A punt boat is a traditional fishing craft that appeared long before keel analogues made of PVC and aluminum. Convenient and quite simple, it was used not only for fishing - it was used to transport bulky cargo and people through the water. Despite the emergence of a large number of models inflatable boats, the punt has not lost its popularity even today. One of the reasons for this is the fact that such a watercraft can not only be purchased, but also made with your own hands.
More details about what a punt is, what it consists of and what types there are, what its pros and cons are, as well as how to make such a boat yourself will be discussed in this article.
Device
The craft consists of the following:
- of two sides (right and left) up to 60–70 cm high;
- flat bottom, reinforced with longitudinal or transverse stiffeners (lamellas);
- rectangular stern (transom).
To transport people and control the boat, 2–3 benches (banks) are attached between its sides. Various fishing accessories are stored in a box with a locking lid mounted on the stern. Depending on how many people are planned to be transported by boat. Its length varies from 2 to 4 meters with a width of 1.0–1.2 meters.
Majority modern models They have a pointed or narrowed shape of the bow, due to which such a boat acquires better maneuverability and speed of movement (especially against the current), and has less windage in strong headwinds.
You can move around on a punt either with the help of oars or with mounted screw or water-jet engines mounted on the stern.
Kinds
Depending on the material used to make the punt, they come in the following types:
Wooden is the classic version of this boat. Are being manufactured wooden boats yourself from boards coniferous species(spruce, pine), plywood. The disadvantage of such watercraft is their considerable weight, which is why fishermen who do not have a car with a trailer use such a boat only on a nearby body of water.
A wooden boat must be made from boards with a moisture content of no more than 16%, without cracks or falling knots
Plastic - lightweight and durable factory boats with a one-piece structure made of durable and impact-resistant polypropylene, fiberglass, and ABS plastic. It is impossible to make such a boat yourself. Its price, compared to inflatable analogues, is slightly lower. The disadvantage of such a boat is its fragility when low temperatures and very complex DIY repairs.
Plastic models should be used only in the warm season - in cold weather and frosts their body becomes fragile and is easily damaged
Metal – such boats are made from aluminum and duralumin. In terms of strength and weight, such boats are the “golden mean” between wooden and plastic models. Having low weight and constant strength of the body material, independent of air and water temperature, they can be used freely throughout the entire open water season.
Aluminum punt boat is not suitable for sea navigation – lightweight design easily capsized by a large wave
Advantages and disadvantages
If you ask yourself which boat is better - a keel or a flat bottom - then the latter has a number of advantages, such as:
- Stability - due to the large area of contact between the craft and the water, a flat-bottomed boat is more resistant to side waves and wind compared to its keel counterpart;
- High maneuverability and carrying capacity - having a shallow draft, such boats allow you to transport up to 5-6 people with a length of 4 m, while moving through shallow water areas;
On a note. By installing an outboard screw motor-swamp vehicle on a punt, you can navigate through overgrown and silted bays and swamps. The design of the unit and the material used to make its propeller allow it to chop up the grass that gets in its way and not get clogged with dirt.
- Light weight - plastic and aluminum punts weigh significantly less than wooden and some inflatable boats;
- Ease of manufacture - you can make a punt with your own hands with a minimal set of tools and materials. The cost of such a watercraft will be significantly lower than the factory model.
The main disadvantage of such a boat is its low maneuverability and speed compared to keel boats.
Thanks to its shallow draft, the punt's maneuverability in shallow waters is higher than that of any boat or keelboat
Making a punt with your own hands
Assembling a punt with your own hands includes drawing up drawings, purchasing materials, preparing the necessary tools, making a bottom, sides, stern from a board, fastening them and treating the structure against rotting with antiseptics and resin.
Materials and tools
Required tools:
- Jigsaw.
- Roulette.
- Square.
- Marker.
- Hammer.
- Screwdriver.
The materials required are dry spruce or pine boards 25–30 mm thick, bars with a cross section of 50×50 mm, nails or galvanized screws, resin, tow, waterproof paint.
