Building the Hull - © Frank Ellinghaus -

building the hull

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The "sailplan"

"taping" the sail

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Building the Boats Hull
plan materials plywood method cutting butt block bulkheads skegkeel stem rawhull daggercase seats deck side/gunwales flotation noodle

The Boat Plans

There are good reasons to rely on the experience of proven boat builders/designers with planning your dream project. You will avoid some of the pitfalls of poor boat design and some beginner mistakes. When looking on the outcuts of my boats chines (and thinking could this really fit together?) I realized that I wouldn´t had thought of this shapes in my somewhat two dimensional way of thinking. But the boat was going to be three-dimensional and trying to find the forms out through try and error would have cost me a lot of unnecessary cutted wood and wasted time.

A common problem for new boat builders arises when they get the plan and realize, it´s not so simple as thought. If you get your plan with a table of offsets and no patterns, you can expect the same problems as the building aspirant in this rec.boats.building thread. It would be a good precaution to look for a book which describes how to get the boat´s lines onto the plywood panels. You could ask the designer when ordering the plans how you are supposed to do that. If it´s with the help of a table of offsets you could order the book right away with the plans or get it from your library - before the plan arrives. A book which describes the lofting / laying out process, is "Small boat building" from Dave Greenwell. Looks like a fine book to me - but there are a lot of others. You can use my search-section for a book-search.

My Boat Plan

I found my plan at bateau.com. The V12 Dinghy has a beautiful hull, 12 ft. long and 4 ft. 6 inch wide. Just the size I could handle. Since I wanted a bigger sail I did "design" my own sailplan and spars. It worked out fine for me.

Free Boat Building Plans

Here are some free plans links. This is also the fastest way to get your plans, simply download them. On the other hand - if you are the type of person who takes pride and satisfaction in planning all on your own, you´ll find free boat design software with this free boat design software links.

Commercial Boat Building Plans

The vast majority of plans is provided by designers who charge about $ 20 to $ 80 a piece for small to medium boats. You may need some more time to get it since the designer wants your money first :-) and usually sends it out with snail mail.

Bigger vendors often provide patterns or even kits with precut bulkhead, bottom and side hull parts. But this kits look rather expensive to me since they take a great chunk out of your savings through self building - while saving not as much of your time.

Most professional designer plans should be proven designs with some boats out being built before. Some provide plan catalogues and you can choose from a variety of designs. Since I am more in the "cheap" direction I like to point you to other places for commercial plans like the Open Directorie`s boat plans category.

But I also like to link at this place to two (I would say semi commercial) boat plan sites which charge very modest premiums for their designs:
Dave Carnell with his $ 20 plan for the $ 200 sailboat a 15´-6´´ hull and his sea skiffs from 18 to 22 foot.
Jim Michalak with his two boat catalogues you can order for 4 $. I bought one of his designs (yet to be built), Larsboat a kajak for two person, for 20 $ and the plan looks very clear and simple to me.

If you are looking for a special boat or one you already know, Chuck Leinweber´s Duckworks Magazine features an comprehensive Index of Links to home buildable boat plans and projects on the WWW. For boat plans in book form, you´ll find links to the Amazon. com website for online ordering.

Lofting / Laying out - or how to get the plans drawings on the plywood?

In former days the boat builders would take strategic points of their plans lines and bring them to full size on the floor through connecting this points with flexible battens and scribing the curves at their edges. More points would mean exacter lines.

Lacking more sophisticated equipment a typical garage boat builder has to rely on this very technic (bringing the lines directly on his plywood panels) or on paper patterns the designer delivers with his plans.

How would the profies do this now? I think nowadays they´ll start their cutting-plotter and let him cut the patterns out full size or use their old wooden patterns, they used hundred of times before. That probably was in the mind of my boat`s designer when he wrote that drawing the panels would take only 1 1/2 hours. Unfortunately I was a beginner and needed a lot of time to figure the meaning of the plan and patterns not delivered as one piece patterns as I hoped.

Than I had to go out buying wrapping paper and blue print paper to scribe the lines from the so called "patterns" which came in form of several parts of pattern lines for several hull pieces on two piece of paper. This numerated lines had to be put together correctly to draw the real patterns used on the plywood. This took also a lot of time, to figure the pattern-system out. It´s like a puzzle which is fine if you are in games at this time - in my case I was rather in boat building. I would have gladly paid some more dollars for one part ready patterns. The money the designer saved on paper costs with cramping this all together wasn´t worth the time I lost.

