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A selection of Free Boat Plans that can be viewed and / or downloaded.

These free to download wooden boat plans (pdf) were first published in magazines such as "Popular Mechanics", "Popular Science" and the "Boat Builder's Handbook".

• Rowing Boats
• Sailing Boats

Back Issues for Sale

"Popular Science" magazine and "Popular Mechanics" back issues can be viewed online at Google Books.

All these free boat plans can be built by anyone with a common sense modicum and a few basic woodworking skills and tools. However, if you have not got the skills and tools yet, this is a great way to acquire them.

One of the beauties of building yourself is that you do not have to buy everything at once, just get what you need when you can afford it.

While some of the instructions suggest using exterior plywood, I would always recommend using marine grade.

If you need help with lofting out the plans click here for an article here which should help.

Canoe Free Boat Plans 

Combining the features of both kayak and canoe, "Blue Bill" is for those out-of-doors-men who hunt or the sportsmen who need an ultra-light-weight portable boat for use upon any waters.

Besides being usable to build a double-end paddling model, a few changes permit the plans to be used for making a canoe that will accommodate outboard motors up to 6 hp. for swift, speedy transportation on any stream or waterway.

Weighing only 75 lbs. complete, "Blue Bill" is easily transported atop an auto anywhere.

Click Here for the Plans

This kayak is the answer for young people who want to build an inexpensive boat for summer fun. A shop full of power tools is not necessary, either. All the work can be done with ordinary hand tools and a few C clamps. This Free Boat Plan will carry one adult but it's handiest when paddled by a youngster. The boat is stable in the water and, even though it can be turned over, it will not sink. It's also light enough to be carried with ease. Building is so simple that the 'Jig' consists of only two blocks and a few bricks. 

Hunting Kayak

For many years a favorite of hunters, trappers and traders the kayak now is as popular with Europeans as the outboard boat is with Americans.

Although this boat was designed to carry two people, it will accommodate three in a pinch and gear may be stowed under fore and after decks.

A few strokes with the double paddle will send it gliding across the water with the minimum of effort on your part.

Kayaks are surprisingly seaworthy, too — more stable than a canoe, in fact, because the occupants sit on the bottom of the hull which lowers the center of gravity. 

Pintail and 10ft Duck Boat

'Pintail' drawn from plans by Wm D Jackson is another of the Free Boat Plans from the 'Boat Builder Handbook'. This one is being built by Greg Allore .

If you have ever struggled with the oars of a heavy, slow-moving rowboat and then paddled a swift, high maneuverable canoe you can appreciate why many true sportsmen prefer canoes.

But, too often, the multi-ribbed conventional canoe is not only hard to build but too thin-skinned for hard usage.

This Free Boat Plan teams up plywood and fiberglass to produce a tough, scrape-proof canoe you can build in one-tenth the time it would take you to turn out a conventional canoe.

The use of only one frame offsets the extra weight of using plywood, so that this canoe is still light enough for comfortable portage. 

Little Chief

Little Chief is a canoe with many virtues, ideally adapted to quick, easy construction.

Canoes are not easy to build, but here is one Free Boat Plan that can be made of ordinary materials for a fraction of the cost of conventional canoes.

It has attractive molded lines and may be built either as a paddling model or, with slight changes, adapted for use with small outboard motors.

In all countries of the world, particularly the United States, the kayak is enjoying newfound popularity.

Here's a nimble, lightweight craft that has its roots in the Arctic as a basic instrument of survival, yet is branching out as a modern outdoor sport on our own rivers and lakes.

To the Eskimo, a kayak is more than a boat.

When he's laced into his whale-bone and walrus-hide craft, he's ready for anything in the way of water or weather.

To most of us, however, a kayak is pure adventure and fun.

It's perfect for poking around uninhabited Islands, exploring the bends of a lazy, winding river, or just breaking the peaceful surface of a placid lake at sunset.

Redwood Canoe

You can build this 74lb, 16 foot canoe using redwood strips, an old boat-building technique.

Two persons can sit side by side in the center with one person at each end and plenty of room for gear.

This canoe is formed around plywood templates using redwood strips glued edge to edge.

You lay up the strips, remove the form, and the canoe is complete, except for fiberglassing and putting in the seats. 

The plans can also be used to build a 13-foot version of this strip planked canoe.

or Click Here for the Free Plans

Houseboat Free boat Plans

Budget houseboat (trailerable).

The Budget Houseboat is like a camper that goes on water.

She's 20 ft. long with a 9-ft. beam, containing 300 sq. ft. of usable floor area.

This means that while she can accommodate two in outrageous comfort, she can easily take a family of four on an extended vacation and be entirely self-contained.

There are two full-size permanent bunks in the forward section of the cabin.

The dining table, in the rear section of the cabin, seats four and then drops down to convert into an extra bunk 6 ft. 4 in. long and 38 in. wide.

Cabin headroom is 6 ft. 2 in., and two cots can be stationed to the rear of the cabin area.

Bayou Belle

Bayou Belle is a 25' scow that can be built as a sports utility, a fishing boat, or a houseboat, depending on your requirements for pleasure offshore.

As a sports utility, she can be used for towing water skiers and for cruising, as a fishing boat, she offers a stable platform with plenty of elbow room and stowage space.

As a houseboat, she has roomy interior accommodations for a leisurely life afloat.

Construction of Bayou Belle makes use of prefabricated sections, which means that much of the work can be done indoors in the average garage during the cold winter months, and the boat completed outdoors in time for launching in late spring.

Float-A-Home

A houseboat is a unique water craft in that it combines most of the comforts of home with the mobility of a boat.

Of course, use is limited to sheltered waters, and speeds are slow in comparison to more sea worthy vessels.

Float-A-Home is a 21-footer that provides plenty of living space for three or four persons.

An extremely simple houseboat to build, the free boat plans feature a strong hull with a heavy keel and close-spaced framing.

This, coupled with a relatively low profile, makes it a very stable craft.

Click Here for the free Plans

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I am perfectly aware that the majority of Wooden Boat aficionados are sensible folk. However, I need to point out that I am an amateur wooden boat enthusiast simply writing in order to try to help other amateur wooden boat enthusiasts. And while I take every care to ensure that the information in DIY Wood Boat.com is correct, anyone acting on the information on this website does so at their own risk.

Great Projects

Build a small sailboat free plans.

These plans are for a small 15 foot knockabout sailboat.

I like these plans for their ease. Building a smaller boat is a lot more attainable than a cabin cruiser! And these plans get right to the specifics of building. From the plans:

ANY SAILBOAT fancier will like "Tramp," the trim, 15-ft. knockabout that's so easy to build in plywood. The first operation is to cut the stem, transom and side planks and assemble the forms.

Use casein or waterproof glue under the butt strap joining the side planks together. Forms can be made of almost any scrap material on hand. If you are a good enough mechanic, they can be dispensed with and correctly beveled frames made to their exact shape can be placed permanently in the boat. Screw-fasten the oak frame at sides and bottom on the inside of the transom. Then notch out the bottom of the frame to receive the keel batten...

The transom is placed last and must be beveled so that the side planks fit tightly against the cleats and the transom edge. Be sure to place white lead and a thin thread of cotton between planks and stem and transom prior to joining them together...

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LIST of WOODEN BOAT PLANS – By Michael Storer

Plywood boat plans and wooden canoe plans. sailing dinghy . power . row . paddle . overnight, a boat building course in a book.

Click on an image for more information about our inexpensive, highly detailed boat plans and wooden canoe plans

Viola 14 Sailing Canoe Boat Plan

A sailing canoe to make dinghy sailors happy – 75lbs and for a simple boat, beautiful beyond belief – visit page.

Viola 14 Sailing Canoe is fun and exciting. But easier than a sailing dinghy to transport and store.

Canoe performance and Dinghy stability. 14ft – 75 pounds (34kg)

Viola is extremely stable allowing the crew to stand up and step and unstep the lug rig mast while on the water. Try that in a symmetric paddling canoe hullform! If righted correctly she is almost dry after capsize.

Three Sailing rigs with two piece masts 4.7 and 6.0sqm full batten rigs. 6.3m balance lug with three reefs for distance sailing. 75lb hull. Four sheets 4mm plywood.

More about the Viola 14 Sailing Canoe Plan here

Kits For Viola 14 Canoe Europe – Viola 14 Sailing Canoe Precut Plywood and Timber Kits Americas – Viola 14 Saling Canoe Precut Plywood and Timber Kits

16ft Kombi Sail and Paddle Canoe Plan

A 50/50 Sail and Paddle Canoe for one or two with more stabililty for sailing – visit page

The Kombi Canoe is a development of our recent sailing canoes to bring paddling ability up equal to the sailing ability.

Great for families as it can be used as a pure paddling canoe, but also sail well with one or two adults aboard.

More about the Kombi Sail and Paddle Canoe here.

NEW Plan – Mini Outriggers for Adding stability to sailing canoes and small dinghies

The Mini Outriggers are to add stability to a sailing canoe or small dinghy and aid stability to reduce the risk of capsize on other relatively slender boats.

They are set above the water to allow a sailing canoe or narrow dinghy to be sailed normally .

More about the Mini Outriggers here.

Taal Stand Up Paddleboard in Plywood

Both speed and stability at the same time.

A beautiful plywood Stand Up Paddleboard designed for distance paddling.

The user feels the stability, the water thinks it is a low drag pintail. 12ft

We created a board that hits the numbers for a good canoe or rowboat. Less wetted surface with a stable midsection and excellent weight carrying.

12ft and Stable for beginners but with the low drag of a kayak/pintail type hull (see the stern photos).

More about the Taal Touring Stand Up Paddleboard Plan here

Goat Island Skiff Sail Boat Plan

Simple, modern performance and famous worldwide.

Justifiably famous.

Simple to build but light, fast, pretty.  Fast with 1 to 4 adults

Rows and Motors and will sail rings around other character boats. 15.8ft

More information about the Goat Island Skiff Plan Facebook Group for asking questions about the Goat Island Skiff

Quick Canoe 155 – build in 2 weekends

Very simple plywood canoe that handles well and looks right.

Quick DIY wooden canoe that works better than most flat-bottomed canoes and many fibreglass ones.

Even looks good on the beach. 15.5ft

First one took the builder 4 1/2 hours to get on the water – but most take 2 weekends. Half the weight of many fibreglass canoes. Lighter than most plastic. 55lbs from big store plywood. Another took 5 1/2 hours .

It has been designed to be as easy to build as possible while keeping most of the qualities of a nice paddling wooden canoe.

In particular the ability to track – excellent first boat plan. Click here for a comparison between our fast and our classic paddling canoe plans

More Information about the plywood Quick Canoe Plan

Eureka Canoe – Classic Plywood Canoe Plan

Light and lovely to paddle. simple plywood boat plan.

Light on the land, Prettiest Plywood or wooden Canoes anywhere. 15.5ft

Excellent distance touring boats.

15’6″, simple construction for a wooden canoe. 32 – 45lbs (15 to 20kg)

Click here for a comparison between our paddling canoe plans.

Click here for more information about the Eureka Plywood Canoe

Quick Canoe Electric Cargo Canoe Plan

Wooden cargo canoe for electric trolling motor 34lbs thrust.

5 to 6mph using a 34lb thrust Minn Kota or other electric trolling motors. DIY plywood canoe for fishing and roof racking.

Keeps the simplicity and low materials cost of the Quick Canoe Family. 15.5ft

Cartop transport. Very detailed Wooden Canoe Plans.

Click here for more information about the Plywood Quick Canoe Electric

Oz Goose Light Family and Club Sail Boat Plan

Low-cost family sailing dinghy, regattas and club training and learn to sail.

The Oz Goose is a small boat that is super easy to build.

Cruising or teaching with three adults or excellent club racing performance sailing with 1 or 2 in the boat. 12ft

The famous line is we can build 10 of these in the Philippines for the price of importing a single Laser sailboat. Boat speeds are very matched for excellent tactical racing when not heading off for a family picnic with two adults and a bunch of kids aboard

For training, the goose will carry an instructor and two adults to sail with good sensitivity and speed. In stronger winds, we commonly see downwind speeds of 10 to 13knots and sometimes much more.

Also, visit the  Oz Goose Group on Facebook More information about the Plywood Oz Goose – see the website

“BETH” Sailing Canoe – Elegant plywood boat plan

Simple, brilliant performance – one person cartop – sailing canoe portability.

A touch of the 1870s but fast about as much fun as is possible on a plywood boat. 

Yawl Rig with speed – a wooden canoe that can scare the Lasers at your local club .

Racing dinghy experience recommended! 

A small boat for amateur boat building that is light enough for one person to roofrack 70lbs plywood canoe hull. Sailing Canoe boat plan

Click here for more about the  plywood BETH Sailing Canoe Plan

Drop-in sail Rig Plan for Canoes and Kayaks

Convert a canoe or dinghy into a serious sailboat.

Convert most Kayaks or Canoes into an INSTANT SAILBOAT.

Everything removes as one unit except for the mast step

Also fits some rowing dinghies that are small or narrow.

Very cheap beginners plan.

Read more about the Drop-In Sailing Rig Boat Plan

Drop in Outrigger Canoe conversion Plan

Convert canoe, kayak or dinghy to a fast sailboat trimaran with amas..

Create a paddle or sailing outrigger canoe from a fibreglass or wooden Canoe or Kayak.

Even an elderly Grumman!

Convert your old canoe into an awesome sailing machine or fishing or diving platform.

Each component is under 10 pounds and everything removes cleanly from the boat apart from 4 small fittings and a mast step.

These Amas and crossbeams work for fibreglass and wooden canoes and dinghies, Fibreglass, Aluminium and some plastic canoes.

Performance sailing (see the video on the plan page ) or as a stable fishing platform or to make a super quick sailing multihull.

If you buy the plywood boat plan for the outriggers there is a free supplement available to set it up for sailing. Very cheap plan for a big boost in performance.

Find out how to convert your canoe, kayak or dinghy to a fast sailing outrigger canoe

Handy Punt – simple fishing punt Boat plan

Light cartop load, simple to build and stable – ideal first plywood boat plan.

