r/boatbuilding

Trailers?

Trailers?

Where are you all getting trailers for custom built boats? I built this Chesapeake Light Craft Tenderly. Ar the time the offered a trailer, but I didn't get it. Now I have moved to TN and need a trailer to fit. Traler dealers here sell bass fishing boat trailer that are way too big for my 10 footer.

u/Uukrul1 — 9 hours ago
▲ 10 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

Weight scaling

If a 15 foot dory weighs 325 lbs a 17 foot boat is 1.13 times longer.

That scale factor can be used to morph blue print dimensions up or down Weight too? It must be.

This new hull got pinched between the trailer wheel fenders. I had to shim the the trailer bed 4" up to get it to work (1.5" in front with a 6x6 in back).

u/pittendrigh — 11 hours ago

What could replace a rotor? (Writing help)

In my story a character's boat has the blades break off. What could they realistically replace the propeller with? Keep in mind that the engine still works, and it needs to be something one could find in a small seaside city (think Galveston). The propeller from another boat wouldn't work storywise.

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u/bloodraged189 — 12 hours ago
▲ 3 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

Looking for a new 16-18 foot hull under 10k

Howdy everyone! I am trying to find a hull builder or a company that makes center console hulls that aren’t ungodly expensive. And preferably new because I am fed up with fiberglass repair, and can still taste the fiberglass flakes from my last floor repair😭. Bare bones with nothing that would be best. My old boat was a 19 footer that met its end when my sister in law’s husband forgot to do the back straps. I’m from Texas, but don’t mind driving anywhere if it is supporting a small company. any help is massively appreciated! Under 10k would be fantastic as I am broke college student.

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u/Desperate-Reach2882 — 23 hours ago
▲ 3 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

Advice: Selling 200hp Outboard

I’m doing a full resto on my whaler and want to sell my 94 mercury xri 200hp. It runs strong and I just did a 25+ mile cruise last weekend. Anyways it’s heavy as shit. I want to sell it with the controls and hydraulic steering.

What do you think the best way to go about that is (not where but how)? Keep it on boat so I can have people come and run it and go for a cruise? My neighbor (and old owner of the whaler) owns a pretty popular outboard shop. Pay him to take it off? Get a quote and point buyers that way if needed? You think someone will have the ability to remove it themselves? I surely have enough mechanical knowledge to do it. Just it’s fucking heavy.

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u/kilgore_trout72 — 22 hours ago
▲ 374 r/boatbuilding+6 crossposts

The boat that fed China for 1,000 years.

This is one of those models — a Chinese river boat, the kind that moved grain, silk, and people through the inland waterways of the Yangtze Delta for over a thousand years.

A few details worth looking at closely:

The lattice railings along the sides are not printed or cast. Each section is assembled from individual pieces of timber, fitted joint by joint. At this scale, each joint is about 2–3mm.

The canopy roof is woven — real fiber, not painted wood. The texture you can see in the photo is the actual weave pattern.

The oars extending from the bow and stern are functional in proportion — the correct length relative to the hull for a boat of this beam. They're not decorative approximations.

The hull planks are individual. Each one is shaped to its position — wider amidships, narrower toward the bow and stern where the hull curves. The variation in grain between planks is not inconsistency. It's evidence of the process.

The craft of wooden ship model-making in Zhoushan is officially recognized as intangible cultural heritage — a designation that acknowledges it's a living tradition worth preserving before the last people who know it are gone.

u/Bright-Letter5353 — 2 days ago
▲ 7 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

How to repair screw holes in Aluminum Boat?

Previous owner had 2"x24" wood strip mounted on the inside for dock cleat / rod holder. The wood was rotted so I removed it. What would the best way be to patch the holes / mount new cleats?

u/CollegeEmpty5729 — 2 days ago

Wanna build a Jon boat

Never built a boat before, really haven’t done much making of anything before to be honest. I like to fish though, and I would love to be able to make something for the first time. Jon boat seemed like it could be a good idea. Any suggestions or help anyone could offer would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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u/bwhite753 — 2 days ago

Looking for advice redoing floatation foam and boxes at rear of boat

Hey all I’m very new to boat building. I bought a 70 something mirrocraft and log story short pulled benches to repaint and found the foam and wood were rotten under the seats. Got some new wood to fit into the old aluminum bench skins after filling some pinholes with aluminum jb weld and repainting. I was thinking about using the xps sheets which are supposedly quite good as an alternative to pour foam. Not 100% how I should go about rescuing them under the benches. I also pulled the rear bench table/cupholder things and they are also in need of replacement but honestly don’t really know where to start with going about replacing or remaking something. Any advice would be appreciated!

u/AeonMaul — 2 days ago
▲ 28 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

Deck key isn’t turning the diesel fuel cap.

