I already spoke once about the cost of construction, but it seems that half were very skeptical about this. The amount I indicated turned out to be almost 20 (!) times less than the factory price of this yacht, which cannot but cause distrust. On the other hand, another half was overcome by optimism - a yacht can be built “for free”, out of nothing and from scratch. Both are wrong and the truth is somewhere in between. To clear the fog from this area, I propose to look at the construction process now from the financial side.

I entered all my expenses into the computer and today I can answer the above question with sufficient accuracy. Since the cost directly depends on the materials used, I will digress on this topic. I will indicate prices in dollar equivalent at the exchange rate at the time of purchase, since the construction crisis of 1998 and the denomination caught me during the construction. Materials for the construction of the yacht were purchased as needed, but I will give only the final figures, since that is what we are talking about.

Boathouse. In front of us is an empty space on which we need to build a slipway and erect some kind of structure so that water and slanting rain (at a minimum) do not get on the hull. I planned to build the building in a very short time and did not intend to erect a permanent structure. As you can see in the photo, the structure resembles a greenhouse and it is not able to withstand a snowy winter.

Nevertheless, calculations according to the estimate indicate that the cost of lumber for this openwork structure, coupled with PE film (enough for a season) is approximately $100. You can build something more solid, but you must take into account that when tilting the body with a crane, the structure will have to be destroyed 😦 . Of course, when choosing a place, think about the topic of entrances for this mechanism, remembering that what scares them most of all is any live wire :)

Lumber. The knotless pine was selected personally at the sawmill, after which it was dried at home for a month and a half to reach working humidity. A little more than two cubic meters passed through me (including the previous point) and it cost me $160. If you focus on construction sites and the line “Knot-free, dry pine,” then this figure can increase significantly because it costs about $200 per cubic meter. You can reduce it by intercepting the boards before the dryer, or best of all directly at the saw.

Unfortunately, we don’t cut oak here, so we had to buy it in St. Petersburg at a price of $300-600 per cubic meter. It was used to make all the floors, stem, transom, centerboard well, tiller and various linings. Where there was “ash” in the project, I replaced it with the same oak to reduce the hassle. Accordingly, 0.15 cubic meters and $70.

Plywood. The main material was planned to be FSF 6 mm, but at the beginning of construction I looked at the warehouses of a furniture factory and purchased there quite inexpensively a certain amount of FSF 4 mm and 10 mm. This was the best AAV variety, but due to microscopic defects they were rejected and the price was very attractive. Don’t let the thickness of 4 mm bother you, because as usual I glued them with epoxy into a sandwich with a “six” to get 10 mm. To reduce the cost, I purchased the “Six” directly from the Fanplast plant from the Central Research Institute of Plywood, taking it out on a passing car.

Total: 29 sheets of 6 mm, 15 sheets of 4 mm and 6 sheets of 10 mm. In monetary terms, all this amounted to $200. I must admit that I was also “given” two sheets of 10 mm FBV plywood with dimensions 1500 x 4700, which I used on the floor trims, well, transom, rudder blade, cockpit and deck in its area. Considering my delving into this area, I would not recommend getting carried away with it, especially in its current form.

Fasteners I mean brass screws. There are about 5 thousand of them in the case, totaling about $200. The screws are very different - from 30 mm for sheathing to 75 mm for longitudinal set. Basically, the country of origin was Turkey and I have no complaints about this. In contrast to the three hundred Soviet screws purchased at the shipyard at the end of construction, the head of which easily fell apart under the “cross” from the force of screwing.

Now there is a tempting opportunity to purchase stainless steel fasteners (especially since the price is the same), but something confuses me about this issue. I read a lot about this from Western “colleagues”, and they speak very poorly about it and provide terrible photos. There were even references to some American regulatory documents (one for the shipbuilding industry, the other for the chemical industry), which prohibit the use of stainless fasteners without sufficient access to oxygen (and, oddly enough, this primarily applies to high grades, such as “marine” 316- Ouch) .

In one she even spoke personally epoxy resin This is also hinted at by the fact that companies offering do-it-yourself kits (there can be any sizes) also do not offer the option of stainless fasteners - either bronze or galvanized. Regarding the latter, it is specifically stated that this is not galvanizing, but tinning.

They also criticize brass for its low strength, but in my experience with Turkish fasteners, it breaks from the force of twisting, and not from breaking. And if there was a preliminary hole, then with a delayed reaction and working with a drill, the head can easily be driven into half the thickness of the FSF. I believe that in dry wood (and I myself have dust and spiders in my hold) nothing will happen to stainless steel.

On the other hand, when the body is assembled with resin and covered with fabric, the fasteners serve more of a pressing function and the only advantage of stainless steel is that there is no need to drill holes in the pine. More about stainless steel. fasteners, I can only add that its marking A2 means “simply” stainless steel (rust-free), and A4 means acid-resistant (acid-resistant).

Epoxy resin. This is the point where I hear the most criticism, because the amount in this line is so ridiculous and the quantity is frightening that I don’t even want to announce both once again. It’s better to assume that it didn’t cost me anything (but include it in the LMB), and let’s calculate how much it could have cost under other circumstances.

I used the resin not only for construction purposes, but also paid with it, so to speak, “by barter.” I also constantly engaged in all sorts of experiments in order to understand the essence of the behavior of the object and the possible areas of its application. As a result, a rough estimate suggests 150-200 kg of resin. Naturally, the main part of it was spent on pasting the body, the details of which I previously described and whether all this was necessary is still a moot point.

I immediately reject the option of purchasing resin in hardware stores, although not so long ago I learned about a man who built a dinghy using this method. As a basis, I will take the price at which the resin is offered by companies producing epoxy paints and varnishes. That is, they mix enamels, varnishes, primers and putties, but they will also sell you the raw materials. The price of a kilogram of ED-22 resin is about $3. Multiplying by the previously given figures, we have an amount of about $500. I agree, this is a lot, but there are other ways.

When I started building, I also looked for resin everywhere and I found the most attractive source of it in yacht clubs. Let's say, in one of the clubs at the entrance there was such a ledger where advertisements like “buy and sell” were placed. It was full of advertisements for the sale of resin, and the sellers asked for a price that was about half of the, so to speak, official price. The resin itself will most likely not suffer from storage time, but with the hardener the situation is not so smooth and it must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

But in my situation, instead of laying 7 layers (2 of them are matting), I should have simply sheathed the bottom with a “ten”, where it can be destroyed, while laying 6+4 in the bow. And a layer of three or four fabrics would be enough (although in foreign publications the number “two” usually appears).

Fiberglass. 150 meters of fabric weighing 200-250 grams, 30 meters of glass mat, 40 meters of thin fiberglass. Total amount of $120. Moreover, exactly half is glass mat. If we focus on current retail prices, a meter of suitable fabric costs about a little more than $1, and according to this expense item, the amount can be about $200 (in my case!). I have repeatedly heard that some kind of fiberglass is used to insulate heating mains, and I recently took a walk along the nearest highway.

Well, the assortment there is quite rich even at a couple of hundred meters - offhand I would say that from 50 to 500 grams (from gauze to roving). One thing I can say for sure is that since this is a fiberglass woven material, it will definitely be better and stronger than any shipbuilding glass mat. If only because the fabric can be easily heat treated and the body covered with it will be more even.