Outboard motored Punts are the simplest plywood boats.

Good performance, easy construction, stable fishing platforms.

And lightweight for cartopping on roof racks.

An easy first boat plan for first-time boatbuilders.

6 to 8hp – 10 in some regions

Click here to find out more Outboard Punt Boat Plan

Russki Wave Ski, Surf Ski, Sit Down Paddleboard Boat Plan

Easy to build sit down paddleboard from two sheets ply.

Simple plywood waveski or paddleboard from two sheets of plywood.

Paint it and keep it on the car roof ready for use after work.

Small light boats usually are used more frequently than complicated and expensive boats.

Find out more about the Russki Plywood Wave Ski Plan

15 1/2 ft Storer Rowing Skiff Plan

Easy pretty plywood rowing skiff plan for oar.

Simple lightweight rowing skiff for one person and maybe a passenger based on the Goat Island Skiff.

Or Adult and a couple of kids.

Pretty and quick rowing boat on the water.

Simple lightweight rowing skiff for one person and maybe a passenger or a couple of kids. Based on the Goat Island Skiff. I used to get enquiries about using the Goat Island Skiff sailboat hull for rowing. It does row well but blows around too much.

This is much, much better. Pretty and quick rowing boat on the water.

Find out more about the plywood Rowboat Plan

Dayboat/Launches Boat Plan Bundle 23 plus 27ft (7/8.4m) Venezia

Boat plans for two simple prefabricated cruisers for low power outboard in one package – 23 and 27ft.

Picnic boat, party boat, river-cruiser, camp aboard, mini home-away-from-home. 

Cuts through river and lake chop with zero bouncing and pitching.

Pack includes 23 and 27ft Dayboat versions in one plan pack includes Venezia below.

Simple plywood construction. 10 or 15hp 4-stroke for 8 to 10 knots. Venezia and Dayboat Launch Boat Plan Package

More about the 23ft Plywood Dayboat/Launch Boat Plan

“Venezia” 27ft trailerable canal boat

Stretched version of 23ft – both included in the plan above.

An 8.2m (27ft) boat for gentle cruising in rivers and canals.

Great appearance, sleeping accom., separate toilet – your layout.

10 to 15hp 4-stroke. 2 wooden cruising motor boat plans for the price of one –  Venezia and Dayboat Launch Boat Plan Package

Read more about the 27ft Venezia cruiser canal boat plan

TC35 Riverboat – Prefab, Economical Liveaboard for Two

Minimal liveaboard plywood boat 35ft.

Very economical, near wakeless cruising motorboat.

Light on the gas and light on building materials.

Revised wooden boat plan for an extremely economical, efficient low horsepower riverboat.

35ft. 1 x 15hp or 2 x 10/15hp. Simple Prefab Plywood Construction.

Find out more about the TC35 River Cruiser Plywood boat plan.

OZ RACER – 8ft Sailing Dinghies. 

Smaller versions of the 12ft oz goose sailing dinghy – 8ft for easier storage..

12ft Oz Goose  for Capacity and Performance

• Same easy construction
• Same Sail and Foils
• Much higher performance
• Much larger capacity

OzRacer RV 8ft – General purpose version

OzRacer RV is the same small boat hull but with more space in the cockpit and is a slightly simpler build.

4 sheets plywood.

These Boat plans are a modern boatbuilding course in a book. Capacity 1 adult and one child or maybe 2 adults

Find out more about the OzRacer RV

OZ RACER Mk2 8ft – Race Version

OzRacer Mk 2 has a centreboard for more performance but a bit less room for extra crew.

Three sheets plywood. Simple Plywood Boat Plans. Capacity 1 adult and one child or maybe 2 adults

Find out more

Free plans Oars and Single Paddle & Double paddles.

Simplified paddles and oars based on classic designs – free plan.

• Free Plans for Wooden Oars
• Single Paddles
• Double Paddles.

I didn’t want to charge extra for nice paddles to go with our nice wooden Canoe plans

Download Free Oar and Paddle Plans from this page.

Tips and Tricks for Boatbuilding, Woodwork, Use of epoxy.

CLICK HERE for many helpful articles about the selection of materials, boatbuilding and boat repair techniques. All to help home boatbuilders.

The Master list of Articles we have written to explain and help out home boatbuilders

Blog Articles about a whole range of design, building, sailing technique articles.

57 thoughts on “LIST of WOODEN BOAT PLANS – By Michael Storer”

Dear Michael Storer, After purchasing your design of the Viola 14 I am in the process of building now and looking for the sail plan for the 6.3m lugger sail which is not in the building description. Can I find the sail plan somewhere on the website or can I get it in another way? Thanks in advance and best regards, René

For these sorts of questions it is best to use the email on the cover of the plan set or the facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/storerboatplans/

But having seen this now I will send this to you.

Best Regards Michael.

Hello Michael,

it is possibel to get a Plan from your Goat island Skiff but 50% bigger and with a standard Rigg with Fock and main sail ?

Best regards Volker

No, I am a afraid it isn’t possible. It changes so many things that it becomes a new design. I choose new designs on the basis of how many I feel I’m likely to sell. I am interested in designing a bigger boat but it won’t be for some time. Maybe years. But there are other excellent designs that may suit your needs. Have a look at B & B designs. Similar performance type but already bigger and with and without a cabin.

Best Regards

Hello,, Michael, I am interested in building a hull like your Handy Punt, but at a length of 14 to 16 feet and a maximum width of 5’11”. (48-inch width would be adequate.) These dimensions are dictated by the covered slip where the boat would live. I will customize the interior for fishing in a 100-acre lake that does not allow gasoline motors. It can be lifted by an electric hoist for storage. Power would be a Minn Kota bow-mounted trolling motor with 80 pound thrust. It would be laid out for two-person fishing. Pilot would sit in the front to steer motor and consult bow-mounted sonar. Passenger would be in rear on chair or bench. It would need two 12-volt marine batteries. Could this work?

Increasing the length doesn’t really create any significant problems if another bulkhead is put in somewhere.

But increasing the beam creates all sorts of structural loads not anticipated in the original. It would no longer be a Handy Punt, but an original design from you. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – but there are risks involved.

Cheers Michael

interested in building a handy punt catamaran using an enlarged ozgoose plan 16 x 4 making the air chambers 2 x16 for the pontoons for a outboard motor of fairly low hp I am thinking 20 hp

It is possible to modify plans.

Yours is either the glory or the recriminations – or possibly both :)

Hi Michael Do you have any 17ft plans for coastal camping and cruising? David Australia.

I don’t.

I would suggest looking at John Welsford, B and B yachts and Iain Oughtred designs.

All good designers of very different styles of boats.

hello Michael,

would you be the man formerly behind Q-Craft ? If so, can I get your advice regarding the 3-person canoe model. There’s a used one for sale nearby and our buying decision based more on price than anything else. Being fibreglass, weight’s the prob but I’ve owned the same Canadian type many years ago so know what we’re in for at least. Solely calm waters intended for our paddling Appreciate your feedback if appropriate

I’m afraid I have never had any connection with Q-craft.

Hey Michael,

I recently bought your GIS plans, and then I found out that you may have a smaller version in the works. Will that be available any time soon?

Hi Rick, No, the timeframe is quite long term to get another plan fully documented. Probably 100 pages to write, lots of illustrations, drawings etc

God day Michael ! I am following the VUELTA (cycling Tour of Spain) and I enjoyed for 10 mn ago seing the young Australian Michael Storer winning the very hard “etape” (day competition). He had to climb the last mountain with two others guys 100 yards back and the suspense was terrible until the line, but this Aussie was a tiger today. Conclusion : two Michael Storer on top of the wave in Australia now ! (I enjoy your boats and I love Australia – living in Cottesloe, Perth, in the last century).

Thankyou Yves!

I don’t actually have many namesakes. For years the only Storers in the Sydney phone book were my family and my Aunt.

But other Storers have clearly been more (re)productive!

Best Regards and thankyou for the kind words.

Hi Michael I’m finally (FINALLY!!) building the Eureka Canoe. I purchased the plans way back – this is the set from 2006 (!) – but I wanted to check the temporary spreader dims for the higher volume boat. In the plans I have, it’s middle spreader = 857mm, and 2 end spreaders = 646mm. What are the higher volume dims?

Hi Richard … Send you an updated copy. Ah … was good fun living in Adelaide!

Hello, I have decided that my next boat to build will be a Shanty Houseboat as a retirement project, some place to live and be near fish, ya know? But, my journey in boat building started back somewhere in 2005 in Balad, Iraq. I was deployed at the time and was having severe anxiety so I did some meditation to calmer, more serene places and times, which eventually led me to a particularly fine memory of about 10 yrs old. Then, I was the middle child of 3 to a single mother on welfare, which did not afford many options on luxury or entertainment. I am sure you’ve heard the tale a thousand times already… I had a friend, named Eddie Dean, who’s Mother had a boyfriend who wanted to take her sailing. Being a single mother also, she couldn’t leave the kid behind, so they took me as a playmate. I had never been on a “real” boat in my life up until that time (a couple of ‘canoes’ at Six Flags, maybe.) I cannot even tell you the color at this point. But we went sailing, night sailing also, and it was a hidden, joyous memory for me! Fast forward to the war, and I find myself struggling for sanity in an insane place. I find that gem and I latch onto it like nothing else, this was my ‘safe’ place! I order “Sailing for Dummies” from Amazon, Sailor-talk Flashcards, and a book on knot-tying. I am determined, I am going SAILING again!!! Yet, I am in a desert and don’t have a boat… So, when I rotated back to the World, I do research and find the PDR, easy enough. Then I find the OZ version of that boat, which is the FIRST boat I built! Before this, the ONLY thing I had ever built out of wood, was a lopsided bookshelf in 8th Grade woodshop. A truly tragic abuse of wood, in hindsight. Your plans were straight forward, easily read and thorough. It was an immense pleasure to craft something from nothing. I took a month on it because I did not understand some terminology. More research… Once she was built and rigged, I still didn’t have a name. I floated her on the south marina of Willard Bay, Utah and dubbed her “OMGIF” (Oh My God, It Floats!) Afterwards, I applied all the book learning and taught myself how to sail. It wasn’t all peaches and cream, I had underbuilt some things and over estimated my skill A LOT! But, it was a GREAT beginner boat! I even taught all the “feral and orphan” children (this is a generic term for ALL kids that are not mine) around the neighborhood, those that were willing to learn, how to sail. I eventually gifted the boat to the prodigy for his 10th birthday. Since that first incursion into boat building, I have built 3 more: 2 day-sailers and a sloop, cabin cruiser, which I now currently own NONE! My ex-wife would let me build them, but not sail them. She is NOT an issue anymore

So, to make a short story long, I have been searching for a tender- type fishing platform for the Shanty I will build. I am quite excited about the prospect of a 12′ OZ sailer to fill that function, and I cannot wait to start building!

You do good work Sir, I thank you for it!

PS. Not that it really matters, but I posted on the PDR website 2 records the year I built my OMGIF: Highest Elevation and Fastest Speed. Was quite proud until I realized that I was the ONLY person that posted that year. So, to cure my depression, I also posted a PDR World Record for the Pinkest Boat! (mine was green…)

That is all excellent!

Congratulations on your records!

We have a great and active Oz Goose group on Facebook – if you use facebook. https://web.facebook.com/groups/opengoose/

Hugely useful.

Best Regards and Good Luck with the next project

Hi Gary, Wayne, Michael – I am also interested in outriggers+Kombi. has anyone pursued this idea? If one were to go down this route, are there any design considerations that need to be in mind from the beginning? Is the only real change to the Kombi increasing the mast diameter to 60mm? With the increased stability of the outriggers, is there any merit to considering the larger rig from the Viola instead of the standard Kombi rig? Or would this throw other things out of balance? Thanks, Colin

There are other ways to go with outriggers.

The idea from Solway Dory of smaller hulls gives a lot more reserve stability – plus they can be kept out of the water most of the time for a negligible effect on performance.

the mast would not need to be changed over either.

Look up the Solway Dory Outriggers on Google and see what you think. This is also a better topic for email.

hi Mik Following Garys query about outriggers for Kombi and/or Viola. I have been thinking for a while about an rooftoppable allrounder for our extended road/camping trips in the campervan. So all in protected water, two septigenerians with one “boaty” and one a “tourist.. Single or tandem paddling (rivers estuaries and such) Sailing (safe not high performance) Fishing.(again safe platform) Of course such a wish list threatens to result in something that doesnt do anything very well. When Viola appeared I thought this could be it? But a bit wide for paddling, a bit flighty and a bit heavy. The along came Kombi! And I already have your drop in outrigger plans…Perfect! Could you perhaps suggest a layout for a Kombi Tri including any hull mounting reinforcement. As we age needs change and I am going to jury rig a couple of amas to the GIS this summer as a proof of concept experiment. I hope thats not too “rude”. The Kombi Tri I would build as a package , concept already proved. Thanks Wayne Fremantle

The Kombi is the boat for this use pattern. Mast diameter will have to go up to 60mm to handle the greater stability from the outriggers.

I would suggest setting up two spreader bars set the same distance apart as the outrigger crossbeams with the mounting points for the outrigger tie downs just behind the spreader bars.

For hull mounting reinforcement for the crossbeam tie downs a piece of ply at each point 50 wide by 75 to make a pad for through bolts and a “saddle” or “deck eye” using 3/16″ Bolts (or 5mm metric).

I think it would be quite a satisfactory boat. I would definitely carry paddles as I suspect the tacking technique will be like a roll tack for the standard Kombi so it will spin fast. With the outriggers it may be a bit sluggish … or maybe it will be fine. Also there is a free supplement written for buyers of the outrigger plan to alter the crossbeam curve to match canoes with lower freeboard. That would match the Kombi too.

Mr.Storer, I am thinking about combining your drop in outriggers with either the new Combi or the Viola sailing canoe. Has it been done? Your thoughts? Thanks, Gary Moore

Hi Gary, It will put a lot more load on the hull because of the large increase in stability.

It might be OK. The mast diameters would probably need a slight increase.

