Hi Steve, Yes it is much quicker and easier to "just buy" a dinghy, by pulling out a Credit Card,but then you have to take what the market offers, whatever it's drawbacks may be: too big; too heavy; or not big enough.... If you buy you have to be willing to accept a compromise between your desires and requirements and what is available on the market, which include el cheapo too short, unbalanced, and much too heavy oars. If you build your own, you can select from a large number of plans with all sorts of variations. You can find very simple ones, with stitch-and-glue construction to very complex clinker or strip built ones, but you can find what you like, that meets your exact requirements, and then build it. You also get to decide fit and finish; as well as tailoring it to your own physical dimensions and rowing preferences. You also can build or buy oars that make rowing a great pleasure. If you've never experienced rowing with "good" oars, you have a real treat awaiting you. By good oars I mean oars that are the proper length; with very thin blades that will almost bend when you take a stroke; (which make them terrible for pushing on rocks or for mishandling them); with proper balance so that you don't waste rowing energy lifting useless pounds of unbalanced commercial telephone-pole oars. See Culler's book, "Boats, Oars, and Rowing" for a detailed descriptions of what good oars should be. Boat building does take time, and in my case it was always a pleasant winter project. Summers are for sailing: winters are for building dinghies; model sailboats, rubber motor powered submarines; and other things that keep you indoors / warm / and occupied. Building a boat is a most enjoyable occupation, and when you are finished, you look at it with pride, and can tell the people at the ramp, or in the harbor that admire it, "I built it...." ....and it didn't come from a factory production line. If you aren't building it to sell on the market, where you have to compete on selling price, then who cares how many hours you invested in the project? It's fun isn't it? If you don't enjoy the building process, then you shouldn't start. Connie GILASAILR@aol.com wrote:
Howard - You did a beautiful job! AND it is a nesting dinghy! WOW! Look forward to seeing more pictures! It is a beautiful boat.
To anyone who is considering building a boat - just forget about the money thing - it is completely counter-cost - effective to build one boat. If you can find a friend to build the same model at the same time or near, money can be saved buy buying in 'bulk' and learning from the first build's experience.
GO
(Thank You Kerry S. -I was the recipient of his strongback,wood, skill, experience and general knowledge of woodworking! I appreciate it every time I use the boat.)
In a message dated 3/11/2009 5:23:50 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, haudsley@tranquility.net writes:
Buying one would be easier, and if used.....much less expensive.....but sometimes you have to buck those obvious solutions. For you Rider fans, "It's the cowboy way"!
Not counting the time it takes to shop for wood, or the time spent sitting in a chair staring at it (watching epoxy set......similar to watching paint dry!) I think a guy could finish one of these out in about 30 days actual work time. It's stitch and glue plywood and you can turn several sheets of 1/4" plywood into a shape that resembles a boat in about 3 days. It takes a few tools, but not that many. Main ones are a good jig saw and good random orbital sander (and a small truckload of sandpaper).
The sail rigging (daggerboard, rudder, mast, boom, etc) take as much time to make as the boat does and run the cost up. You could build the rowing tender first and add the sailing gear later.
The rig for this design has been optimized for racing, so the rig is a bit complicated (vangs, downhauls, outhauls, travelers, etc). For a sailing tender, something simple like a balanced lug rig might be a better option.
I have more pictures. Sometime over the weekend I will try to post them on the montgomeryowners photo site.
Howard
On Mar 10, 2009, at 9:05 PM, Steve R. wrote:
Beautiful dinghy Howard. She even impressed my wife.
We each have a question.
How long did it take to build?
Wouldn't it have been easier to buy a dinghy?
Guess which one is mine? :)
steve
Steve R. M-15 #119 Lexington, KY
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n165/haudsley/Picture260.jpg
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