Thread: Sam Devlin boat

As a first build it's an ambitious project. Most don't realize how big a boat this. It's a doable first project, but it will take some perseverance. It would be best to have some taped seam building under your belt before a project of this size. Though I have seen novice builders take on and complete this size boat as a first try, it would be a rather substantial exception to the usual.

If you have good woodworking skills and hopefully some epoxy and 'glassing experience, you have a fair crack at a boat like this. I say go for it, stay focused and enjoy the process.

Originally Posted by PAR

As a first build it's an ambitious project. Most don't realize how big a boat this. It's a doable first project, but it will take some perseverance. It would be best to have some taped seam building under your belt before a project of this size. Though I have seen novice builders take on and complete this size boat as a first try, it would be a rather substantial exception to the usual.

If you have good woodworking skills and hopefully some epoxy and 'glassing experience, you have a fair crack at a boat like this. I say go for it, stay focused and enjoy the process.

I agree fully! I was going to say, spend a few hundred and build a simple S&G
row boat first. It would be money well spent if it never made it to the water.
In the overall cost of this project it is a small part of the expense. Most likely
less than you will spend on sand paper.

thanks,

yes it i ambitious, but i dont want to start something i dont care about.

I have been speakign with S Devlin it took him 1100 hours, its a 1500hr project for someone with basic woodworking skills (me), and US$30k without power project.

I am setting up my place in the driveway of the house, with enclosed carport to house it under, and will start end of the year.

Although i like the idea of building a smaller project, it just doesnt pull me.

One interesting thing is i ask glen-i.com and they dont believe a stitch and glue is practical over 20ft, but i dont have the woodworkign skills to go for another method, while what i have read so far stitch and glue i feel comfortable.

i'll have to think about it but if my past actions are any indication of future actions, then its head in first and we'll figure it out along the way.

john

Most of the folks you'll talk to over a Glen-L really don't know anything other then what they've read personally, been trained to offer as an employee or seen in the plans they sell. Some actually have some experience, but mostly they're a "plans house" in that they sell lots of plans, mostly well dated and a limited amount of hardware and supplies.

The largest I offer is a 33' taped seam design and it's quite practical, economical in fact. I've seen bigger.


Sam is a fine builder and designer. His boats are stout and well thought out. Double the time estimates to be realistic. A first build always takes a lot more effort to finish as you learn techniques, fix screw ups and generally get a feel for what you're doing. The money portion can be roughly calculated from the materials list, but expect in the end to pay double this too.

That boat has a fair amount of draft, especially if rigged as an inboard. This means you would be doing yourself a big favor by building a taped seam dinghy to service the mother ship in shoal areas and learning a good bit about some of the techniques. It's a whole lot cheaper to learn or screw up on a 8' dinghy then a 25' motor yacht.

Hi PAR

I like your thinking, plus i thnk i can start on a 8ft dinghly straight away.

Do you have a website , i cant find it?

Also, is taped seam and stitch and glue the same?

Nope, I don't have a web site. I've been telling myself I'll start one up some day, but it's not that high up on the priority list. I'm fairly busy now, I can only imagine what a site would bring.

Taped seam is the build method. Stitch and glue is one of several techniques that you can employ with a taped seam boat.

All taped seam boats use 'glass tape on the panel seams. Stitch and glue refers to how you tie the panels together, before applying the goo and tape. I usually use different methods then stitching panels together. I like to use small brads, straps, rubber bands, bicycle inner tubes, rope, even regular duct tape to hold things together while the epoxy and tape cures. The advantage is you don't have a million holes to fill and I also find stitches to be more difficult to adjust then other methods of holding the panels in alignment during the curing process.

Dinghy designs abound. All of my dinghy designs have been as "tenders" for larger yachts, not specifically aimed at the dinghy market. For this reason, The smallest dink design I have is a 10'er. The original was a sailing, flat bottom, nesting dink (folds into itself for compact deck storage on the mother ship), but has since evolved into a regular (one piece) hull and now has a V bottom sister of considerably more capacity. Attached are the two I just mentioned.

You may want to ask Michael if he has anything by way of dinghies to offer. There are lots of them (plans) out there.




A larger version is here:

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/data/500/RYD-8_4A.jpg

Hi,

Looks like a great boat, i don't have any experience with this particular boat but i know sam to be a great designer, especially for a first time builder.

This hard chine stich and glue boat actually looks quite simple to build, as long as you get the jig set up correctly the rest of the boat will follow suit.

Devlin has his own "how to" book called "devlins boat building" which is a great general stich and glue allrounder... i know of a few boat kit suppliers who include this book in every kit.