I need some suggestions. Any idea how to get this thing open? Just bought this boat and am trying to bleed the fuel line but need to get fuel into the tanks… pls help 😩

ETA: THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE EVERYONE! my first time posting here, I really appreciate all the responses. I’ll stay posted on how this goes. 🤙🏾

u/icouldnotpreventitVL — 4 days ago

Critique my fuel system (and drawing skills)

Goal is to have an extremely robust setup that can manage fuel of dubious quality whilst preserving the integrity of the system

But- I’d be the first to admit I don’t know a great deal about fuel systems

I can’t work out how to add a picture as when I try the forum software says “images not allowed”

Ok, doesn't appear that you can tell the software that this is a link to an image, so I'm afraid it won't display it but you can click on it to see it - this is not malware I promise.

Drawing of fuel system

u/LankyFocus5452 — 3 days ago
▲ 2 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

Won't start in the water but runs fine on land? help.

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this but I'm desperate.

I have a 1979 140 Johnson Evinrude. Whenever I hook it up to my hose and run it on land it starts like brand new, sometimes I don't even need to lift the idle lever but as soon as it's in the water it doesn't want to start. It'll turn over and sound like it's trying but just doesn't fire up. Any clues?

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u/Verbose82 — 3 days ago

Foam Removal

Backstory: Removed foam from under the bench so I could add a battery compartment & switches to my 14ft aluminum Lund boat. My concern is that will this cause an off balance or too much force wrapping in that area? Any insight would be much appreciated! 1st boat I’ve owned, and these thoughts didn’t come to mind till after I’ve done it.

u/Minister_of_Keycaps — 4 days ago

13mph top speed all of a sudden? What could be wrong?

I have a 2023 Yamaha f70hp, only has 44hrs. Took a trip to the lake and the boat will only run 13mph? It’s almost seems “governed” as it will only go to 13mph no matter how far you go with throttle. Idk where to even go from here. Fuels clean, clean filters, odd thing is when you go up with trim and half the prop is out of the water it will rev high… but not under load? Any help is greatly appreciated! Happy boating

u/dieselboy59 — 3 days ago

Would you be worried about this brown stain coming from bung area?

Hey guys, im thinking about purchasing my first fiberglass boat and have always had ali boats

This stain coming from bung area Would you be worried about it?
Is this a indication thats theres water in the fiberglass/transom area?

Any help appreciated thanks.

u/Electronic_Echo2038 — 4 days ago
▲ 9 r/boatbuilding+1 crossposts

I have a very large very old sailboat that was my grandfathers that needs to be salvaged located in upstate New York. Does anyone know of someone who may be of assistance for something like this?

Edit to add it is a 50’ Columbia

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u/Extra_Dish860 — 5 days ago

HELP! Leak on 1988 Alumacraft

I bought this boat a few months ago at a really good price. The outboard runs great with no issues, but the boat has a leak that I haven’t been able to track down. I’ve put it in and out of the water at least half a dozen times, and each time I thought I found the problem, only to end up with the same amount of water coming in again.

Within the first five minutes of putting it in the water, the back of the boat starts filling up fairly quickly to where it’s noticeable in the bilge. I’ve filled the boat with water twice to try finding leaks and discovered a few holes, which I patched up, but that didn’t solve the issue.

Does this have anything to due with the weight of the motor? The boat is 16 feet.

I’ve made sure all holes in the back are sealed (main and live) and applied silicone around any areas that looked like they needed it. I didn’t get the areas that already have silicon where the motor meets the transom. What are some other ways I can figure out where this leak is coming from? The part that really confuses me is how fast the water comes in.

u/Fun-Possession8188 — 4 days ago