MATERIALS

My designs are for wood, steel, and aluminum alloy as they are engineering materials. Many are suited for construction by the owner/builder, which is sometimes referred to as backyard boatbuilding. Reinforced plastics fall in the category of a material that can be engineered, but I do not offer designs for this medium. The hull shapes are flat bottom,V (single chine) bottom, multi chine, and round bottom.

In General

It is easier to build a vessel under cover, i.e., in a building or at least under a shed roof. Being totally exposed to the elements is costly in time and forces the builder to alter the construction sequence to get the vessel closed in to protect materials stored that will not pass through a hatch. If the mold loft is constructed from exterior or marine grade plywood, it can then be used on the interior or wherever else it can be used. In my yard, there was never any wood or plywood that could not be used in construction, and this included scaffolding.