Some designer state that laying out from the plans given dimensions is the more exact way to go since paper patterns could shrink or expand. But nevertheless they provide patterns knowing they would lose business if they wouldn`t. If you want to use patterns, ask the designer if he delivers full sized patterns drawn on a separate piece of paper for each panel! This would be the ideal way to save you time.

plans

Here the designer "patterns" are clamped on the edge of my plywood panel. Underneath is blueprint paper and under it wrapping paper. I used a glass cutter to scribe the pattern lines onto the wrapping paper. The cut outs from the wrapping paper than became the real patterns for the bulkheads, transom, bottom parts and side parts of the hull.

The Boat Building Materials

The hobby-boatbuilder often uses plywood and epoxy (with filler and fiberglass cloth for the seams) as his prefered boat building materials. Plywood is cheap and epoxy (which is not so cheap) is good for strong seams and sealing the wood. Polyester was used more often in former times but less nowadays, since it doesn´t seal very good and the boat would start to delaminate faster. I needed about 6 sheets of 4 x 8 ft. plywood for my 12 ft. dinghy and a lot more epoxy than thought because I sealed the boat two times.
Paint is the third biggest position in the material bill for the hull and the rest is rather minor.

Ways to bring the costs of hull building significantly down are:
1) Use of regular plywood for outsides instead of marine plywood, (I did it and so far the boat is ok, but there is no warranty for you).

2) Using epoxy for seams only and not for coating the whole hull with it or alternative at least coating only once not twice. I would seal only once if building a boat again. This does not only save money, it saves you also from epoxy noses running down your hull after sealing the second time. With the first seal the wood sucks the epoxy in, so the danger of running noses is not so big.

3) Painting the hull with acrylic house paint for outsides and not with expensive marine paints. (This is what I would try for myself the next time). new Take a look on Dave Carnell`s article about using acrylic house paint.
To get some insight about the contrary opinions on using acrylic house paint (or latex paint) take a look into this newsgroup thread.

At Dave Carnell´s site you find also his Epoxy Knowhow" were he writes about using pulverized limestone from fertilizer for a nickel a pound as a filler for joints. This would even save some more bucks on your hulls costs when using it instead of the micro fillers from epoxy merchants.

Plywood

Exterior grade Plywood is sold in 4 ft. x 8 ft. panels at Home Depot or similar. It probably has not the strength of marine plywood because of the sometimes bigger or more frequent voids in the inner layers but it is glued with the same water proofed glue as the marine wood. Don´t use plywood for insides. It would delaminate quickly.

The four plywood types in USA are moisture resistant (MR), boil-resistant (BR), weather- and boil-proof (WBP) and marine plywood (MP). Plywood labelled MP or "resin bonded" should be avoided.

So what to do if there is no label or it is not US-plywood? When doing a newsgroup search on plywood for boatbuilding you will hit on the boiling solution. Boil a peace of the plywood you want to use for your boat for some time. If it doesn´t delaminate it is more likely that it also resists delamination better when time passes. Some would and have said you don´t boil that often your boat. I wouldn´t recommend that either. But if you want to use cheap plywood boiling a peace of crap could save you from spending a lot of time on a soon rotten project.

For further information take a look on Craig O´Donnel´s Plywood for Boatbuilding FAQ.

Epoxy is cheaper as in marine stores when you buy it online. Here are some vendors from my Link-Page. One of them, Raka Inc. let us take a glimpse into it´s "Epoxy User Manual" online.

The Plywood Boat Building Method

Using plywood for hobby-boatbuilding is a time- and cost effective method to get to results. Methods like "stitch and glue" or "tape and tack" boil down to a sort of bending the longer hull parts (bottom, side parts) around and fixing them at bulkheads and stern of the boat. For stitch and glue copper wire or plastic fasteners are used to "sew" the parts together while the first fixation with tape and tack goes through tape and screws, nails or with a tacker.

If the hull is around or even longer than 8 ft. you got to have length of more than the 8 ft. which standard panels provide.
The butt joint seems to be the easiest way to get longer panels. Dave Carnell specialises on the invisible butt joint at his site, while Jim Michalak describes in his article "Joining Plywood Sheets" several ways of joining.

My V12-Dinghy is designed for the stitch and glue method. I couldn´t resist to change it a bit to stitch and glue and screw since I feel more comfortable with some screws holding the construction in the first place. But I am aware that the pure stitch and glue method get´s at least the same strength and saves some weight too. So take a look at the pure stitch and glue method at the designers website.

hobby horse

I guess you don´t want to get a hurting back while working at the boat on the floor. I custom made this hobby horse for the V12 building process. The hull´s "V" holds the hull on the horse when upside is up. When turning the hull upside down it is possible to lift the boat at one side and roll it over alone on it not needing a second person for the turning process.