Preliminary result. So, on the slipway there is an 8-meter hull of the yacht, covered with fiberglass and costing about $800. Even if we are pessimistic about resin and fabric, we still can’t get more than one and a half thousand.

Paints and varnishes. Here I piled up all the chemicals: paints, putties, primers, solvents, sealants and even a couple of buckets of Pinotex. The amount was $150. It took 15 kg of epoxy putty to level the outer surfaces; the entire yacht was painted on the outside with epoxy enamel (EP-5297 "Epovin").

Actually, at first I covered the wheelhouse, deck and freeboard with PF-115 enamel, but after the winter I suddenly discovered that when wintering under an awning, the enamel on the horizontal surfaces began to fall off like burrs (wasn’t that what the “bourgeoisie” warned about?) and I cleaned it up removed and coated again with epoxy. Everywhere the coating was applied in two layers and it all took about ten kilograms. Epoxy putty is also white, so the coverage of two layers is enough to ensure a smooth surface. Now about the prices.

EP-0010 putty costs less than $2 per kilo, enamel - about $3, and tinting (the same enamel without white pigment) for the bottom - about $4. The same enamel is sold in stores under the name “Enamel for bathtub renovation”. Look at the price and feel the difference :-).

Deck and interior equipment. In order not to split hairs, I will also include here things related to rigging such as blocks, lanyards, ropes, etc. In total, the item “good things” amounts to $260. It, in turn, allocates blocks (Novosibirsk) worth $70 and lanyards worth $50. I took the winches and stoppers from Mikrukha, and dismembered the latter for convenience and economy. Railings and railing cost $80 (20 m of pipe), ballast (6 mm sheet) - a little more. The centerboard cost me practically nothing, but the helm (stock) cost $50. Total - approximately $450.

Spar and sailing equipment. In fact, this is the largest expenditure item of the project, and before voicing the figure, I will allow myself a digression. Even at the stage of initial research, I looked at the power plant and inquired about the price. They quoted me an amazingly round figure of “one bucks” for making the mast and boom. However, they agreed to sell the profile at a price of approximately $30 per meter.

Given my need for 14 meters (a mast with a joint and a boom), this resulted in more than $500, since the pieces were about six meters long, and they were not going to be cut. Then I walked around the clubs again and read the advertisements, which offered more tempting options. There were quite a lot of such proposals, they just couldn’t find 9.5 m for the mast - at best 9 m and they had nothing for the boom. But I finally found two people.

Of course, in order to save money, it was possible to take a different route - take a pipe and rivet a seal profile (the so-called “butterfly”) to it. In this case, the mast would have cost nothing at all, but I immediately decided for myself that I could afford to spend $500 on a “normal” mast. So, for three six-meter pieces of profile I paid $350. Together with transportation from St. Petersburg and argon welding of aluminum and stainless steel, the mast and boom cost me about $400.

I ordered the sails from Northern Lights. It was after the crisis and I could no longer afford fabric like Dacron. That’s why my genoa and mainsail are made of lavsan (this spring I finally got a Dacron jib) at a price of $10 per square. With an area of ​​15+16 we have $310.

Tool. I started construction with a very poor set of tools, which also wore out or broke. Therefore, this article is also worthy of mention. It took almost a hundred abrasive materials (mostly 70 belts for a sander plus sandpaper and discs for an angle grinder). Metal-cutting and metalworking tools (drills, files, cutters, taps, etc.) - $70. In the article “Power Tools” the figure is $150 for four types of grinding machines and a jigsaw, which I bought myself. I forgot to include another jigsaw, drill and hair dryer there, since relatives added half the cost there. Their cost is approximately known, so we will consider the total for the “Tool” item to be about $400.

Metalworking. The only type of service that I regularly used was the services of a welder. Over the entire period I paid them about $80, half of it for the spar. A couple more times I paid the milling operators, but the amounts there were negligible. Based on my experience and that of those around me, I strongly advise against using the word “yacht” when communicating with the working class. As a last resort, let it be a “boat”.

Weave something about a dacha, a car, a bathroom and save a lot of money. Today, almost any welder can weld stainless steel; for this you need a direct current apparatus (and they don’t seem to have anything else) and appropriate electrodes (but they probably don’t have this). I advise you to simply buy electrodes for stainless steel and in the future approach the nearest hard worker with them.

With a sober state and some experience, the seam will be no worse than when welding in an argon environment. At first I only required argon for all the seams, but one day it wasn’t available and I agreed to the handbrake. The result was such that after that I completely forgot the word “argon” in relation to stainless steel. The cost of both differs significantly.

There is another option - in any car service center (they are now on every corner) there is a semi-automatic welding machine, with which they usually cook in a carbon dioxide environment. All that is required in this case is, again, to buy a roll of special welding wire (stainless steel) for this unit and contact the performers directly...

I performed all the turning work myself on a machine born in 1938. The only “option” he had was the ability to change the speed with a certain skill. Everything else (autofeed, thread, etc.) was faulty.

I don’t think that this will be feasible for many (problems are more likely with placement and 3-phase power supply than with price), and it’s hardly worth striving for. There are such machines all around, right up to secondary schools, and you just need to negotiate access. In any case, the cost will be less than when ordering parts from turning professionals.

Lack of experience is not an obstacle - I didn’t have it either, but I corrected it very quickly. If you decide to go down this path, I advise you to start by acquiring cutters made of material like P18 / HSS, and once you get the hang of it, switch to carbide.

In case of gross errors with the feed, the steel cutter simply becomes dull and is then quickly corrected with emery, while the fragile carbide one breaks down to the point of being beyond repair. It is clear that during “normal” operation the latter require much less sharpening.

Once again I will repeat on the topic of the metals themselves. All this is now on sale, but usually the minimum quantity sold is of unacceptable sizes (and therefore prices). To save as much as possible on this article, you just need to become more attentive to your surroundings, because things that interest us can be found everywhere, even after the chaos of recent years. I advise you to get a small magnet and every time your eye comes across a suspicious shine or lack of rust (where it is logical), feel to see if it is stainless steel. Stainless steel, as a rule, is not attracted to a magnet.

For some reason unknown to me, M8 stainless steel fasteners were used to assemble a hanger in the hallway of our office. A fairly decent sheet of “two” covered a hole in the fence of a neighbor’s garden. Lying in plain sight were two pieces of pipe with flanges containing 52 (!) stainless steel. M12 bolts with nuts. And there are no number of such examples. As a result, the costs for this item are not worth mentioning.

The final result. When dividing into cost items, I rounded the numbers up, so something may not add up slightly. Maybe I forgot to take into account some little things. However, at the end of the table there is an amount of $2700. This is exactly how much the process of building the yacht cost me. They tell me: what kind of money is this and where can I get it! Well, firstly, we are talking about a yacht 8 meters long and you shouldn’t count on a “freebie” here.

For the sake of decency, remember at least the factory price. Even if this is a lot for you, it may be worth finding something smaller in size and, accordingly, costs. In the end, this final figure does not need to be spent all at once in one day and it does not need to be saved long and hard, like for a car.

