How I did it: First I got the idea of building a boat, a boyhood dream whose time has come.I bought the plans for a 10' Row/sail/motor dinghy from DUDLEY DIX YACHT DESIGN. I bought the material I needed, following the parts list supplied with the plans. Three sheets of plywood, a huge number of screws, glue, paint. Then we started cutting out the parts from the plywood, and started the assembly. The stich-and-glue technique is easy enough to quickly get a boat shape and keep the spirits up. After about a month the dinghy was completed to the level of all woodwork completed and covered. A year later I spent another month or so finishing the metalwork and the oars and the paintwork.I wrote a blog about it: http://argie10.blogspot.com

Lessons & tips:

• It's hard work. If you're not committed you'll have problems finishing.
• Stick to the plans. If the plans are good, you'll see why things are done in a certain way, and why you shouldn't take shortcuts.
• Try to stick with a proven design.
• Get used to the idea of sanding by hand. Yes, it's hard work, but it's also very satisfying to get a good finish.

Resources:

• Money. I bought good quality materials to work with.
• Plans. Dudley Dix really had a good design with the Argie 10.
• Time. You don't build a dinghy over a weekend.
• The internet. I learned a lot about different kinds of glue and paint from the internet.
• A factory. I was very lucky to have a factroy full of tools to use over the holidays. But don't let it deter you from building your own in your back yard.

Jan 19, 2009, 09:43AM PST | 1 comment | 9 cheers