BYYB Forums

I'm a brand new want-to-be boat builder in central Virginia.  I have decided to build Ted Brewer's Mystic Sharpie (32') or maybe one of Reuel Parker's designs (the San Juan 30).  I have study plans for the Mystic and plans for a Bow Roof shed that I'm currently building as my work shed.

I've started a blog....(who hasn't)

http://mysticsharpie.blogspot.com/

If any of you all live nearby I'd love to share info on lumber yards and foundry's etc.

So far my experiences with boat building have been strictly restorations (3).  This will be my first "from scratch" boat.

Fair winds,

Rob Granger

Ahoy, And welcome aboard Rob. Good to meet you mate, good luck on your build, pleas as you build post some pic's here so we may all enjoy your progress. Also if you have any questions along the way this is the place to ask. We have alot of good folk's here who Just like you havent ever built a boat but had the passion to do so, as have I.
Good luck and I look forward to seeing your post's.

Brian.

Both of the projects you've listed are huge and quite extensive undertakings. The extreme and vast majority of these never get completed, statistically. It would be wise to build a dinghy (for the mother ship) of a similar construction method, which in both cases is traditional plywood over frames. Not that you need the skills, as I'd expect you have a fairly good understanding of them with the previous restorations, but to get a handle or the organization necessary for a new build, which is a good bit different then a restoration.

Building a small boat first is an idea I subscribe to.  I built the Triad.  It would make a great dinghy.  It can comfortable hold 4 normal sized adults, is pretty stable and can be sailed rowed or motored.  However the plan to build a small boat first has a couple of glitches.

First it took longer then I thought it would.   health and procrastination slowed the build.

Second any boat big enough to haul my dinghy around and leave room for people would have to be 30+ feet and that would be an enormous project.  I checked with procrastination and was told 5 years minimum.  According to my doctor health wouldn't be an issue 3,4 or 5 years out but not because it's improving.  Come to think of it according to my doctor I won't have any issues or concerns then.  However since he is not a stubborn Norski I don't pay much attention to his estimates.

Third the wife was very tolerant of my first boat build but raises an eyebrow everytime she catches me looking at boat plans.  She also has refused to move near a coast so where I would sail my 30'+ boat is an issue.  I could always block it up in the backyard and use it as a clubhouse I guess but that would require my putting some form of dolly under the dinghy or fitting it with wheels so I could use it to move between the blocked up boat and the house.

Yo ho... yo ho... a pirates life for me.
We'll sail into the sunset and onward til the dawn.
We'll sail our ships around the house and dock on the front lawn.
yo ho... yo ho... pirates we will be.

There I think we have pretty much hijacked the original post here.  My apologies.

The cold weather is causing an outbreak of cabin fever I think.

Simply Awesome Terry!
Well see Procrastination and I go back a way's see, lol. I figured if I'm going to build a boat, I may as well build a fairly large one as,
A. I ain't never going to have the time to build another, and,
B.It would take about the same amount of time lol.
Thing is I do work on my boat here and there, but have recently gotten some time to acctually do something to it. 
Sometimes I kind of wish I had built a smaller dinghy style boat because I probubly would be sailing it by now.
(Acctually a long time ago.)
But then I probubly would not have built my bigger boat, That will do what I want a boat for in the first place. Which for me is sailing with a bit of camping on a hook.

Yes, this build has taken longer than I had expected, Not because of acctual building time, But I do what I can when I can, and when I am done I will have a boat that will do what fullfill's my dream.
A side note on that. Truthfully I wish I had gone bigger, round bottom, 30, 35 feet. Which yes, it would take longer than what I have on my plate already, but man to go island hopping on my own hand built boat would have been nice.
Another thing is this, Man what a conversation piece she is. Parked on her wheeled cradle in the back yard.
Kinda goes with yer song Terry, maybe you should bring your Triad over lol.
Just my thought's though.

I once considered picking up a free for the asking ferro cement yacht. It was 55' on deck and I figured I could bury it in the back yard and fill it with water for a unique pool or fish pond. I was a lot cheaper then having a pool put in, but the one that must be obeyed raised here hairy arms in protect, so I was screwed. Think about it, buried up to it's LWL, with a little fore deck and a fake dock along side. It could have been the coolest pool around, but she just doesn't have the "vision" I do I guess . . .

When it comes to dreams of boat building or ship shaped swimming pools significant others are like that famous sea bird, the albatros.  Each of us that has one knows of what I speak.

Boon or bane they keep us sane, wake us from our dreams.
To be fair tis cause they care, stopping the extremes.
Loving one can be such fun, one of life's grand schemes.

All the same Paul, I'd of  swum in it.  :

What a great vision Paul. And what a wonderful story to tell when being nagged at for grandioso dreams. 

Paul that would have been a wonderfull idea, I woulda swum in it. also talk about convorsation pieces lol. another reason for building the bigger boat is SWMNBN, i dont think will ever let me build another boat in the back yard as it blocks the view of the rose bushes.

A rose garden on the cabintop my friend . . .