| What's stopping you from building classic wooden | | | | didn't know about rot resistance or that oak and |
| boats? If you're like most people, your answer could | | | | cedar are best for hulls. I didn't even consider teak |
| range from "I don't have the skill" or "I don't have | | | | for the deck! I went ahead and used plywood, |
| the money" to "I don't know where to start". All | | | | measured and put together all the parts my own |
| three reasons are valid but don't let them stop you | | | | way, and ended up with a boat that sank more than |
| from building your own boat. There is a way to go | | | | it floated! |
| about them - boat building plans. | | | | So, I'm sharing this to you as one boater to another: |
| I've built three different boats to date, but I started | | | | don't make your own boat plan. Forget about it. Don't |
| out much like you are starting now. I wasn't sure I | | | | do it. You will be better off using a plan that an |
| had the money, the time, and the skills. It did not | | | | expert has gone over, tested, and refined. |
| help that I made a costly mistake right from square | | | | Boat building is a skill. To quote professional boat |
| one - I bought a boat designing software that let me | | | | builder Daniel Holden, "Boat building knowledge is |
| drew up my own plans using my own design. I call it | | | | passed on." To design classic wooden boats, you will |
| a mistake because newbies like me have have no | | | | need to have building experience and a keen |
| business drawing up plans. I could have saved myself | | | | understanding of how boats tick. So, use the plans |
| a lot of expenses, time, and frustration had I taken | | | | that experts have made and forget about making |
| the time to learn from the experts. | | | | your own. Before you re-invent the wheel (or in this |
| When I made my own plan, I didn't know the first | | | | case, the boat), you should first learn how to make |
| thing about classic wooden boats. I didn't know | | | | one. |
| anything about construction methods or materials. I | | | | |