Building a yacht with your own hands from wood. Homemade yachts: sailing, motor, plywood. Sanding and priming

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 zones 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

Today, a real yachtsman should feel freedom and happiness when riding a yacht. This feeling is provided by riding on water, where there is a fresh wind, space and sun.

Only people who manage yachts themselves experience such feelings. You can ride on a yacht with friends or family to show them a sense of joy and freedom. Many yachtsmen take part in races that leave unforgettable memories.

Yacht designs for self-build must have high-quality operational features. There are many different reservoirs, lakes and rivers in Russia. Most of the country primarily lives in winter. In summer, strong winds and rain constantly blow. Based on weather conditions, the yacht must have features that will withstand these factors.

Here we looked at .

An analysis of Open800 yacht racing shows that basically all bodies of water are shallow and there are no moorings for yachts. But along the entire coast there are parking lots for motor boats.

For this reason, a DIY yacht design must have a lifting keel that can be raised while underway. Such a keel will allow you to park the yacht for motor boats.

The yacht must have a trailer. A trailer with a yacht will allow you to maintain ease of transportation and storage in winter. Launching should not take a lot of time, and it also does not require electricity or any tools.

In order for the trailer not to cause effort and difficulties, the yacht should not be large and light. Also, such criteria make it easy to tow a yacht by car without having a special category on your driver’s license. A yacht performs many different functions. Therefore, the types of yachts are very different. On a yacht you can either calmly stroll around the pond or organize various competitions.

If the construction of a yacht is intended for walking, then it must have a cockpit. For long trips, the yacht must be equipped with storage space for food and clothing. For high-speed yachts, it is necessary to provide for speed characteristics, and, if possible, equip them with a special handicap system.

Yacht projects

Today there are several main types of yacht projects.

1. Micro cruiser. This type of yacht is intended for trips on lakes and rivers. They can also be used in races or for daily walks. This type of yacht is also called a dinghy. To operate a dinghy, you must have driving experience. This yacht is very difficult to control, as its length can reach up to 5.5 meters.
2. Open The yacht is very large and is intended for racing and cruising on water bodies. For beginners, the yacht may be difficult to navigate. Open800 has a deep draft, which is intended for deep waters.
3. Laser SB3 or Melges 20. Such a yacht is considered imported and, as a rule, is intended only for racing. Has sailing functions.

Based on the projects reviewed, we can conclude that a yacht that will be built by hand must have special functions.

A yacht requires a trailer that can be easily transported by car. The yacht must have a lifting keel, which will have the function of lifting while underway. The keel should be located under the engine. The yacht must have a place for a shelter deck and for placing clothes or small tiles. The engine should have an engine displacement of 2.5 to 3 liters per second. The yacht must have good performance and ease of operation.

The sail area should reach up to 22 sq.m. Such an area will allow you to steer the yacht, even if the “yacht helmsman” has minimal sailing qualifications. The appearance should have modern qualities. The housing should have strong and durable features that will not require constant maintenance. The yacht must have a variety of additional equipment. Equipment for construction must have category 4, for longer operation.

The ideal option for building it yourself would be a yacht that is designed for 3-5 people. This version of the yacht is suitable for both walking and racing. The length of the yacht should be no more than 7 meters, the sail area should be from 14 to 20 sq.m. Various sail options will help increase the total sail area in calm winds, and increase it in strong winds. As a rule, shipbuilders take ready-made sails from old yachts. It is very difficult to obtain fabric for a sail on your own. Sewing yourself requires extensive experience.

The spar is made of light alloy pipes. The boom must rotate in any direction so that the sails can be retracted during mooring or reefing. The mast step should be located on the roof of the cabin.

The body can be made from various types of wood. You can also use various types of steel or light alloy. With low weight, the combined use of wood and steel will make it possible to produce a more durable and high-quality body. Today, many shipbuilders cover the hull with fiberglass. Fiberglass fabrics protect the body from rotting and increase the level of strength. Usually, when building a yacht themselves, shipbuilders cover the hull with only one layer of fiberglass. Experts recommend setting up several layers. Two or three layers of fiberglass prevent the passage of water into microcracks.

