Fishing enthusiasts or simply people living near some body of water sooner or later face the question of purchasing a boat. It can provide not only pleasant boat trips under the gentle sun, but also accessibility to the most catchable places where trophy fish are found. Buying a boat ready for launch is very expensive for many people, but a boat made of plywood, built with your own hands, will cost several times less. And this process itself, interesting and creative, will bring a lot of pleasure.
After hearing the phrase - a boat made of plywood - some pessimists will twist their finger at their temples and say that this is absolutely impossible. Like, making a real watercraft from thin and straight plywood, and one that can support more than one person, is a utopia. In fact, this is quite possible. Moreover, you can build not just a small punt, but even a real sailing yacht, and if a small outboard motor is installed on the reinforced transom, and a cockpit is made on the bow, you will get something like a boat. So what, the boat will work out. And these are not fishing tales.
Plywood comes in different thicknesses and strengths. It is even easier to cut parts to size and in different configurations from it than from boards. In addition, it bends well enough to give the sides the desired roundness. Modern means to ensure the moisture resistance of a plywood boat is also sufficient. Therefore, for someone who decides to make a boat on their own, only three things are needed: desire, a working head and hands that are not afraid of work. Everything else can be easily found.
Well, the advantages of a plywood boat are simply undeniable:
Having set out to build a plywood boat yourself, the first thing you need to do is find an appropriate room in which all the work will be carried out. It should be spacious, dry, with good lighting. Sudden changes in temperature and high humidity are categorically excluded. The entire production will take enough time, which is stupid to waste in the summer, when you can do other things. Therefore, work is usually carried out either in winter or in spring, so the atmosphere in the “production workshop” plays a very important role. Untreated plywood does not tolerate moisture well, but glue and impregnating liquids are applied better and with better quality in warmth. Yes and paint ready product It's also better in the warmth.
Second necessary action- this is a drawing. There should be no problem with this - you can find it on the Internet in just a few minutes. But even purchasing material without it is not worth it.
There is no point in starting work without a quality drawing.
Homemade boats There are different types of plywood, and you need to choose a project that you can carry out yourself. If this is your first experience in shipbuilding, then it is best to choose the project of the most ordinary punt. Despite the simplicity of the design, the possibilities it provides are almost unlimited. You can hang a motor on it, and even put a mast. And under the oars she walks just fine.
Having calculated from the drawing what and how much material is needed, you can begin purchasing it.
It is not worth reminding that the material from which the plywood boat will be built must be of high quality. The plywood itself is without knots, the glue is only from a trusted manufacturer, and the impregnating liquids too.
The entire list looks like this:
When choosing plywood, you need to carefully inspect the edges for chips and cracks at the ends. You shouldn’t hope that you can saw off a couple of centimeters. Everything else can be easily and at a very reasonable price purchased at any hardware or hardware store.
A good owner, who is accustomed to independently produce certain things in the house renovation work, the set of tools is already there. Even with interest. Directly building a boat will require the following arsenal:
Having prepared everything according to these two lists, you can proceed directly to work.
Power tools will make the job much easier
Marking the contours of the boat directly on a plywood sheet would be rather reckless. A small mistake and the vessel will yaw to the side or tilt to one side. Therefore, it is better to first draw a diagram or sketch on graph paper in life size. Moreover, the word diagram is not very appropriate here, because it is necessary to strictly maintain the dimensions.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
Patterns for the sides, frames and transom are made in the same way, taking into account their sizes and configurations. But the drawing doesn't end there. Now, after the symmetry of the bottom and the sameness of the sides have been carefully checked, the stage of transferring the drawing onto a cardboard template begins. The graph paper is too thin, but it will be much easier to transfer the drawing onto plywood from a cardboard template without errors.
If you managed to get sheet plywood that matches the length of the future boat, that’s good. But if you have ordinary sheets of 1.5-1.5 meters, you will have to glue them together. Most The best way– gluing with a mustache.
Mustache gluing is the strongest connection between plywood sheets
A distance equal to 10-12 sheet thicknesses is retreated from the edge of the sheet, and ground off at an angle with a plane. After this, you need to go through the sander and do the same operations with the second sheet. Cleaned and degreased surfaces are smeared with glue, carefully connected and secured with clamps. Since clamps can only be placed at the edges, a weight must be placed in the center. After the glue has dried, the clamps can be removed, but let the product sit for at least another day.
After the glue has dried and all burrs and smudges at the gluing site have been removed, you can transfer the dimensions of the bottom and sides using cardboard templates. During this simple process, you should ensure that there are no allowances even of a couple of millimeters. Especially on different sides.