Drawing up a drawing
In order to build a punt boat from planks yourself, you must first of all make clear and visual drawings (project) of its main parts: the sides, bottom, stern (transom). Based on the drawings, the need for materials is calculated: boards, plywood, bars for the frame and lamellas.
The drawing of a flat-bottomed boat should be visual and understandable - an error in dimensions during the manufacture of the watercraft will lead to a decrease in its tightness and maneuverability.
Making the bottom
Several boards are placed tightly to each other, and the contour of the bottom is drawn on them with a marker according to the dimensions of the drawing. 5 crossbars are made from the bars, the length of which is equal to the width of the bottom in the middle, stern and bow parts. The laid boards are sewn together in the middle with the longest cross member, after which using a jigsaw or manual circular saw the bottom is cut out along the outlined contour, leaving uncut areas at the bow and stern.
In the bow and stern parts, the bottom blank is additionally fixed with boards and nylon cord
By tightening the bottom with crossbars, we achieve minimal gaps between its boards
Installation of bow and stern boards
After the bottom is cut to the bow using rough nails or self-tapping screws, a block - the bow board - is attached at a close to right angle. Then several boards are attached to the rear of the bottom, from which the stern (transom) is formed.
Close to right angle fastening the bow board will allow you to evenly distribute the force of the oncoming flow of water acting on the bow as the boat moves
Fastening to the bottom of the sides
The first two boards on the right and left sides are first nailed to the bow board, then bent along the contour of the bottom and tied together with a strong cord at the stern. After this, they are attached to the ends of the bottom with nails.
When attaching the first boards of the sides, it is better to fix them at the stern with a strong nylon cord
To fasten subsequent boards parallel to the crossbars, bulkheads are nailed to the bottom.
To prevent the sides from moving, the boards of the starboard and port sides are nailed to the bulkheads at the same time, without first assembling the starboard or port side completely.
With a boat length of 3.5–4 meters, it is necessary to have at least 2 bulkheads to which the side boards are sewn
Treatment of the bottom and sides
All cracks in the bottom and between the side boards are caulked with tow. To protect the wood of the bottom from rotting, as well as to prevent leaks, the bottom and sides are well coated with resin.
Flat-bottomed plywood boat
A ring for a chain or mooring rope is installed in the bow.
A flat-bottomed boat can be made not only from boards, but also from moisture resistant plywood FBS or FSF brands.
A punt boat is made from plywood using a simpler technology than its analogue from boards. First, two sides 30–40 cm high in the form of rectangular trapezoids, a rectangular stern and a bow are cut out of a sheet of plywood using a jigsaw. Then, using special glue, first the right side, then the stern, the left side, and the bow are attached to a whole sheet of plywood (bottom). In this case, the stern part is attached to the bottom at a right angle, and the bow part at an obtuse angle (120–130°). All elements, in addition to glue, are fastened together and the bottom with bars located inside the craft. After assembly, the outside of the boat is covered with two layers waterproof paint or resin.
Such a boat, compared to one made from boards, has such advantages as light weight, low costs for purchasing materials, and ease of manufacture.
The following video will tell you more about how such a punt boat is made with your own hands:
On a note. Punts are not only homemade, but also factory-made. Among them, such models as “SAVA” 270, “SAVA” 370, Liman”, “Tortilla-2”, “Kazanka 6M” are popular. The cost of budget boats is 18,000–20,000 rubles, while the purchase of more spacious premium models will cost 25,000–30,000 rubles.
Thus, a punt boat is a watercraft slightly inferior in its characteristics to keel boats. It is made from both boards and moisture-resistant plywood. Except homemade boats, available for sale big choice factory models of punts made of plastic and aluminum.
Buying a boat is quite an expensive business. That is why many people are wondering how to make their own small and reliable boat. The process of creating a boat is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. However, it is quite painstaking and requires a lot of attention to detail.
The first and most important step is to determine what the vessel will be made of. There are not many options, let's look at them:
- Rubber based fabric. The end result is an inflatable boat.
- Plastic.
- Steel.
- Tree.
- Plywood.
Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages that are immediately noticeable. But now we will talk about a boat made of wood.
Having decided on the material, you can move on to the next stages of planning and preparation.
Manufacturing Features
There are really a lot of features, so let's look at them in detail:
- Working with wood. First and main feature– ability to work with wooden structures and with wood in particular. You need to understand which boards are best to choose, how to bend them correctly, what loads a particular material can withstand. Before starting work, it is best to prepare and read books on woodworking. They are very easy to find and are freely available on the Internet.
- Selection of materials for assembly. In addition to wood, you must immediately decide on other materials that will help hold the boat together and protect it from leaks. They must be suitable for the material that has been chosen and interact well with it.
- Assembly location. Manufacturing will definitely require a lot of space and time. For professionals, manufacturing and assembly can take from 4 to 10 days, depending on the complexity. A beginner will need several times more time. This is why it is important to choose a dry and comfortable place.
- Tools. To facilitate and speed up the process, you will need a number of tools (which we will look at later). In addition, it is advisable to have an extra pair of hands during some stages of assembly.
These are the main features you need to know, but as you progress, you will likely encounter others.
Drawing of a boat from boards for self-production
Deciding on the sizes
One of the most important stages at the planning stage. The size determines the capacity, load capacity and weight. It is very important to maintain the correct dimensions so that the boat is stable on the water.
They can be changed at your discretion, but within reason:
- Length of the entire structure. The length can vary from two to four meters. If the vessel is designed for one, then the length should be 1.8 - 2.5 meters. Two people – approximately 3 meters. Three people – 3.5 – 4 meters. A boat 3-4 meters long can easily support up to 5-6 people; the issue here is more about comfort.
- Width. Also one of the main criteria. Average widths are 1 – 1.5 meters. The greater the width, the more stable it is wonderful. On the other hand, the greater the width, the less maneuverability. It is necessary to find a middle ground. It is different for everyone depending on the person’s body, the load that will be transported, as well as the length of the entire structure.
- Board height. The average and recommended side height is 50 centimeters. Again, you can make it either higher or lower, depending on your desire.
It is based on these dimensions that it will be necessary to make all the details in the future. It is difficult to determine these dimensions by eye, so it is best to make a drawing for clarity.
Moving on to the drawings, we must immediately say that it is not necessary to have a talent for drawing. At the moment, a drawing can be made without having such skills online on the Internet. You can make a three-dimensional model that will meet all the requirements and desires.
In the drawing, in addition to the main dimensions, you must immediately determine the dimensions of other, smaller, but no less important details. It is best to make drawings for them separately, so that you do not have to adjust them in the future.
Basic planes necessary for constructing a theoretical drawing of a boat hull
Required materials and tools
Having dealt with everyone theoretical issues, let's move on to practice. Collecting all the tools and materials and preparing them for work is the final part of the preparation, so this process must be treated with special care.
Consider the list of tools and instruments that will be needed during assembly:
This is the main list of what will be useful during assembly. In addition, other tools may be useful in the process. For example, a hacksaw, a hammer, clamps, etc.
Selection of boards for lining the bottom of a punt boat
Manufacturing process
Let's move on to the most interesting part, the manufacturing process. Let's present it in the form of step-by-step instructions.
There is no room for haste or shortcomings, so we do everything extremely carefully and clearly:
Boat testing
After creating and assembling the vessel, we move on to testing it.
You can test the boat in different ways, but the best number of stages is:
- The first waterproof test can be done in the yard. To do this, we turn the boat over and place it on some kind of support (chairs, benches, table). Next we pour it on a large number of water. To do this, it is best to use a hose and “water” for 5-10 minutes. After this, the boat can be turned over and checked to see if water has gotten inside.
- Now, knowing that the schooner does not allow water to pass through, you can proceed to access to deep water. More precisely, try it in action. It is strongly recommended not to swim to great depths for the first half hour, because if something is done wrong and the boat begins to quickly take on water, it is much easier to get it out of the shallows.
