I've been thinking about building a boat for a long time; I have also wanted to try my hand at sailing for just as long. As such, it made sense to me to build a sailboat. I wanted something that I could handle myself, that would easily fit in the trunk of my car, and be pretty simple to operate. I started researching home-built sailboat plans and came across an article from the 1950 edition of "Boat Builder's Annual" entitled Corky, a Pint-Sized Sailer.
Interestingly, this is an idea my father had about 15 years ago. Our family spent summers at our vacation home in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains where my sister and I entertained ourselves on the lake with an inner tube from a truck tire. My father got the idea to attempt to use a sheet affixed to a wooden frame to propel himself across the lake. Well, it didn't work out too well for him but it was still a good idea.
The first thing I needed was a suitable inner tube - I searched for truck inner tubes, but I couldn't find one that was in good enough shape; they were either lopsided or had multiple patches. Then, I got the idea to look for a company that made snow tubes. I found exactly what I was looking for at www.tubeproinc.com - a 44" reinforced butyl rubber tube made for river and snow tubing.
Then, I set about laying out the hull. The tool I used the most for this was a spool of string attached to a pencil to mark out all the curves.
Second most used tool - the jigsaw.
The tops and sides of the hull are cut next.
I used the "glue and screw" method to construct the hull.
Added some bracing to the inside.
Holes are cut for the mast and rudder.
I affixed a veneer to the top edge to cover the screws.
The rudder (duh).
Fiberglassed the edges and screws.
I decided to make the bow and stern bulkheads, so I added PVC pipe and sealed all the seams.
Look at that edge! Damn, I'm good!
More sealant is applied where the veneer meets the sides.
I used exterior oil-base on the hull. The initial coats of paint really suck into the raw wood.
After about three coats, it's really starting to cover well.
The completed rudder and tiller.
I decided to mortise the rudder for the tiller to go through.
Had a really nice day so I took the hull outside to finish the painting and varnishing.
I used luggage straps to secure the tube to the hull.
This is a bracket for the leeboard. See the finished rudder, tiller and leeboard are on the right.
And here she is all rigged up and ready to sail! The sail is made of Tyvek and fitted with aluminum grommets. All the hardware is stainless steel.
Her maiden voyage is a success! Notice how nice she drafts...
You can see the sail catching the wind.
So, I have succeeded in accomplishing two things on my list of things to do before I die: build a boat and sail a boat.
It was a fun project that turned out really great. She doesn't sail fast, but she looks great doing it. So good in fact, that several people stopped while she was in the water and asked where I had gotten her!