Building Boat?

[mitc69]

Im thinking of finally replacing my seafox wa lol... so i thought how about building one? lol,
i plan to take a "how to build plate boat lesson in oct", but abit unease, you guys think a noob like myself should try it? do you guys know of someone who can backup the project if i screw up? or thing i need to look out for? so far im looking at a 60k project for small 6m cat plate with twin 70 yamaha.... how hard can it be right?.. yes i know i could buy a nice 2nd cat with 60k but... i want something i made or tried lol

[ozynorts]

Can you weld?

[mitc69]

nope, but it not so different from soldering just with a different heat i assume

[Noelm]

Lots of people build their own boats, but as mentioned, being able to weld Aluminium competently is the biggest hurdle, the rest is just basic skills with tools to measure and cut to size, unless you buy a pre cut kit. A big garage to build indoors is not a must, but certainly desirable, and with a door big enough to get the boat out when finished.

[ozynorts]

Any reason you want to go plate?
What about one of these
http://www.bowdidgemarinedesigns.com/Bowdidge_Marine_Designs_1/Pro_Tournament_21.html

[Flex]

If your at all suspect on welding you could always employ a decent ally welder to do your below water line welds. Do the rest yourself, doesn't matter if a few stringers etc are a bit snotty as long as they hold. A lot of people will tell you it's to hard. but in reality 80%of boats are welded by 19y old apprentices. I've never done it but it's not rocket science surely.

[Noelm]

nope, but it not so different from soldering just with a different heat i assume
From that comment, unless you are going to get someone to do the welding, I would forget the whole idea......

[koastal]

Any reason you want to go plate?
What about one of these
http://www.bowdidgemarinedesigns.com/Bowdidge_Marine_Designs_1/Pro_Tournament_21.html

That looks like the go

[Noelm]

While that would OK to do, the end result is what amounts to a wooden boat with practically no resale value.

[Chris Tucker]

There are some great kits available through the guys at Plate Alloy Australia, and most can be built without any specialised equipment except a welder. But my normal advice is don't built a boat to save money. By the time you buy a welder and all the fit out gear at retail prices you'll save some money but the reduced resale value will more than offset the small saving. However, if you're looking for a project and enjoy working with you hands then it is very worth while.

I don't know which course you're doing in October but if it is the Plate Alloy one and you pay attention and spend as much time working as possible (don't be the guy standing to the side letting others do the work) you'll leave with all the skills needed to build one of their kits.

[stevej]

i just did a tafe welding course the basics in stick and mig no tig involved

you will need to hire or buy a decent welder $2k or more
and tbh even after me practicing for a few months with a mates decent mig i still wouldnt attempt to mig a boat

you will need more steel as well to make a jig for the boat

you will waste your money quickly ordering expensive one of replacement sheets you have messed up

[scottar]

I would say do the course first and see how you go. If you turn out to be good on the welder then a significant amount of money can be saved if you can negotiate a good price with an aluminium supplier but sometimes it isn't about the money - I know I get a great deal of personal satisfaction from taking on a project and learning something I have never done before. As for welders - a mate of mine who does a fair bit of ally work spent an absolute bomb getting 3 phase and a commercial grade welder so he had a decent duty cycle but at the time he was building boats at home to sell. There has been plenty written on requirements for welders - just do your research.

[Chris Tucker]

The other tip for the home builder. Buy a good second hand welder (make sure it is properly set up for aluminium and when you're finished if you look after it you'll be able to sell it for most of what you paid.

Good article by John on what you need in terms of welders here (http://www.platealloy.com/DOWNART-Welding.pdf):

[Noelm]

You will need both a pulse MIG and a TIG to build a decent boat, and you will have to know how to use both too, do not under estimate the time to build, it will take a long time, especially if you can only do weekends and night time. A kit is a good idea, but of course it eats into some of the savings.

[scottar]

Purely depends how good you are with the pulse mig and how much OCD you suffer from. The tig if used properly is obviously better for anything you want really tidy or anything small but there are a lot of boats out there that are built with mig alone. If you really do suffer with OCD then it is probably best just not to take on the project to start with unless you do a heap of practice first.

[lembo]

If you think it's just like soldering but with a different heat I would say you are definitely not up to the task. And you need to take lots of time to educate yourself. the best approach would be to complete the building course and see what is involved then you can determine if you up to the task or not. But don't commit or lay out any money on anything until you've finished the course. There is a great post on here somewhere where a member 'ric' built a 7.5 m cat. It will give you some great information. There's even a few you tube videos of plate kit builds.

[Noelm]

The biggest problem with boat welding is it needs to be very strong, and water tight, plus look good too, you can do 10 courses, look at 200 you tube videos, but NOTHING beats experience and practice, and for the home handy man, it's something you just can't buy.

[stevemid]

You will sped double what you think. Then add to that the shed rental, builders insurance, and purchase of tools and all the jig materials that don't end up in the boat. Then add to that about $20k for Bunnings, just because they are there. When it comes to selling it, you'll have a one off boat, maybe an unproven design, built by a first time amateur who didn't know how to weld. It will strain if not break your relationship with
Your family.

On the other hand, you will enjoy yourself if this is a dream of yours that you have had for many many years. It is the strength of the dream that has to carry you over many many dark periods.


I stand behind everything I say, except usually I'm prone.

