Your story is the reason I wanted to build boats in a completely different way than they are built today—more like they were built 150 years ago in the United States. Back then, side planks made of solid wood were bent together at the front and attached to a transom at the back. One or two struts held the shape, and then a floor was nailed on crosswise.
With a small covering at the bow and stern, the only finishing touch needed was to soak the boat in kerosene. Construction time in a professional workshop: 1 day. The sailing equipment—rudder, centerboard, etc.—took four times as long. Cost of the boat: 50 dollars; the equipment added another 100 dollars.
But I’m sure you all know this better than I do. My idea was to replicate this method, but instead of using classic solid wood planks, I wanted to use Paulownia solid wood. It’s available as boards in the same dimensions as plywood sheets. I built a prototype that was 4.4 meters long and made from 18 mm thick boards. It weighed exactly 40 kg, including the sail and everything else.
I coated the outside of the boat with fiberglass and epoxy, while the inside was simply oiled. Today, I would just roll on several coats of UV-resistant epoxy inside and out. I believe you could build your boat—just the hull—in about a week, simply gluing the parts together with thickened epoxy. This avoids the typical stitch-and-glue construction with all its hassle.
This approach saves a lot of time and effort, and Paulownia is easier to work with than balsa wood. It’s just as light but significantly tougher. Most importantly, it’s far more water-resistant than even boil-glued plywood, which I used to build a few boats with in my youth.
So, Rusty, how do you feel about sanding?
Nice boat.
Nice lines!
Hang in there. I like your "sail first, looks second" attitude.
It hit a cord in my heart to hear of another man with priorities: not a show boat but an adventure toy to be used and abused.
Your story is the reason I wanted to build boats in a completely different way than they are built today—more like they were built 150 years ago in the United States. Back then, side planks made of solid wood were bent together at the front and attached to a transom at the back. One or two struts held the shape, and then a floor was nailed on crosswise.
With a small covering at the bow and stern, the only finishing touch needed was to soak the boat in kerosene. Construction time in a professional workshop: 1 day. The sailing equipment—rudder, centerboard, etc.—took four times as long. Cost of the boat: 50 dollars; the equipment added another 100 dollars.
But I’m sure you all know this better than I do. My idea was to replicate this method, but instead of using classic solid wood planks, I wanted to use Paulownia solid wood. It’s available as boards in the same dimensions as plywood sheets. I built a prototype that was 4.4 meters long and made from 18 mm thick boards. It weighed exactly 40 kg, including the sail and everything else.
I coated the outside of the boat with fiberglass and epoxy, while the inside was simply oiled. Today, I would just roll on several coats of UV-resistant epoxy inside and out. I believe you could build your boat—just the hull—in about a week, simply gluing the parts together with thickened epoxy. This avoids the typical stitch-and-glue construction with all its hassle.
This approach saves a lot of time and effort, and Paulownia is easier to work with than balsa wood. It’s just as light but significantly tougher. Most importantly, it’s far more water-resistant than even boil-glued plywood, which I used to build a few boats with in my youth.
I think it looks good!