Then a jigsaw with a small-toothed file tucked into it is used. Large ones can clutter the cutting edge. But even after a small one, it’s better to carefully go through a medium-sized one sandpaper. You need to cut carefully, without rushing. One wrong movement, the slightest deviation from the drawn line - and in the best case you will have to go back a few centimeters, in the worst case you will have to start this detail from the very beginning. That is, from drawing a new one.
You can draw and cut frames right away in full size. But you'll have to think about the transom. If a motor boat is planned, then it needs to be reinforced. There are two options. One is to cut several identical parts from plywood and glue them together. Or make a transom from a solid board with a thickness of at least 25 mm.
The boat is assembled using the “sew and glue” principle. It’s better to start with the transom - then it will be easier to install the sides. Holes of such a diameter are drilled in the rear of the bottom and in the lower part of the transom that copper wire can pass through. The holes must be strictly opposite each other. Using pieces of wire, the transom is attached to the bottom. After making sure that the edges match, you need to tighten the twists of the wire with pliers.
Instead of copper wire, you can take a wire of suitable diameter
The sides are attached in a similar way, starting from the stern and ending with the last twist at the bow of the boat. At this point, the result is a collapsible model, which can still be corrected. Trim excess, smooth out uneven areas. After next operation You can forget about collapsible tactics.
Or rather, gluing the seams between the bottom, sides and transom in order not only to secure the parts, but also to ensure moisture resistance. A strip of fiberglass is carefully laid on the seam and carefully coated with moisture-resistant glue. In this case, one layer is not enough. You will need at least three. And if the first layer of fiberglass is approximately 100 mm, that is, 50 on each side, then the second and third layers should be wider. 125-135 mm. it will be just right, only each subsequent layer needs to be shifted a little - one towards the bottom, the other, on the contrary, towards the side. This is done so that the fiberglass comes into contact and sticks directly to the plywood. After the glue dries properly, this folding gasket will turn into almost real plastic, and this will guarantee that the boat is moisture resistant.
The frames are installed strictly in place on the adhesive base and screwed with self-tapping screws. After the glue has dried, the screws are unscrewed, and the holes left by them are filled with the same glue. If nails are used instead of self-tapping screws, then after pulling them out, you need to hammer wooden nails into the holes and coat them with glue.
This completes the construction of the boat. What remains is internal and exterior decoration, serving not only for aesthetics, but also to ensure that the boat does not leak. Ordinary wooden boats will be tarred, but what to impregnate a plywood boat with - there is a very specific answer to this question. On the outside, all seams and the entire body are treated with fiberglass and glue, in the same way as was done when gluing the parts. Before this operation, the protruding wire should be removed or cut off. The inside of the plywood boat is impregnated with hot drying oil.
When covering a boat with fiberglass, you must carefully ensure that there are no bubbles.
At this point, the construction of the plywood boat can be considered complete. It will take some time to dry, and by and large you can already swim on it. On oars, with the help of an engine, if you tried to make the transom for a motor, or even under a sail, if this is provided for by the design. It is already completely waterproof, but absolutely not aesthetically pleasing. Painting is the very last stage, and then the production of the boat will be completed completely.
There are two options here. Or oil paint - the color is chosen according to taste - for fishing, something merging with nature, for walking, it can be brighter. Or waterproof enamel, selected according to the same principle. You'll have to wait a little longer until the paint or enamel dries - and you can safely set sail.
Before you start building a plywood boat yourself, you need to understand that such homemade products do not tolerate careless approach to the matter. This may affect not only appearance products, but also on your own safety and reliability. The first thing you need to pay attention to Special attention, is the room in which the work will be carried out. If it was decided to build a boat in winter or in early spring, then you need to exclude drafts and high humidity.
The second thing you need to pay special attention to is the material and tools. Plywood must be selected without knots, glue, paint and drying oil only from a trusted manufacturer. The instrument must be in perfect order. The jigsaw is equipped with a file with small teeth.
If you are planning a motor boat, special attention should be paid to the transom. To make it, it is better to take a solid oak board. Plywood glued together in several layers will also work, but the board will be more reliable.
You should also strictly monitor the symmetry of the bottom and the uniformity of the sides. Incorrect bending of one side on a boat or on a dinghy, depending on what is being built, will lead to the fact that it will scour the water or pull to one side.
And lastly: there is no need to rush under any circumstances. If the instructions for the glue indicate that it should dry for three days, then further work should only be started on the fourth. The same principles apply with paint and drying oil.
Building a plywood boat yourself is not an easy task. But there’s nothing particularly complicated about it. You just need to spend some time and apply maximum knowledge and skills, which can be easily gleaned both on the Internet and from more knowledgeable people. But after completing this interesting and creative work you will be able to safely go to the reservoir on a unique watercraft built with your own hands.