Let's look at a few tips that may be useful to a beginner in the difficult task of designing and assembling:
- When assembling, do not spare materials. For example, when fastening the sides to the bottom of a boat, it is worth spending extra time, but carefully going over all the joints with glue or resin. It will be very difficult to correct such errors in the future.
- Do it with reserve. Excess parts of everything can be removed, for example, by sawing off a block in the bow of the boat. This also applies to all other details.
- Before using large nails or screws, it is advisable to make holes for them using a drill. This will prevent cracks from appearing.
- Don't skimp on materials. How better quality wood, the longer and better it will serve in the future.
Do you want to assemble a skiff punt boat with your own hands? These boats are widely used in the lower reaches big rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean. And on the east coasts of Canada and the USA. This punt boat has a moderate hull length to the minimum bottom beam of the boat and is equal to 3.5:1. Therefore the boat is very light under oars and has good stability for sailing. The bend of the boat's keel allows it to float in shallow water; it runs aground in the middle part of the bottom, so it is not difficult to refloat it manually.
This punt can be used in the waves, as it has a high freeboard in the bow and camber along the entire length.
This punt boat has a wide enough bottom, so you can install a motor with a power of up to 8 hp. Stability in the direction of the boat is ensured by the fin under the stern. It also has good load capacity, so you can safely seat seven people. And don’t worry about the boat capsizing or being flooded with water.
Cover the body with spruce or pine inch boards 20 mm thick. Plane these boards on both sides.
The bottom is covered with transverse boards. This option is better than cladding with longitudinal boards.
The same as between frames when sheathing with longitudinal boards.
Before building a punt boat, stock up on boards 120 - 150 mm wide. If the boards are 6 meters long, then 15 boards are needed. Dry them well and plan them on both sides. Plane the edges with a jointer. Lay a couple of boards onto slats for fender beam 4, zygomatic stringer 5, collar 22, and understalls 7. For the transom, use the widest board. Put together a shield from two boards, mark the outline of the transom on the shield and cut it with a hacksaw. There is a groove between the lower and upper boards; cover it inside with a 16 batten; it also serves as a support for the stern beam and the seat. 11 Inside the boat, nail 15 toptimbers to which the boards for lining the sides are attached with screws. Cut a stem from a 75X130X650 mm block.
Remove the bevels from the side edges and, using a chisel and chisel, follow the markings and select the tongues for the sheathing. Do this carefully; to do this, take the rail and, attaching it to the frame line, make several nests as in the figure. When you achieve the desired angle and depth of the nests, cut off the remaining sections until you have a solid tongue. To give the correct shape to the punt body on the slipway, assemble two transverse templates. Boards 12 -25 mm thick are suitable. Draw the contours of the templates on plywood or paper and assemble them. Plane the lower edges of the shargen-planks 27; they serve as control lines when assembling the boat hull. Apply LB marks on the side slats of the templates - and DP marks on the bottom strip and shergen - strip 27. On the cheekbone in the corners of the template, make cutouts for the cheekbones 5.
Stretch a thread marked DP over the templates, from the stem to the transom, check whether the DP marks on the templates match this thread. Attach the templates to the slipway using racks with the lower end driven into the ground or fixed to the floor; fix them in the correct position so that it remains unchanged during subsequent cladding of the body. Then, in the corresponding nests of the templates, transom and stem, place the bilge bars 5, which are secured with 4 X 50 mm screws with a countersunk head to the transom and stem and 3.5 X 50 mm nails to the templates. Now you can start sheathing the body. First, trim the sides.
Decide how many boards you need on each side. Usually, three boards are enough. First, attach the board of the lower (adjacent to the bottom) belt to the bilge, press it temporarily with clamps (you can also use screws or a strong cord) to the bilge beam at the stem and at the transom so that it protrudes above the beam 5, and at each end there remains at least 75 mm width. Then install the top chord board. Make sure that the middle part of this board, after cutting along the side line, does not become too narrow. Make sure that the remaining open part of the side can be covered with one or two boards.
Then outline the first laid board inside the hull along the edge of the bilge beam, and transfer the marks LB from the templates, stem and ramp to the second. Also, draw a vertical line on the boards along the edge of one template to place them exactly where they were tried on.
This belt fits between pre-installed boards, which have a gap of no more than 1 mm; the gap should be uniform along the entire length of the board. Before finally fixing the tongue and groove boards in the stem, coat the edges of the bilge beam, toptimbers 15 of the transom and the plane adjacent to the skin with thickly rubbed paint.
Attach the board to the zygomatic beam using 3.5X60 mm nails every 70 mm, and bend them from the inside. To prevent nails from splitting the zygomatic beam, pre-drill holes with a diameter of 0.4-0.5 mm less than the diameter of the nail, and place the fasteners in a checkerboard pattern so that adjacent nails do not fall into the same layer of wood.
Maintain a distance between rows of nails of approximately 8-10 mm. Sink the nail head well into the wood for subsequent putty. When the boards are completely installed (temporarily attach them to the templates with short nails), cut the edges of the boards that protrude above the zygomatic beams flush with them. Cover the surfaces of the edges of the beams along a horizontal plane with a layer of thickly rubbed paint, then install transverse strips of the bottom skin on them. Carry out the work simultaneously from the stern and from the bow, so that you can then complete it, as when sheathing the sides, with a face board. Do not forget that the boards are laid with the sapwood side inside the boat hull, and be sure to leave 1-1.5 mm grooves between the edges in order to allow for swelling of the wood. Attach these boards to the zygomatic beam with two or three screws in each edge. Do not take boards wider than 160 mm, because wide boards will become very warped and crack during winter storage. You need to drill holes for screws correctly: for the smooth part - with a drill with a diameter that is equal to the diameter of the screw under its head. And for the threaded part of the screw, use a drill with a diameter smaller than 1.5 mm. Countersunk heads drown them deeper so that they do not interfere with planing the sheathing.
If the chemical pencil leaves a mark on the fresh shavings, dry the board. Otherwise, the side sheathing may dry out and cracks will appear between the boards. On the contrary, tightly fitted dry boards of the bottom lining will swell in water, the lining may become severely warped and leak along the cheekbone. The nails and screws that secure the boards to the set may even come loose. Use wood with a moisture content of 15-18%.
Leave a gap of 1-1.5 mm along the grooves and caulk and putty. A boat launched for the first time may leak, but after a couple of days the boards will swell and the leak will stop. When the bottom is completely covered with sheathing boards, cut off their ends that protrude along the sides. To do this carefully, use a simple device made from scrap boards.
For a pencil, make a semicircular recess in the bar so that the central part of the lead is above the edge of the lower protrusion of the bar. Press the strip against the side trim and hold it in a vertical plane, draw a cut line for the bottom trim. Saw off the boards along this line with a hacksaw, then plane the ends with a plane. Plan the entire bottom with a semi-joint, positioning it at an angle to the keel line. Prepare the outer keel 20 and attach it to the bottom, painting the contacting surfaces in advance. Now we need to free the boat from the slipway. Saw the side slats with a template and the racks 24, 26, turn the boat hull over. Inside it, mark the position of all frames 18, which need to be prepared from slats with a cross section of 25X50 mm. Attach the frames to the sheathing with screws, screw them in from the outside, two pieces per board. length 825 and width 25 mm). Be sure to cut off the aft end of the fin, as shown in the drawing, and trim the side edges from behind.
Otherwise, when using an outboard motor, air bubbles will begin to break off the fin, they can get into the propeller and begin to interfere with your boat's speed. For a boat you need to make several metal parts
: for the eye (one is fixed to the stem, the second is fixed to the transom) for mooring, oarlock and sub-oarlock, protective strip 2 on stem 1. Turn the boat upside down and carefully caulk the grooves between the boards with a bundle of cotton wool. Caulk the bottom before installing the outer keel. Pay special attention to protecting the ends of the bottom lining of the sides. It is advisable to paste over these places with strips of fiberglass on epoxy in two layers or glue thin oak slats to the ends. Coating with bitumen varnish protects well from moisture.