One of the most famous yacht building projects is "Sea Horse". Reviews from professional shipbuilders say that when building this yacht it is necessary to increase the fin area. The location of the cabin over the entire area of ​​the side will increase the level of comfort of the cabin. This arrangement of the pilothouse will also increase the area of ​​the cabin. Walking on the deck becomes much freer.

Mini yacht project "Halt" made from pine. The beams and stem must be made of oak. The yacht is sheathed with bakelized plywood, the thickness of which should not exceed 7 millimeters. The timber on board should have dimensions of 40x40, which will increase the width of the deck by 80 millimeters. The mini-yacht “Prival” has a Bermuda sloop, which is equipped with a top jib. The yacht has good sailing performance. The author of the project plans to make some improvements to the construction of the yacht. Kili will need to be replaced with bulbikili, which reach up to 140 kilograms.

Before building a yacht with your own hands, do not forget that this project entails large financial investments. You also need to have free time. Before starting construction, you need to decide on the type of yacht and resolve several issues. It is very important to determine in advance what purposes the yacht will be intended for.

Professional shipbuilders recommend choosing Soviet-era projects. The project must also be approved by the supervisory service. The ideal option for building a yacht would be a project that has technical support. To build such a project, it is necessary to have professional knowledge of naval architecture. If you don’t have such knowledge, then it’s better to select a ready-made project.

Today on the Internet there are many sites that provide the opportunity to use a variety of yacht construction projects. On the site everyone can find the best option. Each project has its own pricing policy and purpose. Also, some projects already have ready-made kits. You can choose not only the project, but also the various necessary equipment and tools.

If the project already has a kit, then all you need to do is assemble the yacht correctly according to the instructions. First you need to properly study the drawings and plans. It is necessary to pay great attention to the study of drawings, as mistakes may be made later. The drawings indicate dimensions and parameters. The instructions describe step by step the process of building a yacht and what tools need to be used. After following the instructions, you will be able to enjoy your self-built yacht.

• After building the yacht, it is imperative to check the operational functions.
• The yacht must be used in the most extreme conditions in order to test the quality and efficiency of the construction. Such a test allows you to notice shortcomings that may have been made during construction. If the yacht has no defects, then it must be registered.
• This procedure is mandatory, since without registration you do not have the right to use it. Registration is carried out at the state inspection. Such branches are located in all regions. You can also get detailed information about the registration procedure here.

You can build a yacht with your own hands even without experience. The sites provide the opportunity to develop an individual project that will allow you to build a unique yacht.

Design support services are provided for project development. Experts will provide the necessary advice and recommendations. An individual project will allow you to independently create diagrams, drawings and instructions. Professionals will help you develop the project correctly so that operational functions are carried out correctly.

Such a project will have individual qualities and properties. Independent choice of material will increase the strength of the yacht. The appearance of the yacht will have a unique design. The independent location of the cabins and their dimensions are also being developed.

Homemade yachts are a rather labor-intensive process that will require a lot of effort, time and material costs. Some yacht construction processes cannot be completed without the help of a specialist. Expert knowledge will help prevent mistakes when building a yacht. Before starting construction, it is necessary to accurately determine the appearance of the yacht and its main functions and purpose.

Any yacht construction begins with the manufacture of the hull. The body is mainly made of wood. Wood is much simpler and easier to work with. Today, there are many different materials that will help protect the hull of a yacht from exposure to water. Initially, you need to accurately calculate the cost of the hull and sails.

If mistakes are made at this stage, further operation of the yacht will be impossible. To avoid mistakes, you can visit specialized stores and consult with specialists. When the yacht hull is built, you can turn to professional shipbuilders for help. They will help you correctly draw up the design and drawings of the yacht, and you will already implement it into reality. The equipment on the yacht also plays an important role. Things must be installed on the yacht only after it has been launched.

