Building a Little Boat

2008-05-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Launch went as expected. My rack works well for transport. She is a little tippy, I definitely won't be diving off the bow....but it is what it is! Took her to San Luis Pass and had a go at the flounder; no luck fishing, but that wasn't really the point. I am satisfied.

$$

2008-05-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Cost Rundown:

2 sheets plywood $24
stem kit $50
many 1x2's $30
epoxy and glass $170
paint $60
screws and extras - $20

TOTAL: $ 354

I would add almost $100 to that to include every last little bit, counting the screw ups and the paddle. That about does it.

All done

2008-05-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

All done! Lots of sweat, minor injuries, some paint and lots of sanding, and you got a boat. She won't win any awards, but I do believe she'll float. We named her "Luna," as you can see on the bow. The bottom took ten coats of paint. I now know this much: fiberglass is MESSY. That stuff, combined with all of the epoxy, amounts to one big pain in the rear. But it was important, and makes the boat fairly bulletproof.

It's a boat!

2008-04-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

After lots of mess-ups and re-do's, emails and research, sanding, sawing, gluing, screwing, it's a boat! One lesson learned from the whole thing, as my old boss used to say, "You can never do it fast enough to make up for having to do it AGAIN." In other words, shortcuts lead to screw-ups...just do it right the first time and construction time will be significantly quicker in the long run and the project will be better. For example, the upper rub rail that runs along the top of the sideboards was my second try. The first one was gorilla glued on, and I didn't like it. There is no known solvent for gorilla glue. I even tried paint thinner and gasoline on my hands to no avail. The only solvent I found to get a board off that was gorilla glued on = a circular saw. Now it need some fiberglass and paint.

2008-04-02T06:20:00.001-07:00

It's starting to look a little like a boat. The stems have been epoxied and screwed onto the sideboards in three of the four points. Connecting the two eight foot pieces of mahogany plywood was tricky, as the scarf joint has to be perfectly flat for the seam to be unnoticable. The epoxy takes 24 hours to fully cure, but it's tough stuff. The directions include a procedure for applying the stuff while underwater.

Now its a matter of making the bottom out of the same plywood, and gluing it up.

2008-03-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

The ribs and stem came in the mail today. The stem required a big tablesaw to make, and I'm not about to buy one. Plus I would likely cut my arm off. I am cutting out the pieces for my little seat, too. It's got a backrest which is nice because I'm lazy. More later.

Finished....

2008-03-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Its amazing what a little chemicals can do to put a shine on something....Nike seems interested. He's in his little storm cage in the garage due to the unexpected cold front we've had.

This one's done...

2008-03-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Well, almost done. Needs about eight coats of spar urethane varnish. I hit it over and over again with 80 grit sandpaper to get out the dings and take down bumps and what not, then on to 100 grit, then 150 grit, then 220 grit, then 320 grit, then finally 600 grit, which basically just feels like plain old notebook paper, but makes wood as smooth as silk. I wet the paddle twice, bringing out the grain, then following with the sandpaper routine again. The iguana was fascinated by all these events, as he sat fixated on me for about two hours today. Maybe he'll want a ride with baby Hudson and I through the marsh one day. It feels pretty good to get this thing done...it's amazing how some cedar and sand paper from home depot can make something so unique. Definitely not perfect, but I'll take it for my first completed paddle. Now I won't have to paddle the pirogue with hands...

Paddles, paddles, paddles...

2008-03-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

First try: a failed Greenland style paddle I tried to carve out of one piece of wood. I overdid some cuts with a power saw and bam....no more paddle.

Second try: a failed beavertail paddle I began carving from one 2x6....overdid some chiseling, and whammo, no more paddle.

Lesson Learned: SLOW DOWN BOY. And be very, very careful with power tools. They can make a job much quicker and easier, but can also eat your lunch. The failure with the second paddle was with hand tools, so just be careful and SLOW down with any delicate task.

Third Try: BAM! Got you now sucker. I approached the method of "lamination" for this go 'round, and opted to laminate strips of cedar with two strips of pine to make an attractive, long pirogue paddle. Some cheap but clear strips and "Loc-tite" epoxy from Home Depot, and the blank was ready. Then a bunch of grinding with No. 50 sandpaper, and it looks like a paddle. It actually took a LOT longer than I thought...just ask my beautiful and pregnant wife, Amy.

In the beginning

2008-03-18T12:12:00.001-07:00

Yes, it has begun. I'm going to try to build a boat. Six months ago, I started looking at boat plans. The whole thing started out of my strong desire to get a boat. I've always loved sailing and fishing and all things nautical, but couldn't ever afford a decent boat. Then I figured I could get a fixer upper. Did that, and it was a pain. This San Juan 21 was my headache and my wife's source of great jealousy for a couple of months, and I decided to get out of the project while I was ahead. I discovered that building my own boat from total scratch is probably easier that fixing someone else's mess, or just the mess the 35 years of exposure can bring on a boat.

So I began searching plans, and literally looked at every style from every boat designer available. I picked a big sailboat, then a small motorboat, then a traditional rowboat, then a medium cabin skiff, then, considering I haven't even built a boat bigger than my plastic model of the U.S.S. Constitution, I opted for the simplest of simple; the Cajun Pirogue. Basically just a two sheet, flat-bottomed canoe that I can paddle around the shallow marshes in search of redfish and flounder....one can even stand in the thing if it is calm.