Cutting the Plywood Parts

For me using patterns worked even if I lost time. Should the boat be an inch longer than planned, what does it matter when all parts are expanded equally? I think it´s more important to get the halfs equally formed. For that you can cut one panel (for example left bottom panel) first and take it as the pattern for the second panel (right bottom panel). Than clamp both panels together and fair them to their exactly equal form.

cutting

Using two hobby horses with two 8 ft. 2 x 4´s layed on it, I could cut the plywood panel without having it bowing to much. The best way for cutting is using a circular saw with the blades adjusted that they are just cutting through the wood (not to long). When used this way the circular saw is superior to a jig saw.

The Butt Block new

buttblock

Having cut out all boat pieces from the plywood the next step is joining fore and aft halfs of bottom and side parts.

A very strong and yet easy to accomplish joint is the "butt block". If you do it right the parts wouldn´t break in the joint but in the nearby wood when loaded. The parts are pushed together bluntly at the edges. The joints strength comes from the epoxy-filled fiberglass tape around the parts.

Placing the Butt Block Joint new

You just brush the joint edges with epoxy, put the parts together, brush fiberglass tape with epoxy, wind the wetted tape around the joint and let it dry.

Sounds easy? It is, if you do it like this:
1. Step:Mixing epoxy (resin, hardener and filler) for glueing/taping as your epoxy manufacturer recommends.
2. Step:Cutting a long fiberglass-tape that is at least 2 1/2 times as long as your seam.
3. Step:Brushing the fiberglass tape until it is completely filled and place it on a piece of polyethylene film on even ground.
4. Step:Wet the joints edges, place them onto the fiberglass tape - ends on both sides not covered.
5. Step:Wrap both ends overlapping onto the seams upper side.
6.Step:Cover this with polyethylene folie and place some weights onto it until the joint is cured.

hull parts

This photo shows the side parts, butt block already cured with some ledges glued on for bulkhead placement. Bottom parts with what I could find as weight, butt block in curing process.

The Bulkhead with Stern new

put together

Bulkheads and transom are the framework of this boat. They provide it´s shape since sides and bottom parts bend around their edges. The photo shows the side parts already bent.

On this boat the designer assigned the first bulkhead exactly at the butt-joints which gives it some extra stability.

Using the pure Stitch and Glue method you would drill holes and "stitch" them together with wire or plastic fasteners.
I used some ledges glued to the bulkheads edges and to sides and bottom parts to screw them together. Since I had no help to hold the parts when assembling I wouldn´t know how to get this done without some screws.

The Skeg/Keel new

skeg keel

The boats plan asked for a skeg fixed onto the outside of the bottom part. I chosed a lengthened skeg mounted directly on transom and bulkheads. The bottom parts got a cutout for the skeg/keel and are fixed also from inside and outside of the bottom with epoxy-tape.

Since it looks somewhat like a keel to me I call it skeg/keel. It is from solid oak and takes a lot of scratching without pain when pulling the boat out of the water.

The Stem new

stem inside

Stem with tips of the side parts "sewn together" with wire. In the middle a piece of solid oak. The holes for the wire are drilled through side parts and oak piece. From inside it is later further strengthened with epoxy filled cloth.

stem outside

The Raw Hull new

rawhull
Isn´t it a beauty? Looks like a real boat!
At this stage I thought, most of the work was done. But I had to realize the bigger part of it had yet to come. When the parts have been assembled the seems first get covered outsides with some sort of tape for instance duct tape.

glueing seems

Than the boat has to be switched over and the seems can get presaturated with epoxy resin. Thereafter they´ll have a filling with epoxy putty. The last task on the inside seem is to cover the filet with wetted fiberglass tape.

When the inside seems are fully cured switch the boat again, remove the tape and cover the seems on the outside with epoxy filled fiberglass tape.

The Dagger Case new

stern bulkhead dagger case

dagger case

If you want to build a rowing boat only you don´t need a dagger case. You need it only for a sailing boat. But it is not a big deal to build one and not using it in the end. The already installed dagger-case will come handy when you feel the itch to sail and I guess this moment is almost certainly to come.

It is made from two ledges and 1/4 inch plywood. You have to cut out a hole into the boats bottom, fit it in and fasten it with epoxy filled tape at bottom and bulkhead. The seat or seat plate will be mounted onto it and get´s a slit for the dagger board.