[danielw]

You don't need pulse mig or tig.Standard push pull mig and ac tig is all you need.A lot of professional boat builders don't use pulse mig.Nice to have but expensive and unnecessary.

[FNQCairns]

mig ally....yep until enough time to become at least backyard proficient dont bother, I am 2/3 through a large alum wire spool as my total alum experience, I got better at it throughtbut I am still complete shit at it and I will be forever, it's a good welder so it's me, can mig steel, braise, solder...but ally is a whole different kettle of fish and unless 3 phase access for a decent welder to run hot enough here again spells trouble.

Borrow a welder and try and build the boats big butch bait board first.

good luck, .....still nothing ventured nothing gained.

[cwcarter]

If you like a good hands on project give it a go. Very rewarding, but will test you at times.
The boat coarse will give you a really good starting point whether or not to build yourself.

I started out making small things for a year before purchasing a kit. Only formal welding training I had was a short TAFE course about 20 years ago and it didn't include ally welding.
Become familiar with your machine and test your welds. Don't be afraid to experiment. Biggest problem I have had to date is feed issues with the mig.

I'm still plodding along with mine and do a bit when I get the chance. I don't mind the time its taking as it gives me time to save for the fit out.

This is the bait board made with tig before doing anything major on the boat. Majority of the boat is done with mig doing short welds.
110968

This is where I'm up to at the moment. Hull is flipped in the shed ready for bottom seam welding.
110963110965110964110966110962110967

[mitc69]

well i see how the course go.. but i still will attempt one, but from the sound of it.. it just the wielding skills i see everyone seem worried about, mostly will try with small structures testing for wielding, as for a stand for making one.. got loads of mate who tree log with spare timber in there yard... i was looking at problem like.. the alloy will bent/break if wielding was incorrect... cuz to my basic knowledge of wielding... u a line part together and melt alloy between it to seal it or melt the alloy on to the other.. just like soldering wiring on motherboard...

financial isnt an issue like some pointed out... as i would like to keep it under 60k if not, no biggy... i look at ppl buying kevlacat for 150k new and im still stun and shock over it or buying a ferrari on 100km limit road usage but hey im sure we all look at what important and what dreams are before most attempt it, and if u didnt then that was your own yourself ego that brought your down fall and i speak from exp... but we not here to talk about that crap lol

[stevej]

it is nothing like soldering
just googling how to mig weld ally will tell you this

[stevemid]

Well the aint biting so: going to sea in a boat that you built with your own hands is a very worthy goal. And keeping yourself challenged by taking on something you've never done and learning lots of new skills is also a very worthy goal. At the end of the day it's not about money is it?


I stand behind everything I say, except usually I'm prone.

[mitc69]

had a look a few vids looks fun and very hard too but it wont scare me lol
at the end of the day it always about money that go without saying, catch vs fuel used, fun is priceless here and there for kicks... just like a cig or a beer.. all the same concept in the end... just how a person view it based on how one lived

[chris69]

Years ago someone built a 7mt plate boat and it sprung apart and sank because he did not no how to play with ally, the sheets were not relaxed apparently.

[gazza2006au]

Any reason you want to go plate?
What about one of these
http://www.bowdidgemarinedesigns.com/Bowdidge_Marine_Designs_1/Pro_Tournament_21.html

One day we went out for a fish in botany bay and the wind had picked up during the day it was blowing around 150kph we were in a Quintrex 5.3m bowrider we absolutely struggled to get back in going at a pace of around 25kph nose of boat was bogging into the large waves

as we reached the car park there were us and another boat in the whole car park to my amazement the other boat was this Pro Tournament boat linked above yes that actual boat they were just heading out

we on looked as the Pro tournament boat went out and they were doing atlease 70kph in this weather it absolutely smashed thru the waves like no tomorrow

but building a wooden/composite boat is a big task

[ric]

it was blowing around 150kph we were in a Quintrex 5.3m bowrider

Typing error???

[gazza2006au]

Typing error??? "around" means a guesstimate ;)

[lembo]

Going out in 150 km hr winds hey and doing 70 clicks. Whatever this boat is I'm buying it. Imagine it's capability in 50 kmh winds !! Should be able to do 300 kmh!!

[stevej]

50km is uncomfortable on the water
150kmh is you being blown off your feet and boats on trailers blown over in the carpark

[gazza2006au]

50km is uncomfortable on the water
150kmh is you being blown off your feet and boats on trailers blown over in the carpark

me and mates usually fish in 50-60 kph winds otherwise waiting for that magic day of 10kph winds and glass conditions never happen, 150 was probably over exaggerated i didnt think people were going to be so technical

i have been caught out a few times now once at night and i checked the weather when i returned a massive wind storm hit the bay at 10pm and almost sunk my boat with 3 on board wind recordings were 90kph

the wind was blowing much stronger the day i seen the BMD Pro tournament go out as we were coming in, for a empty car park in summer right next to sydney airport and in sydney says something? wish i had caught it on camera ;D

[lee8sec]

If some one is serious about building a ally boat there could be some gear here for them.
http://www.graysonline.com/sale/7009134/metalworking-and-fabrication/unreserved-aluminium-boat-manufacturer?spr=true

[gazza2006au]

If some one is serious about building a ally boat there could be some gear here for them.
http://www.graysonline.com/sale/7009134/metalworking-and-fabrication/unreserved-aluminium-boat-manufacturer?spr=true

i would snap up a nice chunk of there gear but they wont deliver