Boat Building Plans for Beginners

Most people owning a boat (and some others that don’t) wish (at some point) they knew how to build one by themselves. But they are put off by the time spent on complicated plans that can only be solved and understood by academic intellectuals. But do not despair! There are simple boat building plans for beginners available that anyone can read and understand, thanks to the My Boat Plans Website.

Out of curiosity, we are going to look at some boat build plans for beginners to whet your appetite in building your own boat at home. And just maybe one day you can build your own cabin cruiser and sail the seas of the world. Let’s take a look at boat building plans for beginners.

Understanding Boat Building Plans

Boat plans are, in general, not easy to understand if you have no clue about what you are doing, but with the right mindset, you can do it. In many backyards, you may find a half-built rowboat or kayak, and if you ask why isn’t it complete, you may hear lots of excuses.

Some excuses you may hear are lack of time, not enough funds, or even that they did not understand the plans and layouts. What you must do is revisit that half-built boat and try again because the satisfaction of finishing your first boat will help you start the next project.

There are a lot of boat building plans available, but you must seek out the most common ones to start with and give you the chance to advance your skill. The secret is to start with small projects, and then after you have finished the first project, go for the next more complicated boat plan.

This will help you to gradually improve yourself and graduate to the next level of difficulty and more challenging projects. Keep your mind busy and challenged until you get to the level where you want to be to build that ultimate boat you’ve always wanted.

You may want to start with an effortless project with plans that are available for free, and you can spend weekends on it until you have mastered it. This will help you to build the confidence to tackle the next level project that is a little more challenging and time-consuming.

Then you should just keep on going until you have mastered each project to grow your boat building skill until you become a master of the trade. And this is how you will eventually get to that level where you can build the boat that you were dreaming about all your life.

Easy Boat Building Projects

An easy project, to begin with, is a kiddies rowboat that they can use in the swimming pool. Finishing it in just one weekend is likely because it is small enough. Or if you do not have lots of free time, you can spend free weekend times until you finish it.

You should start with such a small project in secret. This way, you have no pressure on you to finish quickly and imagine their surprise with your success. To begin slow and to go far should be your motto and ultimate purpose.

Materials

You can use a variety of materials ranging from plywood to fiberglass (even aluminum!) to build a boat. But remember, you should start with whatever is best for you.

Not everyone can do a fiberglass body or work with aluminum. So, the easiest material for you to work with can be plywood or even plastic sheets for your first project. If you are proficient with fiberglass, it is a good thing to follow that path. And if you know how to work with aluminum, go for that. 

Always keep in mind that it is better to make your first project as easy and as cheap as possible.

One thing you should do for yourself is to never give up if you do fail. Keep on trying until you get it, and you can master it and feel the satisfaction of finishing your project. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Just keep on trying until you can pat yourself on the shoulder to congratulate yourself on finishing the job.

Motivate yourself, but do not be too hard on yourself; you and only you know the limits of your abilities and tell yourself anyone can build a simple rowboat.

More plans

Here is another very easy plan on how to build a Coroplast boat that will not take you forever. And get this, you can do it all by yourself. Coroplast is a type of material that you can fold just like cardboard. As a matter of fact, it is a type of plastic material and is waterproof so your boat will be safe.

Try this project out. You can make the plans a little bit smaller. You can then make a boat for the kids to play with in the swimming pool. This can be a fun project you can complete before the next school holidays.

Here is another straightforward Jon boat made from PVC sheets. This can be used to create a flat bottom boat to use as a fishing boat on the lake. Also, this project will inspire you to go for much nicer and more fun projects. So if you’re thinking of building a kayak from PVC and many more, you know where to go.

It can also be a nice fishing project to make the boat not just to carry people. At the same time, you can rig it to carry all your fishing gear. You can even make it so that you are on the water for longer than just one night.

Conclusion

When you are done with straightforward projects, it will be much easier to understand the plans of more complicated boats. And boy will those keep you busy and thinking. Be prepared to spend long hours in the workshop.

When you first start, it will only be a few hours a week. But as soon as you start building better and more beautiful boats, you will spend many hours a week. For much more fun and many boat building plans, try out the My Boat Plans Website.

Of course, you can also check out Boat Diaries’ Boat Building section for more helpful tips. Happy Sailing!