Hi I’m interested in the possibilities of cruising in a Goose and sleeping under a boat tent, for which the rectangular hull would be very well suited. Would it be possible to move the daggerboard case to the side – even against the buoyancy tank, perhaps – and narrow the bottom of the frame so it doesn’t dig in to your legs, in the interests of comfortable sleeping? Thanks.

There are some options.

If you have facebook, Thomas Newton made some changes that seem to have worked out well removing the need for the centrecase bulkhead and associated seat.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1622720037971725/search?q=thomas newton

Hi, Michael !

I am interested to learn how many plywood sheets go in 27ft Venezia and 35ft TC35 builds. And also the TC35 resulting hull weight estimate. Can you share on that?

Kind regards, Aleksei

Hi Aleksei,

Here are the plywood quantities.

12mm x 2 9mm x 57 6mm x 4 4mm x 1

– there will be some variation here as the interior layout can be changed substantially by each builder. 12mm x 1 9mm x 20 6mm x 28 4mm x 3

Best wishes Michael.

Dear Michael,

I wish to build a Mundoo electric boat for european canals, but I can’t find the plans. Is it available? Thanks in advance,

Pal Horvath

You need to contact DuckFlat Wooden Boats in Adelaide Australia.

Their website is duckflatwoodenboats dot com (change the dot to a . and remove the spaces)

I was simply employed as a draftsman for that project. It is not one of my designs.

Thanks for the reply Michael.

I’m actually one step ahead and already had a good look over your pages of sailing tips! Really good stuff that simplifies everything considerably, especially in regards to point of sail.

The reason I chose the RV was purely for space reasons. I figure that if I ever get to a point where I’m longing for the extra size of the goose, I can always sell the RV and build a goose. I’ll never turn down the chance to build something.

Another question I had was in regards to whether the RV is suitable for roof rack transportation? I couldn’t find any info on the weight of the RV and whether this would be a viable option. Not having to buy a trailer would also cut down on costs :)

No problem at all with the principle of cartopping the OzRacer (or the Goose).

It can be tricky to find roof racks for some modern cars that can handle even the 70 odd pounds of the OzRacer RV hull. But if you can do that, then no problem.

Hi Michael,

I’ve never sailed before, however i’ve recently taken an interest in sailing after coming across various youtube videos on boatbuilding. I then went down the rabbit hole and started digesting countless books, researched terminology and watched demonstrational videos. However, I obviously don’t have the practical experience.

I’m particularly interested in the Oz Racer RV, mainly due to the simplicity of the build, but also because I can easily store and transport the boat. This also seems like a great beginner boat.

My big question however is would you recommend I take sailing lessons before building and sailing the RV? I don’t have a lot of money, so i’m in a bit of a dilemma about whether I spend money on learning to sail or building the boat and teaching myself to sail through research and practice alone.

Thanks! Drew

Sailing lessons don’t hurt at all.

But I would also have a careful look through the basics of my online lessons as they are closer to the state of the art than many sailing schools.

There has started to be large difference between what is taught and what the best sailors are using.

The importance is that the methods of the best sailors actually make sailing easier and make it easier to extend a beginner/intermediate sailor into the stronger wind ranges.

Many courses have moved with the times. But many have not.

Also, have you considered the 12ft Oz Goose. http://opengoose.com/plans/oz-goose-2016-plan-now-available-from-our-agents/

The biggest reason for choosing the shorter OzRacer 8ft is the storage after building. The cost is only a little more because the sail and everything above the decks and the fittings etc are all identical. Building difficulty and time is identical too – about an hour different actually)

Hi Michael, Thanks for your prompt reply. I replied yesterday but had issues with my browser. Anyways a putt putt boat is fine and the ability to trailer the boat is paramount. Getting down around southern moreton bay or the Noosa river, lake Cootharaba. Do you know of any builds in my neck of the woods, sunshine coast. Kindest Regards Tony

Hi Anthony,

There are/were two in South Australia on the Murray River and lakes and one in NSW on the Hawkesbury River .

But none in Queensland as of yet.

Hi Michael, Would your Dayboat come launch Venezia handle Moreton Bay. That is the water from say inner Bribie Island through the Moreton Bay Islands to Runaway Bay?

Kind Regards Tony

With the high thrust 10hp Yamaha it has substantial grunt. But despite the cabin you really need to think about it in terms of being like the old open Putt Putts.

There would be conditions that would be unwise to go out in, but plenty of conditions and parts of the bay that would be available as they are quite protected.

It would start to get tricky heading up to the North part of the Bay parallel with Moreton Island with one of the strong North Easters. But down toward the South you would just pick the location relative to the water conditions on the same day.

Best wishes Michael

hi Michael .way back in 1979. I bought plans for optimus maximus from you. I got to the frame complete stage, then a friend took over construction. as I moved to australia, He and his 3 boys finished and sailed it Often beating my brother and his sons in their bought sail boat. and had a lot of fun in the process

I think Optimus Maximus was designed by my friend John Welsford.

I will send his contact details to your email.

Best wishes. MIK

Hi, so it’s me, my wife (who is not a huge fan of sailing), and our 3.5 yr old son.. I’m trying to figure if I should build a eureka canoe for our family outings, and then the amas and sail rig for me to sail .. or.. go for the Viola 14 and hope we can all fit for short outings on lakes and ponds.. could we all fit for a paddle in the Viola? Also, how does sailing performance compare with Eureka and amas, vs Viola? With this crazy pandemic, seems like a good time to build a boat out in the carport!

The Viola will be OK while your son is really small. I designed it around being optimal for one adult. But I left enough margin for decent sailing performance with two adults providing they are not too large. Maybe it tops out at around 350 pounds or a bit more. With that weight it won’t be a great paddling boat but would be fine for messing around in a bay or a couple of miles in good weather with that weight. One up the Viola paddles pretty well, but it not optimum so will drop behind a proper paddling boat.

The Eureka or Quick Canoe would have a much better ability to travel as a paddling boat with the family. If adding the drop in outriggers it makes sense to leave out the central spreader on these canoes and put two spreaders at the same distance apart as the crossbeams of the drop in rig but a couple of inches forward of the crossbeam locations.

As far as performance. The Eureka with outriggers will have a significant and sole advantage when reaching. But upwind and running the Viola will have significant advantages as it is set up like a racing dinghy.

With the outriggers a 60 to 70sf sail seems to be about right. There is one in the free supplement for the buyers of the outrigger plan but we also make one at our sister business Really Simple Sails

The thing with the drop in outrigger setup is that not to fixate on pointing high. Get heaps of speed and then point up without losing the speed. If light winds sit to heel to leeward so the leeward hull is well immersed. Or make a leeboard for the eureka.

Hi Michael, Thank you so much for all the information! The Eureka with outriggers and sailing setup seems like the right way to go I think, especially fur versatility, plus allowing more people aboard comfortably .. One more question.. what type of sail setup do you recommend for the Eureka in the 60 to 70sf range? I’ve seen bermuda rigs and gunter rigs on this type of canoe and outrigger arrangement .. I couldn’t find the specific sail on the sail makers website.. just trying to cost out this option to see if I can afford to add the sail .. thank you! Hope you are well RP

A basic sail is part of the free supplement available to purchasers of the outrigger plan. It provides a mast support built into the front crossbeam a flatter crossbeam curve to suit the Eureka and other boats and dimensions of a homemade lateen sail to be made of polytarp, or even regular sailcloth.

Our partner business Really Simple Sails does a 70sf lug sail. However we are stuck down with quarantine which I think will add a month

to the normal 10 week timeline at this time of year. In Northern hemisphere winter it goes down to 4 weeks. That sail is USD392 at this point April 2020

Maybe that will fit in with your timeline unless you are a very fast builder.

Hi Michael, I’ve got a Laser Radial sail mast and boom setup, and I’m wondering if you thought this could work well on the Eureka canoe with outriggers, with plans on building a leeboard setup. Also wondering if I should go with the larger volume and wider Eureka. Would this sail better with the outriggers? Harder to paddle? Thanks! RP

It will be a bit big as the wind gets stronger but sparkling performance in up to 12knots of breeze. Might be exciting by the time the wind is at 15 and hard to sail in much more than that.

Could trial it with the full rig and then get a local sailmaker to cut some sail off the bottom if it is too frisky and cut a similar length off the bottom of the mast.

Another way, though not very good upwind would be to wrap the sail around the mast a few times when the wind gets up. Though the sail shape will become a big baggy for going upwind well.

There is also a supplement for the Eureka and other canoes as the freeboard can be a bit low for the drop in outriggers. I provide a drawing on request for making a mod and it also includes how to build the upper mast support into the front crossbeam.

Hi Michael, Sorry just one more question about Eureka (or I guess all of your plans in general) Do you mail a full size printed pattern to trace the cuts from? If not how do you transfer the lines to a larger scale from the manual to plywood? Thanks! RP

The plan itself is more like an instruction book for boatbuilding techniques to build the particular boat. Do the steps one by one and you will have the boat.

The method for marking out is super accurate and has a failsafe.

Basically you draw straight lines across the narrow width of the ply sheets at a set interval – dotted vertical lines in drawing below. 300mm apart. Blue is the plywood. Green is the curve of the panel. The dimensions are purple.

Then put the end of the tape on the edge of the plywood and measure along each dotted line (it will be a solid line on the ply). Put a mark at the distances from the edge shown in the plan. After marking the points on the first line vertical line, do the same for the second line and so on to make a series of dots in a curve.

Finally put a thin nail in each of the measured points and use the piece of timber from the plan list as a batten and a pencil to “Join the dots” or nails in this case to make each curve.

If there is an error it will stand out either when you stand at the end of the sheets and look along the line, or the batten will tell you the point is out of place.

If the point is out of place it is very likely a misread or a mismeasure as most of my plans have been corrected over time. But if it isn’t then you can contact me and see if I made a mistake. The CAD plans on the computer are super accurate, but sometimes a dimension arrow can be a little off.

with the article , images of the trimaran canoe – what is the canoe design. Is it a Eureka . If i wanted to build a trimaran canoe, what centre hull design would you suggest?

There are many centre hulls that are suitable. Many canoes as long as you can attach the strong points for the crossbeam lash down points. So almost any variation of wood, fibreglass or aluminium. Plastic canoes may be difficult but some claim great successes with the WEST system G-flex epoxy.

The Eureka or either the Paddling version of the Quick Canoe or the Electric version of the Quick Canoe would all be suitable. s

Good Day- i would like to chat to Michael about some design work. Is there any direct contact info for him many thanks wayne

For which type of waters(salt or fresh) was the Gooze designed? This never occurred to me until someone told me that I could navigate north on the “Rio Grande de Loiza” river and exit out into the sea, turn right, after some time I would see the exit of “Rio Espiritu Santo ” river and turn right again to go south on that river which heads inland or vice a versa (depending on wind directions on that time of the day).

Hi LAlverio,

The Oz Goose can be out sailing any time that other sailing dinghies are out. It can go conditions that are a bit rougher than many conventional dinghies will not handle well.

The goose is very stable and that stability gives it a lot of power. Also if you do capsize the Goose comes back up with no water inside.

This article about sailing in stronger winds and rough water from the Oz Goose Website may be useful for background.

If you mean the Ooze Gooze, the cabin version by Perttu Korhonen it has less capability than the Oz Goose in rough water.

Best Wishes Michael

Hello sir, I am in the process of converting my 12′ wood sailing dinghy to the Oz Goose balanced lug sail. I have purchased from Duckworks the sail and hardware kit and now I wish to build the wood mast, boom and yard. Can you tell me where I might locate and/or purchase the plans for these alone as I don’t need the entire boat plans, just the wood spars. Thank you

I have provided basic information on our Really Simple Sails website for each of the five stock sails we sell through Duckworks. https://reallysimplesails.com/rss-stock-lug-sails-other-boats/

It lists the spar lengths and cross sections in timber for each of our stock sails. It also provides guidelines for Aluminium or timber spars.

If you need details on how to actually make the parts (and a lot more including accurate foils) the Oz Goose plan is USD40. A boatbuilding course in a book.

Best Regards Michael

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• Building Skerry
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Plans for Boats, oars and paddles. Many free plans

As I was looking through my boat plan links I realized that they were scattered here and there. I decided to compile the links all in one page to make it easier to navigate.

Email me if a link is broken. I try to update everything often but the internet is a fast paced place. (and I'm not so quick), I've also included free oar and paddle plans and books with plans in them.

I offer a few plans but most of these boat designs are links. I have not built most of these and cannot endorse them. Some plans are good, others not so much.

Many plans are now available, particularly those that offer hundreds of plans for very cheap, which are reprints from old Popular Mechanics and other magazine. The building methods are somewhat dated and the plans often not very detailed. Of more concern materials such as lead paint are sometimes recommended. Do your homework before building these. Often buying a good set of plans from a recognized designer will save you time and money in the end.

The following plan links may have duplicate because they may fit in different categories. A kayak plan might also be a free stitch and glue plan. Enjoy and go build a boat.

Links to All kinds of boat plans, oars, some free plans

• Miscellaneous Boat Plans many of them free. It's my largest plan page. Whenever I find a new plan I try and add it to this list.
• Motorboats Everything from simple skiffs to elaborate speedboats, classic wooden boats and fishing vessels.
• Dory Boat Plans Various plans some of which are free. Wide range of dory styles, usually characterized by a pointy front, relatively flat sides and toumbstone transom.
• Skiff Plans By skiff I mean a simple shaped pointy boat with a wide transom. Often used as a fishing boat. Capable of planing and carrying a motor.
• Strip Building Plans Often cedar strips are used. Often results in lovely rounded shapes with glorious wood finish. A favourite for canoes and kayaks but often seen in sailboats and multihulls.
• Ultra-Light Boat plans Imagine building a boat that weights less than 30 pounds and even less.
• Canoe and Kayak plans Many free plans included.
• Tenders Selection of boats suitable as tenders, some free. Many methods of building including stitch and glue, ultralight and strip building.

