Hubby, with no real boatbuilding experience (if you don't count the
styrofoam liveaboard sailboat we built years ago...aptly named "Holy
Mackeral"!) is thinking of trying his hand at boat building. We want
a very light 2 to 3 person sailboat to carry upright on a cargo
carrier at the rear of our "new" '92 Winnebago and we plan to use it
for fishing/sailing/messing around on small lakes. We're thinking
about a maybe 12' nesting boat thinking that each part of the boat
won't weigh as much and the whole thing won't be too tall at the stern
of the RV. He's thinking of using exterior plywood, stitching it
together and hasn't yet decided on whether to use epoxy or polyester
or how much glassing to do. He's also stubbornly planning on devising
his own plans. We'd like to do it fairly inexpensively but not
stupidly. We'd like to end up with a lightweight boat as I'll be
supplying most the "man"power in loading/unloading (hubby has a really
bad back and can't do much of any lifting).

Really appreciate some comments, pointers and suggestions such as...

1. Is 1/4" exterior plywood (such as you'd find at Home Depot)
adequate? The people at HD said that the glue is NOT the same as with
marine plywood and looked sceptical when we told them what we wanted
it for (their special order marine plywood was ridiculously
expensive).

2. Is the generic epoxy (and/or polyester if we decide to go that way)
from our local fiberglass store adequate or is it really adviseable to
go with West System or ?.

3. Anybody have any experience with "Nesting Dinghys"? Any problems
with them?

4. Outside of glass/caulking the seams...is it adviseable to put a
layer or 2 of glass cloth over the whole exterior?

Any and all comments gratefully appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Sandy

sandy wrote:

Hubby, with no real boatbuilding experience (if you don't count the
styrofoam liveaboard sailboat we built years ago...aptly named "Holy
Mackeral"!) is thinking of trying his hand at boat building. We want
a very light 2 to 3 person sailboat to carry upright on a cargo
carrier at the rear of our "new" '92 Winnebago and we plan to use it
for fishing/sailing/messing around on small lakes. We're thinking
about a maybe 12' nesting boat thinking that each part of the boat
won't weigh as much and the whole thing won't be too tall at the stern
of the RV. He's thinking of using exterior plywood, stitching it
together and hasn't yet decided on whether to use epoxy or polyester
or how much glassing to do. He's also stubbornly planning on devising
his own plans. We'd like to do it fairly inexpensively but not
stupidly. We'd like to end up with a lightweight boat as I'll be
supplying most the "man"power in loading/unloading (hubby has a really
bad back and can't do much of any lifting).

Really appreciate some comments, pointers and suggestions such as...

1. Is 1/4" exterior plywood (such as you'd find at Home Depot)
adequate? The people at HD said that the glue is NOT the same as with
marine plywood and looked sceptical when we told them what we wanted
it for (their special order marine plywood was ridiculously
expensive).

2. Is the generic epoxy (and/or polyester if we decide to go that way)
from our local fiberglass store adequate or is it really adviseable to
go with West System or ?.

3. Anybody have any experience with "Nesting Dinghys"? Any problems
with them?

4. Outside of glass/caulking the seams...is it adviseable to put a
layer or 2 of glass cloth over the whole exterior?

Any and all comments gratefully appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Sandy

Packing tape up a bunch of 2 litre pop bottles pressurised with
vinegar and baking powder into a 'wire frame skeleton' gunnel and
chine frame with 1/2" plywood ends and doubled frame at the 3/8 -
5/8 point. Line and steady it up with cardboard panels and
battens taped in, to be discarded after curing. Upside down,
cover it with poly plastic, taped, tucked and draped for shape.
Glass with poly resin and one layer of mat, or two, plus an
exterior layer of light cloth and tinted thickened poly gelcoat
later. Cut out the plastic sheeting. Enclose the pop bottle and
tape frame inside with a layer or two of glass mat and cloth over
plastic sheet draped and taped to provide a doubled hull
freeboard narrowing to a single layer at the chine. Glass over a
filler carved from a pool noodle inside the chine space. Cut
access holes into the shapes below the pop bottle gunnels, for
gear storage, or not, if you want extra reserve bouyancy. If you
use pop bottles or pool noodles and tape to make up a thick
floor, you will have a self bailing, ultralight dingy hull which
you can cut almost in half and it won't sink, so it does not need
a lot of freeboard height by comparison to non self bailers. Bash
it on a rock? Slap on a patch. Bolt and wingnut the semi halves
together while afloat. Add a sail rig, using a paddle held or
lashed to one side for a keel, hinging it for tacking and
grounding. Steer it like a windsurfer, by moving the rig or your
weight, or add an oarlock on the transom for a steering paddle.

