| Have you ever dreamed of owning a boat of | | | | |
| your own, so that you could explore around | | | | 2 beam pieces: about 6" x 8"x 18" |
| the bend of a river, or just float lazily | | | | |
| along a lake? Why not build the boat of your | | | | Laths: about 6" screws, bolts, 11/4" nails |
| dreams? | | | | |
| | | | 1. Cut both sideboards and the two endblocks |
| As far as the appearance of your vessel is | | | | (Diagram lb) to shape. In order to give the |
| concerned, you don't have to be too | | | | boat better navigating qualities, the |
| particular. The important thing is its | | | | sideboards have to run together and taper at |
| absolute seaworthiness. Perhaps it's too much | | | | the bottom. By doing this, you raise the |
| to call these crafts "boats"; for the most | | | | floorboards both fore and aft. Therefore, the |
| part, they're actually rafts or floats, but | | | | endblocks have to be set in at an angle (a |
| they all serve the purpose of carrying you on | | | | slope of about 4") to give the bow and stern |
| the water. For example, here is a tube-boat. | | | | racy lines. (The angle formed inside the |
| This is made of old tire tubes which are | | | | sidewalls where they meet the endblocks |
| first carefully patched, then pumped up, and | | | | should be a narrow one.) The sides can be |
| finally bound together with boards and ropes | | | | screwed down to the endblocks permanently, |
| as the illustration shows. The ropes should | | | | but because of the flooring take care to let |
| be as thick as possible so they will not cut | | | | the sidewalls extend about an inch beyond the |
| into the tubes. You can make paddles out of | | | | bottom of the endblocks. |
| small boards nailed to short poles. | | | | |
| | | | 2. Bolt the frames together as shown in |
| The water-flea is a different model, and to | | | | Diagram 2 and force them between the |
| make it you first need a tree trunk. Fasten a | | | | sidewalls. Since the boards can still be |
| pole crosswise at each end of the trunk and | | | | bowed considerably now, this was the reason |
| bind a small log or block of wood to the ends | | | | for choosing a narrow angle at the ends. |
| of each pole. This provides you with four | | | | Screw the frames tight on one side, but once |
| floats which prevent the tree trunk from | | | | again have the sidewalls extend beyond the |
| spinning on its own axis. Fasten blocks to | | | | bottoms of the frames by the thickness of the |
| serve as foot supports on both sides at the | | | | floorboards. |
| middle of the trunk. In order to reduce water | | | | |
| resistance, the blocks and the trunk are | | | | 3. The flooring is a little more trouble. Put |
| pointed. To make the barrel-float, you need a | | | | together the three boards which have been |
| barrel, some poles, and two boards. The | | | | tongued and grooved. Clamp down the sidewall, |
| result will be a very unusual and individual | | | | which has not yet been screwed tight, |
| boat. A tin-can raft can be made in the same | | | | temporarily with |
| way as the tube-boat, with large cans such as | | | | |
| oil drums instead of the tire tubes. | | | | C-clamps. Then place the whole boat on top of |
| | | | the flooring and trace the outline along the |
| If you're even more ambitious, you can build | | | | inside. |
| a regular boat, much like the ones built by | | | | |
| some boys in Switzerland, who made a whole | | | | NOTE: YOU must set the flooring in with the |
| fleet. This boat has room for three or four | | | | sidewalls overlapping it. Only in this way |
| boys. | | | | will the boat be watertight when the wood |
| | | | swells in the water. Cut the floor boards out |
| Measurements | | | | along the traced outline and screw the |
| | | | flooring tightly to the frames and the |
| Length: about 16 feet | | | | endblocks. Now you can also screw the second |
| | | | sidewall down permanently. For stability, |
| Greatest width (must not be in the middle; | | | | insert an auxiliary frame at the middle of |
| rather than at the 8-foot mark, have the | | | | the boat (Diagram 3). |
| widest point about 71/2 feet from the bow): | | | | |
| about 32 inches | | | | 4. To make the boat watertight; before you |
| | | | nail the flooring to the sidewalk, you must |
| Width of bottom: about 24 inches | | | | calk the crack (pack it with oakum). The |
| | | | cheapest outside protection for the boat is |
| Height: about 12 inches | | | | tar, and you can paint the inside with an |
| | | | inexpensive oil-base paint. |
| Materials | | | | |
| | | | 5. You also need paddles. Canoe paddles |
| Pine or fir boards as free from knotholes as | | | | (Diagram 4) work out the best. Make them long |
| possible: | | | | enough to reach your waist. |
| | | | |
| 2 Boards: 3/4" x 12" x 16' | | | | Whether you want to build an individual or a |
| | | | regular boat, be sure to collect the best |
| 3 boards tongued and grooved: | | | | materials and take proper measurement to make |
| | | | your dream into reality and perfect. |
| 3/4" x 24" (total) x 16' | | | | |