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