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How would I go about building a small power-boat, as cheaply as possible?

Submitted by harrykane140693 - Mon, 8/27/18 » 3:39 AM

Hello Everyone,

Sorry if this sub is the wrong place, if it is please direct me to the right one.

I hope to get started on this soon (if my time and finances allow). Before anyone tries to discourage me, I'll just say that I have sailed around the world on my family's yacht when I was younger, So I'm used to, and aware of the dangers of the sea, etc.

My idea is: Basically I would like to build a small boat say around 15 - 20 feet (and not more than 10 feet wide), just enough to hold a maximum of 4 people (but mainly myself). The idea is something quite frugal, not much furniture or rooms or anything. It should also be as fast as possible (to reduce travel times). The boat would be used to travel between islands in the Caribbean region. Longest distance I expect it to make would be from Suriname - Trinidad -Jamaica. Also possibly Jamaica - Nicaragua.

Basically the idea which may be crazy is: Find a layout-plan that fits the above. Put it together, and slap an outboard engine on the back.

P.S I used to know a sailor that powered his family's entire 30 foot catamaran with a small 20 horsepower outboard engine. They went around the world with that thing, so I figured I could use the same idea.

Now my questions:

What is easier to build from? Wood or steel?
What kind of boat is the easiest to build?
Do such plans/ layouts exist for building? Are any available for free?
What tools exactly do I need to build it?
Approximately how much would it cost if done from wood or steel? Is a 5-10k budget sufficient (excluding the outboard)? If not, how much more would I need? I'm hoping around 5k is enough, but if not I'll just need longer to complete it.

I know this could be a challenging project, but I'm willing to do it, and learn some things along the way.

I would greatly appreciate any advise, links, or suggestions that you all have.

Thanks!

2 replies:

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RE: How would I go about building a small power-boat, as cheaply as possible?

» Submitted by Laszlo - Mon, 8/27/18 » 6:02 AM

Hello Harry,

I don't see any reason to discourage you from the general project, it sounds like fun abd people have been exploring the Caribbean in small boats for a long time now.

I am dubious that your specific boat is possible, though. Are you talking about a monohull or catamaran (or even trimaran)? In a monohull, the proportions you described don't really work out. Even in a multihull, getting the space is pretty tough at those lengths.

As for your questions:

1. Depends on your training and tools.

2. Depends on your skills and the design

3. There are many plans out there, though probably not for exactly the kind of boat you describe. There are many free plans out there, too, but when it comes to plans you get what you pay for. Free plans are either simple ones to get you to look at a designer's other plans or they are done by a non-professional designer (which may be OK or not). Paid plans usually entitle you to some level of help and support from the designer, free ones you're on your own.

4. Depends on the design and your skills and patience

5 Depends on the design and your skills and patience

Sorry if the answers are unsatisfactory, but they are pretty open-ended so they can't be pinned down.

Here's a suggestion for you - find an old fiberglass sailboat that's sitting in a corner of a boatyard waiting for an owner who will love it again that the yard owner will let you have for hauling away (be sure you tell the owner about your plans to cruise the Caribbean. If you can get them to buy in on the romance of your dream, the price will be lower, maybe even free). Pay $100 for a survey to make sure that it's sound. Throw away all the rigging and clean it up and make any needed repairs. Put your 20 hp outboard on the back and you'll have a nice displacement motor cruiser for a lot less effort and money than building from scratch.

Good luck,

Laszlo

RE: How would I go about building a small power-boat, as cheaply as possible?

» Submitted by Snowbound - Mon, 8/27/18 » 9:17 AM

You should check out Ken Druxbury's book The Lugworm Chronicles, it combines 3 books he published in the 70's. In the first, he and his wife trailered an 18ft Drascombe Lugger (similar to the NE Dorry) from England to Greece, then sailed around the Greek Islands for the summer. In the second part they return home up the coast of Europe and in the final they spend a summer sailing around the northern British Isles.

It's a good read from the days prior to gps and detailed weather reports. He talks about how he outfitted the boat, how they lived on it and many of the issues they ran into.