A little learning is a dangerous thing
That’s according to a poem Alexander Pope wrote more than 300 years before Dennis Ward of Riviera Beach, Florida, figured it out for himself. Reading a book on stitch-and-glue boatbuilding inspired him to design and build a boat in 2004 even though he had no experience with either skill.
Fired at first sight with what the Muse imparts,
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I understand completely Dennis’s preference for building boats. With a career in the military, I built boats in Nebraska, Panama, Alabama, Virginia, New York, and Colorado. Each was self-designed for local conditions. Sizes have varied from 14′ to 20′, for paddles, oars, sails, and full-planning power. Woodworking experience and an engineering degree have helped.
Being now retired, I have built five boats in Colorado, and the next build (#11) is underway. I only possess four boats currently. Others have been sold or given away, and one of the current boats will be donated to a charity auction.
See my work at developable-surface-boat-designs.blogspot.com
I recently finished boat #13, a kayak (#12 was also a kayak). Yesterday, I bought a used trailer which I will modify to carry our two kayaks. I sold two boats recently and have five more at home of which I am advertising one for sale. A potential buyer called me from California; told me I am underpricing the boat, but I explained that Colorado is a boating desert, not many buyers here.
I have no desire to build a boat from someone’s kit. Each of my builds is an original creative expression. I could build furniture for a much larger market, but that doesn’t inspire me. Designing the curved functional structure of a boat is an enjoyable challenge.
I am the opposite, I like wooden boats but I would much rather sail than build! It is interesting to me that America is awash with plans and kits but not many builders to put the kits together. The only builders I see advertising are high-end custom builders, far afield from those who would be interested in a kit build. I wonder if there would be more wooden boats around if those who like to build them were willing to put their services out there for hire.
Andrew, unfortunately there are a lot of official rules, regulations, and liabilities if you build boats professionally for others. If you build it for yourself, not so much. Hence I think that most of us who enjoy building boats prefer to do it out of enjoyment rather than for profit.
Bill
I don’t have in mind someone running a a fulltime business. More like a subsidized hobby–if you have in mind to build another boat, why not have me pay for the kit and materials and a bit for your time.
I’d be curious if you have specifics on the official rules, regulations, and liabilities, because I don’t know of any in the situation I have in mind. My state has pretty much eliminated products liability so maybe it’s different elsewhere.
William, my above comment may have sounded a bit aggressive. If so I apologize. My overall point is this. The last two decades have seen an enormous growth in the quantity and quality of small wooden boat designs and many kits for home builders. I have personally spend time on the internet looking for a builder who would be willing to build a kit for me and have found no one. The options seem to be to pay $40,000 to $60,000 for a custom build by a professional boat building company (to get, honestly, something too pretty for me to want to use) or to scour the used market. It seems to me that if someone wanted to build, say, 2 Caledonia Yawls a year there would be interested buyers. At the very least the builder wouldn’t have his or her spouse looking askance at the checkbook!
No offense intended, Andrew, but the builder you seek probably doesn’t exist. There is a huge difference in doing a project for one’s own desires and doing a project to satisfy another’s desires, and more importantly, their expectations. The self builder, such as the author, can walk away at any point. But may not be able to if building another’s boat.
Andrew,
I am a Seattle-based shipwright who builds small boats for people on occasion (including a kit boat right now). What do you reckon would be a fair price for a Caledonia Yawl, ball-parking: 400-500 hours for that build, several thousand for materials/rigging and outfitting, supplies, business overhead (shop space, insurances, licensing, tooling, etc.)…? Realistically, there aren’t many people who can afford to have that built, nor many people who can afford to build that for people. I have tried for several years to figure out how to make the numbers work for small craft, and I just haven’t figured out how to do it. It’s a tough way to make a living.
I am with you- there should be more builders of small boats out there. Surely it can be done, especially when talking about a production operation, where several of the same boat will be built. But I think that’s why we see a lot of kits and plans, and not many builders.
John Bishop, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. I look at what people pay for similar production boats: Norseboat 17 at $26,000, Melonseed at $15,500, and Gig Harbor Salish Voyager at $17,495. I’ve seen good quality used Caledonia Yawls for around $19,000. I bet even paying minimum wage for the time spent would yield very low margins at those prices?
This is an interesting perspective on building versus boating. Great to have the choice.
I have build only two boats until now, a Kymi River canoe and a NE Dory. After the dory was finished, I found myself looking for the next project, a GIS perhaps? Or a CLC Peapod? I resisted. Now I’m concentrating on using the boat: sailing, rowing, paddling. And I modify it according to my needs and my growing user experience. Building boats as end in itself seems not the right way to me.
Great article. I understand the “addiction”!
Boat number 17 came out of the shop a year ago. I’ve also built three of the Gloucester Rocker boats, which were fun as well as challenging, at times, projects.
I, too am a serial builder. I generally try them out, then sell. I can always recover my direct costs, and I joke to my friends that I often make nearly 50 cents an hour. Beyond the economic challenges, when you hang out a shingle, your customer is going to ask you to build “one of these”, finished by May. I build boats that speak to me, challenge me, or otherwise get my attention. I finish when I get around to it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t begin to imagine the plug and chug of kit assembly for less than I could make flipping burgers.
Seems that I also prefer building them to sailing them. So far, a Lunenburg dory, a Greenland skin-on-frame kayak, an Acorn Auk, and I restored an 18″ canvas/cedar canoe. I have five more in the planning/dreaming stages. ‘Tis fun, learning new ways of putting them together.