I have received numerous enquiries asking where to find plans and how to go about building a boat such as Tokyo Express. Also many people have asked, “What skills are required” to build a boat. “I have no experience” is it possible for me to do it too?
Finding plans is a good question, I shall return to this question below. But first up, to the question “What skills do you require to build a boat”. I don’t believe you need any out of the ordinary skills to build yourself a boat. Except maybe patience and perseverance! Building a boat the size of say a 40ft yacht is certainly not a quick project. There are a lot of hours of often quite laborious work to achieve your goal. But you certainly don’t need an engineering degree to do it.
If you enjoy working with your hands – then I am certain you can learn any skills you don’t have to be able to build a boat. I am writing this for the person that hasn’t perhaps done much building or has experience woodworking and metal working on smaller projects and wondering whether to tackle something much bigger than them selves. It is a big investment in time and money once you start on such a project.
There are many unfinished boat hulls in people’s backyards, sheds or farms that were started and never finished. It IS a big undertaking, so it is sensible to question whether you are up to the task or not before beginning. Building a small boat, maybe 3m long is a good way to get experience using the methods and techniques you will use on a bigger scale later.
I built a 3m dingy out of strip plank cedar and fiberglass, before building Tokyo Express (TE). I even spray painted it with the same paint system I used on TE. The boat was an expensive small boat for what it was, but it gave me invaluable practice before starting with the real thing. You will learn a lot about the process and it will probably answer many questions about yourself –as to whether you feel up to the job or not, before shelling out the big money. I think the main traits needed to build a boat big enough to live on are:-
- Perseverance and patience
- Being able to work orderly with attention to detail
- Enjoy learning – being able to read from plans and having patience to follow/understand instructions.
- Being inventive and able to think up solutions to problems yourself
- If you already use hand and power tools / have experience with woodworking or metalworking – then you already know how to build things.
- Being a perfectionist is NOT required – but an eye for detail and accuracy helps.
- Being able to work methodically and think steps through before hand, especially when doing the fiberglass work, so you don’t end up in a big mess, is a trait that helps..
Of course any skills you have beyond this are a plus. It is a little bit like the snail and the tortoise. It is the person who is persistent and hangs in there for the duration, plodding away, taking the time to learn any skills he needs along the way and applying them that will reach the goal. If you are working from plans – the dimensions are given so you don’t need to design the boat yourself.
It helps if you have an understanding of the loads etc. when building but is not required. If you follow the plans and build to the specs, mix your epoxy always with the correct ratios and applied in the correct way, etc. then the boat will be as strong as it was designed to be, without you needing engineering knowledge. Boat plans don’t normally tell you how to build. They are just dimensions basically.
An eBook is due for release in February 2018, that also covers this subject and much, much more. There will be information on the website once it is released.
Leave a comment if you have any questions or something to add to this discussion! Your comments and thoughts are most welcome.
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Thanks for reading.
Tim Weston
Hi Tim I’ve had a dream for more than twenty years to build a boat and sail away into the sun set, a bit like you I look at building a Pelin mono hull but later in life found out about catamaran in particular Schionning Designs in NSW Australia. It’s been very cool reading about TE and how you built the boat and the story behind it cheers Hilton
Hi Hilton! I’m glad you enjoyed the video’s. They are a nice design the Schionning’s. Follow your dream, it’s worth it! Cheers Tim
Mr Tim Weston ,
I would like to start by thanking you for directing me to your website , as I have been reading through more and more information , I can visualize my boat in the making ,
I had read that you were thinking of making your own plans for a 40ft catamaran , will you be using the Tokyo express as a basis to your plans with updated modifications or do you something different in my mind ,
Thank you
Sincerely
Akef Elkasir
Hello Akef. Welcome!
I have a couple of ideas for plans. One for a 40ft cat similar to Tokyo Express and one for a 40ft Proa. A much simpler and cheaper boat to build but also with less room onboard. But it will be some time before either would be available. If you are starting soon, probably better going with what is available already.
I will post here on the blog any ideas or updates to what is happening. Thanks for your comment..
Best regards
Tim
Mr. Tim am to build a boat as my project and I will be needing your help of u giving the dimensions of the one month boat in the garage. I will be very happy if you help me
Hi Tony. Thanks for your comment, what dimensions were you after? Tim
I will be one of the first ones to buy your ebook.