Spread out over four and a half years, that works out to about $50 a month. Even with my modest income for the family budget, construction remained unnoticed. Some may still have doubts caused by repeated discrepancies between the two amounts. But this is the easiest way to explain. The table practically does not contain the article “Labor”.

I was too lazy to also count man-hours, but you can do it yourself by adding up all weekends, vacations and two or three hours on weekdays. All this over the course of four and a half years. This is, perhaps, the most expensive aspect of building a yacht in an industrial environment. That is, I again bring everything to the idea that in order to be at the helm of your yacht, there is no need at all to possess sums with a large number of zeros.

All the cases of long-term construction or abandoned construction that I have seen did not have financial roots, but rather moral and psychological ones. You just need to want it and remain confident in the firmness of your desire for several years. Is this a big price? For many, it’s too much to bear. But it is no longer convertible in any of the monetary systems and it is up to you to decide whether you will “pull” it. Good luck!

Source: http://activecrimea.com

A long boat in a small room.

Vsevolod Belyaev.

Unfortunately, we are forced to take into account real physical conditions and, setting ourselves a specific task, somehow look for compromises in solving it. And since I am an old tourist and perceive tourism not just as a form of recreation or even a sport, but precisely as a way to overcome space in an “environmentally friendly” way, then my problem statement is appropriate, and the design of the vessel - a sailing and rowing boat 6 m long - focused specifically on her.

As for the construction process itself, I was interested in how little money could be used. In defiance of the opinion that without special computer programs for design, without laying out the plaza, without a slipway and professional tools, nothing will work out. A question that is relevant, perhaps, for all shipbuilders - do-it-yourselfers - how can an idea born and existing only in the head be brought to life at minimal cost? After all, folk craftsmen have still built and are building their boats without high technology!

I once talked with one of these craftsmen, and it only took him about two weeks to build a boat from start to finish. Although, in fairness, it must be said that all his boats were of the same type. And, of course, I was inspired by the examples of people like Evgeny Aleksandrovich Gvozdev, who built his “Said”, essentially, on the balcony of a five-story building. I tried to find out what is the minimum required.

My initial conditions were as follows: a 3.5 by 3.0 m room in which I also live, the most ordinary hand tool, a stool as a workbench, time after main work and the limitless patience of my family, for which I am very grateful to them. From these conditions it followed: I could build a full-fledged boat only if it was dismountable, and besides, this would significantly simplify its transportation in the future.

This is how the idea arose to build a collapsible boat, three sections of which would fit one inside the other. Among the significant design features is the absence of a set. The elements of the set include, perhaps, only the end walls of the sections, which play the role of frames (2 pieces per 6 m length); The shaping of the hull and its rigidity were ensured by the destruction of the skin parts.

My “project,” the prototypes of which were partly folk boats and partly tourist kayaks, was first drawn on ordinary notebook paper. I made a huge number of these drawings in three projections, without dimensions or specific details. Then, finally, the final look was born, captured in a sketch on graph paper. I think that such a sketch is the first minimally necessary step on the path from an idea to its real implementation. You can do without graphic computer programs and without drawings on Whatman paper, but without a sketch, perhaps, it is impossible. Graph paper is convenient because all the necessary dimensions are immediately visible on it.

I then glued together several test models from paper and cardboard and finally a 1:10 scale cardboard model on which I finally fitted all the body parts. The greatest difficulties were caused by combining parts of different sections of the boat with each other. If the boat were not dismountable, everything would be much simpler.

Creating a large-scale cardboard model, according to which all dimensions could be accurately verified in order to avoid serious mistakes in the future, to see all the shortcomings and shortcomings, to understand the sequence of the upcoming assembly - this is the second necessary step, unless, of course, we are talking about a standard project, where All details and dimensions are well worked out. When the model was finalized, I took the final dimensions from it and transferred them to plywood (the body structure, of course, is plywood-composite). Next I just had to cut out all the parts and connect them together.

Although the lack of a kit had to be compensated for by the thickness of the plywood sheathing (6 mm), this resulted in almost no added weight, but made the body much more impact-resistant. Still, the rigidity of the sheet material was not sufficient to obtain flawless body lines. Now this is not noticeable in the appearance of the boat, and did not affect its seaworthiness or other qualities, but the assembly did not go perfectly - plywood can bend and bend at the most unexpected times and in unexpected places and even produce “bubbles” on relatively small surfaces.

The centerboard well, assembled from two pieces of 3040 cm plywood and pine slats, which during assembly I did not bother to press against a flat flat surface, moved with a screw by about 1 cm. This may be due to uneven shrinkage of the resin, there may be changes in humidity, the conclusion is clear: so that to obtain the lines and surfaces specified by the project, just your own knee is not enough. When building small boats, you can do without a slipway, but a flat floor is still necessary. Here, perhaps, is another minimum necessary condition.

I sewed the covering parts of the central section together with nylon thread and then glued them directly on top with strips of fiberglass on epoxy. The thread, of course, added strength to the connection, but air bubbles tended to form under the fabric, so I hardly won anything. I assembled the remaining two sections in the classic way using wire ties, and then removed the wire. The outside of the sections was covered with fiberglass.

The final assembly and, in fact, the birth of the boat took place near the reservoir. The case turned out to be quite durable, dry, without leaks. The weight of a fully decked boat is 90 kg, despite the fact that the deck can easily support the weight of an adult. Active construction took six months during non-working hours. If you don’t “reinvent the wheel” as much as I did out of curiosity, then it will take much less time.

According to first impressions, the boat handles well and is stable on course. But the propulsion, for which I so extremely, although quite consciously, sacrificed the width of the boat, is in question. But I still have yet to finally understand what happened and how well it meets my requirements. If suddenly the result turns out to be unsatisfactory, well, I’ll build another boat, fortunately it doesn’t require much. Now I know this well!

Source: “Boats and Yachts”, No. 236.

At the same time he studied the theory of yachting. Since 1964, I read KiYa and built small motor boats for the Moskva-10 engine. Fished on the Angara and Baikal. And since 1986, having retired, he traveled along the Kuban and Don rivers and the Sea of ​​Azov on a self-built oar-sailing dory. In 1992, in Kyiv, he built a modernized Dory boat, increasing its length to 6 m, and the whole family traveled along the Dnieper on it. And for the last ten years I have been traveling alone: ​​my son has grown up, and my wife is busy with her own affairs.

However, about the yacht: in August 1999, it was launched on the quiet Don. The engine used was a stationary “SM557-L” (13 hp, two-stroke, water-cooled). The propeller is a two-blade folding propeller, of unknown origin. The sailing rig from the Yala-6 is raked: the canvas is incredibly heavy, especially when it gets wet. Each navigation suggested new improvements.

Due to the shallow draft and the absence of a keel, the yacht could not sail against the wind; I had to drag it by the rope like a horse, and in calm conditions, with a weak current, I rowed for two to three hours. There was no confidence in the engine. I started it no more than two or three times during navigation: roar, noise, smoke, vibration, and the speed was minimal. If time allows, it is better to row - it is also good for your health.

