Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi All! I started a little foamie project last week using 3/4" foam. We'll see how it goes! Best case I end up with a usable boat, worst case I get to try a "foamie" project where I end up learning something. I thought I had done a decent job with the picture documentary but realize looking at the pictures I missed a couple big steps.
To begin the project I went to GPW's favorite store and picked up a new belt sander. I then went to the lumber yard in search of 1Xs. They had some cypress fence planks for a reasonable price so I picked up a few of them to rip into 1 1/4 strips. Cypress seems much lighter then pine or cedar, has few knots and doesn't rot.

It was roughcut so it needed some some sanding.

The plans called for two panels glued end to end. I'm using the Hot Foam Factory glue. It seemed to do a good job. I used duct tape on the back side to hold it together and keep the glue from leaking out. On the front side I put a several spot welds with the hot glue gun.


After pulling the plastic off the foam I drew out the plan. I'm using a plan for a skiff, out of Jim Michalak's book Boatbuilding for Beginners and Beyond.

This is the part of the build where I did a poor job of taking pictures. I ripped all the fence boards down and cut all the forms out of the foam. I framed the forms with the 1 1/4" strips. and then dry assembled the boat.


The boat is now glued together, hope it is straight.

It's been fun so far!

Interesting

That is cool! I can only imagine what the neighbors think! :)

My neighbors have thought I was nuts for sometime I think this confirmed it! It has gotten a lot of interest, though only one volunteer for the maiden voyage Several have volunteered to watch from shore, chickens! And one volunteered to come break the champagne bottle. I think champagne might be a bit too high class for a boat of this caliber Maybe Miller High Life instead (The Champagne of beers)

Looking Good Rosey !!! Are you planning on covering the foam with some fabric ??? That would add a Lot of strength and not much weight ... some strips of wood on the upper edges of the sides would eliminate any wear in this area (Gunwale) ... , make it stronger too ... Keel strip on the bottom too ..
If you need any help, please let me know ... I’ve built a few boats in the past , and have some ideas about how to make it sturdy , yet Light ...

that is really, really cool!

GPW,
I am planning on doing a fabric type covering thing. The long skinny strips (also cypress) to the right of the boat in the picture are the wales, chines and runners for the bottom. Still much work to be done! I'll try to keep you posted as I progress.

Great project!!! Someone a while back posted a link to a lady who finishes canvas canoes and they come out with an almost mirror finish. I can't seem to find the link right now but google "canvas canoe finish" and you'll see the end products. It takes weeks to do but maybe your foamling boat could end up like that. In my opinion you could be on to something very cool! Keep up the good work!

I applaud your project, however, from your photos, the design looks very narrow for the length. Maybe it is just the photo, but it looks to me like it will be tough to keep it upright.

Larry C

I don't think so Larry. It looks similar, proportion-wise, to a typical canoe. If the finished shape keeps those hard chines it will have very good initial stability, but almost no secondary at all. Good thing will be it will have excellent bouyancy if flooded!

The popular boat around here, the Pirogue, is notoriously tricky , easy to tip, and requires a good deal of skill and balance .. Rosey’s looks Much more stable , especially with the requisite cooler of Beer as ballast ...

Small update. Today the chines were dry fit.

Hi, Rosey.

Please visit http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/ for any questions or to research a lot of things that have been found to work well.

Rosey , please check bulkhead #3 (from the front) which seems too narrow , from what we can see from the pics ... easy to widen it if you have to ... just split the bulkhead down the middle and add foam in the middle to the width required to produce a smooth curve ...