Sampans

Well, it started like so many other silly ideas with a beer or four, and before you know it my girlfriend and I have decided to build a sampan-a-like (three plank, flat bottom) and chug down the Nantes-Brest Canal with it.

Of course neither of us have any idea about building a boat, but we have spent the last year restoring out house so are pretty handy with wood, metal, and power tools.

The object will be to make it light for transport, easy to build, big enough to "live" on for ten days or so, and above all CHEAP. Of course it might get taken out from the coast here as well to explore the beaches but only in calm weather and never further than swimming distance off the beach.

We've collected pictures off the net here and here and sent the "mother-in-law" down to the harbour (she's Malaysian) but are just looking for any tips people might have. Things to remember: it's a sampan so can look rough and ready; it should be cheap, very cheap; and it won't even have to last more than a couple of years pulled out of the water as we're moving to Malaysia mid 2006; I guess you could think of it as a disposable boat really.

Any pointers would be really useful - thanks all.

 

Go get some experience with Sampans first, then you'll see what you like and don't like. If you cant do that then research them to death, find first hand accounts of sampan trips and sailing..........

Try and get some experience before you build. It's a big mistake to build before you have any practical hands on handling experience of a real vessel. Or pay a naval designer a good fee to give you the whole package and perhaps supervise the construction.

I've seen boats built with features that were in hindsight to the builders an absolutely stupid idea, simply because they had no experience of living and sailing in a small boat.

Having said that , If this is your dream then go for it....but do it right.

 

Just to emphasise CHEAP and practically DISPOSIBLE.

It doesn't have to be wonderful just work.

 

does it has to be a sampan? guess a stich and glue sharpie would be easyer, cheaper, nicer and more disposable?

 

Well it all depends on what we term sampan I guess. A Malay sampan is basically a flat bottomed boat with what are basically rectangular sides, curved and canted over to make a hull shape. Oddly a stich and glue sharpie looks just the same.

It doesn't have to be a real sampan it's just to have fun in something vaguely oriental looking. Take a sharpie and add a hooped canopy and it'd be close enough.

 

Quick Sketch on DesignWorkshop

Something like this is close enough for us.

 

Dispensable boat? Use non-marine ply, give it a coat of epoxy. No glass, only on the chines (strenght).
Stitch-and-glue is the methode for these types.
Set up frames, cover with ply, and you're done.
It'll last till 2006.