Learn everything about boats


How to Build a Boat in the Camp

Have you ever dreamed of owning a boatnails
of your own, so that you could explore1. Cut both sideboards and the two
around the bend of a river, or justendblocks (Diagram lb) to shape. In
float lazily along a lake? Why not buildorder to give the boat better navigating
the boat of your dreams?qualities, the sideboards have to run
As far as the appearance of your vesseltogether and taper at the bottom. By
is concerned, you don't have to be toodoing this, you raise the floorboards
particular. The important thing is itsboth fore and aft. Therefore, the
absolute seaworthiness. Perhaps it's tooendblocks have to be set in at an angle
much to call these crafts "boats"; for(a slope of about 4") to give the bow
the most part, they're actually rafts orand stern racy lines. (The angle formed
floats, but they all serve the purposeinside the sidewalls where they meet the
of carrying you on the water. Forendblocks should be a narrow one.) The
example, here is a tube-boat. This issides can be screwed down to the
made of old tire tubes which are firstendblocks permanently, but because of
carefully patched, then pumped up, andthe flooring take care to let the
finally bound together with boards andsidewalls extend about an inch beyond
ropes as the illustration shows. Thethe bottom of the endblocks.
ropes should be as thick as possible so2. Bolt the frames together as shown in
they will not cut into the tubes. YouDiagram 2 and force them between the
can make paddles out of small boardssidewalls. Since the boards can still be
nailed to short poles.bowed considerably now, this was the
The water-flea is a different model, andreason for choosing a narrow angle at
to make it you first need a tree trunk.the ends. Screw the frames tight on one
Fasten a pole crosswise at each end ofside, but once again have the sidewalls
the trunk and bind a small log or blockextend beyond the bottoms of the frames
of wood to the ends of each pole. Thisby the thickness of the floorboards.
provides you with four floats which3. The flooring is a little more
prevent the tree trunk from spinning ontrouble. Put together the three boards
its own axis. Fasten blocks to serve aswhich have been tongued and grooved.
foot supports on both sides at theClamp down the sidewall, which has not
middle of the trunk. In order to reduceyet been screwed tight, temporarily with
water resistance, the blocks and theC-clamps. Then place the whole boat on
trunk are pointed. To make thetop of the flooring and trace the
barrel-float, you need a barrel, someoutline along the inside.
poles, and two boards. The result willNOTE: YOU must set the flooring in with
be a very unusual and individual boat. Athe sidewalls overlapping it. Only in
tin-can raft can be made in the same waythis way will the boat be watertight
as the tube-boat, with large cans suchwhen the wood swells in the water. Cut
as oil drums instead of the tire tubes.the floor boards out along the traced
If you're even more ambitious, you canoutline and screw the flooring tightly
build a regular boat, much like the onesto the frames and the endblocks. Now you
built by some boys in Switzerland, whocan also screw the second sidewall down
made a whole fleet. This boat has roompermanently. For stability, insert an
for three or four boys.auxiliary frame at the middle of the
Measurementsboat (Diagram 3).
Length: about 16 feet4. To make the boat watertight; before
Greatest width (must not be in theyou 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 feetoakum). The cheapest outside protection
from the bow): about 32 inchesfor the boat is tar, and you can paint
Width of bottom: about 24 inchesthe inside with an inexpensive oil-base
Height: about 12 inchespaint.
Materials5. You also need paddles. Canoe paddles
Pine or fir boards as free from(Diagram 4) work out the best. Make them
knotholes 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
3/4" x 24" (total) x 16'the 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.



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