Free Boat Plans

• Free Skiff Plans Skiffs are fast easily built boats.
• Free Canoe and Kayak Plans There are some nice free designs out there. They vary in amount of detail offered.
• Free Stitch and Glue Plans Also plans that could be built using stitch and glue method.
• Free Rowboat Plans
• One Sheet Plans Boats can be built using only one sheet of plywood. Here are a few.

Free Canoe and Paddle Plans some links some actual plans

• Free Plans for Simple Oars by Spark Geissler Nice easy to build oars.
• Links to many Free Oar, kayak and Canoe Paddles. Some nice designs including traditional kayak paddles.
• Free Paddle Plan From an old boy's book.

Surf Boards and Paddle Boards

• Surf Boards and Paddle Board Plans

Multihulls and Proas

• Multihulls including catamarans, trimarans and proas.

House Boats

I have a few free actual boat plans, some in pdf format.

These are mostly from old sources. Check before building.

• Folding Boat Plan from Boy Mechanic Book Turn of the century design for a folding boat. Link to a video of someone who actually built it. It's quite good. I think the builder had to fiddle the dimensions some before it would fold properly, but it's a fun boat.
• Old Plan for Plywood Tender Actual plans, seems like a nice pram dinghy.
• Old Plan for Punt Actual plans, from old book. Substitute plywood for solid wood.
• Old Plan for Take Apart Skiff Actual plans, in PDF format. Boat is in 3 clip-together sections.
• Old Plan for folding boat in PDF format. Plywood with canvas hinges folding skiff.
• Take apart Jonboat come in 3 sections and has a built in cooler.
• Building a Skerry from plans
• Boatbuilding Links & Resources from my Website

I try to be accurate and check my information, but mistakes happen. ALSO keep in mind that not all free boats are good designs. Some are but others are worth exactly what you pay. Also keep in mind while I'm in a preachy mood, that a good set of plans will save you lots of time and if you've paid for them you can actually often contact the designer and get help.

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Petrel 33: widen your horizons

Petrel 33 is the logical evolution of her smaller sister petrel 28 , with the task to expand the horizons of cruising activity for a 4-6 person crew, raising the bar of onboard comfort, keeping the boat size under the critical (for a homebuilder) size of 34 foot – 10 meters of overall length., a “new classic” looking cruiser, sturdy, with no frills and weird solutions, ready to let you sail with a decent speed and a very good comfort level both at anchor and sailing., the starting point is the very good sailing capabilities shown by the petrel 28, so i decided to develope this hull into a enlarged design, keeping a quite narrow hull for actual standard, prolonging the bow lines for a plumb stempost; i expect to have a similar behaviour of the proven 28footer, with a tender weather helm in every situation, a very soft and gentle wave riding attitude in a seaway, and a good acceleration coming out of the tacks, i expect a little bit more speed given the longer water length ; section are moderately full at the bow, maximum beam is around 60% of hull lenght , transom sections keep a moderate vee.

Stability calculations give us good parameters (see stability curve attached) , with a real large positive area stability, a 123° AVS (Angle of Vanishing Stability) with loaded boat, and a minimal negative area in the stability curves.

Rig and sailplan:

Sailplan is based on a 50% area split among mainsail and a furling jib ; we kept the upwind sailing area to a moderate value, avoiding “wannabe racers” temptations; a decent sized gennaker can be hoisted on the fixed bowsprit, an obvious choice given the fact that the new generation furlers are making this sails very easy to manage for cruising crews too, adding the pleasure of sailing downwind in light airs at a decent pace, a weather situation which is quite a pain in normal mainsail + jib configurations ; in roughest situation you can hoist a storm jib on a removable internal stay fitted on a high load chainplate leaning on the forward structural bulkhead ; rig is a classical 2 spreaders mast , spreaders are 15° swept, there is a structural backstay and no structural runners, lower shrouds are doubled., deck gear configuration features classical sturdy and manageable solutions, without too many frills : 4 self tailing winches to pull sheets, halyards and control lines, 2 stoppers array on cabin top panel, 2 tracks for jib cars, so that the jib can keep a decent shape even furled, a small track for the mainsail purchase, all the control lines are led to cockpit to avoid bow walks in “spicy” situations (plans will detail how to make bombproof fitting points for lifelines too);, boat will be powered by a diesel (20-30 hp) or electric (7 kw) inboard engine fitted with a saildrive or shaft-line transmission ; this will allow to keep a decent pace while motoring in zero wind situation, or to add a good booster to sail thrust if needed; i expect to reach a 6.5 knots boat speed at 2000 rpm with a 30 hp diesel engine., rudder and steering system:, rudder is a single blade semi-compensated one with tiller steering system ; there will be two options detailed on plans: spade rudder with ss steel shaft (this solution is depicted in rendered images), and an easier to build transom hung rudder., finkeel is naca profile keel made of welded steel plates, ; ballast is made by lead poured in the keel hollows ; keel is fitted on the hull with a web of bolts on solid hardwood floors, with nuts and high thickness ss steel counterplates under the cabin floorings; keel load is carefully distributed to avoid any local high stress area., interiors and on board living:, this area marks the main differences among this 34 footer and her smaller sister; higher hull topsides and two more meters of boat make a world of difference in terms of interiors and on board comfort; we have 6 regular berths, a comfortable galley and dinette area, a decent volume for on board systems and storage, all that you need to medium-long range sailing given the size of the boat ; both forward and after cabin are closed with a small door to gain a little bit more privacy ; cabin height is around 191 cm , cockpit is quite wide, and it’s designed to be comfortable for a crew of 6 while sailing with the heeled boat too ; transom area is protected by a sturdy wooden hinged structure that can be lowered when moored to be used as a transom platform. low sleek coamings protect the forward area of the cockpit , making the primary winch basement too; toerails and good sized areas among cabin flanks and hull sheerline make going to the bow a very safe operation even when boat is heeled and in rough conditions;, building system:, given the good amount of miles sailed by petrel 28  in every sea state with very good reliability, i keep a similar structure for this project, upgrading the scantlings to cope with higher stresses; so the boat structure is a grid of plywood bulkheads and frames linked by solid wood stringers and a mixed plywood-solid wood structure forming keel backbone and stempost ; hull planking is made by 12 mm plywood, with the radiused area made by two layers of 6 mm plywood panels , all glued to the underlying structural grid , in a reliable , sturdy and easy to build system called “radius chine” ; cabin , cockpit and deck surfaces are made by 10-12 mm plywood panels stiffened by a grid of secondary stringers, solid beams and other structural elements; the hull bottom is further stiffened by a number of solid wood floors , tightly spaced in the centerboat area, where they bear the finkeel loads. all critical areas and structural bondings are strengthened and stiffened by epoxy resin laminated glass fabric and epoxy resin liquid joinery and structural bondings. this building system is definitely suited to be realized by home builders or small boatyards, with a basic level of wood craftmanship , in a decent amount of time given the size of the boat., in my view this will allow a small boatyard to build and offer a highly customized top level sailboat keeping the final prize to a reasonable level, which is basically the main concern when it comes to manage a small boatyard..

Building plans and study plans: project Petrel 33 is is completed : now I’m starting the long and meticulous process of drawing the building plans; complete plans will be available approximately at the end of spring at this link , anyway if someone is so committed to long for an immediate start of construction he can purchase plans starting from now, a first batch of drawings (hull parts , assembly scaffold and hull structures) will be delivered within a week so that he can start building, the rest will follow as scheduled within half of June 2018; study plans and bill of materials will be available approximately within the end of April 2018 and will be downloadable form this page for free, as usual. Stay tuned !!!

Plans price: 900 € for paper sheets, 840€ for pdf format drawings, 350 € for cad engraving files (required if you want to cut all the plywood parts with cnc machinery, includes keel steel plating shapes) ; plans will be made approximately of 27 drawings and a 25 pages booklet with assembly sequence, tips and tricks, plans can be purchased here, a discount will be available for the first buyer ., petrel 33 specifications, hull length: 9,90 m (bowsprit included), overall length: 9,90 m, maximum beam: 3,03 m, prismatic coefficient: 0,53, sink rate: 170kg/cm, canoe body wet surface: 18 m2, draft at design displacement: 1,80 m, vacant ship diplacement: 3400 kg (all gear up, no water and food, no fuel), design displacement: 4050kg (crew of 4 + luggage, 50kg fuel, acqua 150 liters water, 100 kg extra), maximum displacement: 4500 kg (crew of 6 + luggage, full fuel, full water), ballast: 1300 kg: fixed keel, upwind sail area : 47,3 m2 , mainsail 23.2 m2, jib 24 m2, staysail on removable babystay: 6.5 m2, gennaker: 65 m2, mast height on dwl: m 13,3, performance parameters : sa/displ^0.66 = 19.5 , sa/wet surface = 2.6 (canoe body only), engine: diesel inboard with saildrive or shaftline transmission, 20-30 hp, 50 liters fuel tank , electric engine specifications on plans, accommodations: 6 fulls sized (1,90 m or more) berths, 1 v berth at bow, 1 double berth on transom , 2 galley berths, interiors: charting table with main electric panel, vhf radio and chart plotter area, galley with stove, sink and 30 liters fridge, enclosed toilet with wc sink and shower, central table in dinette with foldable wings. 190 cm height in the whole galley area., systems: 12 v and 220 v wiring scheme, fresh water and black water plumbing scheme, 200 or more liter freshwater tanks.; two service batteries and a engine dedicated battery, ce label : possible b6/c10 , data to be required as extra item..

• plans: 900€ for paper version, 840 for PDF version , 350 for CNC cutting files , can be purchased here

intheboatshed.net

Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast

Free boat plans

SCROLL DOWN THIS PAGE FOR MANY MORE PLANS

This a page of links to some favourite free boat plans at intheboatshed.net . They’ve been chosen because they are derived from traditional boats, or in some cases simply for their usefulness. There are quite a few here, but you’ll find still more in the intheboatshed.net weblog using the search gadget. If you find anything you feel I should add, please let me know at [email protected] .

PLEASE ALWAYS USE THE LATEST VERSION WHICH WILL CONTAIN ANY CORRECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE DESIGNERS ATTENTION.

Brian King’s Barton skiff during construction:

See a short video of Brian’s boat in action using a 3.5hp outboard at 6knots or so. Note the near complete lack of wake, which should indicate that the boat’s working efficiently.

– The 14ft Sunny skiff – get the plans for this easy to build lightweight rowing boat  here .

Sunny skiff lightweight plywood rowing dinghy

– The 12ft Ella skiff – get the plans for this easy to build lightweight rowing boat here .

– The sailing version of the Ella skiff – get the plans here   (now in version 1.2).

The sailing version of the 12ft Ella skiff

• Ben Crawshaw sails the Ella skiff

– The intheboatshed.net Julie 15ft 7in flat bottomed rowing skiff

• Additional measurements for building a strongback – if that’s the approach you prefer
• Complete free plans package for the intheboatshed.net flat-bottomed 15ft 6in skiff
• intheboatshed.net skiff – drawings and coordinates for stitch and glue
• intheboatshed.net skiff – photos of our model, and maybe yours too?
• intheboatshed.net skiff – now we can make a model
• intheboatshed.net skiff progress
• Early drawings for a 15ft 5in lightweight flat-bottomed American-style skiff

The Mk 2 Light Trow – click on the photo for a larger image

See a clip of the Light Trow sailing:

Download the Mk 2 Light Trow plans , and the model-making plans (making a model to be an important preparation for making this kind of boat). Alain Yvorra sent over photographs of a model he has made:

Alain wrote: ‘The design and plan made things very easy to follow, and the building of the model was a breath of fresh air, bringing, as I saw it coming together, quite a wonderful satisfaction.’

Also, see Ben Crawshaw’s excellent weblog about building and then cruising the Light Trow on the Spanish coast; also, read about the original trows : The Fleet Trow

– The Cinderella canoe

Al Burke’s Cinderella

Al’s comments following his first test were interesting: ‘A successful design that is an absolute delight to paddle and which brought comments like “beautiful lines” and “do you want to sell it?” from people on the beach watching the test.’

I think this is a nice small open paddler, but bouyancy tanks or bags would be a essential if you’re going to do more than paddle in narrow rivers or small shallow lakes.

See: A Cinderella canoe adapted for rowing Plans for building the Cinderella:  Cinderella  download

– The Light Dinghy

Light Dinghy – click on the drawing for a larger image

For more on this boat, see:

• From dinghies to the Architectura Navalis and back
• Tempting plans for the boat-dreaming season, part III

– Doris the Dory

Plans for building Doris the Dory: Doris the Dory download  

– The Forest & Stream skiff

Forest & Stream skiff in built in Sweden – click on the photo for a larger image – see the post: A little classic to build this spring

– The small Bluestone schooner :  My Bluestone schooner design in the spotlight  and the download including the chine version

Free designs from other designers

– A 12ft ply-built Fleet trow

Photos by Jenny Steer and Derek Thompson

Offsets kindly provided by the Boat Building Academy folks at the bottom of this post

– A sailing Duck Punt, as raced on the English East Coast

Plans for John Milgate’s Duck Punt

– The South Haven Dory

Build the South Haven Dory

– International 12 dinghy George Cockshott’s sweet 12-foot dinghy

– Chuck Merrell’s Apple Pie

Temptations part V: a dinghy so small, your family will hardly notice…

– Canvas canoe How to build a canvas canoe – Hannu Vartiala’s coracle Hannu Vartiala’s website changes address

-The Brockway skiff

Build the Brockway skiff

– Wolfgang Brink’s Greenland Kayak

How to build a Greenland kayak

– An alternative folding boat

An alternative folding boat – Boat plans from Practical Boatbuilding for Amateurs , including the 10ft double-ended skiff, various punts etc Practical Boat Building for Amateurs

– Thames skiff and racing punt At last – free online designs for a skiff and a racing punt

– Howard Irving Chappelle’s traditional 14ft skiff Chappelle’s 14ft skiff – another candidate for the 2008 boatbuilding season?

– Mark Wallace’s Black Skiff

Boatbuilding plans for the Black Skiff have been designed and made available for free by Mark Wallace – he says all he asks for is to be given the credit for designing the boat.