I present to your attention project, sketches and description of the technology for making a boat from a single sheet of plywood. The design and technology were developed by me based on the experience of building and operating more than 50 similar boats. If you do as written, avoiding long smoke breaks, then you can build this boat in two weeks, or even faster. In general, this is a fishing boat for the “not rich Pinocchio”, who also does not have the experience of a master carpenter for which his dad Carlo was famous. The cost of basic materials (a sheet of plywood measuring 3x1.5 m; slats, paint and epoxy) was only 625 rubles.
Basic materials needed to build a boat:
Tools: saw, drill with drills, clamps, plane, emery cloth.
P.S. It is necessary to purchase oarlocks (Fig. 1). I make these myself from stainless steel. So far there have been no complaints about their quality.
I want to say right away that we will build a boat with flat bottom. This design is simpler and more reliable.
1. Take a sheet of plywood and mark the bilge line and part of the transom of one starboard side according to the sketch using a strip (line ABC in Fig. 2). You can hammer nails into the “reference” points. The dimensions are given in millimeters out of habit; they could also be given in centimeters. Yes, and dimensional accuracy is not particularly needed here. A little more or less... The main thing is that the bottom pattern is symmetrical.
2. We cut out part of the transom and the right cheekbone along line ABC (see Fig. 2).
3. We place the resulting trimmed part (in Fig. 2 - the right side) on the left side, fasten the latter there with clamps or nails so that it does not move out of place, and with its help, as if using a template, we mark the bottom separately and the transom separately. In this case, the symmetry of the bottom and transom will be fully observed. Note that as a result of the cutting operations carried out, we were left with two pieces from the plywood sheet, which will be used to make the sides, and the transom.
4. Along the edge of the stern, bottom and the corresponding edge of the transom, we drill holes with a diameter of 1.6 mm every 150 mm.
5. We fasten the transom to the bottom with wire (using holes).
6. Place the bottom on a stool and three chairs (Fig. 3). Using classical techniques and classical literature (“Queen Margot”, “War and Peace”) we create the required bottom deflection of 100 mm and the desired transom inclination. (It is good to place slats under the bottom, which will then go on the sides, especially if the plywood is 4 mm thick).
7. On one of the remaining pieces of plywood we mark the contours of the side, taking into account the inclination of the transom. To do this, the blank for the side is pressed against the cheekbone of the bottom. For convenience, you can drill holes in the top of the transom and screw the workpiece to it with wire, but still, to mark the side you will need an assistant who will hold bow blanks for the future side, and draw with a pencil the remaining line of contact between the blank and the bottom and the line of the stem.
8. We cut out the side, and then, using it as a template, we cut out the other side. We remove the resulting irregularities with a plane or, which is better, with coarser sandpaper wrapped around wooden block. They try to make the sides as identical as possible.
9. Along the edges of the bottom and the corresponding edges of the sides, we drill holes in increments of 150 mm, coat the boat with an anti-rotting liquid, for example, “Senezh”, which will significantly increase the service life of the boat, especially if the plywood is birch, and sew the boat with copper wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm . We form the twists from the outside. Please note that when docking with the bottom, the side is placed on the bottom. The transom is also placed on the bottom and placed inside the sides.
10. We upset and tap the wire of the paper clips with a hammer.
11. We insert the can and the bulkhead, temporarily securing them with screws, and glue the strips along the sides. Short strips, in the middle of which there will be holes for oarlocks, are pre-cut on the side and glued between the inner side rail and the plywood side. The center of the hole for the oarlocks is 300 mm away from the can (seat). We glue the brackets (the structural elements of the ship's hull for connecting individual parts housings located at an angle to one another), fixing them temporarily with clamps, nails or screws on the “Flies”. “Fly” or “Crusk” is a wooden or plywood washer of any shape for a temporary nail (screw) to make it easier to remove later.
12. We glue the joints of the bottom and sides from the inside with fiberglass in three layers. In this case, the width of the inner strip is 25 mm, the middle one is 40 mm, and the outer (top) strip is 50 mm. Before gluing these joints on the outside, the paper clips should be bitten off. Using a plane and sandpaper we smooth out the unevenness and round the cheekbone from the outside. We drill holes in the brackets so that an anchor rope, mooring line, fish tank, etc. can be tied to the ends. We finally glue the can, and attach a coin “for good luck” to the bottom with glue. Although I don’t believe in omens, I noticed that the “coin” helps even those who don’t believe it. We glue the stop and strips under the legs and on the bottom to protect the paint and, accordingly, the plywood from scuffs and getting wet. We place these strips across the inside of the body, and along the outside.
13. Cut and glue the board onto the transom.
14. In all the holes left from the “temporary” screws and nails, we hammer dowels (wooden nails) lubricated with epoxy. When the epoxy has hardened, the excess is cut off, and the location of the dowel is puttied and cleaned. It is better to paint the boat with pentaphthalic paint for external surfaces. Just check if the anti-rot liquid used is compatible with this paint. In general, it is useful to read what is written on the paint can.
