How to Choose the Right Boat Plan to Fit Your Needs

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, money-and-time-wasting mistake!  Let’s look at some things to consider before making the plunge.

Make sure your chosen plan has good instruction clarity.  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.  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.  This can help you know exactly what needs and situations will arise.

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 most of your time doing a lot of guesswork and trying to figure things out by yourself. 

You also must be aware that all boat plans are not created equal.  Blueprint quality can be quite subjective.  Some plans are created just for beginners while other plans are geared towards more advanced boat builders.  Therefore, it’s crucial that you choose a blueprint that 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 one, you’ll know if you’re ready to try something more complicated.

How to Save Money Building Your Own Boats

For aquatic activities enthusiasts, boats are a wonderful thing to have.  Whether you love fishing, skiing, canoeing, kayaking or just cruising, having your own boat puts you in charge of where and when you have fun on the water.  The problem is, of course, that boats can be very expensive.  However, if you have some carpentry skills, some free time and love working with your hands, you can save money by building a boat yourself!

The Internet is a great resource for boat plans.  Thousands can be found on the Internet and many of them are free.  Whether you are interested in building a canoe, motorboat, sail boat or a small boat, free designs for them can be found on the Internet.  There are even plans that can show you how to build a rowboat in eight hours!

Along with boat-building plans, the Internet is also a great resource for learning all other aspects of boat building, including which glues to use and which materials work best for which boats.  You can even find a sail calculator, which finds dimensions for the sailing rigs of small boats, and videos of people building boats so you can see for yourself exactly how they’ve done it, step by step.

As for what to use, there is a variety of materials you may construct your boat from.  Plywood is very popular; even experienced boat builders often construct their boats out of plywood, since it is the cheapest material for building boats with.  Several other materials--everything from plywood to PVC pipe and scrap wood—may also be used.  The development of new resin systems with various resin curing times and ability to be used as fillers or glue have also made it easier to build boats.  Carbon fiber and other high-end cloths have easy handling characteristics, which also lends to easier boat-building.

You can learn about all of these aspects of boat building on the Internet.  Naturally, you can also order books on the subject from the Internet.  Even if you’ve never tried building a boat of any kind before, there are books out there for beginners.  So, there you have it.  If you would rather try challenging yourself and experiencing the pride and satisfaction of taking to the water in a boat you made with your own hands, some quality time spent surfing the ‘net can get you well on your way!

How to Build a Wooden Boat

Have you been thinking about building your own boat, but think it may be too much hassle?  Don’t give up on your dream just yet!  It is true that boat plans can be pretty complicated.   No matter how passionate or enthusiastic you may be about having a boat made by your own hands, it won’t make up for being stuck with a boat plan you simply cannot follow.  Luckily for you, there’s MyBoatPlans.com.  Master Boat Builder Martin Reid shares his 17 years of boat building experience with you on this site.

Having developed a passion for boats and “all things marine” as a child, his father bought him his first boat plan on his twelfth birthday.    Years later, upon the rediscovery of that first boat after his father’s death, he decided to try his hand at building the “real thing” and bought his first set of boat plans for a very basic dinghy. His excitement soon turned to disappointment as he realized the plans simply weren’t easy to understand.  After a lot of hard work, countless hours and guessing, he ended up with a half-finished boat he could do nothing with.  He ended up buying more plans and trying again.  After yet more wasted money and materials, he ended up with another half-finished boat.  Naturally, he nearly gave up on his boat-building dreams.

Luckily for him, he ended up meeting a local, master boat builder who was kind enough to take him under his wing and help him follow the plans he had purchased.  Thanks to this, his skills eventually improved and he built his first boat.  That was just the beginning.  Now, he has over 200 original boat plans, written in a simple, step-by-step format, available to you.  He wants to share them so that you don’t have to go through all of the same boat-building frustration that he did.  Following these illustrated, high-quality guides and plans will guide you every step of the way in building a boat of your own.

Each boat plan is so detailed and simple to understand that even someone with no experience can begin building a boat today!  The detailed specifications, diagrams and many photos are totally fool proof to keep you from wasting time or money on wasted materials.  All of this delivered right to your email inbox; no need to wait for the mailman to bring them.  

For what you could spend on one set of boat plans, you can get an entire library of high-quality plans from MyBoatPlans.com!  And what a library!  Whether you’re interested in cabin cruisers, sail boats, hydros or yachts, you can find a plan for it, along with so many others, you’ll never need to buy a boat plan again!  The hardest work has been done for you; all you have to do is point and click to begin your boat-building journey!