Jerry wrote:
I am contemplating building a stitch & glue boat but have never
built anything (boats that is) before. I'm curious as to how easy
or difficult it really is before I start investing in plans.

It's not all that difficult to build any type of wooden boat. One
needs basic skills, an understanding of what and why one is doing
something and the willingness/precision to do it accurately. It is
especially important to get the initial steps done correctly as all
else depends on them.
________________

Are there any plans that are truly easy for a novice?

The only stitch & glue boat I've built was an 8' pram a couple of
years ago. Easy, generally. The only difficulty was getting the side
& bottom pieces chock-a-block to the transoms for gluing. The
difficulty there was due to the fact that the panels needed to bend -
and in a compound manner - and the copper wire ties used to secure
them were not nearly strong enough to pull the pieces together. Some
improvisation and clamps solved the problem easily.

The reason I mentioned the above is to point out that curves are
harder to do than flat (especially compound curves. That doesn't mean
I'm suggesting that you avoid such a plan because (among other things)
curves add a lot of strength to a hull.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Floatation under the floor is a desirable trait for any small boat,
especially in a dinghy. with it, the floor should be self bailing;
that is, when empty with a drain plug out, the boat will drain itself
dry. with a plug in, it will not take in water when loaded. This
suggests a double hull, or alternatively floats under the seats, not
nearly so good an idea, as they will not allow self bailing.

I have often thought I would like to make a boat out of polyurethane
foam like pool planks, clad in sailcloth and velcro so as to lie flat
as cockpit cushions or form a wet, floppy, unsinkable floating toy
bathtub of a boat. Dogs and kids might love it.

Make it with waterproof material and a spine, it might do even better.

The thing about stitch and tape is that the wire ties are actually
alignment guides. Spanish windlass, clamps, glass tape and resin do
the hard work.

Terry K

On Jul 28, 9:04 am, "Jerry" wrote:
I am contemplating building a stitch & glue boat but have never built
anything (boats that is) before. I'm curious as to how easy or difficult it
really is before I start investing in plans. Are there any plans that are
truly easy for a novice?

I am interested in something unsinkable that can handle rough water pretty
well in the 16' to 20' range. Either a cuddy, small cabin or a center
console would be fine.

Jerry

Jerry, first spend alot of time picking out a boat design you really
like. You have to like the boat.
It is not that hard to do. If you inherently enjoy figuring
stuff out and learning
new things than it won't be that hard. Anything you have
problems with you can get help on
groups like this one. There is a lot of help out there.

You build boats because you enjoy the process as much or more
than the final result. Otherwise
it's probably a better idea to buy a boat instead.