Your Own Little Boat
From the resourceful Milos Milner, whose photo essay Built in the Village Stable we published just recently, comes another down-to-earth boating story.
Some ideas are wonderfully simple—you just have to know they exist. Here’s one you’ll appreciate on hot summer days by a pond or lake. Are you heading off on a family vacation with all your gear packed into the storage box on top of the car—the so-called “coffin”? Then believe it or not, you’re already halfway to having a boat. With a little imagination, some improvisation, a few basic skills, and—most importantly—your parents’ permission, you can turn that rooftop box into a working boat.
Picture this: you’re standing by the water, watching others paddle out to explore a quiet bay, visit a small island, or slip away from the busy beach to fish or simply enjoy nature. Maybe you’re a little jealous. But if you arrived in a car with a rooftop “coffin,” you already have most of what you need.
The first step is obvious: talk to your parents. If they cherish their car and stress over every scratch, it might be wiser to rent a boat. But if they agree, you’re ready to begin—and the process is easier than you might think.
Turning a Car-Top Coffin into a Boat
Yes, you guessed it: the boat is made from the lid of a rooftop storage box. Most boxes work just fine, except the very narrow ones with rounded bottoms, which aren’t stable on water. Remove the lid—usually held on by simple screws—and you’ll be surprised at how light it is. Take off any hardware that could fall off or get lost; save everything. If you’re unsure whether you’ll remember how to reassemble it later, take photos before you start.
Instructions for Your DIY Dinghy
To turn the coffin lid into a small boat, you’ll need a bench made from a board (best to bring one from home or the cottage). Add small stops or blocks to the board so it locks into the inner rails of the box—or, if needed, rests securely over the top edges. This bench adds strength and stability.
Next come the oarlocks. Ours were simply long nails hammered into pre-drilled holes. For oars, use whatever leftover flat boards you have on hand. They don’t need to look fancy—just functional.
How to Paddle
You’ll find it easiest to paddle from the back, as you would in a punt. Don’t try to paddle it like a canoe; that’s a losing battle. You’ll get the feel of it quickly.
One Last Tip
A boat made from a car-top coffin can also double as a nature observatory. Pour a little water into the bottom and you have a temporary holding tank for small creatures you find while exploring.
Enjoy your voyage—full of discovery, summer adventure, and plenty of fun. •SCA•
Note: All of the usual caveats apply here. We can’t recommend a “boat” not designed for the purpose, and wearing a PFD is an important safety measure in any case.—Eds
This image makes me think of big pool noodles, epoxied just above the "one boy" waterline, all the way around... for stability and keeping it higher if bailout needed?
A wonderful repurposing. As a child, you can discover a whole new world in it and realize how far your own ideas can take you. And why a boat hull can ultimately only consist of a self-supporting shell framed by a stable gunwale.
Those who experienced this repurposing as children approach the project of building their own boat with a different perspective in later years. They have learned that many frames and planking may be good. But you can also construct a boat from the outside in, instead of from the inside out.
Today's stitch-and-glue constructions demonstrate this shift in thinking. First the shell, then the stiffening.