The Top 5 Most Popular Small Boats You Can Build

The Top 5 Most Popular Small Boats You Can Build with Best Boat Plans


Skiff boat plans
If you love to work with your hands, have basic carpentry skills and love the water, you should consider building your own boat. Building your own boat can save you lots of money. Along with the savings you get the satisfaction and pride of having done the job yourself.  Today, it’s easier than ever to build your own boat because you can find a wealth of boat-building resources from the Internet.

You may be not sure which small boat is the right one for you to try your hand at building.  There is a variety of small boats to choose from.  The right one for you will depend upon several factors, like what type of activity you plan to use it for and the kind of water you intend to use it on.  Let’s take a look at five popular types for you to consider.

#1  Rowboats:  Rowboats are simple boats that are propelled through the water with the use of a pair of oars.  Rowboats are not built for speed.  They are meant to be used for leisure, like casually traversing a lake or pond or rowing to and from ships.

#2  Dinghy:  A dinghy is a small boat which is often towed by a larger vessel.  There are several varieties, including recreational open sailing boats and small racing yachts.  These boats are normally rowboats, but some are rigged for sailing.  Dinghies are used for off-ship excursions from bigger boats, outside of docking at marinas and ports of the proper size.  Sailing dinghies are best for beginners training in sailing, rather than larger sloops, since they have a quicker response to both correct and incorrect maneuvers.

#3  Skiff:   A skiff, which means “small boat,” is small enough for rowing or sailing by one person.  It may be propelled by oars, sail or a motor.

#4  Canoe:  A canoe is a slender, open boat which tapers to a point at both ends.  It may be propelled by paddles or even sails.  Traditionally, it is formed of a light framework and covered with bark, canvas or skins.  It can also be formed from a dug-out or burned-out log or logs but is now generally made of fiberglass, aluminum, etc.

#5 Kayak  A kayak is a boat traditionally used by the Inuit. It has a light frame and is covered, these days, by fiberglass or canvas.

The Internet offers everything from thousands of plans to advice on building materials and techniques.  Now that you’ve got an idea of which boat may be right for you, go ahead, give boat building a try! You never know what you can achieve until you try it out for yourself!  Just remember to use quality boat plans!

DIY Seafarer

Build Your Dream Boat - So Many Kinds Of Choices!





Check out this video to see the myriads of boats you can build with quality boat plans!

From rowboats to skiffs, to kayaks ... you can build them all. These are just some of the most popular and easy to build boats. Check out my next blog ...

DIY Seafarer

How to Choose the Right Boat Plan to Fit Your Needs

How to Choose the Right Boat Plan to Fit Your Needs

Click To Check Out Best Boat Plans
Are you ready to build your own boat?  If you are looking forward to many joyful days of being outdoors, watching hard work and care turn into a fine boat you’ll spend even more joyful days in, now is a good time to give it a try.  A big reason for that is the fact that you can use the Internet to get a huge start on your boat-building project.  The Internet is full of boat-making information; everything from advice on building materials and techniques to the boat plans themselves. 

Of course, the right boat plan is the key to your boat turning out just the way you want it.  With so many plans out there, picking the right one for you can be a daunting task.  It may be tempting to do a quick search and settle for the first plan that catches your eye, but this could be a huge mistake and end up costing you time and serious money!  Let’s take stock of what to consider before making the plunge:

  • Make sure your chosen plan has good, clear instructions.  A good boat plan needs to have step-by-step, detailed instructions.  It should be simple to understand and be elaborate.   Before you even begin the process of building your boat, you must be absolutely sure that the plan you want to use has clear instructions that will be easy to follow - right to the very end of your boat-building process!  If you don’t, you may find yourself stuck in the middle of your boat construction.  You need to also keep a list of any needed materials in mind and have a clear overview of the whole boat-constructing process even before you begin.  This can help you to anticipate and know exactly what needs and situations will arise during the boat-building process.
  •  Having good images is also extremely valuable.  One image can be worth an entire page full of instructions.  The right diagrams and images can go a long way in helping you understand the instructions.  Without them, you may end up spending a great deal of your time doing guesswork and trying to figure things out all by yourself. 
  • You also need to be aware that not all boat plans are created equal.  Blueprint quality can be quite subjective and vary alot between makers.  Also some plans are created just for beginners while other plans are geared towards more advanced boat-builders.  Therefore, it is crucial that you choose a blueprint that is quality and matches your skill-level.  If this is your first attempt at building a boat, it is much safer to practice your skills on a small, simple design.  Once you’ve mastered a small boat design, you’ll know if you’re ready to try something more complicated. 
 Whatever level you are at, you will need quality boat plans with detailed, clear, complete, precise instructions and good images plus audio or video resources if you are to succeed really well.  Ask for as many of these resources including email and/ or phone support whenever possible when you are doing your due diligence to find your best boat plans.
 


