Hello from Ca.

[fishslayer]

Hi everyone. My name is Jason. I have no sailing experience, but I will sail around the world fishing, diving, and hopefully meeting some awesome people.

I have 2 children 16 (daughter) and 13 (son). Right now my life is fully dedicated to them. Baseball, football, wresting, jazz band, FFA, softball, marching band, and freediving/spearfishing(kids are just learning). I also coach or am in booster clubs for all or their activeties. My daughter is getting ready to go to Davis to be Vetrinarian and my son is focused on sports and jazz, he is only 13.

The plan/dream is to build my own boat. I want to build it from steel, as I am an Ironworker. Travel the world in a vessel you built-anything better? I find myself reading on this site for hours, it is awesome. Thanks and hello to all.

[redbopeep]

Hello and welcome aboard!

There are quite a few folks who have built or "finished" steel boats. All of them experienced welders who could take on the job and enjoy it. From a time perspective, I've heard that it is better to get the basic hull welded up by someone else (while you're working your regular job) and then you do the finishing work (and there's plenty of it, too). Food for thought.

Do enjoy the site. I've popped in for just a few minutes while we've got internet access at a yacht club on our journey (this one is Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club in Canada).

Fair winds,

[Auzzee]

Hi Fishslayer,
Welcome. What style of boat are you considering building?. There's many a good hard chine steel boat plying the world's oceans. Amongst the true classics are the replicas of Joshua Slocum's Spray. Roberts Boat Designs produces what must be the most popular patterns for these.

The following link for steel Sprays between 22' and 55', should whet your appetite. Bruce Roberts, steel boat plans, boat building, boatbuilding, steel boat kits, boat kits
And here, as they say in the culinary world, is one we prepared earlier and displays a distinct hard chine.
1991 Metal Boat Builders B.R. Spray Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com


Then if you want to go for the rolled steel type, there are those such as mine (38')

[fishslayer]

Auzzee, your boat is beautiful. I am not decided on what style of hull yet. I have looked at the spray designs and like some of them (38 & 40). I am also looking at cat designs. My focus of the bot will be crusing all aroud the world, obviously. Most of my time will be spent fishing, diving, surfing, and exploring (new lands and at sea). Toughness and space will be key items. Hopefully this will be a mobile vacation home for my kids after they finish college. I have also been thinking of a way to maybe do some sort of chartering to help ofset costs and meet like minded people.

Red, thanks for your onfo and thoughts. This is definately a major project and a life dream. Part of this dream is to build it myself. Welding skills are no issue for me as I have a degree in Welding technology and have been in the steel construction industry for almost 20 years.

Thanks everyone, and if you have ideas of comments please let me know. I am definately in the information gaterhing/planning stages now. Thansk again and awesome site, Jason.

[fishslayer]

One more idea for you all to chew on. Aside from a small tender, I want to bring along a 18'-24' Bayrunner style center console. This will be for day trips exploring, fishing, diving, etc. Any design ideas for transporting would be great. Looking at a cradle on the bow with a davit or hoist of some kind. Shoot me your ideas, thanks, J

[Auzzee]

If you are serious about chartering, you need to consider this when you build your boat. There are some quite specific structural inclusions which you need to be aware of when constructing a boat for charter survey.

They relate mostly to safety and must be included so that you can qualify for charter boat insurance. It would also to be prudent to start taking courses toward the qualifications you will need for chartering.

As to the Bayrunner. If you want to include an 18-24 footer, you will need a HUGE sailboat, or a very large powerboat. Getting it on and off the bow cradle and through the rigging will be an ordeal particularly in a stiff breeze and lumpy sea. For an 18' boat to be forward of the mast, I suggest you will need to build a boat somewhere in the region of 80 feet. The crane needed to move the boat into the water would be almost prohibitive, even for just an 18' open aluminium dinghy. A loaded, lightweight 19'er with a 90hp outboard, will weigh about 1500lbs and the windage (and breaking greenies) would be hard to cope with unless the boat and rig were purpose designed to counter the size and weight.
Cheers