I think it’s an elegant design. The plans are not likely to be the easiest for first-time boatbuilders to follow, but it would be well worth picking the required skills up by reading one of the classic books on this kind of boatbuilding. See the Intheboatshed.net Amazon bookshop for something suitable.

Mark ways she’s a strong light-weight boat loosely with strong links to Scandinavian types. She proven to be an excellent rower, has a capacity of four adults and has a flat bottom for easy beaching.

Go to Mark’s website for more information and plans in pdf format: http://www.markwallaceshipwright.com/plans.html

By the way, don’t miss Mark’s impressive collection of testimonials .

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75 thoughts on “free boat plans”.

As my mind turns to building MY first boat during the winter months, I browsed and found many sites and such. Yours has been a great place to see and feed that desire. Thank you for your site. I live on a river that empties into the Matagorda bay, here in Texas, and the wind blows regular like crazy. But, I think that I found my first boat in the information given here on your site. Wish me luck!!! The water might be shallow here on the river but the mud is VERY deep. I'll be sure to send you photos and let you know how it all turns out. Again, thank you.

Glad to be of help Charli – which boat are you planning to build for your first boatbuilding project?

Hey, I am hoping to build the julie skiff for my first boat.

I made the model last night but i am unsure on how it scales up, i downloaded the zip file and i am unsure on how to use your co-ordinates, please help!

It's late and I have a date with a pillow, but I'd delighted you're interested in building this boat.

The coordinates work like this. The letters label the many 'significant' points on the drawings, often they are points where two different lines join. The coordinates are pairs of numbers, as you'll have noticed, and each pair defines a particular single point on the ply.

It's like plotting a graph at school, but if that doesn't come easily think of it this way:

Consider two coordinates 3 1/8, 6 1/2

3 1/8 defines a line parallel to the left-hand edge that is 3 1/8in in from the edge, while 6 1/2 defines a line parallel to the bottom that is 6 1/2 up from the bottom. The point being defined is where the two cross! There are a lot of points to plot, and when they have been plotted, you have to join the dots to make a complete drawing, as it were.

Does that help? If not, if you know someone with some background in maths should be able to sort it out for you using pencil and paper.

Hey, I am 14 years old and plan on constructing a skiff for fishing.

My grandpa has a Bachelors in Drafting and is very good with wood and we have all the tools, so I was wondering, do you think you could work with me on designing a boat if you have the time? I have a few ideas in mind and I'm starting to put them down on paper.

By helping I mean could you tell me what I would need for the design I have? Thank you for such a great website!

I'm sorry Ryan – I'd like to help but I'm desperately short of time due to work and family responsibilities. You max find some of my free plans will give you some ideas however. Gavin

It's ok Gavin,

Like I said, only if you have time and are interested.

When I come up with a design I'll send you them and send you pictures of the outcome that you can put up 🙂

There's a great little book entitled How to design a boat by John Teale – if you can find it, I think it will be very useful.

Thanks Gavin

I have actually managed to maneuver my way over to Duckworks Magazine through your site, and they have been very helpful over there!

Excellent news – I'm sorry I'm in no position to help myself at the moment.

it's quite alright Gavin, you have been of help though. Your hard work in putting this site together has payed off for me and many others!

Hi Gavin, Many thanks for all that you've done for potential DIY Boat Builders, like myself! Look forward to the new adventure.

Hi there, a little advice please.

my brother and I have a 3 year plan. My kids will both be teenagers in 3 years time.

My brother is the sailor in the family (the brains) I am the canoeist and rower (used to be the brawn now a little slack around the middle).

We want to build a boat that we can sail both on lakes and lochs and when the kids are teenagers we can take up the west coast of Scotland for extended touring holidays – ideally both camping and sleeping on the boat.

At the moment the kids sail mirror dingy and are very keen to help in the build.

My brother and i really like the looks of norse double enders and are taken with the caledonian yawl. Problem our woodworking skills are basic DIY – we've built sheds and summerhouses but would like some info on what we should expect from a project like this and what your thoughts are about choice of boat for our requirements.

Hope you can help.

That's a nice dream!

Everyone you talk to will give you a different answer. If you're tendency is to craftsmanship, I'm sure you can build a Caledonian Yawl, but might benefit from building something simpler first. If it isn't, I'd suggest you don't even go there!

I'd also say that by the time they're teenagers, your kids are unlikely to want to sail with Dad, and probably not for days at a time – your kids may be different but my experience is that what they enjoy most is being skipper of their own ship in the company of others in similar boats. That way, they don't have to follow orders or watch Dad do the interesting stuff, and they can race each other, chase each other, play at capsizing, flirt and all the rest of the stuff kids that age do. If you want them to be interested in boating and particularly sailing long term, I think the best advice is to find a sailing club that does this sort of thing well.

I should add that home built boats are for individualists, which counts out most teenage kids.

So if you would like to dabble in the noble art of boatbuilding, I'd suggest making something simple that you'll never regret owning and which will add a fun dimension to picnics on the river or to the seaside. I'm thinking of a lightweight little rowing boat like the Ella by the way!

Hope that helps a little and doesn't seem too partial!

Not sure if anyone can help but I'm looking to build a model of bawley cockler. Does anyone know where I can get plans to achieve this.

Thank you all in appreciation.

Great website and info. Are you selling plans for a large (or small) scale model of the Iain Oughtred designed St. Ayles Skiff? This was the one that Alec Jordan built for the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project (as seen in Water Craft magazine Jan/Feb 2010). I'm located in the United States.

God bless and many thanks,

I'm sorry Jimmy – I don't sell plans, at least not currently. Check my posts for a link to the Jordan site and ask him. He might be persuaded that the St Ayles skiff is now such a celebrity that he could successfully model kits.

Actually, my guess is that some good models would make great trophies…

Hi, I've been trying to download the free plans for the flying mouse without success.Can anyone please sent me a copy that I can just print off.Thanks most appreciated.

Happy to do it.

I'm delighted you're building one of these boats. Please keep in touch – I'll be pleased to help in any way I can.

If the added weight is no problem to you, then it won't trouble the designer!

The only thing I'd say is that I've never needed laminated such a large area and if I did so I'd want to know (i) how to eliminate bubbles and (ii) how to make sure those that do creep in are there are well sealed.

The second part may be easy – perhaps all you have to do is to make sure you coat both sides of the joint well, I suppose, but the first part is something that would make me turn to the forums for advice from someone who has done it a few times.

i found by accident some plans for a 16` launch, from a book about the ww2, is it possible to look at these some where on the site? hope you can help. regards julian

I'd like to help Julian – but can you tell me anything more about the boat you're looking for? What was it that interested you? Was there a link to some plans? Did it have accommodation?

hello gavin hope you ok ,i am still trying to find out about this motor launch, the plans are in a book you mentioned,is it possible to get a copy or any chance of a copy, regards julian

All the information about this boat that appears in the book is in the post. If you found the particular edition of the Motor Boat Manual concerned (I can't remember which it is), you would not have any more information.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am project secretary to Students Health HOme the largest student CBO/NGO in India. We are contemplating to start a mobile waterway health service in the Sunderbans for students. It would be highly convenient if you can help with some low cost boat plans for the purpose

thanking you

Dr. Amit Shankar Jana

I have written to you directly.

I need a flat bottom dolly boat design could you please make one?

yours sincerly David Doyle

I'm sorry but I don't understand the request. What's a dolly boat? Or do you mean boat dolly?

Thanks, Gavin

Hello Gavin, I have started to build a Barton Skiff and would love to put sails to this boat, please could you suggest a simple rig that I could use as I think it would set my boat off. Maybe also could you suggest the position of the mast.

Kind Regards,

I'm delighted to hear that you're building this boat, and would very much like to follow your progress and provide whatever help seems to be required. Where are you?

However, the Barton skiff is really not intended to be a sailer – it's got the wrong kind of hull, particularly for upwind sailing.

Also, I'd strongly suggest joining the gmaboatbuilders yahoogroup and reading through the experiences of Brian and Charles, who have both built the Barton skiff, and the correspondence will include some useful bits of advice.

Of course, you could always have a small mast with cross trees if it tickles your fancy. Add nav lights and it would have real purpose…

Gavin, I am on the North coast of Northern Ireland, from a small town called Coleraine about 5 minutes from the sea. I like the sound of the mast about 9 ft as my lathe has a 3 ft bed and I would turn it in three sections and have two cross members one at 3 ft and the bottom one at 5 ft with a cool red sail. I am a carpenter by trade so the woodwork side should be sorted. I am finishing all gunwales and finishing work with Mahogany and varnish with a green hull so it should be the best looking boat sitting in our bay. This all sounds good anyway.

Kind Regards

Sorry to bother you again as I have just realised that sailing this boat will not work ( you can tell I am a novice ). Your idea about a small mast, nav lights sounds real good so I think I will run with that. Work is progressing well.

Many Thanks,

Gavin, where would you position the small mast and what size, diameter etc do you think would look good. Hope to get some photos soon, the delay has been because daughter took my camera of to University and left us without one.

Oh my gosh… Attached to the forward bulkhead, three times as high as the sheer, maybe 4 (side to side) by 5in (fore and aft) tapering to 4 by 4 or 3.5 by 3.5 from the front or back to taste, with a small cross tree about two thirds of the way from the sheeline to the top. That's my first guess, based on (an easy place to site it) and the rule of threes that works for most things!

I've just remembered that you want to hang a sail from this mast – so forget the cross tree, make the dimensions an inch thicker each way, and make the mast about 10-12ft high. What sort of sail are you thinking of? I'd suggest a spritsail, or maybe a squaresail. You will of course need a rudder too!

There's a fair amount of geometry involved in placing a sailing rig, so I guess this will be a largely downwind sail.

Hi Gavin, just to let you know I have started to sheet the hull and things are getting exiting to see the shape come together.

regards Andrew

Bloody marvellous. Please stay in close touch!

Gavin, Have finished sheeting bottom of hull and today before weather turned real bad I laminated Mahogany and Ash strips to the transom on the outside and it looks real good. Hope to sand down tomorrow and coat with epoxy to seal then finish the hull with ply before Xmas. Have set my launch date for Easter in Portrush so will be busy after Xmas. Bought an outboard last week and an engineering friend is stripping and rebuilding it for me and also restoring the paintwork to make as new. It is a small vintage 4 stroke as I do love working with old motors.

Andrew McNeill ( barton skiff builder)

I Have Just purchased a 1947 king Cruiserall original hardware , it needs tlc , i am looking for some basic plans to guid me on this restoration adventure , can you help , or direct me to somewhare i might find info .thanks robert

I came to this site to answer the trunnell boat query, but noticed this page. With another hat on I run the Eventide Owners Group website.

We have a host of practical seaworthy craft drawings available, designed by Gibbs, Buchanan and Griffiths, plus others, many have sailed far and wide.

We pass on to anyone in our group, the drawings of all our boats , and membership is free, you just have to enrol. Each is on a CD and we do this at cost, £5.00 inc P&P UK and a little more for overseas.

Visit the site to see more, we just want to keep these designs alive!

Regards, John Williams website coordinator, Eventide Owners Group.

Hello Gavin, my Barton skiff is now finished and is being launched this weekend. Iam so proud of her and I think she looks wonderful. I went with small mast and I added my own thoughts of what I wanted to make her look like. I will send photos and hopefully speak soon. Many thanks, Andrew

Hi Gavin, well here I go again. I am thinking of building the Bluestone Schooner this winter as I am getting a berth in Portrush harbour and I think she will be the boat for me. Do I just download the plans again or can you send me a copy? Many thanks Andrew McNeill

what a marvellous site. intend retiring to goa next year or so,i am a retired joiner so i fancy building a boat for fishing in goa, any advice and plans would be gratefully recieved. reg jeff

Great Site. I am considering building a canoe or small boat. Preference is for a paddler, but I might also attach a sail on occasion. Usage would be on lakes, and such. I doubt we would ever carry more than an ice chest. Most common use would be fishing and wildlife watching. Would the Cinderella be too small for tandem use at only 12 feet.

The Cinderella is a great, fun little boat, but is definitely a one person canoe, unless those involved are about 11 years old!

Hi Gavin! I am looking to build a waterwag! I have a really old mold but am looking for plans so I can make this one lighter. I will have it professionally made so I dont think the complexity of the plans should be an issue. Do you know where I could get these plans?

Many Thanks Congratulations on a fantastic website.

I’d start by contacting the Water Wags class people – they have a web presence here: http://www.rsgyc.ie/sailing/class/category/water_wags

I think I also remember that there are lines drawings in Dixon Kemp, but I don’t recall how much detail is included.

Hi, i´m studying to become a boat builder, and as part of my first exam i want to make a stitch and glue project. I have three weeks of around 35 hours. I was wondering if you could advice me if building the sailing skiff in that time, could be possible. I have somewhat novice skills working with wood, but I am adept at powertools in general and have worked a lot with glasfiber and epoxy shaping, sanding, finishing etc. Hope to hear from you. Anders, Denmark.

I don’t think so – the rig alone would take up that much time! You could possibly build a little paddler or rower in that time, but I think it would have to be rough and ready.

Hi Gav, I grew up in a boatshed, as a professional fisherman and surfing on the east coast of Australia. Now I know this question is relative can be related to experience and how much discomfort you are prepared to tolerate, and in that if you have no choice but die or punch 40 footers, you could probably sail a grand banks dory leeched and yawled up if you had to and were lucky, but as a 55 yo guy whose trade was made redundant by computers and then left stitched up by a divorce that cleaned me out soon after, what would the smallest sailing vessel boat you would advise for solo crossing oceans and global circumnavigations. Of course I’d love an Old maid of kent or 59 foot schooner but it aint gonna happen. Well not instantly and I’m not getting any younger. I’ve made fine violins I got good brass for and am exceptional with timber/lumber, and worked in a loft, slip and sail makers years ago in my teens, so with the right project, in drip fed expenditure, a good book to revise, I could possibly fulfill a dream, and without going into too much detail could use the morale boost of an adventure and perhaps something beautiful to pack up and live on as well. So what sailing craft would fulfill these criteria given restrictions as to where shes lofted up in your opinion please?. I did read of a Dutchman sailing a kayak from Holland to Australia by coast hugging and Island vaults but was hoping to up the ante just a touch with something extremely seaworthy and comfortable to live on alone or two up (spooning:), but the smaller it is the more likely I can accommodate it successfully. You got a magic wand to go with that slide rule handy ? 🙂 Thanks for your input.