DIY Seafarer

Boat Plans - What You Must Know Before Choosing


Sail Away On Your Own Boat
Building your own boat can be cheaper than buying a manufactured boat.  It can also be a great hobby for anyone who has some basic carpentry experience and enjoys working with their hands eg. the DIY (do-it-yourself) enthusiast, especially one who is a sea-dog with "seafever in their blood".  A boat that you have made yourself can be a thing of pride and beauty and something to treasure for years to come.  Of course, it takes a good deal of time and, although not as much as you would spend on a pre-made boat, a good amount of money.  Considering this, you certainly don’t wish to leap in and start such a project without the proper knowledge and the perfect boat plan.

The Internet is full of boat plans.  Many companies sell boat plans for a small price.  However, they aren’t all worth the price that is asked for.  A lot of plans found online are quite old, so the finished boat could be an older design which might have several technical faults in the hull construction.  The simplicity and convenience of using the Internet to find a boat plan will be negated if you end up with a plan that will not work for you.

You cannot know how your boat will behave in the water or in rough weather conditions on the ocean.  Large companies have the gear and knowledge to test these conditions.  They normally use scale models of an original design in specially-designed software in research labs before building a life-sized prototype.  Obviously, you are not going to be able to perform such tests.

Another option is to spend tons of money and even more hours building your boat, then testing it in real-life conditions.  Can you imagine your distress at going through so much trouble, only to watch your brand-new boat fail the test?  Unless you have time, money and energy to burn, this is definitely not an appealing nor practical option!

There is another way to make sure you’ve chosen a boat plan that will help you make your dream boat.  This option doesn’t involve laboratories or crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.  Instead, when shopping around for a boat plan, look for all the reviews you can find on each seller.  If you can find positive testimonies from happy customers about a company, you will definitely be on the right track.  If you want to have a better chance at making sure all of your time, money and effort won’t be spent in vain, it will be worth spending a few days in looking for just the right plan.

DIY Seafarer

Can You Really Build Your Own Small Boat?

DIY small wooden boat plans - http://best-boat-plans.blogspot.com DIY SMALL WOODEN BOAT PLANS

You would love to have a small boat of your own, but even a small boat can be expensive.   Have you thought of making your own boat?  If you are willing to do the work yourself, you can save money and be confident knowing exactly how the boat was made.  Many people are concerned that building a boat is much too difficult to tackle or that it will be too time-consuming.  If you start small, however, you may find those fears unfounded.

If you want to achieve your most desired results, realize that one of the most important decisions you will make will be about the materials you use.  If you want a high-quality boat, you have to start with the same fine materials you would use in the manufacture of a FULL-sized boat.


For best results, find a guide that will walk you through each necessary step to build a small boat when you are ready to plan.  A great place to find boat guides is ... you guessed it, the Internet!  From free plans to downloadable libraries, you’re sure to find the right boat plan for you.  Realize that a project such as this will take up a large chunk of time. Do not think that you’ll be able to finish it in one week unless it is a model boat!  Determine if you will have enough free time to work on your boat before you begin. This is essential for your peace of mind.

Choosing which construction method to use is also crucial.  If you are a novice, plywood boat-building methods such as stitch-and-glue may be best to start with.  If you are looking for more of a challenge, a conventional wooden plank model may be just the thing.  From there, you will need to choose which type of craft to apply the construction method to and the waters the boat will be used on.

For example, a Jon boat makes a good fishing vessel.  If you would like a boat less than 10 feet in size that you will use in calm waters near the shoreline, a dinghy may be just the right boat for you.  As a bonus, once you have mastered building small boats, you will be able to apply your knowledge towards  building larger boats.  In time, your small-boat passion may grow into a large hobby to enjoy for many years to come.





Watch this video to see how quick and easy it is to build a boat from quality boat plans.

DIY Seafarer
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