Then I took out the Dacron sails, rigged the boat with a gaff sail and sewed a jib. Sail control moved to the cockpit. Then, along the entire length of the bottom, a 4.5-meter keel with a height of 300 mm was installed; Now the yacht goes both close-hauled and gulfwind perfectly.

The cabin has enough space for five people to sleep comfortably. The galley has a two-burner gas stove. All passengers can sit freely at the hanging table. There is a tank with drinking water (100 l) and 200 l of water in plastic bottles under the floor. It is dangerous to drink water from the Don. I use four of the eight buoyancy blocks as lockers. The cockpit is self-draining; its aft part is fenced off for storing a gas cylinder and a fuel tank.

In 2006, the stationary engine was removed, and on the starboard side of the transom I attached a cross member, on which I place a Mercury outboard motor (4 hp, four-stroke, with a long “leg” and a generator). Another thing: I couldn’t be happier with the engine. Starts up fine any time. An hour of operation consumes a little more than 1 liter of gasoline. No noise, no burning! Last year the engine worked for 30 hours, this year – already 70 hours. Not a single failure!

I start navigation at the end of April and finish at the end of October–beginning of November. I spend almost five months on a yacht. The parking lot next to the house is a 10-minute walk, so I often even sleep outside. The engine recharges the battery, the radio is constantly on, and the TV is on periodically. I like to constantly change my parking spot. And I walk upstream of the Don to Konstantinovsk and even to the Vedernikov farm, where there is silence and beauty.

Thanks to the yacht, I relax on my own and occasionally with family and friends. Looking at factory-made boats, I sometimes feel envy. However, my yacht is very good for our rivers: I can approach the shore and get out without getting my feet wet, but a keel yacht cannot allow this. I don't take part in competitions. I know that I won’t win a single prize. But in Rostov-on-Don, no one relaxes on the water more than me, so the mood is always good.

I am grateful to the employees of my favorite magazine for enticing me many years ago with materials about building ships, traveling along rivers and seas. They gave birth to dreams that turned into reality and provided me with a wonderful old age, which I don’t notice while sailing.

P.S. I forgot to say that on a small ship it is not necessary to build a cabin using old methods, since beams only spoil the appearance and contribute to getting bumps on the head. Now you can ensure the strength of the roof in other ways. On the bow I equipped a platform and a ladder for going ashore, and there are two bow anchors on it, which extend from the cockpit.

Can't imagine your life without the water element? If you want to have a pleasant and useful time, ensure yourself an exciting period in life by starting to build a yacht.

Preface

If you prepare for the process of building a yacht carefully and with great enthusiasm, then the hour will come when you triumphantly board your vessel to set off on its first voyage across the waters.

First, you need to select a project, having previously studied as much literature as possible on the topic of interest.

Bright prospects

By actively searching for the optimal design, you will speed up the time of construction of the yacht. It will change the usual course of your life and allow you to discover new perspectives and horizons. You can go on a romantic trip or arrange unforgettable days of family vacation, invite friends or indulge in reflection alone, communicating only with the blue element.

After building the yacht, you will have a great ride, you will be able to dive from the side of the ship in a quiet harbor, taking scuba gear with you. You can water ski or just go fishing for fun.

New spaces and shores will reveal their secrets to you.

Where to begin

When selecting drawings of plywood structures, pay attention to the presence of information such as:

• knot drawings;
• drawing details;
• a description of the assembly technique, which will be accessible even to beginners.

Many men are familiar with dreams of a yacht to conquer the waters on it. Not everyone can afford to build a fiberglass yacht. This does not mean that wishes are not destined to come true. You need to make an effort, spend time, study yacht construction projects, but as a result you will be able to create a masterpiece that will surpass expensive ships in quality and beauty.

You don’t have to start with large-scale projects, but make a simple product. Then you can understand the principle of creating a yacht and implement it in full size.

About the features of the building

There are two ways to implement the plan to build a motor yacht. It is much easier to carry out the main process if you first perform as much preparatory work as possible to create blanks. It is more difficult to work from scratch.

In the modern shipbuilding market there are many specialized companies offering varieties of such assembly kits, which include a list of necessary parts. The motor yacht will be built directly from these.

To ensure that everything is done correctly, the blanks are accompanied by detailed instructions and drawings. In addition, it is important to know about the correct assembly and strict adherence to the manufacturing technology of the vessel.

Choosing an option with purchased blanks

If you decide to purchase ready-made elements and assemble a yacht from them, you will be interested to know that pre-sale preparation is carried out for all parts.

As a rule, the model is completely assembled in production to check the quality of fastening of the connections and compliance with the dimensions, and then the vessel is disassembled, packaged and sent to the customer. The buyer will have to go through the assembly process again and be sure to glue the structure as specified in the manufacturer's recommendations. To do this, you will need to carefully study the information provided on building a yacht with your own hands.

Choosing a more difficult path

If you decide to work with the independent construction of yachts and boats from scratch, it will be much more difficult. But no less interesting. It’s just that with such a choice of actions, everything will depend on your attentiveness and skills. If you are well prepared and armed with a wealth of knowledge, building a yacht yourself can be more profitable for your budget.

Do not forget also that to create a vessel yourself you will need special equipment.

Stages of building a ship from scratch

First of all, when building yachts, make sure there is a spacious room where the process of creating a masterpiece, called a boathouse among professionals, will take place. Purchase the necessary tools and equipment. It’s better not to skimp on this, because you want to get a high-quality result. In addition, the amount of time that can be spent with decent equipment of the workplace is important.

Assemble the slipway according to the size of the vessel. This is where its installation will take place. In the process of creating a platform, coniferous timber beams are laid on a section of flat, prepared surface. This is done in rows of two, followed by bandaging the structure and obtaining a surface that will be located exactly horizontally.

Continuation of work

Take care of preparing project documentation. Its independent development is practically impossible for an inexperienced specialist. In order not to risk materials and the final result, it is recommended to entrust the production of project documentation to specialized organizations.

The Internet is also at your service around the clock, where you can study not only drawings, but also the design of yachts, read useful information and reviews from experienced people on this issue.

Preparing materials

Prepare lumber. This is a very important stage of construction work, since the better it is organized, the higher the strength and navigability of the future yacht will be.

To create a structure, select two types of lumber: from knot-free softwood boards and timber from a harder species (oak, ash).

It is important that the wood moisture level is no more than 12-20%, which provides protection against deformation. On the slipway, mark the line of the stem and the theoretical position of the frame frame. According to these signs, installation work will be carried out on all structural elements of the vessel.

Assembly

The frame frames can be assembled and glued in accordance with the contour of the vessel. This is done on a special type of device, which is a template.

Creating a frame frame

Apply work area marks to 10 to 12 mm thick plywood. If you want to simplify the problem, create closed frames containing below-deck beams.

When assembling a frame frame that has a transverse shear-bar, use special screws. For assembly, provide yourself with special stops that will fix the position of the frame depending on the initial markings.

Please note that when forming all bulkheads, it is necessary to combine them with the frame frame, and sometimes even replace it. To install the stem blank, it is important to maintain the dimensions of the angle of inclination relative to the horizon.