Gavin; I have your book ulUltra simple boat building. I would love to build a Mini mouse. Are more detailed plans available or must I make do with what is in the book? By the way I loved the book. Larry

Any plans for a simple version of a gondola or sandalo? It doesn’t have to be asymetrical, but it has to look like a gondola or a sandalo, and be capable of being rowed venetian style–facing forward with a single oar in a forcola oarlock.

I don’t know of any I’m sorry to say. It would be fun to find some though!

Good morning, I am interested in building a small clinker launch aproximately 5 mtrs in length I have searched for plans as of yet to no avail. Can you recommend any plans or where I can obtain them. Thankyou

This may be the best I can offer you at present: http://intheboatshed.net/2008/11/04/drawings-for-a-16ft-motor-launch/

You might consider lengthening it by 10 per cent or so. Would that give you the size you need?

G’day.Just saw Greig Traynor’s request & suggest he look at the very successful designs on Sydney Australia’s David Payne on his website at:www.payneyachts.com.I have seen a number of finished boats of all sizes from David’s drawing board & they look & work great.

There are plenty of photos on the web including a slightly stretched version of the sort of design Greig is looking for,with a small cuddly cab fitted,on Ross Lillistone’s website at baysidewoodenboats.com.au.

They can be built traditionally or as glued lapstrake.

Al Burke ( Cinderella)

btw,the bloke who bought cinders contacted me a while ago to say he has just repainted her same colour & still fishes out of her.He owns a restaurant on the Central Coast of NSW just north of Sydney.

That’s all great stuff. Thanks Allan!

Gavin, I’m looking at building a boat for the first time. I have minimal wood working experience, a dog house, simple stage sets, a few catapults 🙂 . I have built lots of r/c airplanes over the years so I should be able to work from plans. It doesn’t need to be “one boat to rule them all” or anything, just a small row boat, preferably car top able to get me started. Also needs to easally accommodate 250-300 pounds and handle some lake chop. I’m just guessing, but I’d say 12-18 inches peak to trough, maybe not even that much. Later I plan on building a yawl or wherry for rowing, and an outboard skiff ( maybe v bottom ) in the 15-20 foot range for taking the family out. Seriously considering the Ella or Field and Stream skiffs. If you have other recommendations I’d be glad to hear them.

That’s ngreat to hear and good luck with your project. I’d say the Ella would be simplest and most worked out.

Thank you! Hope to get started soon. Rowing the broken down loaner John boats at my local lake is not all that much fun. At least gets me out on the water for now.

You’ll find that even the the little Ella will take you to a completely different place. the Sunny and Julie even more so.

Hi Gavin, I really like your Ella sailing skiff design, but I was looking for a way to use less plywood. Would it work to use oak wood frames and only have plywood for the sections that need buoyancy frame 5 and 2, and leaving out the forward and aft side buoyancy tanks? Would this work or would this not provide enough buoyancy add to much weight?

Weight wise it would be fine. I /think/ the built in buoyancy is about right – include less and you may find she’s a lot harder to bail. Why is economising on plywood important to you?

There’s a few reasons, for one, I have never built a boat, haven’t sailed, but have been on boats before, motor and row, so I don’t know what is a necessity, and what is a luxury.

Another reason is I’m trying to find the most amount of boat for the least amount of money that can take a couple people and gear along the gulf of Mexico on nice days. I want to use it to search around the keys, and on the rivers and lakes, but mostly as a boat I can car top or trail, take to the beach and learn to sail with near the beach. The waters on the gulf are choppy, but mostly calm, the waves are a foot or less most days, but can get to 3 or 4 on occasion.

Also, marine ply is tougher to find and solid woods are found in any hardware store.

I’ve looked at the Julie and light trow mk2, would any these work for what I want to do?

I’m delighted by your interest in the Ella, the Julie and the Light Trow.

These are great questions. What you’re proposing is sea sailing in a small boat. With that in mind I’d advocate starting by going sailing of the kind you’d like to do with someone experienced – there may be someone locally who does that stuff. Certainly there are things to learn in order to do it safely. Around the Gulf of Mexico, you’re not /that/ far from Chuck Leinweber, originator of Duckworks, and he might know someone. There may also be clubs and associations…

Designers design-in the details of their plans for a reason and changing them is best done by the experienced. For example, the small bouyancy boxes in the sides of the Ella are there to make sure that the dinghy floats high enough to come up without too much water inside when righted after a capsize. You might prefer not to have them – but I’d want to right the little boat from a few capsizes before I decided they were unnecessary. Some people might feel that way – they may even feel that those spaces would be better used as handy pockets for bits of line etc, but I think you’d want to know for sure before making the change.

I think most folks who design boats will make the same kind of point.

Good luck with sailing and boat building!

PS – they may even know where to get good ply! Actually, you might think about joining the Duckworks Facebook group and asking whether there’s anyone local who would be happy to give you some on the water time…

Gavin, I am hoping to construct a simple boat like the Light Dinghy shown above. can you send me a better copy of the drawing so that I can use it as a line plan.

Gavin, was looking for plans to the Lilypad punt. Any blogs or posts of users and where they use them? I’m in American Midwest.

It’s in the book only, I’m afraid.

Hi all, This is a scale modeller’s cry for help, please bear with me. Does anyone by chance happen to have plans and/or schematics for Uffa Fox’s AIrborne Lifeboat Mk.II? Haven’t been able to find something detailed yet. Any help highly appreciated! Thank you!

Gavin – do you know where I can obtain plans for a full-size bateau boat? One that was used to transport goods down river. The only plans that I can find are for smaller versions. Thanks, Jim

The largest I’ve seen is the one published in one of Pete Culler’s books. From memory I think that was in the 18-20ft range.

Hello from Nova Scotia Canada , looking for Aurette plans if anyone knows please give a shout . Thanks from Bob [email protected]

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15 Free Boat Plans You Can Build This Week (with PDFs)

• August 13, 2023

Boatbuilding is one of the most ancient forms of craftsmanship still alive today. As long as our ancestors have had a curiosity about exploring open waters, they have been practicing and honing their boatbuilding skills.

To be honest, however, building a boat is no small task. It will require a lot of work and patience to ultimately create a finished product that you are happy with and that is actually seaworthy.

Of course, we have also included a few free boat plans. You can keep in your back pocket for the next time you are asked to build a cardboard boat as part of a contest or lakefront teambuilding adventure.

We hope that these resources help you in your journey to build your own boat!

Photo by SeventyFour via Shutterstock

Free Boat Plans

• The Wanigan
• The Slipper

The Handy Andy

• The Jolly Roger
• The Hobby Kat

The White Duck

• The Sea Midge

The Crazy Cardboard Boat

Why Build Your Own Boat?

Photo by Halsey via Shutterstock

There are a lot of reasons why you should explore building your own boat versus buying a pre-made model. Here is a quick breakdown of the most obvious benefits:

• You will know the ins and outs of your finished boat better than anyone
• It can be a great project to work on with your teenage or even adult children
• You will gain valuable skills molding and shaping wood and other materials
• You can design your boat for your specific needs
• You don’t have to trust the sometimes-questionable manufacturing of mass-produced boats
• You can create a boat that functions as your second home on the water
• You can save money if you source materials mindfully

Of course, most first-time boatbuilders still experience some level of trial-and-error. With patience and perseverance, however, you can craft a one-of-a-kind vessel that has no equal anywhere in the world.

Free Boat Plans You Can Build This Week (with PDFs)

1. the wanigan.

PC Duckworks Boat Builders Supply

The Wanigan boat began as a garvey design, which is one of the older boat plans known to the Americas. Traditionally, these boats were built as work scows and were very popular among American summer camps.

The design itself is very simple, but these boats can carry heavy loads. It can also handle a trolling motor being mounted to the stern so you can cover more ground if you want to use it as a fishing boat.

The creator of this boat plan became aware of some of the downsides of the garvey design, such as the heavier weight that made it less efficient than some other designs. So he combined elements of dory and wanigan designs to create a hybrid.

The main changes include an enlarged beam, tilted lathes to provide a stiffer hull, and knocking off the top strakes to reduce the boat’s overall weight.

The Wanigan text

These additional The Wanigan drawings   may also prove useful for your build process!

2. The Mouse

The Mouse is one of the most compact and nimble boat plans we have found for this list. It is an easy build and also a great boat for two kids or a single teenage paddler.

The original builder began with a one-sheet boat design in an effort to create the lightest and most affordable boat possible. This means it is only suited for calm waters and should not be used in high winds or wavy conditions.

That said, it was built in roughly 12 to 24 hours of work time and doesn’t require a full workshop to construct. The main material that is required for building this boat is quarter-inch plywood. But the builder recommends using one-inch by half-inch pine or something a little sturdier.

The plywood and pine components are held together using a method called ”˜stitch and glue’. This method requires choosing one of the best glues for kayak outfitting , which are typically made of epoxy and glass tape rather than something cheaper like polyurethane.

The Mouse Instructions

Also, here are a few extra useful The Mouse Notes for builders

3. The Slipper

The Slipper is the first of many sailboat plans on our list and it is faster, easier, and cheaper to build than most. It also features a deeper cockpit than many other sailboat designs, which makes it safer for intermediate sailors.

This sailboat plan features dual steering stations so that you can sail from inside or outside of the helm. It also includes a centerboard trunk that hardly intrudes into the cabin at all. So that, it is easier to work around while you are in the cockpit.

The exterior hull and cabin of this sailboat feature a modified dory design using two sheets of plywood ripped to three feet wide before being joined together. The resulting hull is a modified V-shape that reduces drag.

The centerboard of this boat can also be winched up to the level of the top of the cabin or lowered down to alter the draft. This allows you to customize the boat design for a stiffer and more weather-worthy vessel if you need it.

The Slipper was also intentionally designed with an aft cabin that naturally helps to keep the bow pointed into the wind whether you are underway or the boat is anchored in the port.

The Building Slipper

4. The Handy Andy

PC DIY Wood Boat

The Handy Andy is a great little 10-foot portable rowboat for hunting, camping, fishing, and other recreational uses. It is actually the only folding boat design on our list, which makes it best for folks that need the most portable boat plan possible.

This boat features a 42-inch beam and a depth of about 15 inches at the mid-section. It also weighs roughly 80 pounds when assembled and can handle up to three average-sized human passengers.

The design boasts a flat bottom with canvas-bound edges and the primary material used for construction is ⅜-inch marine-grade plywood. Despite its lightweight nature, this rowboat can handle trolling motors or even outboard motors with a maximum of five horsepower.

Once finished, the hull can be folded or unfolded in less than a minute’s time.

This design makes it one of the only boats on this list that can be stored in a truck bed or easily carried by two people to be launched at more remote locations.

5. The Junior

If you are looking for an all-purpose dinghy that can handle almost any use you might imagine, look no further than The Junior free boat plan. It can carry three or four average-sized adults and is much easier to row than a traditional dinghy.

It is also durable enough to be equipped with a small outboard motor. You could even set it up with sailing equipment if you want to use it as a sailing vessel. As we said, this is truly an all-around boat design!

This boat plan requires constructing three frames that will provide the majority of the load-bearing support. The builder recommends using ¾-inch framing with ⅜-inch plywood as the exterior material for this boat build.

Resin glue and flathead screws are also required to hold this boat together. But there is a full list of materials included in the plans we have linked to below. Sticking to that plan should also give you enough leftover materials to construct two six-foot oars for rowing this boat until you install a trolling motor or outboard motor down the line!

6. The Jolly Roger

Channel your inner Captain Morgan when you are following these plans to build your very own Jolly Roger boat. This flat bottom boat design is designed for pond fishing . It can also be a useful yacht dinghy for getting from your dock to a larger vessel anchored offshore.

The plan follows conventional dinghy construction methods but also includes a few modifications that will save you time and energy. The wide design is super stable for boaters of all ages.

The keel, frame, chines, and risers are all cut from ¾-inch oak, ash, or any other trusted hardwood you can get your hands on. For the smaller components, the builder recommends using cedar, cypress, fir, or white or yellow pine.

Because this boat plan is also sturdy enough to handle a small motor, it includes important points for protecting the wooden hull from spark plug damage.

Be careful to follow these guidelines to build the safest boat possible if you imagine installing a motor down the line.

The Jollyroger

7. The Cork

The Cork is another simple rowboat design. This one trends away from the flat bottom plans that we have included thus far. Instead, it features a deeper, V-shaped hull that makes it better suited to more efficient rowing and easier maneuverability.

It can be rowed easily from either seating position and is durable enough to handle up to three average-sized adult passengers. The ends of the boat are identical, which allows for multi-directional rowing.

The list of materials required for this boat plan should cost you between $30 and $50, depending on your location and hardware costs there. The resulting build is lightweight enough for two people to be carried and also to be transported on top of a vehicle .

Inside the boat, the builders use aluminum tubing to secure the struts that hold the seats. This material choice keeps the overall weight of the boat down while still adding the necessary rigidity across the beam of the boat.

8. The Hobby Kat

The Hobie Cat is one of the most iconic and recognizable small sailing vessels ever made. This Hobby Kat plan is your answer to building your own iconic sailboat without spending thousands of dollars.

Your finished boat will be able to handle speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. It will be a super fun vessel for windy days on the lake or bay. The builder was able to construct the hulls, decking, and rudder for this boat while spending little more than $200.

From there, they purchased and installed the mast, boom, sail, and rigging, which brought the total amount spent to roughly $650 (still much less than a name-brand Hobie!). Without the mast and sail, this boat weighs roughly 165 pounds and is constructed using primarily 3/16-inch marine plywood.

You can also elect to build your own mast, boom, and sail if you have the time and skills to do so.

Those elements are not included in this boat plan, but they do offer some recommendations for where to buy these components!