15. The distance from the edge of the can to the hole for the oarlock, as already mentioned, is 30 cm. We drill a hole with a diameter of 17 mm in a thick rail. If you don’t have a drill with a diameter of 17 mm, then you can drill a hole of a smaller diameter, and then widen it with some suitable piece of hardware. A stainless steel or brass tube of suitable diameter (aluminum will quickly wear off, iron will rust) approximately 70 mm long with a wall thickness of at least 1.5 mm is inserted into the resulting hole. Before inserting the tube into the hole, it is wrapped with fiberglass soaked in epoxy. The top of the tube is recessed flush with the side so that the fishing line or net does not cling to it. If the tube is larger in diameter than necessary, the inner rail will have to be thicker. It is desirable that these tubes be the only metal parts in the entire structure (not counting, of course, paper clips). You can raise the subkey higher with the help of a “pillow” - a block 30...40 mm thick, which will have to be glued to the gunwale and secured with dowels. Then the tube should be taken in a straight line. It will be more convenient to row, but those who use nets claim that such a “cushion” gets in the way.
Oars. There are many options for making oars. They are made from solid boards, slats, and pipes. English boatbuilders recommend assembling an oar spindle from 14 ash slats grown in an open area of the southern slope, and only slats sawn from the northern part of the trunk are suitable! I got a result that satisfied me by making a spindle and oar handle from a 2-meter beam with a section of 50x50 mm. True, the same beam, but glued from an inch board, turned out to be better. As a blade, I inserted plywood measuring 400x200 mm and 6 mm thick into the spindle slot. At the blade, the spindle is extended to a diameter of 35 mm. In front of the handle I left the section square. It is easier to control an oar if the center of gravity of the oar is closer to the oarlock. Sometimes lead is even put into the handles for this purpose. The paddle is 220 cm long, the blade is secured in the slot with glue and two homemade (made from wire with a diameter of 4 mm) aluminum rivets. Do not make oars shorter than 2 m, as it will be very difficult to row against the wind and current with such oars. You can buy oars, I came across oars with plastic blades in a store, but they cost 750 rubles, and the materials for the whole boat were only 625 rubles.
P.S. Don't forget to stick a coin.
Bottom. If you swim not far, there are no waves on the pond, and every cm of sediment matters; the bottom can generally be made straight (without curvature). But on such a boat, the stern will begin to pull water along with it and rowing will be difficult. In this case, it is better to make the bottom of a 120 cm wide boat wider (about 1 m) with a transom width of 80 cm.
If you have to wade through the reeds, you can make the bottom narrower, but if its width is less than 70 cm, you won’t be able to shoot it and you will have to cast the spinning rod carefully. Especially if the water is cold!
For those interested build yourself a boat from one sheet of plywood, shaped like regular wooden keelboat, in Fig. Figure 4 shows the design of the “keel”, which is formed when the bottom is formed from two plywood blanks connected at an angle of 100°...120°.
Nose. If the bow of the boat is made rectangular, like the “optimist”, its carrying capacity and stability will increase. Three people can swim on it if you behave carefully. But rowing against the waves and wind, and also making your way through the reeds will be more difficult. You will also need to find a piece of plywood or a plank for the bow, which will also increase the weight of the boat.
Motor. If the transom is reinforced, you can also hang a 5 hp motor on it. s., but it is much safer to use a motor with a power of no more than 2 liters. With. or the Snetok electric motor, for example. But again, this is additional weight.
Feed can. A constant stern bank, of course, will increase the weight of the boat, but after a long rowing and fishing, every extra gram of the boat seems like a kilogram. You can store some things in jars in the form of boxes, but remember, in order to get something from there, you need to get up from the jar, and this is not always safe.
Keel. A similar fin in the stern of the boat (its dimensions: length 1 m, height 7 cm, thickness 25 mm) will help, especially for an inexperienced rower, to keep the boat on course, but will be a hindrance when the boat moves away from the shore with a sandbank. Actually, I advise you to make a keel, but if it gets in the way, then the plane has already been invented, but I don’t advise you to make a keel with an axe.
Sail. For our boat, a sail, rudder and centerboard from an “optimist” are quite acceptable. The result will be a small “Ochakovskaya scow”.
However, when starting to modernize the boat, remember that any improvements and adaptations entail a whole load of problems and additional materials. Maybe it will be easier to find a design for another boat. On the website, for example, there are a lot of them, and. The advantages of this project: minimal cost and labor intensity, no special requirements for the qualifications of the master performer, and very satisfactory (!) consumer qualities boats.