To assemble the keel beam, select the beams and attach them to the surface of the stem with a button, and to the surface of the floors with screws and glue.

To make stringers, select glued pine slats and install them on the surface of the stem and frames with self-tapping screws and glue.

The installation of stringers ends with a mandatory chalking procedure, which is performed to identify all inconsistencies with the contours of the vessel and eliminate defects.

When creating the hull skin, take bakelized plywood sheets and cut it according to the template. Then they are mounted with stringers on glue and self-tapping screws, recessing them slightly inside the plywood.

Checking the quality of work

The installation of the cladding is completed; now it is necessary to carry out a series of control measurements of the contours and treat the surface over an area of ​​a single radius.

To remove it, you must use an abrasive tool. To give rigidity and tightness to the surface, the casing must be covered in several layers with glass fabric of the T1-GVS-9 brand. For this purpose, an epoxy composition is used.

When the first layer has hardened, cover the surface with fiberglass with a polyester resin base. Do this for up to ten layers.

Stacking the deck

Having turned over the base of the yacht, they proceed to the longitudinal construction of the deck, where the installation of the deck flooring is carried out. To ensure that the layers are strong and airtight, it is important to glue the body with fiberglass, alternating it with epoxy and polyester binders.

Sanding and priming

When all layers have hardened, it is necessary to sand and prime the resulting surface. To carry out painting work, a special moisture-resistant paint is selected that will provide maximum protection from sea water. Then the surface is forced to dry.

Final stage

All that remains is to complete the interior finishing, install additional equipment and a sailing system. These procedures are carried out when the final stage of construction work has arrived. If you want your yacht to have a power plant, contact specialists. This stage is especially important, as it requires additional knowledge.

Assembling a yacht using blanks

If you decide to quickly achieve results and not take risks when performing all construction work from scratch, purchase factory-made yacht blanks and assemble the vessel yourself, following the recommendations for building a yacht using an assembly kit. This is similar to assembling a construction set, only more responsible and requires clarity and ensuring the reliability of all fasteners.

Preparing documentation

Before starting work, it is also important to carefully study all the documentation provided in order to avoid serious mistakes that may be irreparable in the end. Explore yacht designs for self-build.

Assemble the yacht, starting by first connecting the frames and keel. A satisfactory result will be shown if it is possible to assemble this structure in the form of a permanent connection.

Vessel plating

Install springers on the frames. The ship's skin material, consisting of a special type of plywood that is resistant to moisture, will be attached to them.

Please note that this assembly requires a traditional position. It is required to install the vessel with the keel up. This will allow you to achieve the required level of dimensional accuracy. You can also create the shape of the ideal contour of the vessel.

Thanks to the sheathing made of a special type of plywood, which is resistant to moisture, high strength is ensured in the construction of the vessel.

To ensure sealing, fiberglass can be used. It will be mounted on the surface of a special moisture-resistant epoxy composition. Gluing is performed in several layers. After everything has dried, a uniform, waterproof surface will be obtained.

To ensure an attractive appearance and create additional protection, treat the surfaces with special varnishes and waterproof paints.

To paint the inside of the yacht, you will also need waterproof paint. After this you can lay the deck.

Testing

The final stage of work consists of completing the final finishing of the hull, equipping the vessel with the necessary equipment and sailing equipment. Testing in a working environment is essential. This is a necessary condition in order to ensure safety and identify the seaworthiness of the vessel. It is important to eliminate some shortcomings and shortcomings in a timely manner.

Afterword

To build a complete vessel, you need to be prepared to perform a large volume of work with an increased level of responsibility.

Provided that it is used correctly and has proper care, it will delight its owners for a long period.

Discover the versatility of the amazing natural world and enjoy your travels. But if you are not ready to build a real yacht, you can think about building a model yacht with your own hands. This will create a foundation of knowledge to understand how a yacht works, and will ensure a thorough study of the technology, because you will be able to consider designs of boats and yachts for self-build. Make up your mind - and everything will work out for you.

Judging by the editorial mail, amateur shipbuilders, when starting to choose a project for their new yacht, boat or boat, one way or another turn to the pages of the collection: they use published drawings as working drawings or create new projects based on them, more meeting the requirements and tastes of the future shipowner. In their letters, many readers not only set out in detail the reasons that prompted them to choose this or that project, but also report the results of tests of the constructed vessel, and give a description of its operational features. As a rule, receiving several such correspondence makes it possible to get a fairly complete picture of both the advantages and disadvantages inherent in a particular project.

If we talk about the independent construction of sailing ships, then the mail received by the editor clearly shows that the most “running” option is a mini-yacht, designed for a crew of 3 - 5 people. 3TO vessel with a length of up to 7 m, a displacement of 0.7 - 1.5 T, with a windage of 14 - 20 m 2.

Sail variations allow you to increase the windage (sometimes by 30%) in calm winds and reduce it by half in strong winds. It is typical that amateurs try to use ready-made sails from the classic ships available in yachts, since it is very difficult to get sailing fabric, and sewing a good sail without the appropriate experience is far from easy.

The preferred material for the manufacture of the spar is light alloy strands; The boom, as a rule, is made rotating - for winding the sail for the purpose of cleaning at short-term stops and for reefing. Step masts are most often placed on the roof of the cabin. When constructing the hull, wood in all its forms, traditional for small shipbuilding, is used (coniferous and hardwood lumber, plywood), but along with this, steel and light alloys are used. The use of composite structures in which metal is combined with wood makes it possible, while simplifying the technology and reducing the cost of the vessel, to ensure the known strength of the hull with low weight.

It has become common to cover wooden cases with fiberglass fabrics with an epoxy binder in order to protect them from damage and rotting, and sometimes to increase strength. As it turned out from incoming letters, a typical mistake is often made: amateur shipbuilders forget that it is necessary to apply at least two layers of fiberglass, since a single-layer coating filters water through microcracks in the binder (this turns out to be a “disservice” to the skin, and to detect and correct defects under a layer of fiberglass are quite difficult).

Of the assessments and comments on individual projects, those related to the “Seahorse” are typical, according to which quite a lot of mini-yachts have already been built. Thus, when summarizing the received reviews, it became clear that it was necessary to increase the area of ​​the fin in the stern - the yacht is yawing at full speed; it is better to do the deckhouse from side to side - the cabin will become more comfortable; a bow hatch on such mini-yachts is not necessary. Obviously, these comments should be taken into account when designing all yachts of similar dimensions.

The body itself did not cause any complaints. The performance and seaworthiness completely satisfied those who built the yacht exactly according to the project. The wishes mainly concerned the improvement of the “Spartan”, as it was said in the explanation for the project, living conditions. In this regard, we can assume a partial change in the Seahorse project.

The deckhouse from side to side and reaching to the stem will increase the volume of the cabin; It will be more comfortable to sit on the sofas and walk along the deck to the bow of the ship. It is possible to eliminate the bow hatch, which is located at an angle. If the sealing is insufficient, it causes water leakage. At the same time, it turned out that most yachtsmen do not use it to work with the jib, which was foreseen during the development of the project.