The HobbyKat

9. The Tern

Named after the common seabird found around the world, the Tern is a lightweight and nimble sailboat with a 72 square foot base design. She is made for inland sailing and planes very well in moderate breezes.

The hull design also provides minimal water resistance and the small floor plan makes this boat easier for intermediate sailors to handle. Even though it offers a small footprint, this boat is sturdy enough to handle up to four adult passengers.

One of the best things about this boat plan is that it can be built almost entirely by using only common hand tools.

Of course, you can speed things up if you have power tools and you are skilled enough to use them correctly.

The Tern boat plan includes a 20-foot mast, but you can shorten that length if you desire. The plan includes a complete list of materials and step-by-step instructions on how to plane and assemble each element.

10. The Falcon

As you might expect from its name alone, the Falcon is an incredibly speedy sailboat for its size. It boasts a 14-foot centerboard and can handle two to four passengers, depending on its size and weight.

In tests of the original build, the creators claim that this boat out-distanced many Snipe and Comet sailing vessels as well as pacing evenly alongside longer 18-foot sailboats. When finished, your boat will have a six-foot beam and a total weight of roughly 475 pounds.

For the main framing components, they recommend using white oak and plywood will be the main material used in the hull construction. The hull features a V-shaped that was inspired by larger schooners.

The Falcon is best suited to sailing on bays, lakes, and wide rivers. It is also a boat plan with just under 120 square feet of deck space and it is a great build for amateur craftsmen and sailors.

11. The White Duck

The White Duck is a flat-bottomed rowboat with a total length of 13’6” and a four-foot beam. The cockpit is approximately 15 inches deep all the way around and this boat can handle up to five passengers while maintaining buoyancy and stability.

When fully constructed, it will weigh roughly 200 pounds, but the final weight will depend on the type of lumber you choose for your build. This boat plan features plywood planking over solid wooden frames.

The White Duck is built with a pointed bow that cuts nicely through the water. The flat stern of this boat design will make it easy to attach a small outboard motor with a maximum of six horsepower.

As you might expect from its name, this rowboat is a great option for duck hunting trips. That being said, it is a highly versatile craft that can also be used for pond fishing or casual rowing on your nearby lake.

12. The Sea Midge

The Sea Midge is one of the smallest rowboats on our list and it is ideally suited for one average-sized rower or two small paddlers. It is only about 8 feet in length and offers a 52-inch beam at its widest point.

The Midge’s small dimensions make her ideal for navigating narrower creeks and streams. With an approximate weight of 62 pounds, she is easy to maneuver on the water and can also be much more easily transported than some of the larger boat plans on our list

The Seamidge

13. The Zephyr

The Zephyr is a compact and speedy dinghy sailboat that measures roughly 14 feet long and approximately five feet across. This boat style was originally developed for safely crossing the English Channel. This means it can stand up well in rough waters.

When finished, it is also light enough to be transported on a small trailer or on top of a larger vehicle.

The boat plan calls for using hemlock or fir for the framing and oak or Douglas fir for the keel and chines.

14. The Gypsy

The Gypsy is a small cruising sailboat that is meant to be equipped with an outboard motor for powered locomotion. The original design resulted in an incredibly seaworthy vessel that logged more than 6,000 nautical miles in her lifetime.

It includes a comfortable cabin that makes it well-suited for multi-day sailing adventures. This boat plan includes improvements on the original design that will help you build an extremely durable and long-lasting sailboat.

The Gypsy boat design will help you construct a vessel that can handle a motor up to 25 horsepower so that you can enjoy cruising speeds of up to nine miles per hour.

While it may require a bit more of an investment in time and money, it will also help you produce one of the best boats you can build with a free boat plan!

15. The Crazy Cardboard Boat

PC Saint Dominic Catholic School

Finally, let’s talk about a crazy cardboard boat plan that you can build in less than a day. This is a great boat plan to bookmark for your next teambuilding project so that you can earn bragging rights with your coworkers.

The plan calls for using 1.5 sheets of cardboard. But you can use the remaining half sheet to build your own boat paddle if you want to get creative.

Triple-thick cardboard is best for this boat plan. But you can always double up thinner sheets if that is all you can find.

These plans include an easy-to-follow diagram for marking, cutting, and folding the cardboard sheets to create the hull of your boat. From there, it calls for using contact cement and construction adhesive to seal the edges and corners.

If you are looking to save a little money on this build you could also use duct tape and then wrap the entire design in plastic sheeting to provide waterproof qualities.

Overall, this build is one of the cheapest and easiest on our list. It is also a great project for hot summer camp days on the lake or river!

15 Free Boat Plans You Can Build This Week (with PDFs) – Final Thoughts

Photo by Alexandra Soloviova via Shutterstock

We hope that you now have a couple of free boat plans to inspire you to begin your own construction project.

Don’t hesitate to check out YouTube for some useful boat-building videos when you are getting into the nitty-gritty of these build processes!

Enjoyed 15 Free Boat Plans You Can Build This Week (with PDFs)? Share it with your friends so they too can follow the Kayakhelp journey.

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I’m Pete. I am the owner of KayakHelp.com. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, I grew up kayaking, fishing, sailing, and partaking in outdoor adventures around the Great Lakes. When I am not out on the water, you can find me skiing in the mountains, reading my favorite books, and spending time with my family.

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Established in 1938, more than 100,000 boats have now been built by enthusiasts from our plans. All Hartley Boat Plan sets come with full size frame patterns.

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It is with a heavy heart that I have to pass along the news that Pat Atkin passed away peacefully yesterday (May 15, 2022). As I get more information, I'll pass it along. It has long been the plan to ensure the legacy of John and William Atkin's plans. All the plans are now in the expert care of Mystic Seaport. She will be greatly missed by the wooden boat community.

Here is a link to her Obituary

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The name Atkin has long been associated with the best in basic boats. If you are looking for "the right little boat" to build -- or have built -- or if you just like to dream over boat plans -- you'll be delighted with the wooden boat design collections of John (1918-1999) and William (1882-1962) Atkin, which are now being sold by John's widow, Pat.

Having provided three generations with practical, well-proven wooden boat designs, our site offers more than 300 designs including famed Atkin double-enders, traditional offshore and coastal cruising yachts, rowing/sailing dinghies, utilities and houseboats. Many of the designs represent great simplicity and make excellent projects for amateur builders. Superbly drawn study plans, usually copies of the original "how-to-build" magazine articles by William or John Atkin, will help you choose the boat best suited to your level of boatbuilding skill.

Complete designs include the lines; table of offsets; construction plan elevation and sections; arrangement plan elevation and sections; sail plan (or outboard profile); deck plan and numerous details as required. Scantlings are lettered on the working drawings. Also included are Xerox prints of the original "how-to-build" text as it appeared in the MoToR BoatinG magazine articles written by Billy and John Atkin. All designs require lofting before building.

These plans contain all the information necessary for an amateur to successfully build a boat, but the older plans assume the builder has some familiarity with boat construction and the use of tools. Please Do Not stray from the plans and modify your Atkin boat. If you cannot resist the urge to second guess John or William Atkin you do so at your own risk; the resulting boat will no longer be an Atkin design and Atkin & Co. will take no responsibility for its performance! Just follow Billy Atkin's advice: "Now do not be tempted to pull the ends out, raise the sheer heights, swoop up the bow or stern, or do the many things a boat plan always impels one to do. Just put this... boat together and see how well she performs."

Unless otherwise specified, construction is traditional plank on frame. Most of the flat-bottom boats can easily be converted to plywood planking. V-bottoms with straight sections may look like plywood will wrap easily around them, but but in reality, V-bottoms not specifically designed for sheet plywood may be very difficult, or impossible, to plank with plywood sheets.