Seats new

Seats and here the seatplate give the structure a lot of strength. But my plan did not provide measurements for accessories like seats only suggestions how they could look like. Only the structural parts of the boat hull was delivered. Chances are this could be the same for other plans. So you are likely to be the designer of your boats interior.

I measured the shape of the seat plate and as well for the deck with wrapping paper. You can get large rolls of this stuff at places like Office Depot for example. Its a great help to find out the exact shape of the deck plate. Simply lay it on the place you want to fit in the part, if possible clamp it on and scratch it with your fingernails or a nail on the underlying edge. Than cut this paperscratch out and use it as pattern to draw the lines on plywood.

I didn´t build separate seats but one big seatplate. This sure adds some weight to the boat and reduced the size of the cockpit in my case a bit too much. I since have cut out a big chunk off the plate when taking the boat home after the first sailing year. I wouldn´t recommend a seat plate like this for someone who builds the same boat (the V12 sailing dinghy). Only in a bigger at least 5 and a half foot wide boat this would make sense to me now. The plate uses too much space for this little dinghy. For the V12 just stay with two separate seats aft and in the middle.

The seat plate is made of two layers 1/4 ´´ plywood. The left picture shows the first layer. The first layer is made from 4 parts since it´s almost impossible to measure all at once. The measurements were taken with wrapping paper as for the deck.

The layers 4 parts are glued to one piece using the butt joint procedure. This means all pieces are put together as they are without scarfing and connecting all parts on both sides through 2 layers (in this case) of cloth, filled with epoxy. These cloth-epoxy-joints should be as strong as the plywood. You find more about this method on Dave Carnells homepage , look under "Invisible Butt Joints".

I´ve put this first-layer-plate on two ledges, crossing both bulkheads. But this isn´t a must. It was caused through my decision to set the seat a little higher than planned before. If you get the dimensions right in the first place you don´t need those ledges. After placing the layer on the ledges I glued the plate with epoxy-filled cloth to the hull sides.

To get the measures for the second seatplate layer was simple, since the completed first layer could be used as a pattern. Glueing this on the first layer was no big deal. After filling the voids on the side with epoxy there was a strong bond to the hull and the completed hull got a very stiff structure.

The slit in the fore part of the seatplate is for the dagger board. The two rectangular holes aft are used to insert tupper ware boxes which helps to store some smaller things safely.

inside

Seatplate set onto the bulkheads. The two ledges fastened at the bulkheads tips are like handles and a good help to carry the boat side by side.

The Deck new

The deck plate is made of two 1/4 inch plywood pieces. The shape was measured with wrapping paper layed over the boats tip as used at the seatplate as well. The first plate put on the hull edges and on inwales which have been screwed and glued on before installing the deck. The screws are covered with epoxy later so you can let them in their holes.

Screw (into the inwales) and glue this plate from upside down. After that you can get a stronger connection through laminating a tape on the plates edges and covering the gunwales. Than the second plywood plate should be put on immediately. This will cover the disturbing tape on the decks surface. The slant edge on the sides is filled with epoxy putty.

Sides and Gunwales new

side and gunwales

The upper tips of the gunwales and the boats side are covered with a small two layer plywood-plate.

This would make a good seat to lean out, I thought when I planned to do it that way. Now I have to admit I never used this possibility since it would have to blow pretty hard and constant to avoid me capsizing against the wind with this small boat. Nevertheless it does make the sides very stiff and I would cover them again with a plate.

I do have even an idea to combine the sidewards cover plate with a swimming noodle to get a cool "capsize-avoiding-device" and rubrail. I did not build it yet since cutting the old cover plate of my V12 off to install a new one would be a mayor task. But perhaps could someone who is building the boat now use this idea? (and give me a hint how it worked out).

swimming noodle fixed on deck plate as a flotation device and rubrail

If the boat is going to capsize and the side is even with the water line, the swimming noodle can get fully under water without one drop of it coming inside. The cover plate holds it off.

Rick Bedard used a swimming noodle on the gunwales of an 8ft OSS Dinghy (Rick Bedard´s flotation noodle).
He writes: "My 60# kid sitting next to the side bearing down with all his weight could not put the rail under."
In his case the noodle was only fixed onto the tip of the side - not leaning out sidewards as in the drawing above. The flotation could even work better with the device sitting outside the hulls body.

turnable mast

turn around

boat ready to launch

boat to launch

plan materials plywood method cutting butt block bulkheads stem daggercase side/gunwales

building the hull

Accessories

The "sailplan"

"taping" the sail

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P O S T Frank

"taping" the sail

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P O S T Frank

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