[tymann09]

Hey guys, first off, I know this isn't a boatbuilding forum, but I figured I'd bounce off a few questions off some who may have experience with wooden boats. So to start, I'm thinking of building a fairly simple skiff with an outboard motor and a center console. Construction would most likely be plywood. The question of a frame or stitch and glue is up in the air still. I've got a few skiffs I've been looking at on the web that I like the lines of, some of which even offer full kits to build.

So, my biggest question. Is there a market for selling wooden boats? I did a little bit of research online and found that there really isn't. I'm hoping to find some folks with a different opinion that can tell me there is a small market. I've been doing some estimations on costs to build, and the simplest skiff would cost at least 5k bucks in just materials to build not including motor or a trailer. Add both of those and you're close to 10k. Is it possible to sell a completed 18' skiff that looks great, is super functional and economically friendly for more than 10k?

The reason I ask, I'm fairly young at 22. However, have a huge interest in building boats and enjoy it greatly so far.... I've built from scratch a 16' Cedar strip canoe, that itself cost almost 1k bucks. I will be purchasing a house with a large garage/barn in the near future and am planning on building a boat in it, I would love to build many but I just don't know if I can afford it. I'm able to get the money to build a single boat, but would like to be able to sell it, and then fund a second boat which I would keep for myself.

Basically, I don't want to lose too much money since it is precious and want to build boats more than just as a hobby.

Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated.
-Tyler

 

[tymann09]

Hey groovy, I remember you saying in my canoe post that you were thinking of the asa thompson skiff. I'm not sure if you've taken a look at my website, but I've got a page where I documented a week long class at the wooden boat school building the asa thompson. Here is a link to the page http://www.tjgwoodworking.com/index.php/boats/asa-thompson-skiff/ I enjoyed building the boat and would build another. However, it is a bit to short for what I had in mind, I also want up to a 60hp motor.

As for planking material, at the school, we used marine grade plywood. seemed to work quite well.

 

[tymann09]

Thanks for the comments, I will take a look at the wooden boat forum. I like the idea of stopping in at the marinas and talking with them to see what the market is. I live close t lake Champlain so I could see larger boats having a market. My grandfather was originally from old forge, NY and had built many ADK guideboats. I would love to build a few of those as well. I suppose smaller boats such as row boats, canoes and the like would so better where there are more lakes and bigger boats with cabins and such would do better where there is ocean access. I will look into the boat museum website too. This is the boat is like to build. http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/ec018.htm

 

[tymann09]

Rob, I have built a 16' cedar strip canoe. It's not a full size skiff, but it's still a boat. I will be doing repairs to the hull of a '68 26 foot ocean goer Chris Craft this spring before I get started on anything of my own though. So that should give me a little bit of hands on experience with larger boats.