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The designs where there is a YELLOW BACKGROUND are the designs for which CUTTING FILES are available.              Several versions.         Several versions in one set of BOAT PLANS. or     or              or - WOOD EPOXY             or     NEW TOTALLY REVISED      ALUMINUM     Fast cruising         -  BOAT PLANS & CUTTING FILES if you are interested in this design. or     or         or   or or   STEEL OR ALUMINUM        or Several versions. or               RETURN TO  HOME PAGE 50th Anniversary Collectors Issue - September/October Issue No. 300 Preview Now Plans & Kits If you’re in the market for a boat to build, this directory of Boat Plans & Kits is a fine place to start. And if your company sells plans or kits, we invite you to list your offerings here. There is no charge for listing, but the featured boats must be built of wood. To refine your search of this directory, use quotation marks. If you search Nutshell Pram Kit, you’ll receive all the listings that include the words Nutshell, Pram, and Kit. To refine your search, enter “Nutshell Pram Kit”; you’ll then see only the results for Nutshell Pram kits. Post Your Boat Plans & Kits Post Your Plans/Kits login or register Search plans & kits. To refine your search, add quote marks. If you search Nutshell Pram Kit, you will get all the listings which include Nutshell, Pram, and Kit. To refine, search “Nutshell Pram Kit” and you’ll see just Nutshell Pram Kit results. 717 Results Oar / Paddle The Hawk SS takes you far into the world of high performance. Sailboats - Cruising M90 trimaran. Sailboats - Racing Merlin rocket dinghy 'hazardous'. The Merlin Rocket is one of the UK’s premier 2 person racing dinghies.After nearly 70 years and 3750 boats built, the Merlin Rocket racing dinghy continues to develop and evolve. PuddleCat 9 9 foot wooden catamaran Sailboats - Daysailers Caledonia yawl ii. Construction: Glued lapstrake plywood. Alternative construction: Traditional plank, cold molded and strip plank. No Lofting required. Plans include 10 sheets. Motorboats - Outboard VILA 570 is the smallest of a family of three small planing cruisers boats ranging from 19’ to 22’. "Colibri" - 7.5'(2.30m) General Purpose Dinghy This small dinghy can be used for fishing, pleasure rowing or as a tender for a bigger yacht. It can also be fitted with a small outboard motor. The boat has a relatively high freeboard and can take a fair amount of load. It handles very well small waves or wake caused by powerboats. MOTH, designed according to the rules of the Classic Moth Class, is a fast and enjoyable boat. It has a narrow hull, designed so as to minimize wet surface, is relatively stable and planes easily. Paper Jet 14 Paper Jet 14 plywood stitch and glue sailing skiff Sportfish 570 The design of Sportfish 570 comes from a collaboration with a Senegalese society, with the aim of creating fishing vessels for inland waters of modern conception. Share your boatbuilding plans or kits today. Login Sign up From the Community Ben Garvey 19' This beautiful interpretation of Doug Hylan's 19' Big Ben Garvey is a one of a kind opportunity. Cedar strip dory for sale in Southwest Wisconsin Dory, cedar strip/fiberglass, ash gunnels, butternut seats, 14 feet by 4-1/2, includes oars, anch Chesapeake Lite Craft Woodduck 10' Hybrid Kayak WoodenBoat School student build 2024. All construction and fiberglass work completed. 21-Foot Beachcomber Alpha Dory, Asking $15,000 A true classic. From Online Exclusives Extended Content ODYSSEA (ex-FLORALIN) The Strength of Scarf Joints Whiskey plank. How I Built a Boat Using Plans from 1935 I found plans for a Gentleman's Racer in an old Popular Mechanics book. My family has owned a Ford dealership since before the first World War, but when I was a kid, I loved boats most. Even after I took over the dealership and spent 40 years in the automotive business, I completed a number of boat restorations and builds. Years ago, my mother-in-law gave me a 1935 book from the Popular Mechanics Press called The Boat Book, Everything of Interest to the Amateur Boatman . Inside were plans to build what was known in the 1930s as a Gentlemen's Racer—a modified recreation boat in the spirit of old hot rods. I loved the plans, and after a few years of only imagining the build, I laid out a roll of paper on the dealership’s showroom floor and drew the whole boat, full-size and full-scale, with a protractor, square, and compass. No computer whatsoever. Modernizing the Engine The original design being from the 1930s, I had to make a few changes. The book outfitted the boat with a Ford Model A engine, but I had my eye on a 250cid straight-six Ford, the same engine you’d find in an early Mustang, Torino, or Granada. All due respect to my Ford heritage, a Model A motor is heavy, temperamental, and not particularly safe in a boat—the carburetor on the Old A's tended to leak fuel. My inline-six solved those issues and delivered triple the horsepower, 120 horses compared to the Model A’s 40. However, it still fit well within the rpm range in which the boat would be operating, and it struck a nice balance between nostalgia and reliability. I also modified the original engine installation plans and lengthened the craft by 19 inches to move the engine farther aft. This gave the boat better balance and handling dynamics. The engine is basically stock, with the exception of a larger carb from a Ford 300cid truck engine. The new engine’s been marinized: It has an open-loop cooling system that pulls water from the lake. There's a pre-cooler for the transmission and a raw-water pump that circulates water through the engine, the water-jacketed exhaust manifold, then out to the lake again. I also constructed a custom oil pan in order to move the oil sump to the back of the engine—that was necessary with my modifications, which had the engine operating at a 14-degree angle. A V8 is the typical engine for a custom build, so using the inline-six made things trickier, but the old 250 six matched up perfectly to a Borg Warner Velvet Drive marine transmission. The Velvet Drive is often paired with a 351-Ford engine, which is common in many ski boats. On the dash, the tachometer, water temp, oil pressure, fuel, and battery gauges are all era-correct Stuart Warners—but I did a few things "incorrect." There's a dead man's switch under the dash and a modern blower system to ventilate the bilge, plus a few other safety items, such as a modern marine fuel tank and a triple-layer epoxy-encapsulated hull for extra strength and durability. Shaping the Boat The different engine caused a few ripple effects in how I had to alter the Popular Mechanics design. Because I was extending the length of the boat, it was important to keep the curve of the deck consistent and seamless. I wanted to accentuate the tumblehome — the inward curve of the sides towards the aft—so I called my son and we developed an equation to make sure the geometries worked out. You can’t just run a straight line from frame to frame, because the side curves more toward the back, and the deck narrows at an ever-increasing rate the more aft you go. I added another frame at the back to support the extra length, so the boat ended up considerably stronger than the original plans. We used the outside dimensions Popular Mechanics published, but where the original plans called for 1.5-inch white pine frames, I used 2.5-inch oak for additional strength. I had taken down an oak tree from my woods a few years previously. I had the timber aged and dried, and I selected the best planks for the frames. Once the frames were together, I built the keel and epoxied and bolted the seven main frames and the transom to the keel. Then I ran the battens on the outside of the frames, as called for in the 1935 plans. All the frames are white oak, and the exterior is mahogany. The toughest build area was the wood forming the bow. You can bend a piece of wood no problem, but where you have a lot of flair (like with the curves on the bow of a boat) you have to roll the plank in two different directions simultaneously. I threw a few pieces of mahogany away, thanks to trial and error. The proper way to shape the wood would have been to use a steam room. But I ended up soaking the wood in my pond, and made a jig where I could bend the wood little by little until I achieved the shape I wanted. Then, I just let it dry in the sun. It took me four and a half years of evenings and weekends to frame; build the keel; complete the hull; install the engine, transmission, and driveline; apply a urethane clearcoat; upholster the interior; and install the stainless steel trim. I eventually named it Flash , the same name given to the boat in the old Popular Mechanics book. Updating a Classic The book’s materials list was a bit dated. An obvious example: The instructions called for a canvas cover and “plenty of lead paint.” I wanted to stay true to the original design, but not that true. I covered the boat with marine-grade mahogany, with each piece coated in epoxy and screwed to the boat. For the finish, I used a conventional wooden stain, with an automotive-grade urethane clear coat for the top surface. Popular Mechanics purists from the ‘30s would probably roll over in their graves upon hearing that, but acrylic urethane is harder and superior to varnish. If I had used the organic materials called for in the book, the life expectancy of the boat would have been pretty limited. The old Gentlemen’s Racer class required two seats: the driver and navigator's seat aft and a "seat" in the forward deck. Many boats had a hatch to cover the forward seat, but even with the covered seat, it was still technically a recreation boat, in the same way a hot-rod is still technically a passenger car. Some of my dealership connections came in handy for aesthetics and accessories. An upholstery shop in Salina, Ohio sewed the vinyl upholstery for the boat. The plans called for leather, but the ride of this boat produces a lot of spray, so the interior was guaranteed to be wet. The windshield and brackets were made by a speciality shop, and an Amish cabinet shop local to my home in Indiana did some of the complex wood-cutting. Other local Amish companies crafted the stainless steel hardware on the deck and sides, and installed the gold leaf lettering. With all the modifications, I had to calculate the displacement of the boat to verify balance and water-line height. Water weighs 60 pounds per cubic foot. By calculating the cubic footage of the hull, I was able to establish how deep the boat would sit in the water. When the boat was finally launched, it floated within a half-inch of what my mathematical calculations had predicted. Testing Its Performance For the standards of the day, this would have been a really fast boat. It can be dead in the water and reach full plane in just under two seconds. It’ll never be a fast boat by modern standards because of the old-school hydrodynamics and engineering—new boats have designs that lift the boat out of the water at speed, and this one just can’t achieve any of that lift. With the 18-inch pitch on the propeller—allowing for 15 percent propeller slippage—and the engine turning 3200 rpms, the math says the boat should have a top speed of around 46 mph. But over 40, you would have your hands full. Due to the fresh engine, I haven't pushed it hard to the top end yet. On this boat, the bow is basically vertical. If you stuff it into a wave, you're going to put water over the deck. This design isn't wrong, but boat builders have learned a thing or two in the past 75 years. The Boat Book describes that exact ride experience as an inherent part of the design. As far as driving and handling, Flash is quite well-mannered. Granted, performance and handling aren't on par with a contemporary sport boat, but a 1930s sedan won't handle or perform comparable to a modern automobile, either. Cruising at 28 to 30 mph, this boat is as sweet as can be. Flash creates a huge curtain of spray on both sides. When I take the boat out, other boats come alongside and follow us. Cameras come out and people take pictures of it running. Between the gold trim and the finished mahogany, it’s an attention-getter. I numbered the boat with G-36: G for the Gentlemen's Racer classification, and 36 for the rough vintage. The gold leaf Flash is an exact copy of the script pictured in the book. Finally, I put A.J. Moser—my great-grandfather who founded our family dealership in 1886—on the side, but it’s a nod to my father, too, quite a craftsman himself. He made things all his life. He told me: “Jim, work with your hands. You can do things if you try, and it’s good for your mind.” I love history, and maybe my great-grandchildren will be able to dig out this column in 85 years and show off the boat to POP readers again. - As told to Jordan Golson Pop Mech Pro America’s New Plan for Its Secret Stealth Fighter Our Consciousness May Come From a Higher Dimension Could This Metal Shard Be Alien Technology? Wormholes May Be a Portal for Interstellar Travel What We Know About India’s Secret New Submarine Debunking the 9/11 Myths: The Airplanes We Debunked the 9/11 Myths About United Flight 93 Myths About the 9/11 Pentagon Attack: Debunked Debunking the 9/11 Myths: The World Trade Center America’s Secret Race to Recover a Spy Satellite Scientists Find Groundbreaking Deep-Sea Battery Archaeologists Find an Ancient Immortality Potion Your shopping cart is empty! Featured Categories Sailboat Plans 18-30ft Sailboat Plans 30-40ft Sailboat Plans 40-65ft Spray Plans 22-55ft Powerboat Plans 21-65ft Photo Gallery Boat Building Information Boat Building Methods Bruce roberts sailboat and powerboat designs, & boat plans for the diy boat builder, bruce roberts international, the original bruce roberts design office began life in 1968 in, queensland, australia. we are still located in queensland, australia and in 2010 had a name change to fine line boat plans and designs.   read more on our history on about us .. For over forty five years the Bruce Roberts Group, with input from many designers, shipwrights, builders and owners, have been drawing detailed boat plans for sailboats and powerboats with the DIY boat builder specially in mind. These boatplans & designs range in size from 5.8 mts to 20 mts and can be built in many different materials.  We have boat plans & designs for building in steel or aluminium in either multichine, radius chine or round bilge hull forms.  Most boat plans & designs are also in fibreglass using either c-flex, foam sandwich or single skin hull construction methods or in cold moulded ply or strip plank using what is commonly know as wood epoxy boatbuilding. Thousands of boats marketed as Roberts designs have been built in backyards and successfully sailed around the world. Our range of boat plans & designs  include the:-  Roberts, Waverunner, Trader, Spray, Centennial Spray, Coastworker, New York,  Adventurer, Tom Thumb, Henry Morgan, Offshore, PCF, Mauritius / Norfolk, Classic, Power Cat, Trawler Yacht and the Longboat.  In our archives are nearly all the boat plans & designs that we have designed over the years.  If you are resurrecting an older Roberts boat then it is very likely we will still have the drawings to help. The emphasis has always been on safety and the fact that when building your own boat you can not only build for less but can build what you want, not what a boat salesman tells you you need . The boat plans come with full size frame patterns and detailed construction drawings as well as information on building one's own tools, fitting self steering vane, mast, trailers (for trailerable boats) etc.  Featured Boat Plans Adventurer 25 Trailer Sailer Boat Plan Roberts Adventurer 25 Trailer Sailer Over 1,000 examples of this design have already been complet.. Roberts 27 Boat Plan Roberts 27 This nifty earlier design is available for either fibreglass or wood epoxy constructio.. PCF 36-40 (Pacific Coast Fisherman) Boat Plan Roberts PCF 36-40 (Pacific Coast Fisherman) This design may be built as a motor sailer for family.. Roberts 40 Boat Plan Roberts 40 This design comes with either a centre cockpit or a pilot house layout. There is adequ.. Roberts 310 Boat Plan Roberts 310 This design may be built with either a regular trunk cabin or a pilot house. It is al.. New York 46 Boat Plan Roberts New York 46 The choice of keel types, combined with various draft options and alternate s.. Canoe Stern 341 Boat Plan Roberts Canoe Stern 341 Designed by Graham Shannon this is for those of you that are looking for .. Coastworker 25 Boat Plan Roberts Coastworker 25 Powerboat Designed for construction in either steel or aluminium, this mak.. 332 IMAGES Plans Sailboat ~ My Boat Plans shoedrw1.gif Pin on BOAT DESIGN..BOAT PLANS..CLASSICS AND VINTAGE..SAIL AND MOTOR boat plans DYO cruising sailboat vintage BLUEPRINT of SAIL BOAT #boatsbuilding Pin by Timothy Balding on Sailing Yachts VIDEO Sailing Video From The Weekender DVD Set Free 30' sailboat! Yellowtail From a Kayak Vintage Sailboat Plans Restoring a 35 Year Old Sailboat ⛵️ #boatwork #boatbuilding #refit DIY projects on our 44 year old SAIL BOAT COMMENTS Free Boat Plans From "Science and Mechanics" Magazines Find plans for various types of boats, such as hydroplanes, sailboats, inboards, runabouts, canoes, kayaks and more. The plans are from old magazines and are available as images to save and print. Popular Mechanics 23 Boats You Can Build 1950 Popular Mechanics 23 Boats You Can Build 1950. Addeddate 2015-09-18 20:47:49 Identifier PopularMechanics23Boats Free Sailboat Plans Download free sailboat plans (pdf) for various types of boats, such as open dayboats, cabin cruisers, canoes, rowing boats and more. Learn how to build your own sailboat with plywood and other materials from magazines and books. Building classic small craft : complete plans and instructions for 47 Tradition-minded amateur boatbuilders are furnished with detailed plans and instructions for building prams, skiffs, dories, semi-dories, wherries, and other classic small craft ... A spurling rowboat -- The St. lawrence river skiff -- The rangeley boat -- The wherry -- The origin of the whitehall -- A whitehall pulling boat -- The sea bright ... Free Sample Plan Classic wooden boat plans is a collection of established wooden boat designs ranging from the early 1900's to about 1970. Some of our own designs are Banshee, Custom Barrelback 19 and the Deep V inspired by the Donzi Sweet 16, Bantam. Other plans include Chris Craft, Hacker, Gar Wood, Riva, Switzer, barrel back, Baby Bootlegger, Flyer, Teaser Free boat plans, online boat plan sources, and free CAD boat drawing Find free boat plans for sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and more from various sources and designers. Browse by boat type, size, style, and format, or search by keywords. Classic Wooden Boat Plans Classic wooden boat plans is a collection of established wooden boat designs ranging from the early 1900's to about 1970. Some of our own designs are Banshee, Custom Barrelback 19 and the Deep V inspired by the Donzi Sweet 16, Bantam. Other plans include Chris Craft, Hacker, Gar Wood, Riva, Switzer, barrel back, Baby Bootlegger, Flyer, Teaser ... Free Boat Plans Find free plans for canoes, houseboats, rowing boats, sailing boats and motorboats that can be built with basic woodworking skills and tools. Learn from the instructions and tips published in magazines such as "Popular Mechanics" and "Popular Science". Build a Small Sailboat Free Plans Download plans for a 15 foot knockabout sailboat made of plywood. Learn how to cut, assemble and join the frames, planks and transom with casein or waterproof glue. Build DIY Roberts sailboats. Designs & boat plans 30-40ft Find boat plans for various sailboat designs by Bruce Roberts in the range of 30 to 40 feet. Choose from steel, aluminium, fiberglass, wood/epoxy construction and customize your layouts. PDF Building a Boat from Old Plans If the plans specify 1/4" plywood, use 1/4" epoxy coated on all faces with epoxy resin only. For 3/8" ply, replace with 1/4" with either one layer of glass outside or one layer outside and one inside. For 1/2" ply, use 1/4" with one-layer biaxial glass 12 oz. each side. Plywood Boat Plans Find detailed plans for building plywood boats and wooden canoes, from sailing dinghies to powerboats, rowboats and paddleboards. Learn how to build a beautiful, fast and light boat with simple instructions and kits. Plans & Kits Download free plans for various types of small boats, such as dinghies, prams, canoes, and trimarans. Browse by category, sort by popularity, or search by name or keyword. All the boat plans on this site. Many free plans Find links to hundreds of boat plans for different kinds of boats, oars, paddles and water crafts. Some plans are free, some are paid, some are in PDF format, some are from old sources. Petrel 33 Petrel 33 is a 34 foot cruiser with a plumb stem, a furling jib, a gennaker and a diesel or electric engine. The plans are available in PDF format and show the hull, deck, rig, interiors and building system details. Free boat plans Find links to many free boat plans for traditional and modern boats, derived from drawings, photos and videos. Learn how to build skiffs, dinghies, canoes, kayaks and more with step-by-step instructions and tips. 15 Free Boat Plans You Can Build This Week (with PDFs) Free Boat Plans You Can Build This Week (with PDFs) 1. The Wanigan. PC Duckworks Boat Builders Supply. The Wanigan boat began as a garvey design, which is one of the older boat plans known to the Americas. Traditionally, these boats were built as work scows and were very popular among American summer camps. Boat Plans Hartley Boats offers a wide range of boat plans for sail, power, catamaran, trimaran, dinghy, kayak, surf and vintage boats. You can order online and get full size frame patterns, books and guides to help you build your own boat. Atkin & Co. Atkin & Co. offers more than 300 wooden boat designs by the father-son team of John and William Atkin, who wrote for MoToR BoatinG magazine. The plans are now sold by Mystic Seaport Museum and include study drawings, text, and scantlings for various types of boats. Scroll Down for 100 Sailboat Plans & Kits Find over 100 sailboat plans and kits for steel, aluminum, fiberglass and wood epoxy building methods. See photos, reviews and details of each design and contact the designer for more information. Plans & Kits Search Find boat plans and kits for wood boats of various types, sizes and designs. Search by keywords, filter by categories, or browse the list of 717 results from different designers and suppliers. How to Build a Boat Modernizing the Engine. The original design being from the 1930s, I had to make a few changes. The book outfitted the boat with a Ford Model A engine, but I had my eye on a 250cid straight-six ... Boat Plans Find boat plans for sailboats and powerboats of various sizes and materials, from 5.8 mts to 20 mts, by Bruce Roberts Designs. Learn about boat building methods, tools, and history from the original Bruce Roberts Design Office. catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht