Boat Building Kits

Opinions regarding boat building kits have been expressed many times and now it's my turn ,which will be based on my experience. You can either buy a kit which you have to build yourself, inclusive of all the various sealing, treatment and finishes. OR

Buy a carcass ie. the hull and deck particularly with fibre glass examples and then fit it out yourself. Usually with this type bulk heads will have been fitted to stabilise the boat.

I was inexperienced when I started my boat building career and found that having a kit as a starting point hepled me considerably.

Those kits were made in the workshop from existing patterns, roughly shaped to the boats contours which I had to scribe to fit.

The difference between that and buying a kit nowadays is that your kits will mostly be exact with only a few items to fit individually.

This method, especially if you have few woodworking skills, is an ideal starting point and one from which you can develop in the future.

I am assuming here that it is the actual materials and instructions you are searhing but should you just require waterproofing kits then DIY Boatbuilder will provide them.

Kit's Finding Mission

We must start with a design of boat we want to build and will find a good selection at Jordan Boats, who also provide the boat building kits.

They are an experienced and reputable small company who have gained their reputation from actual deisgn and build of plywood boats, which they test in different lake, river and sea conditions. Many photo's of boats under construction and the finished and sailing articles can be viewed on their site.

You can download details from them showing their crafts and prices. Their range is in the hundreds so you shouldn't be disappointed.

I'm thinking too of the money you will save by doing it yourself, approx 60 percent of what the finished article would cost.

Continental Drift

On the other side of the pond are Fyne Boat Kits, no problem with shipping these days though, who have kits of sailing, rowing, canoe, kayaks and are dispatched with detailed plans and instructional videos.

Should you have never built a boat the DVD's will give you confidence to begin as they make the technique seem very easy. The company use the stitch and glue method of construction creating the scarf joints which is a chamfered butt joint, stronger than a normal butt joint.

Kits are usually sent out within 10 days, earlier if they are in stock.

Cruisers and Day and Cabin Boats

Swallow Boats, don't let your kids try this, are high quality, traditionally styled, but utilise todays techniques and materials.

Their more customer popular boats are created with fibre glass but their own preference are epoxy coated plywood, which are strong and extremely light.

Many, but not all, are available in kit form which have been exported throughout the world..

Sallow's ethos was high quality boat building kits but they have expanded also into building the finished product

Plans But No Kit

You may have seen a boat design which takes your fancy. You have or can obtain the plans.

Jordan Boats of Fife will make a kit for you for almost any boat design

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