Boatbuilding Tips and Tricks

New Article: Home Built Boat Seaworthiness

2009-07-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished and uploaded a new article about homebuilt boat seaworthiness. I seem to get a lot of questions about whether this or that boat is seaworthy enough to handle the conditions at this or that locale, so I thought I'd address the real issues that people should consider before building a boat. It can be found here: http://spirainternational.com/a_seaworthy.html.

19' Alaskan Grand Banks Dory Now Available in Metric

2009-07-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

I've added an optional 5.8 Meter Metric dimensioned plans for my very popular 19' Alaskan Grand Banks style dory. These new plans aren't only converted to metric dimensions, but have also been redesigned to use standard metric sized lumber (timber for those of you down under.)

Here's one almost complete in the Gulf Coast of the US:

Follow Me on Twitter

2009-07-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

OK gang, I've now put myself on Twitter so you can follow my musings. Keeping up with the latest technology and trends is a necessary part of running an information business these days. It's working too. If you type How To Build a Boat in Google, my YouTube video of the same name comes up #1 now. It's impressive and has resulted in quite a number of new visitors who I've been able to learn about the joys of modern home boat building.

Anyway my new Twitter address is http://www.twitter.com/SpiraBoats

Jeff

New Carolinian Carolina Dory Launched

2009-06-28T22:21:00.001-07:00

This beautiful Carolinian Carolina Dory was recently launched in Alaska. The builder did an excellent job and his workmanship shows. He elected to build it with a well mounted outboard instead of the usual transom mount.

New Free Boat Plans Page

2009-05-08T10:26:00.001-07:00

I recently updated my Easy To Build Boat Plans site with a new page featuring two boat plans you can download immediately for free. The first is my 12' Huntington Harbor Kayak, Dozens of these have been built to date and are being used in lakes rivers and the ocean. I also now offer Free downloadable plans for the all new Booth Bay 9 foot mini Grand Banks dory. I just completed the design and already there are several under construction. I'll reward anyone who sends in the first photo of a completed hull with a special prize. http://spirainternational.com/hp_frpl.html

New Canadian Drift Boat Launched

2009-04-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

This newly built Canadian drift boat was launched recently and is shown here on a river in Michigan. The builder did an excellent job and is ready for many more fun fishing trips this summer. See how a few hours in your garage each week, only a few hundred dollars in materials costs, can turn a woodworking project into an inexpensive summer of boating fun. Check out more easy-to-build boat plans on my main page.

- Jeff

Framed Boat Plywood Cutout Guide

2009-03-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

I've just added a new guide to my web site entitled: Framed Boat Plywood Cutout Guide. You should check it out of you've ever wondered why boat designers never seen to tell you what size and shape you're supposed to cut out the plywood planking. You will be surprised, I promise!

Framed Boat Plywood Cutout Guide.

Let me know what you think.

- Jeff

Boat Building Epoxy Source

2009-03-15T10:45:00.001-07:00

I often get e-mails from people asking about what kind of epoxy is best to use for building my boats. I've used an online supplier, John Greer, in the past and find his products excellent quality and very well priced. He ships quickly, answers questions promptly and also stocks thickening agents like cab-o-sil and microspheres, and also carries fiberglass cloth and tape, also at excellent prices. Check out his web site: http://www.jgreer.com/. The "Green" product is ideal for both gluing and wetting fiberglass cloth on my boats.

Blogging Building a 19' Alaskan Grand Banks Dory

2009-03-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

My customer who is building the 19' Alaskan Grand Banks Dory below is blogging about his experience. He's collected a great series of posts about the actual experience of building a boat. It's worth a read. Remember that blogs are organized backwards, that it the latest posts are first. The best way to read them is from the oldest forward, so it makes sense. Stop by and take a look. It really captures the day by day experiences of what building a boat is all about. Here's his blog: http://build-a-dory.blogspot.com/.

Alaskan 19' Grand Banks Dory Coming Together

2009-03-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

This is the second of my designs, this customer has built. His other was an Oysterman Carolina Dory. He's doing a great job on it and it's been skinned already. It won't be long until he'll be out having a blast in his new home built boat. The Alaskan is a very capable, rugged dory suitable for river, lake, near coastal and even offshore use. I'll keep you posted on the progress and post pictures once it's complete.