DIY sailing yacht

Today, anyone can build a sailing yacht on their own. Building a sailing yacht requires sober and cold calculation, which will allow you to correctly calculate all the necessary parameters. When building a sailing yacht, experts do not recommend using wooden planking. In this case, the best option is to use diagonal cladding. This method allows the use of transverse templates. Building a sailing yacht from a fiberglass hull requires strict adherence to all rules and requirements, as well as special equipment.

The construction of a reinforced cement sailing yacht requires strict adherence to the hull casting rules. This building is reminiscent of concrete work during the construction of above-ground structures. Building a sailing yacht requires certain professional knowledge. Defects or errors that may occur during operation are not immediately noticeable. Defects can only be seen when the yacht is used on the water. In the future, the construction of a yacht using aromatic cement may incur material costs. Also, reinforced cement has a lot of weight, which is a very big disadvantage. In practice, it is very clear that the ideal weight ratio starts with 12-14 meter hulls. Many shipbuilders and yachtsmen, despite all the shortcomings, consider this material to be of high quality and durable. Do not forget that in addition to the housing, there are also costs for various equipment and tools.

Before you start building a sailing yacht, you need to listen to the recommendations of experts. They believe that the most constructive material for building a hull is a metal alloy or wood. Reinforced cement and fiberglass are mainly suitable for the construction of large yachts. For medium-sized yachts, wood is a promising option. As a rule, metal is used with a high level of strength.

A sailing yacht made of wood has a long service life. The wood has the correct proportion of length and weight. To build a sailing yacht, non-swelling plywood and veneers are used, which are made from fir, oak or mahogany. Wood is also used for multi-layer exterior cladding. The wooden frame structures are fastened using phenol-formaldehyde resin, which is combined with a tie on bolts, screws and screws. Professional boatbuilders believe that wood is an acceptable material for building a sailing yacht with your own hands.

How to build a yacht with your own hands

As a rule, building a yacht with your own hands begins with drawings. it is better to take from ready-made and developed projects, since they have the correct necessary parameters. The drawings must be consistent with the purpose of the yacht and the materials chosen. Before starting construction, it is also necessary to determine for what purposes it will be intended.

Clear indications of the rules and requirements for the yacht will help you correctly decide on the project. Building a yacht with your own hands requires certain knowledge and skills. To build a yacht yourself, you need to correctly lay out the drawing and make the necessary templates and patterns. This procedure requires professional knowledge and experience. Any mistakes that may be made at this stage will affect the finished yacht. As a result, such defects will be very difficult to eliminate. To prevent mistakes from being made, ready-made projects provide a special set of equipment. The kit also contains the necessary materials and instructions that indicate the sequence of work step by step. This method will allow you to build a yacht with your own hands in the shortest possible time.

After purchasing such a kit, the construction of the yacht is carried out in several steps. First you need to carefully study the plans, drawings and instructions. It often happens that several construction options are considered in a project. After this stage, you can begin assembling various equipment (frames, keels, stringers). Next you need to prepare the casing. The body is assembled on a slipway and covered with cladding materials. The covering is applied in several layers. After the hull is ready, installation work is carried out on the yacht and the necessary equipment is installed. It is best to build a yacht near bodies of water. After construction is completed, the yacht must be checked on the water for defects and deficiencies.

DIY yacht made of plywood

A DIY plywood yacht will allow you to go for a walk on a pond at any convenient time. In order to build a yacht from plywood, the following tools are needed: nails, a hacksaw, a hammer, a screwdriver, an electric drill, a drill. To build a yacht you need seven sheets of plywood. The thickness of the plywood should not be more than 6 millimeters. Experts recommend taking plywood measuring 1.22x2.44 mm. Additional sheets are also needed, about 10 millimeters thick and identical in size.

