After a period of being without a boat, I started looking through both the classified ads and the websites offering plans for boats for amateur construction. Having already built two small boats, I leaned towards a build, rather than a buy.
I get as much enjoyment from being around boats as I do being in them when they are on the water. My previous builds were both open sailing boats, so building a boat with a cabin would make for an interesting project. A cabin would also provide some welcome cover for those wet and windy days.
Power or sail
I’d been in small outboard-powered fishing boats as a teenager, and RIBs when I helped out at the local sailing club, but I’d never owned a motorboat. When I completed my RYA Coastal practical on the Firth of Clyde the instructor had a 37ft motor cruiser, as well as the yacht he used for running training courses. The motor cruiser seemed to have a larger accommodation volume than the yacht, even though it was shorter.
A motorboat, even with a small to medium-sized outboard, would cruise at 12-15 knots, considerably quicker than a sailboat. The decision was made: a motorboat it was to be.
I wanted a boat that could be built in a reasonable time as an evening/weekend hobby. My teenage son is a keen woodworker, and this would be a project we could work on together.
Which design?
I came up with a list of the features I’d like in a boat. My garage is 18ft long and wide, so that was the size limit. It’s much easier to build a boat under cover.
I wanted a