Planks 41 at the upper end of the centerboard are needed to limit lowering. On a metal centerboard, make a limiter from squares. The wooden centerboard is held in the lowered position using a rubber sling 43. The rudder 37 is cut from 8 mm plywood or 12 mm thick boards. Hang it using loops 38 with pins; on the transom, make the same loops, but without pins but with fastening strips that are rotated 180°. To avoid accidentally losing the steering wheel, tie it to the transom with a thin cord. The mast 28 has a round solid section and has a maximum diameter of 68 mm. Glue it together from two finely straight-layered pine bars. And the lower end of the spur mast is made of a square section for fastening in a socket - step 45. The second point of attachment of the mast is a hole in the front bank 6. The sail is made the same as on real “Skiffs”. It is laced by 32 to the mast, top and bottom corners
tie through the holes in the mast.
While sailing, stretch the sail with the 29 batten, the front end of which is tied with a reef knot to the cap 31. If the wind suddenly increases, simply pull the end of the cord 30, and the sail will be completely windless. You can easily remove the mast from the steppe and put it in the boat. If you need, the area of the sail can also be reduced, just screw it onto the mast, but then it is carried without a yard or the yard is attached to the bottom of the mast. Sew the sail from any strong and dense fabric: AM-100, raincoat, or, in extreme cases, from calico. The boat can also be built with plywood sheathing. For the bottom, waterproof plywood with a thickness of 8-10 mm is required, for the sides - 6-8 mm. Instead of templates, in this case it is recommended to make two frame frames from 16 X 40 mm slats, which, after assembling the body, remain in it as parts of the transverse set.
In addition to the frame frames, it is advisable to reinforce the bottom of the boat with several transverse slats with a cross-section of 16 X 40 mm, attaching them with glue and screws. All open ends of the plywood must be protected with fiberglass or wooden slats.
In addition to the oars, the boat must be equipped with a bailer for pumping out water, a lifebuoy or bibs, mooring lines 6 m long, an anchor or a grapple. All this can be purchased in stores, but if necessary, you can make good oars yourself. Fig 1. Design and contours rowing boat
Skif punts. 1 - stem 75 X 90 X 650; 2 - protective strip 2 X 16 X 900, steel (fasten to the stem and keel with 4 X 20 screws at 75 mm intervals): 3 - gap, δ = 30; 4 - fender beam 20X45X4200 (fasten with sheathing through the frame with a 4X50 rivet nail); 5 - zygomatic stringer 25 X 50 X 4000; 6 - bow bike 20 X 250 X 750; 7 - sublegs 20 X 45 X 3350 (cut 5 mm into the frames, fasten with 5X40 screws); 8 - rowing can 20x250X1150; 9 - sub-clavicle pad: 10 - stern fin 20X90X960 (attach to the keel with 5X65 screws every 100 mm); 11 - feed can 20X400X1050; 12 - old lady; δ = 30; 13 - transom bracket, δ=30; 14 - transom (assemble no two boards δ = 25); 15 - transom toptimber 25X50X330; 16 - groove strip 20X40X750; 17 - side trim (board 20X150X4500. 6 pcs.); 18 - frame 25 X 50 X 450 (10 pcs.); 19 - bottom lining (board 20x150, L - 25 m); 20 - keel 20 X 100 X3700; 21 - pillers 30 X 30 X250; 22 - collar 20 X 30 X 4200.
Figure 2. stem
Fig. 3. Selection of tongue and groove nests in the stem.
Fig 4. Templates for assembling the hull of a punt boat
Rice. 5 Scheme of assembling the hull of a punt boat on a slipway (a); checking the installation of the stem and transom (b). 1 - 22 - see fig. 1; 23 - slipway beam 50 X 150 X 4500; rail 35 X 36 X 600; 25 - plumb line; 26 - strip 35 X 120 X 500; 27 - shergen-plank 25 X 60.
Fig 6. Selection of boards for lining the bottom of a punt boat: a - correct; b - incorrect.
Fig. 7. Device for drawing the ends of the bottom cladding boards.
Rice. 8 Boat hull kit parts
Fig. 9. Pillow subkey (no. 9).