The main task when building a yacht is the correct choice of plywood. Plywood can be made from various types of wood, but one of the most acceptable options is to use poplar plywood, 7-10 millimeters thick. This indicator does not affect the weight of plywood.

If the plywood is made of birch, then the thickness should be up to 5 millimeters. When building a yacht, it is imperative to take into account the level of water resistance. Plywood contains several layers of wood (2-3). It is for this reason that it provides a high level of strength for the future yacht.

If large plywood sheets are used in the construction of a yacht, the level of labor intensity of the process is reduced. A groove is made on the stringer or scup in the form of combined sheets of plywood. This work process does not require careful adjustment of the edges of the belts. Plywood sheathing involves transverse patterns that serve to outline the body. This construction process involves the use of frames that are located in the structure. This option does not require independent preparation of patterns.

Frames for yacht construction are made in a simple form. For their manufacture, futoxes (a straight part) are used. When building a yacht yourself, it is imperative to pay careful attention to the manufacture of the hull. Assembly of the body is carried out on a workbench and ends on an earthen surface. The keel is placed on the workbench, after which it must be connected to the frames and stems. The connection is made using bolts, screws and nails.

After completing this work process, it is necessary to check whether there are any defects in the form of misalignment. Porous paper or thin cloth impregnated with resin is inserted into each connection. If the body is connected with nails, then you definitely need to pay attention to their length. In order for the nails to be driven in easily, holes must be drilled in advance. The hole should be 1 millimeter less than the thickness of the nail. Boards for the side are placed on both sides of the frame, and the ends are tied with twine to the stem.

Next, boards are bent around the frames, tied and brought to the transom. Unnecessary ends can be cut off. The yacht must also have a mast, which can be made of pine. Before starting to build a yacht, the plywood must be moistened so that it does not crack in the future. You can also steam plywood.

DIY motor yacht

A motor yacht has many different advantages and benefits. One of the most important advantages is ease of management. The speed of the yacht will depend on the power of the motor.

Before building a motor yacht, it is necessary to determine its purpose. The hull of a motor yacht is constructed from transverse and longitudinal sections. On motor yachts the engine must be located in the stern. This arrangement of the engine allows for the correct landing of the vessel.

Any structural material can be used for the hull of a motor yacht. The choice of material depends on the project drawings, its features and limitations. Do not forget that it is impossible to choose the ideal material for the construction of a motor yacht. Each material has its own disadvantages and advantages.

Fiberglass is one of the most common materials used to build a motor yacht. If you correctly follow the technology of the construction process, the yacht will have a high level of strength and a long service life. , as a rule, contain only small parts of the device. But today there are projects that include a developed interior and design, as well as all the necessary tools for the body. If the construction of a motor yacht is carried out using professional blanks, then the process will not take much time. When purchasing fiberglass yourself, there is a risk of purchasing low-quality material. When purchasing a material, you must carefully study its properties and qualities. These qualities are very important, since the design of the finished yacht depends on them.

The fiberglass housing must be built indoors, which will protect it from the effects of negative factors and weather conditions. Before applying a new layer, it is important to take into account the polymerization of the old layer. If this aspect is not taken into account, then as a result the case may be covered with a greasy film, which can easily get dust. When working with fiberglass, safety precautions must be observed, as this material is very harmful to health.

Fiberglass can be used for various structures, both heavy and light. Strengthening the strength level of fiberglass is achieved through Kevlar and carbon fiber. If the composite structure is strengthened, the weight of the yacht can be reduced. Choosing the right yacht hull is the main goal when building a motor yacht with your own hands. Independently building a motor yacht is a complex process that requires certain knowledge and skills.

A motor yacht will be an ideal vessel for exploring water bodies. No professional knowledge is required to operate such a yacht. The control is automatic and allows you to fully enjoy unforgettable walks. Also, such yachts reduce the risk of problems with the control of the yacht helmsman or due to negative weather conditions.

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 be affected by storage time, but with the hardener the situation is not so smooth and 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 sandpaper, 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.

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.