It should only be taken into account that without a bow hatch (according to the design, its cover is made of plexiglass), the illumination and ventilation of the cabin are significantly deteriorated. For normal ventilation of the bow biting, a fan is clearly not enough, so it will be necessary to provide for the installation of some effective deflectors. Instead of a light hatch, you can install additional portholes on the coaming or on the deckhouse deck.

Regarding the reproaches for the lack of mechanization of sail control, it can be said that the “Konka” project included ideas regarding the hull and armament, and clew and halyard winches, a device for furling the jib and similar components of the vessel’s equipment can be used by each builder if desired, using other publications on the pages of the collection.

It sometimes happens that amateur shipbuilders, dissatisfied with the resulting yacht, attribute their own mistakes to design flaws. As a rule, this is due to the fact that the project undergoes changes during the construction process. Here's a case in point. The builders of the mini-yacht “Spiderweb”, having increased all the dimensions of the “Seahorse” by 20%, received a yacht that has an undesirable trim at the stern. “Apparently,” they write, “this is a design flaw.”

However, the “Konyok” in its design dimensions does not have any trim to the stern. The real reason is that in the “20%” increased version, the displacement of the yacht should no longer be 700 – 750 kg, like the “Gossamer”, but about 1100 kg; Naturally, the vessel's draft became 40 - 50 mm less, as a result of which the center of gravity of the waterline and the center of buoyancy shifted to the bow, relative to the design ones.

We present to our readers brief descriptions of four yachts built and tested by amateurs recently.

MINI – YACHT “PRIVAL”.

Built by V.V. Maratayev from Kaliningrad according to the drawings of the “Seahorse”. We selected this mini-yacht for review precisely to illustrate the point that finished projects should be changed very carefully. Obviously, the erroneous remark made in No. 61 by the builders of the “Spider Web” that the “Seahorse” is trimmed to the stern misled V.V. Marataev. He took measures: so that his yacht did not have this trim, slightly change its dimensions, increasing the spacing by 20mm, and moving the heavy zygomatic keels into the nose.

This led to an increase in the design displacement by approximately 30 kg, which was “compensated” by the fact that the hull was sheathed with bakelized plywood, heavier than the aircraft plywood provided for in the design. In other words, the draft remained virtually unchanged, but an undesirable trim appeared on the bow, which required further alterations and a “return” to the design alignment of the yacht - moving the bilge keels further aft.

The hull set is made of pine, the stem and beams are made of oak; sheathing is made of bakelized plywood 7mm thick. A 40 x 40 fender beam was installed along the sides, which increased the width of the deck by 80mm. The yacht is equipped with four berths on the sides - from sh. 3 to the transom, wardrobes, a table, and a galley.

“Halt” is armed with a Bermuda sloop with a top-end (unlike the project) jib. The mainsail is from the “Flying Dutchman”, the main staysail is from the “Zvezdnik”, the genoa is from an “M” class dinghy. The boom is rotating. Based on the results of operating the yacht, the author noted the following disadvantages of the project: the absence of clew winches, which makes it difficult to work with sails in a fresh wind; lack of rack jib; some inconvenience of placement in the cabin due to the ledge formed by the junction of the deck and the wheelhouse coaming; lack of storage compartment for outboard motor; placement of the galley in the cockpit, creating inconvenience when cooking in bad weather.

At full courses, the yaw of the Prival was noted. The advantages include the relatively high seaworthiness of the yacht: good wave riding, stability, ease of movement (maximum recorded speed - 6 g).

STEEL YACHT – COMPROMISE “HELLAS”.

Its author is Marina Shcherbina from the Ukrainian city of Smela. When designing this generally quite original steel mini-yacht, publications about three sailing vessels were used: a 6.8-meter sailing-motor dinghy with two rotating bilge centerboards (designs by V.F. Paramonov, “KYa” No. 62); 6.9 - meter quarter-tonner "Courier - III" (designed by I. I. Sidenko; "KYa" No. 64) and the English serial 6.9 - meter mini-tonner "Sonata - 7" ("KYA" No. 68), as well as nomograms , published in issue 7 (1966).

It can be noted that the theoretical drawing is based on (with minor changes in the stern part) a drawing of a dinghy; The basic ideas of the general arrangement and sailing equipment were borrowed from the two mentioned yachts. The hull of the yacht is made of welded steel: the set is cut from a 2.5X30X30 square bent from a strip; keel beam - I-beam made of strip 2.5 mm thick; The thickness of the skin on the bottom is 3mm, on the sides – 2mm. The deck and deckhouse are made of bakelized plywood 5 mm thick. The inside of the building is lined with plywood and laminated plastic on an oak sheathing.

The successful combination of a hull that is simple in outline and technologically advanced in design, made from materials available to builders and has an effective windage, has made it possible to create a cruiser that is cheap to build and operate and has fairly high speed, seaworthiness and tacking qualities. Tests of “Hellas” at the Kremenchug reservoir confirmed that the creative use of three different prototypes (in itself a rare option) was generally done quite competently.

The Hellas is equipped with two bilge centreboards, cut from sheet steel 20 mm thick, with a total weight of 210 kg. The lower parts of the centerboard wells, protruding from the hull, are made hollow in the form of fairings into which lead is poured (its weight is about 200 kg). The fairly large total ballast weight, accounting for 31% of the displacement, ensures good stability of the yacht. The centerboard wells are made more powerful than on the prototype dinghy, but the same in design.

The spar is made of light alloy pipes. The falling mast is made of 110X2 pipe, the rotating boom is 70X3. The yacht's unsinkability is ensured by foam plastic blocks (total volume 1.5 m3), glued from the inside to the hull, deck and wheelhouse, as well as placed under the sofas.

The construction of the yacht by two people lasted 2 years and 3 months. The slipway was a powerful channel 8 m long. Among the technological devices invented and manufactured during the work, it is necessary to note the original tilter, which consists of two support bearings on trestles installed at the ends of the beam - slipway.

Horizontal trunnions with a diameter of 60 mm were attached to the stem and transom of the hull so that their common axis - the axis of rotation - passed through the center of gravity of the hull. This allowed builders to tilt the hull without assistance, performing welding and painting work in the most convenient lower position.

The yacht is equipped with three berths, a galley, a table, closets and a latrine. The height in the cabin is 1.45 m. (The layout of the cabin is somewhat questionable - the location of the table is on the starboard side; it is unlikely that it will be convenient to dine at this table, sitting on a sofa installed far from it - along the opposite side.

It would be more rational to install a table with a folding lid in the center of the cabin; or equip an existing table with a retractable lid.) In the stern, below the deck, there is a compartment for installing a stationary engine. There is a sail storage room in the forepeak. The author of the project considers steel to be a completely acceptable material for building a yacht over 7 m in length.

MINITONIK “THREE BOGATYRS”.

Built by Kharkov residents S. Degtyarev and V. Drachevsky. When developing their own project, the authors aimed to create a light yacht, but with a sufficient level of comfort, suitable for both long trips and participation in cruising races. The body design is composite, the set is made of light alloy: the transverse one is made of angles, the longitudinal one is made of channels. The sheathing is made of waterproof plywood 6 mm thick.