Plywood of the FSF brand will completely replace plywood of the FK brand, only the latter, after gluing, will have to be oiled with hot linseed oil and painted over more thoroughly. There are examples where, with careful care, boats made of such plywood served for many years. If there is no wood for slats coniferous species, then hardwood is quite suitable for such purposes. After all, you don’t have to go around Cape Horn, and in a few years, maybe even the birch slats won’t rot. Remember, they are made from soft aspen and poplar, and they last for many years. True, from hardwood it is better to take ash (slats) and linden (planks).
If there is no plywood the right size, one or another can be assembled from separate pieces. In this case, options are possible. For example, if the length of the bottom turns out to be shorter than required by only 20 cm, and your own weight is less than 90 kg, you can limit yourself to this length. I note that there is no need to tuck the edges of the plywood to be joined; it is easier and more reliable to simply glue them end-to-end. WITH inside on the joint, you will need to put a strip 10...15 mm thick and 5...7 cm wide, and a strip of fiberglass on the outside. Next, the joint is sewn together with wire, and if there is no wire, you can use thread or twine (preferably synthetic). Holes for the wire can be drilled or made with a triangular awl, for example. And if you get holes with a diameter of not 1.6 mm, but larger, it’s okay, the epoxy will seal them up anyway.
If there is a shortage of fiberglass, strips of it can be cut narrower, but still at least 3 cm wide, and two layers will allow you to reliably seal the joint. If necessary, epoxy will be completely replaced by any waterproof glue, but at the same time, at the bottom along the cheekbone, you will need to glue a strip with a cross-section of 30x25 mm and organize the fastening of the bottom with the sides on screws, placing the latter in increments of 100...150 mm. In this case, the rail is first glued to the side (with a protrusion of about 5 mm over the edge), and then “removed”, that is, it is pulled through to fit tightly to the bottom.
The slats can be attached to the sides without glue (only with nails or screws, after having coated them with paint). But then you will have to increase the cross-sectional dimensions of the slats by about a third, and the size of the booklets - by two times, cutting them out of boards with a thickness of at least 30 mm (it is known that a glued part works as one whole, and from knocked together parts, like collective farmers on a collective farm ( seems to be together, eh...).
Good sub-keys can also be made from a steel tube, which will need to be welded to the bar and screwed with M8 bolts. If there are tubes too large diameter, then inserts from plastic bottles. With such liners, the rowlocks do not creak, and it seems to me that even rowing becomes easier with them. The diameter of the oarlock axles should not be greater than 12 mm, and less than 10 mm is somehow not entirely practical.
Plywood (if the required format is not available), as already mentioned, can be joined without pressing, but simply end-to-end, placing one strip of fiberglass on the outside and a 20x50 mm strip on the inside.
If your weight is 90 kg or more, the slats provided for in the project will not hold the bottom. It will bend downwards under your feet, and bend upwards with water (the draft has increased). The service life of the boat will decrease quite significantly, so in this case you will have to use thicker plywood for the bottom (at least 6 mm). Or will it need to be glued to the bottom? cross slats(flora) with a cross-section of at least 20x50 mm. Such slats are glued with an edge in increments of 30 cm. Although one of my friends (net weight - 105 kg) two years ago, having taken a boat from me, vowed to go on a diet and lose weight to 80 kg. I lied, of course. However, the boat still serves, but he rarely fishes.
It is clear that when marking the bottom and sides, it is impossible to lay the rail - bend it equally, using only three starting points. Therefore, to prevent the boat from turning out crooked, follow the proposed cutting technology. Of course, a crooked boat will also float on the water, but...!
Using nails when building a boat is faster and cheaper, and with the help of screws the work can be done more accurately, if you do not forget to drill a hole for each screw and lubricate the screw itself with some kind of oil (even vegetable oil). Otherwise, you won’t be able to unscrew this screw later. When attaching slats to fix them in the desired position, it is advisable to use at least two clamps, for example, from a regular meat grinder. After all, it’s difficult to hold the slats with your hands properly. To fasten the planks, it is better to take larger screws 20...25 mm long with a semicircular head for a flat-blade screwdriver. And place “flies” or metal washers under them.
They begin to fasten the slats from any selected point, subsequently acting in one direction (it seems to me that it is more convenient to begin fastening the outer slats from the middle, and the inner slats from the transom). In this case, nails (screws) are installed in a row, since otherwise “bubbles” may result. And so that the boat does not turn out to be crooked, when attaching symmetrical slats to the sides, nails are hammered alternately into the slats on one side, then into the slats on the other.
