Building a boat in a small shop
After I decided to build the boat, the next question was where would I perform this feat. I contemplated building it on my back deck under a party canopy. But I didn't want to tie up the deck for the amount of time it would take me to finish. Even though I started in mid-May, I have no doubt that I will still be working on it throughout the summer. Then I thought perhaps under a tree in my back yard, covering it with a tarp every evening. I must admit, there was something nostalgically attractive about becoming a shade tree boat builder. But then, that would mean another canopy and maybe not being able to work on rainy days. Which left my wood shop, which in reality is two garden sheds butted end to end, with their adjoining walls removed. My overall shop measures 24 feet long by 10 feet wide. By moving my tablesaw, getting rid of the chopsaw station, and moving the workbench to the middle of the shop, I was able to create enough walking around room to build the boat. Here is a photo of the shell of the boat in the shop. Getting it out the door might pose another problem, but that's the topic for another page. (The window at the end of the shop just might become a door. We'll see.)
July 5th Update: I decided to replace the 37 year old wooden clapboards on my house with vinyl siding this summer. (I'm not a total "wood purist") My wood shop became a catch-all for tools, supplies and anything else we didn't want to leave out at the end of a workday. With the shop further cluttered and my working long days on the house, work on the boat came to a screeching halt. I don't know when I'll have time to get back to work on the boat, but I hope it's soon.
July 24th Update: I returned from a week in Northern Michigan and have begun working on the boat again in earnest. The bottom is done and painted. Two coats of primer and three coats of enamel. The rubrails are next. Then some fairing, sanding and painting and the inside will be complete.
July 5th Update: I decided to replace the 37 year old wooden clapboards on my house with vinyl siding this summer. (I'm not a total "wood purist") My wood shop became a catch-all for tools, supplies and anything else we didn't want to leave out at the end of a workday. With the shop further cluttered and my working long days on the house, work on the boat came to a screeching halt. I don't know when I'll have time to get back to work on the boat, but I hope it's soon.
July 24th Update: I returned from a week in Northern Michigan and have begun working on the boat again in earnest. The bottom is done and painted. Two coats of primer and three coats of enamel. The rubrails are next. Then some fairing, sanding and painting and the inside will be complete.