TOPIC: should I build it?

Going on 15 years ago my mother-in-law passed away. In 'the great clean out' of a house where she and her late husband had lived for almost 50 years, I found in his study a set of Mechanics Illustrated plans for a small utility boat called the "Imp", 14'LOA, 5' beam, 5 horse power in-board mounted amidships, with an outboard tiller & rudder steering. Still in the original mailing envelope dated June of 1954, the plans are in the same condition as the day they were mailed. Every now and then I take them out and look them over.

This T-day I took them to Dinner where 20 of the family were. Laid out on the table, the men started to pontificate on where and how to build it, the wives pleasantly patronizing our ability to do so, the kids rolling their eyes to and fro. Hilariously, after discussing at length with my two engineer brothers the changes we would make, we read the instructions. The very first sentence of which read "First of all, Do not consider changing this design in anyway". But where am I going to get 21 16' X 1/2 X 6 planks of Oak or long leaf pine? And why not a small outboard and lose the in-board and wood rudder tiller? Or, would it be cooler to build it to spec, and create a living breathing time capsule (After all, only wood boats live and breathe)

So the question is...... Should I build it?

yes.

Obtaining the wood is no problem if you have the tools to re-work the sizes available from the lumber yard. You can't build a boat (unless you're Leroy Jethro Gibbs) without power tools. You'll need a table saw, miter (chop) saw and planer at the minimum. That's about $1,500 if bought new but Craigslist is always full of used tools that can be bought cheap.

However, I say go for it. Keep the inboard engine and build the plan. If that doesn't work for you, check out what's available from Glen-L.com. The knowledge, experience and satisfaction you'll derive from building a boat is way better than playing golf!

Another thing to consider is that in a recent clinical study, hot chicks with large breasts preferred wooden boat builders 4 to 1 over golfers. Just an FYI.

peterstransky,

YES. - DEFINTELY YES.

yours, satx

peterstransky, build it as the plans say so, I think it will be a neat project, frog. and jan, how did you get a picture of my boat, and ya and my wife, lol

She sent it to me!

yup, gals love wooden boat owners.

Might try a smaller simpler stitch & glue hull 1st to see if ya really LIKE building a wooden boat. If so then build the Imp if that's the boat you think your father-in-law would have built.....

I built a small knock-down canoe/kayak 2 or 3 part boat, and couldn't have enjoyed it more. Definitely would like to do a full size glen-L or similar one day....

Mine:



Use all 3 sections it's a 2 person rig

Take out the center section and it becomes a 1 person rig:

Bulkheads screw together:


The slot assembly on the transom is for a 30lb trolling motor. Ken also supplies the drawings to help trim and cut down a 30" TM shaft to about 18" +/- so the prop is just below the keel and the handle assembly is just about where you'd want it when sitting on a boat cushion. He has design drawings for a twin bladed paddle that's also knockdown for easy transport and a set of seat drawings to provide a little lower back support.

I really enjoyed building it, and it couldn't have been more basic and easy to build.

jbcurt00,

AGREED. = My first wooden boat building project was a "slightly modified" (I redesigned the seating with some cheap/used "bass-boat seats" & side-steering position BUT left the hull just as Bolger designed it.) flat-bottomed 22.5 X 5.5 foot "modified dory" designed by the late Phillip C. Bolger.
(That design was put together from 3/8 & 1/2" sheets of exterior plywood "stuck together" with cheap/crude/generic epoxy "peanut butter" & "armored" with fiberglass cloth. - The rest of the simple boat was cut from ONE stick of 2x8x16ft clear spruce & some scraps of 3/4" plywood.)

My first boat "came out looking like a boat" & I probably spent more time on the steering, seating, painting & "re-habbing" the 1958 18HP Johnson OB than I did building the hull itself.
(That dory has such gentle bends, that it nearly "falls together"., without using a building form.)

All these years later, my 1st cousin still uses the "Miss RoseAnne" to run saltwater trotlines on Galveston Bay.

just my OPINION, satx

Go for it. I would suggest that since this is your first boat I would stick with the plans as they are. Once it's done and you've learned the process so to speak then you can think about changing a plan. It' always better to get a little experience under your belt.

Bob

Thanks guys for the encouragement! I'll likely take the advice of starting out with a smaller very simple boat to get the feet wet. I have a full shop with all the tools (table, band, chop saws, drill press, Table planner, etc. If I build the Imp, I've decided that it will be true to the plans (maybe even find a vintage motor).

Building from scratch with stitch and glue, and even plywood on frame is faster than starting with an old glass hull shell. IMHO
Now traditional plank on frame, like the old wooden runabouts, that takes a lot of time and serious wood working chops. Furniture making chops not house building chops. If you really want to do it and are willing to give the time to learning how. There are many good books on the subject.

Since little inboard motors are hard to come by these days outside of collections. I would suggest converting a little outboard to inboard. Seems you have the engineering chops in the family to do it. West Bend (later Chrysler) had a 80 hp version of their 4cyl outboard available as an inboard (I/O) back in the 60's. It laid On its side with a different intake to turn the carbs level. Omc did it too with their V4.