Thread: Starting small before hitting the big time

Originally Posted by Elwoodchipmaker

Hi AJ,

I really like the looks and simplicity of the Teal. And the build price is certainly attractive too...

Hmmm, you have all given me much room for thought...

For all the enjoyment I've had from mine, I'm not going to unconditionally recommend
Teal to you. Teal is narrow - it really is a fat canoe, & for us 100kg people, that
means it -feels- unstable. Not very relaxing. However, once the high chine reaches
the surface of the water, it stiffens up heaps. I haven't been dunked in 10 years of
ownership. But Teal is a bit squeezy & un-relaxing with two full-sized adults aboard.

Joel White's Nutshell 9'9" would be a far better boat IMHO, especially as there are
two of you to go in it. Bigger volume, uses more material, and a more complex build,
but a lot more relaxing on the water.

For myself... at the moment, Radoslaw Werzsko's 4M day boat is the front runner as
Teal's replacement. Waiting to see what magic MIK weaves with his Solo Expedition
boat before committing saw to plywood.

cheers
AJ

Originally Posted by PAR

I'm all for the idea of building a model of the prospective boat. This is a great way to learn about how things will fit, getting the sequence of assembly down efficiently, spotting trouble spots, shop layout, etc. No, you will not learn much about boat building, but the separate pieces of the boat will be familiar to you, which is an advantage.

Familiarity with a design and it's plans is one of the keys to success. It's a lot less expensive making a bad cut on a 1/10th scale model then the real thing..

Top Advice. You may not find out how the boat sails ... but as far as sorting out construction and sequence it is fantastic!!!

Best wishes
Michael

Originally Posted by PAR

I'm all for the idea of building a model of the prospective boat. This is a great way to learn about how things will fit, getting the sequence of assembly down efficiently, spotting trouble spots, shop layout, etc. No, you will not learn much about boat building, but the separate pieces of the boat will be familiar to you, which is an advantage.

Thanks Par,

Thats kinda the logic I was thinking when I first started this thread.

Guess the hardest thing now is to decide which boat to go for

I'm liking the look of a little one called the Stevenson Weekender, like this one .

Would be a fun model to start with, not too difficult, and the sort of overnight capable trailer sailer I'd like to end up with...
Anyone else out there had a go at one?

Elwood.

Elwood

Another thing you can do is to buy Australian Amateur Boatbuilder magazine. There are frequent articles detailing others' builds of different boats and stories on techniques. Helps get you ready without having to cut wood or glue anything! Also the ads give you the names of some suppliers, which often helps...