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To anyone thinking about building a boat I would start to give you the following warnings:
- It takes a lot of time
- If you don't have good tools, you will use even more time
- Good tools cost money
- You need indoors (sheltered) space to build your boat and to store materials (unless you want to build something prehistoric outdoors)
- If you do not have your own space, you have to rent it. Consider the cost of renting and electricity. Can you afford to take a break once in a while.
- You have to fight with possible delays from suppliers.
- Are you able to read drawings.
- Do you like to improvise structural changes and you are not an engineer, then you are at risk. (even engineers do not know the precise loads, but can make quality assumptions).
- Are you capable to build a nice looking and safe boat, you should at least have built a canoe or smaller dinghy successfully before.
- Second hand value might be low.
- In Europe you are not allowed to sell it the first 5 years.
- If you build yourself only to save money not having a particular interest in boat building it is probable that you will not finish the project or suffer while doing it (remember it will take time from your
partner, children, friends etc..)
Think about how easy it is to buy a used boat : You pay some cash and you sail away, so easy, so nice. You still want to build yourself and the following describes you:
- In addition to sailing my hobby is to build boats
- I like to have tools
- I am very practical
- I am very precise
- I aware of dangerous consequences it might have not reading or following instructions from design drawings
- I have time to build a boat
- I have experience from smaller boats (canoe, dinghy...)
If you got down here, and you still want to build a boat yourself you have the following advantages:
- You have a nice hobby on your free time
- If you build it with friends, you have an even nicer time and it is completed faster
- It is cheaper than buying from a boatyard
- You can personalize it (not the structural part please!)
- The satisfaction when
launching it on the water the first time is fantastic.
- Who wants to sell it, its your baby that you created with your own hands!
- You know every millimeter of your boat
So, have fun and good luck. |
