Rowboat Build

Living in Seattle, we're around a lot of water.  So why not build a boat? (famous last words).

Entering into this project I had three requirements:

1) Small enough to store to the side of my townhome.
2) Big enough for two adults and a child.
3) Classic/vintage looks

First step was finding a place to build it, my shop is too small.   Luckily I had a friend just a few miles away that graciously offered to lend me the space.  I spent most evenings at his place for an entire summer trying to finish this project, which took about 5 times longer than I thought it would.

Where to start?

As a child of about 6yo my step-dad had built a small rowboat with my brother and I.  I always liked that boat and used it up and until I was an adult (not sure what happened to it, I think it was stolen and sunk).

Here's me at 6 working on that little rowboat:

  
I did some googling and found that the company that sold the plans was still around, Glen L.  The boat was the "imp" a 10 foot rowboat.

I bought the plans and all the hardware and ordered all the wood.  I didn't cut any corners when it came to materials, this was going to be a lot of work so I might as well use quality wood and hardware.  All the wood is Mahogany , and all the hardware is bronze.The plywood used is the finest marine plywood you can buy.

I decide to lengthen the boat by 1 foot, and to increase safety I plan to increase the height of the sides by 6 inches. Instead of the center seat I will enclose the whole bow to create a raised platform with storage for a small gas tank and battery (I'll only row when I have to).

First I create the frame to build the boat on:

I improvised a wood steamer with a 12 foot section of 6" PVC pipe and a steam cleaner I found at goodwill, The bend you see here may not look like much, but bending hardwood mahogany like this takes some effort and luck.  I remembered as a kid this step causing a lot of swearing from my step-dad, so I wasn't surprised by the difficulty.

This is starting to look familiar, another blast from the past:

Fully sheathed:

Time to turn it over and remove the frame, notice the wire in the bow and at the stern, I routed a channel through the wood for some 6AWG wire so an electric motor can be powered by a battery in the bow compartment. :

Framing out the bow-deck area, this was totally improvised:

The deck and hatch are added:

Time for paint, I use soft spar varnish for the inside and stern, it looks great, is easy to touch up, won't craze/crack as the wood seasons, and it's non-slip.  The sides will be painted a gloss forest green enamel for a classic look:

I decided to add two cubbies for quick storage:

 

Here's the finished boat, with a cheap harbor freight trailer who's bright red paint only adds to the classic looks:

I start talking to my wife about how I want to get a vintage motor for this boat, and she surprises me with my first Father's day gift:

A 1957 7.5 hp evnirude fleetwin. It starts but dies easily.  I order a carb rebuild kit, runs great now!

A modern motor would ruin the style of the boat, this one looks right at home. 

 

First time out with my son:

 Reminds me of another first, over 30 years ago:

When I hitch this boat to my wagoneer, it's like a blast from the past:

Lessons learned:

1) How ever much time you think making a boat will take, quadruple it.

2) How ever much $$ you think you'll spend, double it

3) If you're trying to save $$ than buy a boat someone else made

4) When you build a boat SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!  You'll need them when you go to title it.  This surprised me, luckily I bought most of my supplies online so I was able to find them.

4) If you want a boat that you are proud of and will keep forever, build it small and build it yourself.