Finally, my first boat 90% done, 90% to go

**rameses32** · 9th June 2011, 12:04 AM

Well after all these years I finally built a boat. I built Hannu's Micro Auray Punt, what a pretty little boat, I built it for fishing in the rivers and to learn from. A mate asked me why I built such a small boat, I asked if he owned a small boat, he said yes, a fiberglass canoe, I asked, how much did it cost and can you lift it, he said $600 used and no way could he lift it by himself, I said my little boat cost under $300 and weighs 15kgs, then he started to ask questions about building one

This is my first stepping stone in my GIS quest, the next step is the OZ PDRacer, or OZ Racer now, Then the GIS.

I learned so much from this project

1. Mix small batches of Epoxy at a time, doesn't matter how many times I read this before I started I still had to find out the hard way, it's cold enough now that I never had any epoxy set on me but I was truly buggered from having to rush all of the filleting and glassing on the inside in one go, I don't recomend that,lol

2. Spend the extra couple dollars and use fiberglass tape, I thought I would be thrifty and cut strips from fiberglass cloth, wrong, what a mess, it just pulls apart and unravels , the outside seams I did with tape, which is edged so it doesn't pull apart, a dream to work with and way less sanding when finished.

3.Foam brushes suck for epoxy-fiberglass work, brushes work a whole lot better, next time I am using a roller.

4. Fully cured epoxy is very easy to sand, as easy as sanding concrete that is. Clean up and scrape up everything before it cures.

5. Epoxy finds a way to get everywhere, I was seriously concerned I was going to wake up with my buttcrack glued together, not because I put it there but because this stuff finds it's way EVERYWHERE!

6. 90% finished means 90% left to do, after sanding and sanding and sanding tonight I relise I have about 6 hours sanding left before I start to paint, ugg.

I'm attaching a few pictures of the boat so far.
Charley

**m2c1Iw** · 9th June 2011, 11:51 AM

Cool

So another poor soul bitten by the boat building bug.

**BobWes** · 9th June 2011, 12:09 PM

Good looking boat!

90% done... 90% to go... Man, I can relate to that.

**rameses32** · 11th June 2011, 11:05 AM

90% to go was right, sanding sanding and more sanding and then spreading light filler, and now, more sanding, and thats just on the inside, haven't even started on the outside, I can only hope the outside is easier. All this for a simple little fishing boat that I am just painting, my neighbor asked me why I am bothering so much with the filler and stuff, I said that first moment the boat is finished will be best it will ever look, it's all downhill from there.

Charley

**Boatmik** · 12th June 2011, 07:12 AM

I bet nobody outside Australia, or outside that region of New South Wales knows how to pronounce Rameses home town!

It's almost worthwhile driving there to see what the GPS in my phone says in its American accent!

Good work on the Boat Rameses! Keep us informed how it goes.

There are other tips and tricks for epoxying and glassing on my FAQ page.
FAQ - Boat Building and Repair Methods - Plywood Epoxy Fibreglass Cedar Strip - Michael Storer Wooden Boat Plans

Best wishes
Michael.

**jmk89** · 12th June 2011, 09:03 AM

Then they can have a go at Goonoo Goonoo

**jmk89** · 12th June 2011, 09:08 AM

Did some research - there's a village in Canada with the same spelling but pronounced "walk up"

**rameses32** · 12th June 2011, 10:08 PM

Sand sand sand, apply light filler and sand sand sand, throw on a coat of primer and now ready to flip it over and do it all again to the outside.

Thanks for all the comments everybody, and thats for the link Mik

Charley

**rameses32** · 22nd June 2011, 11:26 PM

Finished the boat, I attached a few pictures. The only real change I made to the boat was a full length Keel with a wear strip to stiffen the floor of the boat, help it track and hopefully protect the bottom a bit, we'll see how it works out. I have one question though, I painted the boat with one coat of latex primer sealer and 3 coats of Exterior Latex, almost 24 hours between each coat, (it's winter here), I want to throw the boat in the water Saturday afternoon, The outside of the boat (blue) will have been drying for 10 days on Saturday, but the inside (cream) will have only had 4 days to dry. My question is: Is this enough drying time before putting the boat in the water?

Also, how the heck do little bastard bugs know just where the wet paint is, I swear the bug guts to pigment ratio of the paint has to be near 1:1.
Charley

**_fly_** · 23rd June 2011, 09:46 AM

Are boats like computer programming? 90% is done in 10% of the time, The last 10% takes 90% of the time.

**BobWes** · 23rd June 2011, 10:35 AM

Your boat looks great! Good job.

I can empathize about the bugs on the paint. My boat may wind up with a speckled effect what with the bugs that seem to be sucked onto fresh paint.

What adventure do you have planned for Saturday? Wait, this will be the boat's very first launching, right? Are you planning a christening ceremony? Be sure to include rum or other suitable libation (virtually all libations are suitable) and take photos. Whatever you do, have FUN!

**Cliff Rogers** · 23rd June 2011, 11:36 AM

**b.o.a.t.** · 23rd June 2011, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by rameses32

The outside of the boat (blue) will have been drying for 10 days on Saturday, but the inside (cream) will have only had 4 days to dry. My question is: Is this enough drying time before putting the boat in the water?
Charley

I did the inside of my Teal in clear acrylic.
Unless you've dried & heated the workshop air, it will probably be a bit soft.
Water may still turn the surface to a gel & make it slippery underfoot, especially
bare feet. (The Intergrain Clear I used still suffers this if I allow water to stand
in the boat for more than a few hours..)
If you can, wear socks rather than shoes, which are likely to tear it.

In short, provided you are a bit careful, it should be no worries for Saturday
launch. Good thing about acrylic is it is dead easy to patch if/when it does
get scratched. Have fun. Where do you reckon you'll launch?
cheers
AJ

**b.o.a.t.** · 23rd June 2011, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Boatmik

I bet nobody outside Australia, or outside that region of New South Wales knows how to pronounce Rameses home town!

It's almost worthwhile driving there to see what the GPS in my phone says in its American accent!

Best wishes
Michael.

I know !
But then I had a relative living at Wingham for a few years. ;-)
Pronounced -totally- differently here in SA, that's for sure.
AJ

**rameses32** · 23rd June 2011, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by BobWes

Your boat looks great! Good job.

I can empathize about the bugs on the paint. My boat may wind up with a speckled effect what with the bugs that seem to be sucked onto fresh paint.

What adventure do you have planned for Saturday? Wait, this will be the boat's very first launching, right? Are you planning a christening ceremony? Be sure to include rum or other suitable libation (virtually all libations are suitable) and take photos. Whatever you do, have FUN!

I was thinking Stones Green Ginger Wine would be the most appropriate for this boats launching

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