FAQ Birdsmouth masts – butt joins OK? Scarfs are recommended.
A birdsmouth mast is a nice way to make a simple tapered hollow round mast. But what is the best way to join the wood. We show you how and why.
Michael Storer
Understanding the Boat Plans Business and how to use it as a consumer.
If you understand the plans business as a consumer then you can make best use of the system. A good plans agent will have experience with the types of boat and a large background in helping to solve problems. They may also be able to either supply materials or head you to the best places to get them.
Are old, cheaper or free boat plans good value? 100 plans on CD?
Building boats from older plans often adds a lot of labour and materials cost. Some old plans are great. But many are utter rubbish. Having a living designer or other people building the same boat is really useful for most builders.
FAQ – Paulownia or Kirri – the “newest” lightweight timber for Boatbuilding.
We first started to see Paulownia becoming available from Plantations in Australia around 2004. Well before the current boom in its use for framing and hulls of dinghies, yachts and other boats. Paulownia is a very lightweight timber from China that provides one way of building lightweight boards and boats. How to overcome its weaknesses and make use of its strengths.
FAQ – Crimes against boatbuilding – never put a plywood deck join on top of a deckbeam
Never join boat decks the way you join up panels in a house. Cracks and big failures will result.
FAQ – Getting a hull smooth – Torture Boards for strip planking and decks
Torture boards are used for the highest grade of smoothing for visual smoothness of the whole structure. Fairing a strip planked hull.
Fairing a join between adjacent plywood sheets in a hull or deck.
Fairing a composite structure
Fairing deck substructure. Deckframes and deck stringers ready to take plywood.
FAQ – Materials for strip planked boat or canoe in Australia – for lightness and beauty.
Ultralight strip planked boats using Paulownia, Balsa and Western Red Cedar. Superlight Eureka Canoe and Goat Island Skiff and the amazing 12lb balsa canoe
FAQ USL Code restoration of scantlings for traditional Australian Boats.
The dominant source of timber sizings or scantlings for traditionally built workboats in Australia is the USL Code. It would probably be OK for traditionally built workboats in other parts of the world. It has information for both traditionally planked or semi traditional plywood boats of larger sizes
I hate silicone sealant on boats – Silicone contamination a world of pain.
pointless, timewasting activities in boat repair and maintenance
How to remove OIL and DIESEL that has soaked into Timber or plywood. Wooden Boats
Oil or diesel fuel have soaked into some of the areas you want to work on. There are no easy solutions. But this one might work.
Repair of old and antique plywood class sailboats for Racing or Cruising
OK … I decided to keep the old racing dinghy and fix it up. How do I put my effort in the right places to get the maximum results? A grab bag of methods for joining plywood, working out sizes, making centreboards and rudders and more.
Q and A. Step 1 – Do I restore an old cheap racing boat or ditch it? International Cadet
When is it worth fixing an old racing dinghy and when is it best to ditch it?
Fixing up old Plywood Boats – Fix leaks and holes, replace bottom in 24 hours, low cost nonskid that works.
All the best material on boat repairs. From restoring old sailing dinghies for racing, fixing holes in canoe, replacing whole hull panels or the neatest and easiest way of doing a really nice texture of nonskid using sugar. And the non skid can be done in paint or varnish
Are 1 to 1 epoxy mixes a good choice?
Most epoxy mixes are 2 to one resin and hardener. Or 4 or 5 or 6 to 1. Some companies offer 1:1 and push ease of mixing. But are they a good choice?
Massive Nosedive Video, but all is fine sailing an Oz Goose – New Speed Record?
Racing Cancelled. Videos of some high wind and high speed thrills with the simple and cheap to build Oz Goose sail boats. They might look like a box but they they are quick.
Cheap lug rig tuning and setup – simplify but sail fast.
In the Philippines imported boat parts look extremely expensive compared to local incomes. So we have worked hard to eliminate them as much as possible or replace them. What is easy, cheap and good for racing performance? The result is a big way to save money.
All Videos – Canoes – Paddle Electric Sail
Canoe Video resource. Paddling canoes, Electric canoes, Sailing Canoes. Drop in rigs to make any canoe work as a sailboat. Videos on building, Paddling and sailing canoes
All Videos – Goat Island Skiff – Fast, Family Sailing, Boat Building
All the Goat Island Skiff videos – 70+. Goat Island Skiff at speed, cruising, being built, rowing and passing a lot of other boats – you can see it singlehanded or carrying a whole family.
All Videos – Oz Goose – OzRacer and other “Squareboats”
All the videos for the Oz Goose and other similar boats OzRacer, Ocean Explorer, PD Goose. Families sailing, speed videos, capsize, racing. USA, Australia
Precut plywood Boat kits for Storer Boats from J o Woodworking USA
Kits for Storer Designed Canoes and the Texas Duck which is an Ozracer derived kit.