Try for a 2 or 3" cathedral hull bottom shape if you want to get
airborne in a catamaran tunnel hull using a trolling motor.

I've been wanting to try this myself for years, but just not
yet. Good luck.
--
Terry K - My email address is MY PROPERTY, and is protected by
copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce it is
specifically denied for mass mailing and unrequested
solicitations. Spamspoof salad by spamchock TM - SofDevCo ®

Sandy,

Lest you get confused by the message below, I think the poster mistakenly
"responded" to your query with information meant for another member of the
newsgroup. I don't believe he's suggesting that your hubby build a nesting
sailboat out of pop bottles! (g)
There are a number of good plans around for nesting dinghies, most meant for
use aboard smaller yachts. The idea is quite practical, and could work for
you. Using exterior ply instead of marine ply normally is OK for boats that
come out of the water after use, which certainly sounds like your plan.
I have a pretty good ego, but still would not launch my boatbuilding career
with a design of my own. At a minimum your husband is likely to put in a LOT
of work building a boat which performs poorly. At the worst, you and he may
find yourself in serious trouble if his design has a flaw that causes the
boat to break up, take on water or (in the case of a nesting dinghy) split
into two half-boats.
Stay tuned for advice from builders more experienced than me.

Alex

"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
...


sandy wrote:

Hubby, with no real boatbuilding experience (if you don't count the
styrofoam liveaboard sailboat we built years ago...aptly named "Holy
Mackeral"!) is thinking of trying his hand at boat building. We want
a very light 2 to 3 person sailboat to carry upright on a cargo
carrier at the rear of our "new" '92 Winnebago and we plan to use it
for fishing/sailing/messing around on small lakes. We're thinking
about a maybe 12' nesting boat thinking that each part of the boat
won't weigh as much and the whole thing won't be too tall at the stern
of the RV. He's thinking of using exterior plywood, stitching it
together and hasn't yet decided on whether to use epoxy or polyester
or how much glassing to do. He's also stubbornly planning on devising
his own plans. We'd like to do it fairly inexpensively but not
stupidly. We'd like to end up with a lightweight boat as I'll be
supplying most the "man"power in loading/unloading (hubby has a really
bad back and can't do much of any lifting).

Really appreciate some comments, pointers and suggestions such as...

1. Is 1/4" exterior plywood (such as you'd find at Home Depot)
adequate? The people at HD said that the glue is NOT the same as with
marine plywood and looked sceptical when we told them what we wanted
it for (their special order marine plywood was ridiculously
expensive).

2. Is the generic epoxy (and/or polyester if we decide to go that way)
from our local fiberglass store adequate or is it really adviseable to
go with West System or ?.

3. Anybody have any experience with "Nesting Dinghys"? Any problems
with them?

4. Outside of glass/caulking the seams...is it adviseable to put a
layer or 2 of glass cloth over the whole exterior?

Any and all comments gratefully appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Sandy

Packing tape up a bunch of 2 litre pop bottles pressurised with
vinegar and baking powder into a 'wire frame skeleton' gunnel and
chine frame with 1/2" plywood ends and doubled frame at the 3/8 -
5/8 point. Line and steady it up with cardboard panels and
battens taped in, to be discarded after curing. Upside down,
cover it with poly plastic, taped, tucked and draped for shape.
Glass with poly resin and one layer of mat, or two, plus an
exterior layer of light cloth and tinted thickened poly gelcoat
later. Cut out the plastic sheeting. Enclose the pop bottle and
tape frame inside with a layer or two of glass mat and cloth over
plastic sheet draped and taped to provide a doubled hull
freeboard narrowing to a single layer at the chine. Glass over a
filler carved from a pool noodle inside the chine space. Cut
access holes into the shapes below the pop bottle gunnels, for
gear storage, or not, if you want extra reserve bouyancy. If you
use pop bottles or pool noodles and tape to make up a thick
floor, you will have a self bailing, ultralight dingy hull which
you can cut almost in half and it won't sink, so it does not need
a lot of freeboard height by comparison to non self bailers. Bash
it on a rock? Slap on a patch. Bolt and wingnut the semi halves
together while afloat. Add a sail rig, using a paddle held or
lashed to one side for a keel, hinging it for tacking and
grounding. Steer it like a windsurfer, by moving the rig or your
weight, or add an oarlock on the transom for a steering paddle.