- Jeff

Innovative Clamping Technique for Boat Building

2009-03-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've seen photos of huge arrays of wood clamps when people are building boats and though, "Wow, I couldn't afford all of those clamps if I ever wanted to build a boat!" Well, don't worry. there are ways around this. This Huntington Harbor kayak builder scrounged all of the materials to build his kayak, mostly from the dump, and were he lives (the Canadian Arctic) there are no inexpensive tool stores or swap meets to pick up a bunch of inexpensive clamps, so he made due with scrounged materials. Here you can see he used simple polypropylene rope tied around the chine log, then with short sticks, he twisted the rope pulling the frame elements into place. This is commonly called a "Spanish Windlass." So, see you don't have to have lots of fancy tools to do a great job on easy to build boat plans like those available at Spira International. Inc. Here's how his boat came out:

New Fishing Boat Building Article

2009-03-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

I wrote this new article and uploaded it to my site recently about building fishing boats. It takes a look at the special needs of fisherman and offers information about which easy to build boats are most suited to the kind of fishing you do. Check it out at: http://spirainternational.com/a_fishingboat.html You can also download a pdf version of the article to print out and read at your leisure.

- Jeff

Wooden Boat Building - The Perfect Winter Project

2009-03-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

What have you been doing this winter. Watching TV and working on building up that spare tire around your middle. Not this guy. One of my customers in the Midwest has been spending some spare time in his garage building this beautiful easy to build 18 Carolinian Carolina Dory. He almost there now and when spring arrives, guess what he's going to be doing come spring? You guessed it, fishing in one of the most economical, light, safe and fun boats you could ever own. You can build it for a couple hundred dollars in 100 hours or so. What are YOU waiting for?

Boatbuilding Web Site Update and New Stock Boat Plans

2008-12-18T07:24:00.000-08:00

I've just updated the Spira International Easy To Build Boat Plans web site and added some new stock plans. You can now buy the Sitka 27' Pacific power dory plans, the Alamitos 15' vee-bottom dory plans, and the 13' Marsh Rat Duck hunting boat plans.

I also added a page about Custom Boat and Marine Equipment Design where I discuss my capabilities to design your semi-custom boat ideas, custom work boat, pleasure boat and yacht designs, marine facilities and equipment design, heavy load lifting and moving equipment and marine hydraulics systems and equipment. Stop by and take a look: Spira International Custom Boat and Marine Equipment Design.

I also added articles in the free articles section including: "Bearings for Seawater Immersion Use," "Portable Piers - How to Unload Ships Without Port Facilities," and "How to Move Massive Structures Using Hydraulics." You can check them out at: Boatbuilding Article Directory.

- Jeff

Ultra Light Duck Boat Plans Now Available

2008-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

Announcing the Marsh Rat, an ultralight duck hunting boat that you can build at home. The Marsh Rat is easily built in the typical home workshop using materials available at any home improvement warehouse of lumber yard.

This convenient size boat can handle two hunters and a dog, and will handle the rough autumn and winter water conditions normally encountered during duck hunting season, yet is lightweight enough to be car-topped and carried by one person through the weeds to get those really good remote duck hunting spots. Ducks are smart enough to not land near boat launch ramps, so how come duck boats aren't designed to be launched in unimproved places. Well, this one is. Be sure to check out the Marsh Rat Duck Hunting boat page: Marsh Rat Ultralight Duck Hunting Boat Plans Page.

Marine or Construction Plywood for Boatbuilding?

2008-11-22T12:36:00.001-08:00

The question always arises on whether to use marine or construction plywood for building boats. Let's first discuss the different types of ply. There used to be a type of plywood called interior ply that was manufactured using natural glues that would let loose when wet. It is not made anymore. Nearly all ply made now, that I've ever come across uses synthetic, waterproof glues. Plies made of softwoods, usually fir but sometimes pine, have knotholes. If these are left open on the surface laminations, it is called "C" grade. If the knotholes are filled with football shaped plugs, it is considered "B" grade, and if it has no knotholes, it is considered "A" grade. So ABX plywood would have no knotholes on one side, filled knotholes on the other and has been laminated with waterproof glue (X = exterior.) The problem lies in the interior laminations. In most plywood the knotholes are left unfilled leaving a void on the inside. In marine plywood these interior knotholes are also filled leaving the ply void free.

For my boats, I only recommend marine plywood in the event the builder elects not to fiberglass and epoxy coat the boat on the outside. If the builder decides to glass cover the boat ABX plywood is sufficient.

As an alternate to marine plywood, hardwood plywood may be used. Mahogany and Birch are the most common. They have no knotholes, so don't have any voids. The only downside to using hardwood plys is that they don't bend easily so sometimes you need to laminate two thinner layers of plywood in an area where there is a lot of bends.

