BYYB Forums

hey there everyone.  I've always wanted to have a small sailboat for quick day trips to local lakes and maybe occassionally taking down to the shore here in NC.  I've had a lot of experience with sailboards and such so I have a basic understanding of using the wind.  Now that I have a decent sized garage at my new house and I have a pretty good set of tools (table saw, router, miter saw, hand sander, grinder, drill press, clamps, etc) I want to start building an economical "sunfish/sailfish" type boat.  I am by no means an expert woodworker I've just been able to acquire tools through a lot of luck and hand me downs. 


Any advice between these boats as to ease of build and price? 

The moon fish is stitch and glue but I am not sure how that is easier or not.  It also sounds like it is epoxy intensive which would drive up the costs.  Is that right? 

http://www.bateau.com/studyplans/MF14_st...?prod=MF14

The mini-cup has some issues with the original design plans being off but there seems to be enough consensus out there on how to fix those glitches.  These old plans also don't come with "full size" prints and I'll have to scale based on the old PDF's floating around.  The mini-cup plans are free so there's a bonus.

http://www.bateau.com/studyplans/MF14_st...?prod=MF14

The clark craft boat build 12 and the original skipjack seem good especially if I want to go out with my fiance and the dog (very good swimmer btw, doesn't seem to mind crashing waves so I don't think a boat tip would freak him out too much, if it happens). 

http://www.clarkcraft.com/cgi-local/shop...1040339985

Any recommendations between the four.  I am leaning towards the clark craft/skipjack plans.  For $31 that seems reasonable.

Any thoughts would be great.  I am probably more cost concerned than ease of build concerned.  Although if we are only talking about $50-$100 I'd rather go ease of build.


Thanks in advance everyone,
Jim

built of BS1088 ply epoxy etc, Moonfish will probably cost around $1000+.  $300 for glass and epoxy, $350 for ply, $350+ for everything else.  

Those costs are  what I might spend if I were building the boat.    (something that I have considered)  It would be every bit as nice as any new sunfish.  

The sunfish will be easy to build and anyone with basic hand tool experiance will be able to accomplish the build.   You will also be better with all your tools when you finish.  A few hand tools are all that are required.  A circular saw, jig saw and drill are probably the only power tools you will need. 

(02-04-2010, 12:25 PM)Chris Obee link Wrote: [ -> ]The sunfish will be easy to build and anyone with basic hand tool experiance will be able to accomplish the build.   You will also be better with all your tools when you finish.  A few hand tools are all that are required.  A circular saw, jig saw and drill are probably the only power tools you will need. 

I am confused here.  Did you mean the Moon fish will be easy to build....?  Is that because it is stitch and glue?  I just don't know that much about what stitch & glue is about.

How do you compare it's ease of construction to the others I mentioned, especially in consideration of costs of materials? 

Thanks for the reply.

Jim

(02-04-2010, 01:22 PM)jimmelo link Wrote: [ -> ]I am confused here.  Did you mean the Moon fish will be easy to build....?  Is that because it is stitch and glue?  I just don't know that much about what stitch & glue is about.

How do you compare it's ease of construction to the others I mentioned, especially in consideration of costs of materials?  

 
I cannot compare to the other boats.  I have neither built any of them nor seen thier plans.  I can say that building Moonfish using the stitch and glue method will be simple and is within the reach of anyone with moderate handyness.  If you are reasonably carefull, read the instructions, the how tos and resist the urge to panic you will complete your project without major problems.  I find the bateau plans to be well made and the help on the website is beyond price.  I am building a CV16 from bateau a much larger project than Moonfish.  It is my first boat project and indeed my first major wood working project.  My wood working skills are meager from an artistic viewpoint and I am having no difficulties.


Here is my build thread.  

http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=19865

I think you have to decide if you want to own a boat you built or have a nice boat in the size you have identified.  The reason being is it will cost you $1000 or more to build a boat and you could buy one, like you are interested in, for far less off ebay, provided it is close enough to pickup.  I built the Triad.  It is a small, 12 foot, sail boat and probably slower and more work type boat then you might care for.  I will have about $1300 in it by the time I am finished.  I could have built it for around $1000 but opted for an aluminum mast and layered on extra epoxy in some places.  The aluminum mast and boom were to keep weight down so my soon to be 10 year old daughter could handle them better.  The extra epoxy was because it is my first boat and I over built.  It seemed the thing to do at the time.

Back to the point of this reply.  You could build a small boat, like you have decided on, for less then the $1000 if you skipped epoxy coating the hull and used regular house or porch paint.  It would last a while, depending on care and maintence, and sail as well as a better built boat.  If you want a boat, still sailable 10 years from now, that you built yourself, then figure $1000 or so and enjoy the build process.  If you just want a boat that size that you can sail when the water warms then buy one off ebay, polish it up a bit and sail away.  There are 2 boats on ebaymotors that are kinda close, 14 foot or so, and under $500 with trailers.

Having to do the whole thing over, knowing what I know now, I would have built the boat lighter (less epoxy) but building that little boat is the best thing I have done since making a kid with the wife.  That may sound sad but building that boat was just so enjoyable and satisfying.  You have the tools to build one and having those tools tells me you must enjoy wood working a bit so I'd say pick a plan and build it.  The new Skipjack is suppose to be fast as well as roomy.  The other designs you have targeted would be fast as well.  The mini-cup looks to me to be a solo sailer but I am good sized.  Whatever you build welcome aboard!

Thanks for the response Terry.  I am definitely inclined to build on my own.  Actually with a couple of friends and the fiance.  The dogs don't really help much.  I just really enjoy time in the shop.  It's a good break from work and feels very rewarding when the final product is made.  I just finished a chest of drawers and that was really fun.  The new skipjack looks so big!  but it may be the way to go. 

I think lots of folks are attracted to building a boat because they think that they will be able to keep it cheap.  I don't think that ever happens except in the case of an experianced builder who can really be disciplined in his building.  beginners are tempted by boating bling, they over-build, they change thier plan in mid course.  I have been guilty of all these things.  I've spent substantially more than a comparable sailboat would be worth.  But, it was spread out over time and I am going to have just the sailboat that I wanted, not a hand-me-down with an uncertain history.  Overall the rewards of building are in the building itself and then the satisfaction of sailing the boat that you built.