You cannot “save” epoxy by applying too thin a layer of resin to the surfaces to be bonded. In this case, the epoxy will simply be absorbed into the wood and nothing will remain on the adhesive layer. Let me remind you that the approximate consumption of resin should be about 200 g per 3-meter strip or strip of fiberglass of the same length. Epoxy is applied with a brush or spatula; if, after compressing the parts to be glued, excess resin is squeezed out, then everything is correct. By the way, if you hurry, you can use the “extra” resin to glue the seams, apply it to the body instead of varnish, and fill the holes from knots. Based on own experience, I can say that usually it is not possible to use more than 200 g of resin at a time (and this despite the fact that everything is ready for assembly). In a word, hurry up! Otherwise the resin will harden or boil. In the summer, in the sun, the resin in a jar hardens or even boils in a few minutes. Especially ED-16. On the standard packaging of epoxy it is written that you need to work with it with gloves, so don’t skimp on them. Well, if you don’t have gloves, then first lubricate your hands with oil, preferably vegetable oil, and sprinkle them with powder, for example, talcum powder or flour, so as not to stain the parts being glued with greasy hands. Or you can simply soap your hands and then let the soap dry. It is also better to wipe your hands from resin using vegetable oil and rags, and almost any solvents are suitable for this (acetone, 646, solvent). Gloves will also last longer if you soap them, dry them, and wash them with soap and water after work.
Protect your face and eyes from the resin, and most importantly, from the hardener. As you know, there are different types of hardeners, but the ones I came across included cyanide. I hope everyone has heard about the properties of potassium cyanide.
Plywood, of course, does not sink, but its buoyancy reserve is minimal, and it is clear that a boat filled with water will not keep you afloat with its load. So it is useful to have pieces of foam or plastic bottles with a capacity of at least 10/7. It is best to place them under the can on the bow side in a bag that should be securely tied to the boat - lifeboats used to have sealed tanks (made of galvanized sheet) with air under the seats. In the stern it is good to have a foam plate 5...10 cm thick and 40x50 cm in size as a seat for a passenger, and also for buoyancy. And it’s convenient to put something on it that requires a dry place. You can make the jar lower, for example, 100 mm high, which will allow you to sit higher in good weather by placing the same foam board on the jar (on which, by the way, it’s warmer to sit). To prevent the foam from crumbling, sew a bag for the stove from an old shirt. The bag with this plate must be tied to the jar. And it is more convenient to tie the stern plate to the footrest.
The distance from the edge of the can to the footrest is average and is 70 cm, but it is wiser to glue the footrest at a distance that is convenient for you.
Remember also that the boat is twice as heavy as you, and it is very easy to turn it over if handled carelessly. In fact, the boat is quite stable, so over time there is a feeling that it is not able to capsize at all. However, this is not at all true.
Fiberglass fabric is impregnated (oiled) at the manufacturer to prevent glass dust from flying off it. Therefore, in order to glue it more reliably, the fabric must be degreased, which I do using an electric hot plate with an open spiral. I warm the fabric until the smoke stops coming out. You can also burn the fabric in the oven. electric stove, but there will be smoke in the kitchen! There is no need to anneal special shipbuilding fabric; the composition with which it is impregnated does not interfere with adhesion, but you are unlikely to get it. Just in case, I’ll tell you the brand of this fabric - T-11-GVS-9.
It so happened that at the dacha we always had three boats: a metal cauldron and two wooden punts. Kazanka is on the water every year, and of the punts, one is on the water, and the second is for cleaning and painting. Next year it will be the other way around. About five years ago, during a fire, a boat that was lying under the house along with the house burned down. Rebuilt after the fire.
And the only punt, which was now painted in the spring, and then launched into the water as quickly as possible (because, you see, they really want to go fishing), began to gain physical wear and tear extremely quickly. The question arose that we still need to make a second one. Dad and brother-in-law searched for a long time for a larch board of the required size and eventually found a blank for boards of a smaller cross-section at the sawmill, which had not yet been unraveled. Purchasing waterproof plywood was already a matter of technology.
Two boards, trimmed slightly at an angle, 15 degrees (by eye), drilled holes in the edges and laced them with wire (copper 2.5 sq. mm. but this is completely unimportant). Next, straining all the sphincters, we pulled the middle apart and spread it open with a bar. 
I was not going to participate in the work; my father and brother-in-law built it, because the boat is a fishing boat, and I am not a fisherman at all. But when they were working nearby, I couldn’t resist, and besides, I have more carpentry experience, purely technically. Only dad knew the technology in theory. He and his grandfather built more than one, and probably not two, boats twenty or thirty years ago. 
The spacers gradually fell into place. 
The bow and stern (the abutting parts) have taken shape, all joints are sealed quite generously. Quite a hemorrhoidal fit, for the first time, at least for sure. 
It's hot. Plywood 12 mm. 
The benches were made from used boards. Also larch, once framed door frame at my parents' house. 