- Jeff

New Mackinaw Drift Boat Launched

2008-11-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

One of my customers just sent me some new pictures of a gorgeous Mackinaw McKenzie River style drift boat he built from a set of my plans. He was building it for a special fishing trip drifting a river in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Sure looks like he had a great time. It just doesn't get any better than this.

- Jeff

New Boat Building Video on Youtube

2008-10-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hi All:
I just posted a new video on youtube that I'm sure you'll enjoy. It goes through all of the different types of boats I design. I describe them and show some new pictures I haven't published elsewhere yet. Check it out:

Let me know what you think!

- Jeff

Fitting Sheer Clamps and Chine Logs

2008-10-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

Announcing a new How-To Guide on my web site. It's called Fitting the Sheer Clamp and Chine Log Guide. I get a lot of emailed questions about this so I've created an illustrated guide that should clear up any questions you may have. It may be located in my Boatbuilding Article page here: http://spirainternational.com/hp_articles.html where of course all articles, construction photo essays and how-to guides are always FREE!

- Jeff

Free Study Plans

2008-10-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

I've been looking over other designer's websites and have found that many charge for study plans. I can understand this because they take time and money to print out and mail. On the Spira International, Easy-To-Build Boat Plans web site, study plans are always FREE. You can download them immediately and print them out on your own home computer printer. It makes things a lot easier and you get to see the study plans RIGHT NOW! Isn't that a refreshing change.

- Jeff Spira

New Boats added to Website

2008-10-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

I've updated the site with some new boats I've worked on for specific customers. They include a new 20' ultralight stitch and glue rowing dory called the Puget Challenge for long distance rowing, two new vee bottom Carolina dories, the 15' x 7' Alamitos, and the 5.2 M Metric Kachemak. The very popular Mission Bay is also now available in metric dimensions as well. Also the 25' Kona Hawaiian Sampan and 32' Kodiak Pacific Power dory plans are complete and you can now buy them online. Several of these hulls are under construction now and I hope to have pictures soon. I also put up a 14' Jon boat that I've had done for some time called the Crawdad. (Mmmm Cajun mud bugs - makes my mouth water just thinking about them.)

I'm working on a series of sailing sharpies as well. Study plans for the first one are up so you can look it over. It's called the Inagua, named after the island in the Bahamas. It's a 14 footer. I have future plans for a 19 footer and a 24 footer also.

Be sure to stop by and tell me what you think.

- Jeff Spira

New Boatbuilding How-To-Guides Section

2008-10-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

When people write in and ask how a certain aspect of building a boat is done, I'm going to start putting together How-To-Guides for various things. Sometimes you get the same question a number of times so these easy-to-follow guides should be just the trick to visualize some of the trickier aspects of the craft. The first one is now up on the website and it is called: How to Layout the Ribs on a Framed Boat. These will be in Adobe pdf format, so they're easy to download and print at home as well as viewing online. They can be located on the main Spira International Boat Building site here: http://spirainternational.com/hp_articles.html

Kona Plans Now Available

2008-09-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

I've completed the plans for the 25' Kona Hawaiian Sampan design recently and shipped them off to two initial buyers. This hull, like all of my designs, is simple and inexpensive to build using standard construction grade materials. Since it is a semi-planing hull, it means it scoots along nicely on modest power, a 50 hp inboard will get you perhaps 17 - 18 knots while just sipping $4 per gallon gas - perhaps 1-1/2 gallons per hour. It should be perfect for most coastal conditions.

Raptor Nails

2008-08-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine and fellow boatbuilder suggested I look into Raptor Nails for use in boats. These things are incredible. They're composite so can't rust, weather or weaken due to environmental conditions - plus they can be cut with a saw, plan, sandpaper or rasp without damaging the tool's edge. You can pick up a pneumatic gun and shoot them in-place to fasten bonded joints. There's some buzz in the boat building community and those who tried them love them. In your next boat you might think about investing in these new fasteners. They sound like a boat builder's dream. I know in my next project, I'm planning to use them.

New Huntington Harbor Launched - Free Boat Plans

2008-08-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

I just got these pictures from Nathan Jones who lives up in the Canadian Arctic. Nathan did a great job on his Huntington Harbor even though he had a few challenges. Here's some excerpts from his e-mail to me:

"THANKS for the free plans. I built your Huntington Harbor kayak, and it was quite a fun experience for me. I live in a community in the Canadian Arctic so material costs are outrageous, and I had to improvise (wood from the dump, NO kidding) As you can tell from the pix it floats fine, it's VERY stable feeling, and handles great! I look forward to using it to go after some of the monster lake trout and char we have up here!! Thanks again for the plans."