answer them honestly.

Do you have boating experience? Do you know for sure you like it?

You may not save money building your own boat. The pros buy everything at wholesale, you will pay retail. You will have unplanned wasted material. Building space is a real expense and gets worse if the project drags from months to years. Sometimes decades.

As above, buy a used boat and have fun! Get an idea of what you want in a boat. Put together a statement of requirements (SOR) for your next boat.

This is important; build a dinghy with the technique and materials your destination boat will be built of. You will make your mistakes and learn how to work efficiently on the dinghy. This saves time, money and the big boat will be better built and looking as a result.

 

Building a boat and then sailing it is enormously satisfying.It isn't necessarily a cheap way to go sailing and the advice in posts #2 and #3 is definitely accurate and well intended.A couple of weeks ago I had a look att eh boats being offered on Ebay and saw for myself that there are boats on offer for less than the cost of a set of rudder hardware.Admittedly,they could do with a good cleaning and maybe some new cushion covers.The advice to build a dinghy is particularly good as it will bring a familiarity with the techniques that are in use and won't cost anything lie as much in time and materials.Additionally,you will have a tender for the bigger boat,when it comes.

For a reality check set out a spreadsheet listing everything you will need to get a bot built-including tools.The Gougeon's book is available as a free download and the list of tools they consider necessary is a good start and will allow you to price those you don't have.Then factor in the stuff that gets thrown away before the boat is launched,such as building moulds and pattern material,List the best estimate of the quantity of timber and allow at least 15% for wastage and then move on to hardware,safety equipment and furnishings.At which point buying used may make a lot more sense,it will save years of your life and lots of cash,but may lack the sense of achievement.

 

Thank you for the input I was thinking that as well

 

Thank you. Maybe I’ll build a small dingy that won’t cost much nor take time.

 

Thank you for the advice!

 

You're welcome!
None of that is original to me, just what I've picked up along the way from those with more experience.
My first build was a disaster. The mistake was going with free plans in an effort to save money.
Plans are the worst place to pinch pennies.

 

Have you seen François Vivier's designs? They have a similar feel to the designs you posted and quite a number of them are being built. They sail as well as they look. Clinton Chase is even selling kits of Vivier's designs.
You gotta keep the eye candy coming in while you make your mind up on how/if to start this journey!

 

Maybe start by building model boats. Even a 1/4 scale size of either of those two designs could be a lot of fun and educational.

 

If you're not easily embarrassed, and you want to get on the water fast, I suggest you warm up with a Brick, a PD Racer, or a stretched version of the PD racer which I think they call the Goose. That will give you something to sail for several years while you work on your fancy boat, assuming you have room to build it. (At my college, a guy built a complete small airplane in the hobby shop, which is kind of amazing when you consider that it didn't have a lot of extra space. Years later, I happened to see it fly.) Don't laugh too hard about these crude boats. I owned a Brick. It could sail well even with 4 adults on board! It even went upwind ok. I remember one time when a pretty gaff rigged boat, much longer than ours, took a remarkably long time to catch up when going upwind. The Brick really does need flotation built in and a bit of reinforcement around the top if it's to be sailed in strong wind. And if you're in the habit of hitting rocks, set up the dagger/leeboard so it can pivot backwards when hit. But it sails just fine. At least with two people on board. Never sailed it by myself.
Brick https://www.duckworksmagazine.com/03/r/excerpts/bwaom/01/brick.htm
I presume the PD Racer and Goose have similar virtues as the Brick, but carry fewer people, pitch forward and back less, and go faster.
Puddle Duck Racer - Easiest Sailboat to Build and Race https://www.pdracer.com/
Oz Goose Sailboat, easy to Build. Excellent Family or Club Sailing Fun https://www.opengoose.com/

 

William Shakespeare said to "be true to ones self"

Some of us enjoy the building process. The trials and tribulations of the work is the pleasure. Overcoming the many small challenges that arise is very rewarding on a personal level. If you watch Doug in his Seeker videos you can see a man that really has little desire to sail but rather loves tinkering and figuring thing out. Maybe your like him or I, or maybe you a pure sailor and just want to get on the water. This is a philosophical question you have to ask your self. The plans are cheap and if you fail then you will know more about who you are as a person so I encourage you to go for it and try. You will never know your full potential until you reach failure.