Fig. 10. Sub-clavicle (a) and oarlock (b) of a welded structure. Fig. 11. Rack floor and support for the rower's feet. 1 - rail 60 X 10; 2 - support bracket 10 X 100 X 180; 4 - stop board 10X I50X 200; 5 - cross beam
Fig 12. Sailing rig of the boat. 1-22 - see fig. 1. ; 23-27 - see Fig. 5; 28 - mast, L - 5.05 m; 29 - rack. L -3.35 m; 30 - yard fastening cord; Z1 - wire sheath with a diameter of 6; 32 - Seznevka (nylon cord with a diameter of 4-6); 33 - sail; 34 - sail sheet: 35 - rack sheet; 36 - tiller 50X25X900 (ash); 37 - steering wheel (glued from boards, δ = 20 or cut from plywood, δ = 8); 38 - steering loop; 39 - tiller holder (steel, δ =2); 40 - centerboard; 41 - lining 20 X 20 X 410; 42- block 25 X 25 X 700; 43 - rubber sling; 44 - well key 25 X 60 X 260; 45 - mast steps 60 X 120 X 250; 46 - well wall; δ = 10; 47 - base rail 25 X 25 X 520.
Fig. 13. Installing the centerboard and mast on the boat, 1-47 - see fig. 12,
Rice. 14. Punt boat oar. 1- oar; 2 - cuff; 5 - fitting (brass strip 0.5 X 12; fasten with nails).
A boat is an indispensable thing if you want to go fishing or just spend time with friends or family on the river. This is a great device for a walk or even a whole water adventure that you can do yourself.
If you are interested in the technology by which you can make a punt boat from plywood yourself, the drawings presented in this article and the recommendations will be useful to you in your work.
Making a simple boat from plywood is the most budget-friendly way to get a boat. To do this, you just need to stock up on everything you need, including tools and drawings, as well as show a little patience and diligence. Otherwise, making such a product will not be difficult for you, the main thing is to strictly follow the prepared drawing.
What do you need for work?
The material on which the structure is created is, of course, plywood. It consists of veneer layers glued with phenolic glue, which are pressed in production. There are several types, but not every type of plywood is suitable for making a boat with your own hands.
Note! The highest quality and waterproof plywood is marked FSF. It is usually made of birch veneer. When using it, you can achieve reliability and quality from your future product. As a result, you will spend significantly less effort on sanding and finishing your boat.
If for some reason you are unable to obtain quality plywood trademark, buying not too much high quality products, take your time Special attention execution of end parts on sheets. The absence of through cracks, knots, holes and defects is a sign of a standing material.
The quality of the chosen plywood will depend on:
- the quality level of the product itself;
- performance characteristics of the boat;
- cost of finishing work;
- time spent on finishing work;
- volumes of required material;
- number of seams in the finished boat.
Therefore, you must treat your choice with maximum responsibility. For individual parts your flat-bottomed boat may require timber or planks, preferably dry and completely free of any flaws or damage.
To cover the boat, fiberglass is used, sold in rolls. You can cut it into pieces of the required size, which will be convenient for gluing joints and seams. One piece will be more appropriate for processing the bottom.
Varnish, glue and paint are used to protect the boat from moisture. It is best if the varnish is ship-grade and the paint is not water-based.
To make brackets for your boat, you can use plastic clamps and copper wire. Any other material will also work, which can then be easily removed.
List of tools:
- jigsaw electrical action and a set of files for it;
- sander;
- hammer and plane;
- clamp;
- tape measure for measurements, a metal ruler and a simple pencil for marking;
- brushes for applying varnish and glue;
- spray gun for working with paint;
- a spatula that will help level the fiberglass during the gluing procedure.
Boat manufacturing work: splicing method
After you have selected the appropriate drawings, prepared everything necessary tools, you can start making the boat.
Note! In the event that you cannot find the plywood of the size required for your boat, it can be joined together using plywood miter splicing technology.
Sheet splicing technology:
- Sheets of material must be laid on top of each other, mark a line of the mustache (its length is ten to twelve thicknesses of a plywood sheet).