A strip is sewn around the perimeter at the junction of the side and the bottom, and it is also placed on the sealant. A bulwark is also sewn along the sides along the top edges.
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Before you start building a wooden boat, you need to prepare the main part of such a structure - the sides. To do this, you need to take the smoothest, longest, wide enough boards that are made of spruce or pine.
Look at the photos of homemade boats and you will see that there are no boards on its sides that have knots - this is very important. The boards for this part of the boat must remain in a dry place under slight pressure for at least one year.
Before production begins, it is necessary to once again ensure that the boards are absolutely suitable for the job. Next, for each board you need to measure the required length and carefully cut them at an angle of 45 degrees. These boards will go to the bow of the boat.
After this, you need to plan them and check that the boards connected to each other do not have gaps. Then treat the ends with an antiseptic.
The next step is to prepare the bow of the boat, using a triangular block. It should be one and a half times longer than the width of the sides. The timber is also planed and covered with a layer of antiseptic.
Further instructions for making a boat with your own hands is to select a suitable board for the stern of the boat. Do not neglect the supply, because it is better to cut off the excess later than to search and start all over again.
When the elements of the wooden boat are assembled, you need to begin assembling the product. You should start from the bow. Both sides and the triangular block must be connected to each other using self-tapping screws. It is advisable to immediately cut off the protrusions at the top and bottom so that they do not interfere in the future.
The next step is very important and responsible, since it is necessary to give the future boat its shape. You need to decide on the width of the boat and place a spacer in the middle. Choose a board for the spacer that is the same size as the height of the boat, so the sides will not burst.
Once the brace is properly installed, you can begin to shape the boat, call a few people to help or stock up on ropes to hold the structure in place.
Use the drawings and adjust the dimensions of the stern to make the boat so that when connected back wall and there were no gaps or cracks left on the sides.
When the backdrop is installed, cut off the excess part from below, and on top you can make an element in the form of a triangle. Next we work on the spacers, which will constantly maintain the shape of the boat, as well as the seats, which are installed on top of the spacers. You can determine the number, as well as the location of these elements yourself, so it can be one, two or more places.
We align everything on the bottom in one plane and treat the entire surface with a protective layer. When the glue dries, start making the bottom of the boat.
The best option for the bottom would be a galvanized sheet of metal. Try to find a sheet that matches the size of the boat.
Place the future boat on a sheet of metal and trace its boundaries with a marker, do not forget to take a few centimeters of extra space just in case, you can always trim off the excess.
The next step is to cover the connection of the boat with its bottom with a special silicone sealant along the entire length in one line. On top of the sealant, until it has dried, a cord is laid in several rows - all this is necessary to ensure that the bottom of the boat is airtight and does not let water inside.
When this process is completed, we move on to connecting the bottom to the frame. Carefully place the bottom of the boat over the bottom of the boat. Use nails or screws to connect.
Start connecting from the middle and move towards the edges of the boat. Do the work as slowly and carefully as possible, as this part is very important.
We cut off the excess metal that sticks out more than 5 mm from the edge of the boat, and bend the rest with a hammer. It is also important to protect the bow of the boat from external factors using the same metal. Cut a rectangle of tin to the size of the boat.
Wherever wood and metal are connected, it is necessary to go through with sealant and lace. By this time, before you start “wrapping” the bow with metal, you need to treat the entire boat with an antiseptic.
Be sure to make a fastening on the bow for the chain. This will help if someone wants to steal a brand new boat, since on a body of water it will attract special attention due to its newness.
Before you build a boat, think through and look at all the ideas that you can use to make a boat. Perhaps you will choose a special material for yourself that will be more convenient for you to work with, or maybe you need special protection or massiveness.
Don't forget to cover the bottom with reverse side special paint, since galvanized metal is destroyed over time when in contact with water. The wooden parts of the boat must be coated with several layers of special impregnation and the boat must be left to dry in the shade.
For convenience, inside the boat on its bottom you can lay out wood flooring. This way the bottom will not rattle when you move along it.
At this point the boat will be ready. Read in more detail the article on how to make the best homemade boats with a description to find out some other nuances that may be useful to you in future construction.
Before you start building a wooden boat, you need to take care of its most important parts - sides. For this purpose, long, wide, not thick, preferably without knots, pine or spruce boards are selected. They must lie for at least one year in a dry place, on flat surface with slight pressure from above to avoid their bending.
We inspect the prepared boards again for defects - cracks, falling knots, etc. Then we measure the required length (here, as well as further, specific dimensions of the parts of the boat will not be given, since all this is at your discretion) with a small margin and file each of them at an angle of 45 degrees - this will be the bow part.
Next, they need to be planed, and chamfered from the sawn ends so that the boards pressed against each other in the bow do not have a gap.