The hull, including the self-draining cockpit and deck, is covered with two layers of fiberglass with an epoxy binder. The hollow steel false keel is filled with lead and cement; its weight is about 280 kg. The yacht “Three Bogatyrs” is equipped with a Bermuda sloop with a top staysail. The spar is wooden, the steps are installed on the deck. The yacht is equipped with mechanisms and devices to facilitate the work with sails and to fine-tune them. The cabin has four berths and a portable galley.

Unsinkability is ensured by foam blocks attached to the sides under the sofas. Tests of the yacht have shown its reliability in operation, good seaworthiness, and satisfactory stability. With effective heeling by the entire crew, the yacht carried full sail in winds up to force 6.

Having set themselves the task of creating a racing vessel rather than a cruising vessel, the authors made the yacht as light as possible, clearly sacrificing comfort. There is practically nothing inside except for sleeping places. But in terms of mechanization of sail control, the “Three Bogatyrs” is a typical racing car! In terms of handling in any wind and combination of sails, the yacht, according to the authors, resembles a racing dinghy.

As the newspaper “Evening Kharkov” reported, on June 7 and 8, 1980, the yacht “Three Bogatyrs” took part in the cruising yacht race for the Kharkov region championship, where it took first place among 26 participants in corrected time. In terms of absolute speed, she was second only to “Conrad – 24”, 12 minutes behind him during the 13 hours of the race.

YACHT “SEVERYANKA”.

Built by N. Vesenin in Vologda according to the drawings of “Sail - 2” (“KYa” No. 6; 1966). This is an example of a successful yacht, built without fundamental changes to the project being implemented. The builder's lack of back plywood and oak, as specified in the drawings, led to the need for a number of unprincipled design changes. The body set is made of pine.

The sheathing is made of smooth spruce slats 12x40 mm with waterproof glue. Such a replacement of materials allowed the author to obtain a body equivalent to the design in terms of strength and weight characteristics at the lowest cost. Adhering to the project as much as possible, the author of “Severyanka” managed to obtain satisfactory seaworthiness and tacking qualities of the mini-yacht and its good performance both under sail and under motor.

The Vykhr-M outboard motor is used as an auxiliary engine, with which the yacht reaches a speed of 15 km/h. The use of such a powerful (25 hp) and heavy engine on such a vessel is impractical. The contours of sailing yachts are designed for a speed of about 5 knots (about 9 km/h).

For a mini-yacht to achieve such speed, an 8-strong “Veterok” is quite enough.

The use of engines with excess power gives only a small increase in speed, while fuel consumption increases significantly. It is planned for the future to install a fireplace in the cabin, which will improve the habitability of the vessel operating in the northern regions.

Many men dream of owning a yacht on which they can sail the sea, but its cost sharply reduces the number of people capable of such a purchase without undermining the family budget. To make your dream come true, you can try to build a boat or yacht with your own hands. Of course, an unprepared person should not start with building a large vessel, but try to implement a simpler project.

To solve this problem, there are two solutions: a simpler one involves building a yacht yourself from pre-prepared parts, and a more complex approach is building a yacht from scratch.

Many specialized companies offer similar assembly kits. The kits include all the necessary parts from which the yacht can be built, as well as detailed instructions and drawings to ensure correct assembly and compliance with all technological processes. Typically, all parts come pre-sale, assembled into a single unit for quality control, after which they are disassembled, packaged and sent to the customer. In turn, the customer remains to complete all assembly work with gluing the structure in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations, using the information provided.

A homemade yacht built from scratch significantly complicates the task of the manufacturer, since all the parts will have to be created independently, and this will require certain skills and additional equipment. Therefore, it will be very difficult for beginners to bring what they started to a positive result.

To build a yacht by any method, you will first need a room to carry out all the processes (boathouse) and a set of necessary tools.

It is worth noting that one should not skimp on organizing the workplace and tools, since this will ultimately affect the quality and speed of the work performed.

Recommendations for building a yacht from a kit

The construction of a yacht of any type begins with a careful study of all the documentation provided, since if you do not approach this stage seriously, you can make mistakes that will be very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to correct later.

Assembling the yacht should begin with the preliminary connection of the frames and keel, which, if the result is satisfactory, can be assembled into a permanent connection. After this, springers are installed on the frames, onto which the ship's skin, consisting of special moisture-resistant plywood, is attached. It should be noted that this assembly is carried out in the traditional position (the vessel is installed with the keel up), since in this position it is easier to achieve dimensional accuracy and create ideal contours of the vessel.

Sheathing made of moisture-resistant plywood ensures high structural strength of the vessel, and fiberglass is used to seal it. The fiberglass fabric is mounted on a special moisture-resistant epoxy composition in several layers and, after drying, forms a uniform waterproof surface.

To create an attractive appearance and additional protection, the resulting surface is treated with special varnishes and waterproof paints. The interior surfaces of the yacht are also painted with waterproof paint, and the deck is laid.

At the final stage, the final finishing of the hull, installation of the necessary equipment and sailing equipment is carried out.

Carrying out tests in a working environment is a necessary condition for ensuring safety and identifying the seaworthiness of the vessel. Some shortcomings and shortcomings in the design of the vessel must be eliminated.

Recommendations and stages of work during the construction of a yacht in full

A homemade yacht poses a rather complex but solvable problem for inexperienced builders, so before starting work it is necessary to prepare design documentation.

It is almost impossible for an inexperienced specialist to develop documentation independently. To do this, you should contact specialized organizations or use the Internet.

After developing the project, you should take care of the working space, that is, create a boathouse for construction and assemble a slipway according to the size of the vessel on which it will be installed. To create a slipway, softwood timber beams are laid on a flat prepared surface in two rows and the structure is tied to form an accurate horizontal surface.

Harvesting lumber is a very important part of construction, since the strength and navigability of the vessel largely depend on their quality. To create the structure, you will need two types of lumber: a knot-free board made of coniferous wood and timber from harder species (oak, ash, etc.). The moisture content of the wood should be in the range of 12 – 20%, which will ensure no deformation.

The stem line and the theoretical position of the frame frames along which all structural elements of the vessel will be installed are marked on the slipway.

The assembly and gluing of frame frames is carried out according to the contours of the vessel using a special device, which is a template. The working plaza is applied to sheets of plywood, the thickness of which should be 10 - 12 mm, while it is easier to create closed frames containing below-deck beams.

The assembly of frame frames with a transverse shear-bar should be done using special screws. During assembly, it is necessary to use special stops to fix the position of the frames in accordance with the original markings. All bulkheads are formed together with frame frames and in some cases they are replaced.

The stem blank should be installed, precisely maintaining the angle of inclination relative to the horizon, while the keel beam is assembled from hardwood beams and attached to the stem using a button, and to the floras with screws and glue.

The stringers are made from laminated pine slats and are mounted on the stem and a set of frames using self-tapping screws and glue. After installing all the stringers, a mandatory chalking of the surface of the vessel is carried out to identify all inconsistencies with the contours of the vessel and eliminate defects.

To create the skin of the ship's hull, bakelized plywood sheets are used, which are cut according to a template and mounted on the stringers using glue and self-tapping screws, and they should be slightly recessed into the body of the plywood.

Upon completion of the installation of the casing, control measurements of the contours and surface treatment are carried out along a single radius. In this case, the bakelite varnish is removed from the surface with an abrasive tool.