- To obtain an even and high-quality result, it is recommended to secure the material using clamps and a limit bar. It is along this bar that the mustache will be formed. Make sure that you do not have sharp changes in the length of this line.
- The formed mustache must be sanded with a machine to an ideal state, constantly combining and adjusting the sheets.
- Apply to the mustache area adhesive composition, after which the plywood sheets must be stacked on top of each other with the treated surfaces and secured with clamps, placing weights on top to ensure complete gluing.
- Excess glue must be removed immediately, without waiting for it to dry.
- After the glue has dried, you can remove the clamps and leave the product alone for 24 hours until the glue completely hardens.
Remaining glue needs to be cleaned off sandpaper to even out the seam and make it less noticeable.
First, you need to mark the bottom on plywood, first laying it out on a flat surface. Based on your drawing, draw the centerline of the boat, after which you can place a grid on the basis of which the contours of the future product are marked.
To ensure a tight fit of the joints, chamfers can be made at the edges of the plywood junction. A grinding machine is suitable for this. After this, you can sew the parts together using staples and clamps. The procedure should begin from the stern, gradually moving to the bow of the boat, slowly bending the plywood. Both the sides and the transom are secured.
Next stage– checking the geometric dimensions of the structure. After which you need to tighten the clamps more tightly, place spacers in the places where the frames are mounted to fix all the parts.
The seams are glued from the inside of the product. To do this, you need to take glue and fiberglass, which must be cut in advance into strips 7 cm wide. Using a brush, apply the adhesive to the joint, glue the fiberglass and level it with a spatula, removing bubbles and wrinkles. The seams need to be taped two or three times.
Project, drawings, sketches and description of manufacturing technology
boats made from one sheet of plywood
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:
- coin (no matter what denomination or what country);
- waterproof plywood brand FSF - 1 sheet measuring 1500x3000 mm and thickness 4 mm;
- slats for sides: 3-meter with a section of 10x40 mm - 4 pieces;
- meter section 25x50 mm - 2 pieces;
- slats for the bottom: 2.5-meter with a section of 20x40...50 mm - 2 pieces;
- 90-centimeter sections 10x40 mm - 6 pieces;
- boards: semi-bulkhead - stop for a can (dimensions 1200x125x15 mm) - 1 piece;
- jar (dimensions 1200x250x25 mm) - 1 piece;
- transom trim (dimensions 1000x140x20 mm) - 1 piece;
- support for the rower's feet (dimensions 1000x50x25 mm) - 1 piece;
- epoxy glue - 5 kg;
- dye;
- fiberglass - 3 m (with a width of 0.9 m);
- copper wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm, nails, screws.
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.
Technology for building a boat from one sheet of plywood
I want to say right away that we will build a boat with a 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 transom at the top and fasten the workpiece to it with wire, but still, to mark the side, you will need an assistant who will hold the bow of the workpiece of the future side, and draw with a pencil the remaining line of contact between the workpiece and the bottom and the stem line with a pencil.
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, better yet, with a coarser piece of sandpaper wrapped around a 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, drill holes with a pitch 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 together 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 (structural elements of the ship's hull for connecting individual parts of the hull 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 outside of the cheekbone. 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. We hammer dowels into all the holes left from the “temporary” screws and nails ( 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.
southern slope, and only slats cut only 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 glue the coin.
What and why can be changed when building a boat
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 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°.
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 permanent 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 a 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.
What and with what can be replaced when building a boat 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 coniferous wood for slats, then hardwood is also suitable for similar 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, but they serve long 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 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.
What can you save on?
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 at least 30 mm thick (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.
Mistakes when building a boat
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 you will need to glue transverse slats (flora) with a cross-section of at least 20x50 mm to the bottom. 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 much epoxy to the surfaces to be bonded. thin layer resin. In this case, the epoxy will simply be absorbed into the wood and adhesive layer there will be nothing left. 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 my own experience, I can say that it is usually impossible 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.
Your safety when building the boat and then!
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 in the boat. 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 plate 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.