Try for a 2 or 3" cathedral hull bottom shape if you want to get
airborne in a catamaran tunnel hull using a trolling motor.

I've been wanting to try this myself for years, but just not
yet. Good luck.
--
Terry K - My email address is MY PROPERTY, and is protected by
copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce it is
specifically denied for mass mailing and unrequested
solicitations. Spamspoof salad by spamchock TM - SofDevCo ®

"sandy" wrote in message
om...
Hubby, with no real boatbuilding experience (if you don't count the
styrofoam liveaboard sailboat we built years ago...aptly named "Holy
Mackeral"!) is thinking of trying his hand at boat building. We want
a very light 2 to 3 person sailboat to carry upright on a cargo

Really appreciate some comments, pointers and suggestions such as...

1. Is 1/4" exterior plywood (such as you'd find at Home Depot)
adequate? The people at HD said that the glue is NOT the same as with
marine plywood and looked sceptical when we told them what we wanted
it for (their special order marine plywood was ridiculously
expensive).

Yes. Exterior ply and marine ply use the same glue. Both are waterproof.
Marine ply has essentially no voids in the interior plys while exterior
plywood will have voids.

2. Is the generic epoxy (and/or polyester if we decide to go that way)
from our local fiberglass store adequate or is it really adviseable to
go with West System or ?.

Polyester is not o.k. IMO. Others may differ. A Marine Epoxy (formulated
for marine use) from a reputable supplier is recommended. West, System 3,
and others are good choices.

3. Anybody have any experience with "Nesting Dinghys"? Any problems
with them?

Yes, used one for 3-1/2 years while cruising.

4. Outside of glass/caulking the seams...is it adviseable to put a
layer or 2 of glass cloth over the whole exterior?

Only if you want extra abrasion resistance (2 oz is pretty light for that by
the way).

Shameless commercial plug:

www.bateau.com -- small boats -- FB11 nesting dinghy. (my design).


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)

(sandy) wrote in message . com...
Hubby, with no real boatbuilding experience (if you don't count the
styrofoam liveaboard sailboat we built years ago...aptly named "Holy
Mackeral"!) is thinking of trying his hand at boat building. We want
a very light 2 to 3 person sailboat to carry upright on a cargo
carrier at the rear of our "new" '92 Winnebago and we plan to use it
for fishing/sailing/messing around on small lakes. We're thinking
about a maybe 12' nesting boat thinking that each part of the boat
won't weigh as much and the whole thing won't be too tall at the stern
of the RV. He's thinking of using exterior plywood, stitching it
together and hasn't yet decided on whether to use epoxy or polyester
or how much glassing to do. He's also stubbornly planning on devising
his own plans. We'd like to do it fairly inexpensively but not
stupidly. We'd like to end up with a lightweight boat as I'll be
supplying most the "man"power in loading/unloading (hubby has a really
bad back and can't do much of any lifting).

Really appreciate some comments, pointers and suggestions such as...

1. Is 1/4" exterior plywood (such as you'd find at Home Depot)
adequate? The people at HD said that the glue is NOT the same as with
marine plywood and looked sceptical when we told them what we wanted
it for (their special order marine plywood was ridiculously
expensive).

2. Is the generic epoxy (and/or polyester if we decide to go that way)
from our local fiberglass store adequate or is it really adviseable to
go with West System or ?.