To impart rigidity and tightness, the skin surface is covered with several layers of T11-GVS-9 fiberglass using an epoxy composition, and after the first layers have hardened, pasting with fiberglass is continued, but on the basis of polyester resins, bringing the number of layers to ten.

After this, the base of the vessel is turned over and a longitudinal deck is laid, on which the deck flooring is mounted.

To create a durable and airtight layer, the hull continues to be glued with fiberglass alternating epoxy and polyester binders. After all layers have hardened, the resulting surface is sanded and primed.

Painting work is carried out with special moisture-resistant paints, maximally protected from the effects of sea water, followed by forced drying.

Interior decoration, installation of additional equipment and sailing equipment are carried out at the final stage of vessel construction. If it is necessary to install a power plant on a ship, you should contact specialists, since this is a very responsible process that requires additional knowledge.

Building a complete vessel is a lot of work and increased responsibility, but a sailing yacht made by yourself can, with proper operation and proper care, delight you and your loved ones for many years, opening up the wonderful world of sea travel.

If you have not yet decided to build a real yacht, first think about building a model yacht with your own hands. This will provide a basis for understanding the structure of the yacht and the opportunity to study the technology.

Many land-dwelling Belarusians dream of the sea. Some people have been raving about it since childhood, others are imbued with a passion for open water in adulthood. Is it difficult to realize your “maritime” dream in a land country? How to master the basics of independent yacht building? Andrey Bessarab, an amateur enthusiast who is going to Kyiv on a homemade boat in October, answered these questions on Radio TUT.BY.

Where did your interest in shipping come from? When did the idea to build your own yacht come about?

I have dreamed of a yacht since childhood, and now I have the opportunity to make this dream come true. There are quite a lot of yachtsport and water recreation lovers on the Internet like me. Their successful construction experience encouraged me to try my hand at it.

For myself, I decided that the boat must be transportable, with maximum habitability. At the same time, it was necessary to comply with the norms prescribed in our legislation. The law stipulates that cargo during transportation should be no more than two and a half meters wide and eight meters long. When transporting a boat, these parameters must be observed, so they became decisive when choosing a project. By the way, there is no such thing as a “yacht” in our legislation. There is the concept of “boat” or “small vessel”.

- Where are you going to go on your yacht?

According to its parameters and strength calculations, this boat is intended for inland waters and coastal areas of the seas. It can be transported to any sea: to the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea - wherever your heart desires. In the near future we are going to go for a run along inland reservoirs to the Kyiv Reservoir.

- Where can I store the boat and what is the best way to transport it?

My boat is eight meters long, and it doesn’t fit in any garage. Therefore, before building the ship, I designed a kind of trailer, which, with minor modifications, turns into a slipway - a rigid structure on which the boat itself is assembled. That is, the trailer is a place for assembling the boat, a means for transporting it, and with the help of an awning it turns into a winter shed for storing the vessel. In summer, the vessel sits on the water, and in winter, under an awning, it can be stored in a yacht club.

I built this trailer in a little over a year and spent about two thousand dollars on it. If you buy a ready-made trailer, it will cost about five and a half thousand euros. That is, manufacturers assume that if a person buys a yacht, then there will definitely be money for a trailer.

- Were there any difficulties with registering this trailer?

Indeed, there were some difficulties with registration, since similar trailers are not produced in our country. It cannot be verified by a crash test, and road tests do not provide sufficiently complete information. In this sense, it is easier for large productions: they can send part of the batch of trailers for testing. In addition, the trailer weighs more than 750 kg, so in order to drive with it, I had to get an “E” driver’s license.

- How does the construction of a yacht begin?

First, you should think three times whether it’s worth getting involved in this. It is cheaper to buy an old boat abroad that needs repairs and have it repaired. But you need to take into account that the yachts sold abroad are sea-going, with a keel buried one and a half meters or more. It is impossible to travel along our rivers and lakes on such a yacht.

If someone is planning to build a yacht on their own, they can contact the yacht club for advice and help.

You need to decide on the purpose of the vessel, because a racing boat, a cruiser or a weekend boat have their own characteristics. Each task has its own projects, its own designs and technologies, so it is not necessary to design something yourself. Moreover, I do not recommend making your own projects, because, as a rule, they have many more flaws than ready-made ones.

We have a state inspection for small boats, which is quite favorable towards such enthusiasts. There you can always get advice, take additional courses for sailing ships and even get a license to drive a vessel of various categories.

- Do I need to register a yacht?

The yacht is registered with the state inspection for small vessels and receives a hull number. For homemade products, additional tests are carried out to ensure that they are completely safe.

- Did someone teach you how to build a ship or did you learn everything on your own?

I learned mostly from my mistakes. A person with a higher education will always find the information he needs. I read a mountain of literature, visited many self-builder sites on the Internet. In addition, there are specialized yachting forums where people who have gone through the construction of ships share their experiences. But mistakes are still inevitable.

- Do many Belarusians build yachts?

One boat is being built in Brest, one small four-meter boat was launched a month ago in Minsk, two six-meter boats are being built. In addition, a ship has been under construction in Minsk for ten years that meets English Lloyd's standards. So there are quite a lot of people involved in yacht building in Belarus.

- How many years have you been building your ship?

I stopped building the yacht for a year and a half while I was building the trailer. It took me about a few months to build the transverse frames, and in November last year I put it on the staple and now I’m finishing construction. On average it took me about a year and a half to build the boat and almost the same for the trailer.

- Is it worth getting involved in the construction of a yacht or is it better to save money and buy a ready-made vessel?

It's a difficult question. Two years ago I would have said that it was definitely worth building it yourself and dedicating a few years of your life to it. But if you don’t want to sail along rivers, but go to deeper and wider waters, you can buy an inexpensive imported keelboat. The main issue is not money - when building it yourself, it is invested little by little.

- What materials are needed for the boat? Where can I get them?

The necessary materials are prescribed for each project. If the project is fast and technologically advanced enough for construction, then moisture-resistant plywood is used, which is sheathed with boards and covered with fiberglass. Questions may arise with payment for materials, since this is often done by bank transfer and you need to wait until the company issues an invoice.

We make the equipment ourselves, we buy some in Ukraine or order it on the Internet.

Making a boat yourself is difficult. As a rule, people who build yachts help each other - it's faster, more technologically advanced and more fun.

- There is a stereotype that only very rich people can own yachts. Is it really?

You can build both a sailing and a motor yacht on your own. The cost of a boat is roughly calculated as follows: a meter of length costs a thousand dollars. By and large, building a yacht is not as expensive as it seems. True, materials are becoming more expensive faster than construction progresses, but, nevertheless, it is quite possible to make a boat yourself.

- At what stage is the construction of your yacht now? When will you launch it?

Now we are finishing sanding and painting the top, installing hatches, portholes and bollards, and in about a week we will try to lower her to the Minsk Sea for initial sea trials, and by October 10 we will go to Ukraine for the regatta as invited guests. If everything goes well, then next year we will participate in an amateur regatta.

Photo by Andrey Bessarab.

Additional information regarding the design of the yacht