We impregnate these areas, and subsequently all others that will not be available for painting after assembling the structure, with a protective layer of antiseptic.
After this, we proceed to making the base of the nose - a triangular block. Its length should exceed approximately 1.5 times the width of the sides of the boat. The timber is also planed and covered with a protective layer.
Don't forget to leave a margin at the top and bottom, then after assembly, all excess will be cut off.
Having prepared these elements, we proceed directly to assembly. We start from the bow, firmly connect both sides and the triangular block with screws or nails.
We cut off the protruding parts at the top and bottom flush with the sides.
It must be exactly the same height as shown in the photo, otherwise the boards may burst during bending. The spacer angle should also not be made too large.
Having installed the spacer, we begin to bend the sides; here you will need a couple of assistants or a rope. Having bent to the required distance, we apply the “back” and determine where and how much to chamfer so that the sides adhere to it without gaps.
So, removing it little by little, we adjust it until we achieve the desired result.
Having achieved it, we nail down the sides and cut off the protruding parts from below, and from above as you wish. It is better to do it in the form of a triangle.
Then we proceed to install the permanent braces and seats. Their number and location is at your discretion. When fixing them (and in general, in other places), be sure to first make a hole with a small drill in order to avoid the appearance of cracks.
We complete the very important initial stage by chamfering the bottom of the sides, spacers and applying a protective coating to them.
After the impregnation and wood glue have dried, you can begin making its bottom. For this we need a smooth galvanized sheet. It is desirable that its length matches the length of the vessel. It’s true that it’s not easy to choose one, the fact is that construction stores They sell mainly small sheets (1.2x2m, 1.5x2), and they are very reluctant to cut off large rolls. If you can't reach an agreement, take what you have. The bottom can be made from two sheets, but it will just be a little more complicated.
Using metal scissors, cut out a piece corresponding to the size of the bottom from the purchased galvanized steel. To make it easier to determine the length and width, we place the boat on a sheet and outline it with a marker, with a small margin of 1.2-2 cm, just in case.
Next we need to prepare the lower parts of the sides. We apply sanitary with a gun silicone sealant a small layer in the form of a continuous winding thread. Then we lay a special cord directly on it in two rows. All this will reliably protect the bottom of the boat from leaking in the future.
If there is no sealant, replace it regular paint, if there is no thread, put in tow.
Having completed this, carefully place the cut piece of tin on the boat, align it and begin to fasten it.
For fastening, you can use galvanized self-tapping screws with a press washer or nails. IN in this case we fasten using a method proven over the years - i.e. nails (1.8x32). We start work from the middle and move towards the edges. The work is monotonous and tedious, but there is no need to rush - protruding nails will not add beauty.
How often you need to prick them is shown in the photo.
We cut off those places where the tin protrudes beyond the edges by more than 5 mm. We tap the rest with a hammer, bending it onto the side.
The bow of the boat needs protection; we cover it with the same tin. We measure and cut out the desired piece in the form of a rectangle.
On that part of the sides that will be covered with galvanized steel, pre-impregnated with antiseptics (in general, by this time the boat needs to be covered with at least one layer of impregnation), we apply sealant with thread. After this, we apply the sheet as shown in the photo and nail it.
The edges of the tin should not extend beyond the triangle nose, otherwise the nails will come out.
We lay the galvanized sheets on top and bottom on top of each other, cutting off the excess and also fastening them with nails. The result will be a great nose, just a very sharp one. Therefore, we crumple or cut off its tip, so as not to damage swampers or fishing gear on it later.
A new boat on a pond will definitely attract attention; in order to somehow protect it from attacks or to prevent it from being carried away by the current, we make a fastening for a chain in the bow. For this we need a long bolt or pin. We drill a hole in the sides exactly along the diameter of the pin, secure it, and saw off the excess with a hacksaw.
The boat is almost ready. We cover it with an additional 2 layers of impregnation and leave it to dry in the shade.
If you wish, you can immediately take care of protecting the bottom of the boat by covering it with paint. Galvanized with outside, in contact with water, deteriorates over time without additional coating.
To make it comfortable to walk on the tin bottom and not rattle, it is necessary to provide wooden flooring. He might be the one various designs. For example this one.
Now we can confidently say that the boat is ready! A boat with a galvanized bottom is much lighter than one with a wooden one, and during operation it will be easier to prepare it for the next season after wintering. In terms of strength, it is in no way inferior to others. For example, my previous old boat After 10 years of use, the sides rotted, but the bottom was okay.
Yes, and one more thing - do not skimp on the antiseptic, it is this, and not paint, that resists the destruction of wood much better.
If you end up with something similar or even better, you can be congratulated on your success.
I present several final photos of different people:
Based on materials from: grossoxota.ru