3. Anybody have any experience with "Nesting Dinghys"? Any problems
with them?

4. Outside of glass/caulking the seams...is it adviseable to put a
layer or 2 of glass cloth over the whole exterior?

Any and all comments gratefully appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Sandy

You can use 1/4" luan if you know what you are looking for and what
the problems might be. Not trying to be a wise ass here, but don't ask
me about the problems that could arise, it just takes some experience.
You can use polyester in some cases for toy boats, however epoxy is
easier, and I would prefer it for any kind of stitch and tape working
boat such as a moore, or a dinghy. Glassing the hull, well, I would
suggest you ask the designer. Now I am being a wise ass as I did read
that your husband wants to design the boat. Anyway, think of the glass
as abraision resistance, and if you are going to be in a rocky area,
it might be a good idea. Some boats I just glass the bottom and a few
inches up the side. If you are considering the glass as a structural
component of a stitch and tape boat, you are misguided and need to
make the boat stronger. Fiberglass sheathing is not generally
considered a structural component on S+T boats.
These are all opinions, based on very general circumstances and do not
necessarily apply here or in any other case. Lastly, tell him to spend
25 bucks and buy a plan for this boat, just so you don't do all that
work and end up with a tool that does not work, for then it will sit
in the backyard and rot. Trust me, if he finishes this one, he will
probably build several more, (just ask all of our wives), there will
be plenty of time to design one of his own...
Scotty from SmallBoats.com

I'd try a search at www.google.com for "nesting dingy".
I'd also go to www.duckworksmagazine.com and look under Contests at the
entries in the "apartment sized boat" contest for some ideas although the
plans there are too small for what you want. They are all plans for
collapsable boats.

Quarter inch plywood is fine. You don't need very much polyester or epoxy
if you build with chine battens. Take a look at the small plywood boats on
my website www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm and at the Summer Breeze on
www.somplicityboats.com. Those are just two website with photos of this
kind of plywood construction. they use polyurtheane construction adhesive,
"liquid m]anils" and wood screws. I don't tape the seams, just round them
with sandpaper and spread on two coats of resin along the seam to keep out
water. all it takes is a few drops spread with a toothpick to do the whole
boat. you do have to seal all the seams and edges of plywood to keep it
from soaking water into the panels. You can desing your first small boat.
I did with mine (DogSkiff on my website) and it came out perfect for my
needs. That's the beauty of desgining your own small boat. It's also more
than half the fun. I'm not fond of boatbuidling but I like designing and
using boats. I borrowed TF Jones books from the public library to learn
how to design my own small boat. He now has a website at
www.jonesboats.com. I went to the lumber yard with my bathroom scales and
weighed the different sheets of plywood and boards before selecting the
material for my boats. I also got a great deal of advice and opinion from
this newsgroup and still do.

I'm sure he will enjoy designing and buildign his own boat.

sandy ) writes:
Hubby, with no real boatbuilding experience (if you don't count the
styrofoam liveaboard sailboat we built years ago...aptly named "Holy
Mackeral"!) is thinking of trying his hand at boat building. We want
a very light 2 to 3 person sailboat to carry upright on a cargo
carrier at the rear of our "new" '92 Winnebago and we plan to use it
for fishing/sailing/messing around on small lakes. We're thinking
about a maybe 12' nesting boat thinking that each part of the boat
won't weigh as much and the whole thing won't be too tall at the stern
of the RV. He's thinking of using exterior plywood, stitching it
together and hasn't yet decided on whether to use epoxy or polyester
or how much glassing to do. He's also stubbornly planning on devising
his own plans. We'd like to do it fairly inexpensively but not
stupidly. We'd like to end up with a lightweight boat as I'll be
supplying most the "man"power in loading/unloading (hubby has a really
bad back and can't do much of any lifting).

Really appreciate some comments, pointers and suggestions such as...

1. Is 1/4" exterior plywood (such as you'd find at Home Depot)
adequate? The people at HD said that the glue is NOT the same as with
marine plywood and looked sceptical when we told them what we wanted
it for (their special order marine plywood was ridiculously
expensive).

2. Is the generic epoxy (and/or polyester if we decide to go that way)
from our local fiberglass store adequate or is it really adviseable to
go with West System or ?.

3. Anybody have any experience with "Nesting Dinghys"? Any problems
with them?

4. Outside of glass/caulking the seams...is it adviseable to put a
layer or 2 of glass cloth over the whole exterior?

Any and all comments gratefully appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Sandy


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